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Old 08-05-2012, 06:31 AM   #1
Alsklaftsk123
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Default Why is mac so popular?

Why is mac so popular in music/media industry? I mean, you can get the same specs on a pc for half the price. Im not hating on mac, i just wonder why.
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Old 08-05-2012, 07:00 AM   #2
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It's the operating system. Those who prefer to use OSX over Windows by the margin that they do (like myself) have always considered it worthwhile to spend that extra to sit in front of OSX instead of Windows or Linux. Though the difference has surely lessened over the years, old habits do die hard : )
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Old 08-05-2012, 08:06 AM   #3
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The impression I get is that the competitors are making it too easy for Apple--rather than Apple doing anything really special, the makers of the iPhone and iPad and Macbook ripoffs release products with glaring inconsistencies and awkward features that should be noticed by anyone who actually tried to use the device for an hour or two. Apple seem to be the best at making their stuff as comfortable to use as you'd expect, which is surely harder to do than it sounds .
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Old 08-05-2012, 08:27 AM   #4
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Litterarly installed windows 8 rtm on this MSI laptop no drivers were needed NOT EVEN FOR onboard wifi. Windows 8 has onboard wifi drivers now so for laptop users ( internal onboard cards) this is fantastic. Not even some linux distros work out of the box with wifi.



Point short here

Windows 8 boots in 6 seconds. From boot menu to desktop

This is very impressive all services are set to OFF-Run-OFF as I explained in a previous post by default. Windows 8 is going to be very good for a DAW and Video editing as Windows 7 already smokes with Avid Media Composer 6 and Adobe Premiere pro 6 with the mercury engine which makes Final Cut look like a Toy.

The OS has never been the problem as again explained on another post.

I have been running XP PRO since 2001 up to now.

The software has gotten 100 times better over the years, all Daws, VSTs, Vsti's, video editing apps .

So the issue here is simply Apple's mentality of "only we say what goes inside the mac" has serve them well. But it has also shut them out of many Apps out there. Let's be serious here these days all major Apps are on Windows 7/ OS X ( FreeBSD) and they are both good on both systems.

So these days one can say whatever makes you confortable. but for me I need the compatibility and the tools that are not on OSX.

Again the OS was never the problem it has not been since XP came out in 2001. It was sloppy software that was the problem.

My systems have been running XP since 2001 and software from 11 years ago worked then and new software works now as well.

However Windows 8 is my OS, every tweek, every idea, every change needed is in Windows 8. It's like they been watching me.

Even my idea of the services having 3 states I have been doing that for years with Batch files albeit it's a manual process, now in windows 8 a service is off, then triggers, then goes off again.

Windows 8 is kicking ass, and I will install it on all systems.
I was an XP fanatic but running windows 8 is completely different.

They forgot about eyecandy and spent time tweeking.

6 second boot, from the windows 8 boot menu to the desktop. The internal laptop drive is in IDE mode as XP is installed on here as well.

You need to kill Metro with Windows8 powershell it is very small and get's you back not just the start menu but a much better one!!!

As for brand image, Apple spends over $1 billion a year on marketing, should explain itself.
As for as enterprise ( clients servers) apple can't hack it on that market as MS has that tight hence why Apple killed Xservers line.

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Old 08-05-2012, 08:41 AM   #5
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There was once a time,long long ago,when Macs were WAYYY more user friendly for the non techie minded creative person.Thus those creative types adopted Mac and most stayed with it once there.I was one of them,until I realised windoze had caught up,and so the lure of cheaper higher powered machines won me over.
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Old 08-05-2012, 08:44 AM   #6
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I JUST signed up for this forum and am about to purchase Reaper. I'm curious to see how this thread goes and if it turns into a pissing match like so many other forums I have observed. I'm hopeful that this stays civil.

I personally use Windows 7 x64 on a 2ish year old laptop and am quite happy with it. I ONLY use music software that comes with identical versions for PC/Mac so I can move platform without much hassle if I am so inclined. Given this, there is extraordinary little difference and I think it comes down to personal preference.

There are a couple of things I think the Mac handles slightly better but it is mostly based on hear-say and Mac vs PC hear-say is usually so laden with personal bias that its hard to really judge the truth. It is my understanding that audio latency is a bit better on the Mac but the demands I place on my machine are pretty modest so I'm not ready to abandon ship just for that. The real feature that Mac supposedly has that that Windows simply does not have is the built in ability to create an aggregated audio device in the audio control panel on the Mac. I've got a ton of audio input devices that I want to be able to use simultaneously and even using the beloved ASIO4All driver it is a pretty weak experience on Windows. I'm not ready to fork out an additional grand or more so I sadly do without.
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Old 08-05-2012, 08:51 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by braveness23 View Post
I JUST signed up for this forum and am about to purchase Reaper. I'm curious to see how this thread goes and if it turns into a pissing match like so many other forums I have observed. I'm hopeful that this stays civil.

I personally use Windows 7 x64 on a 2ish year old laptop and am quite happy with it. I ONLY use music software that comes with identical versions for PC/Mac so I can move platform without much hassle if I am so inclined. Given this, there is extraordinary little difference and I think it comes down to personal preference.

There are a couple of things I think the Mac handles slightly better but it is mostly based on hear-say and Mac vs PC hear-say is usually so laden with personal bias that its hard to really judge the truth. It is my understanding that audio latency is a bit better on the Mac but the demands I place on my machine are pretty modest so I'm not ready to abandon ship just for that. The real feature that Mac supposedly has that that Windows simply does not have is the built in ability to create an aggregated audio device in the audio control panel on the Mac. I've got a ton of audio input devices that I want to be able to use simultaneously and even using the beloved ASIO4All driver it is a pretty weak experience on Windows. I'm not ready to fork out an additional grand or more so I sadly do without.
Welcome to the forum and REAPER!

Great first post.

Yeah,the MACS handling of audio does seem to be more sophisticated these days..I forgot about that.Lower achievable latencies etc.At a price though.Which,had I the money,I dare say I might've gone with.But alas I'm broke.I'd like one of each to be fair.
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Old 08-05-2012, 09:30 AM   #8
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First off I have very little experience with Macs, so I'm not going to bash on them.

I would guess that it was just people using what they are used to. At one point, Macs were very different from PC's in a few major ways:

1. Hardware - they used to use Motorolla RISC Processors so they had to obviously use a different platform as far a s motherboards etc went.

2. No clones - Apple had full control over production. Unless you count the Motorola Star Macs in teh late nineties. This meant that compatibility wasn't as much as an issue, as if you are running a Mac, everyone had pretty much the same thing inside of the box. A much easier platform to develop on.

3. Their own OS. Mac used to have it's own OS, it was completely written by Apple (as far as I know). Since they had control over drivers etc, everything was just so much simpler from a user's pov.

4. Hollywood. If you watch movies since the 90's, Apple has spent a hell of alot of money making sure that every computer you see on TV or in a movie is a Mac. They're marketing is second to none, who else could take an Ipod, make it bigger when everyone else was going smaller call it an IPad and make it a sucess? The prevelence of Macs in graphic arts, the Music industry and the film industry is not 100% as some people would have you believe. I've been to many of these places that have both Macs as well as PCs.

At some point, Apple caught onto the fact that all that mattered was pont 4. They became a sales machine, and started marketing the hell out of all of their products. Even the stupid ones, like the iMac that included a computer built into the monitor, which other Macs had done before, sold like crazy. The Mac itself slowly started loosing its real identity, they got rid of the RISK processors and went with Intel, making them essentailly PCs. They then went with a a Linux Based OS, abondoning that portion of the identity as well. What you are left with now, is really just a branded PC running Linux, but with a corporation that is standing behind it. So in my opinion, the current state of Mac is that it is just a better PC. At some point Apple decided that the PC had it right, and abandoned their own path and decided to try to beat the PC at it's own game.

Apple people will likely dispute much of this, groveling over the little details, as I find that Apple people are fiercely branded. That being said, there was a recently a profile of Apple users that was released that basically stated that they are people that will pay more for flashy things. They are more apt to stay in 5 start hotels rather than 4 star hotels drink $5 cups of coffee and accept just about anything that the general media states as being better or higher end as fact.

Here is an example of Apple Profiling: http://www.businessinsider.com/orbit...rs-more-2012-6

So it comes down to Ego, and when you consider that we are dealing with Artists and Musicians in the music and recording industry, is it really any suprise that these types of people want the bling?
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Old 08-05-2012, 09:41 AM   #9
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That being said, there was a recently a profile of Apple users that was released that basically stated that they are people that will pay more for flashy things. They are more apt to stay in 5 start hotels rather than 4 star hotels drink $5 cups of coffee and accept just about anything that the general media states as being better or higher end as fact.
Ahhhh ... this explains my urges to move from Mac to Windows Although to be fair, I am kind of a coffee snob. If the $5 cup tastes better, I feel no shame in getting it ... nothing wrong with paying for quality.

I bought a Mac laptop 4 years ago because my first comp had been a Mac ... and because of the trackpads. If anyone can point me to a "PC" laptop that has as good a trackpad as the macbook pros, and convince me that there's a Windows OS that utilises gestures as well, I'll be waaaaay closer to making the switch.
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Old 08-05-2012, 09:48 AM   #10
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I goes way back. It was not until Windows 3 came 1990 that Windows started to take off and plenty software was available with that way of working.

Mac was established in both music and graphics industry by then.

Apple was trying to sue Microsoft for stealing "feel and look" of OS but failed.

I guess Steve Jobs have been very aware of what appeal to people, before Microsoft does. So to this day.

In 1994 I came to a print shop with a PC disc and wanted films from that to print broschures for my products. Electronic print shops were not that common yet in those days.

They really look at me as an alien from out there somewhere.
But it finally came through.

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Old 08-05-2012, 09:49 AM   #11
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First off I have very little experience with Macs, so I'm not going to bash on them.

So it comes down to Ego, and when you consider that we are dealing with Artists and Musicians in the music and recording industry, is it really any suprise that these types of people want the bling?
Cor.. Patronising or what!?
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Old 08-05-2012, 10:26 AM   #12
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Windows gets a bad rep mainly because of the cheap hardware (dell, compact and the like) and, being popular, an abundance of amateur bug riddled apps. Security is more difficult due to extra back doors to keep an eye on. You can certainly build a solid professional setup. The point is the popular cheap stuff gets a bad reputation.

For audio and video, all the pro apps are written for OSX. If the app maker writes a Windows version it is often times watered down. You can run any software in OSX using a linux trick without slowing anything down with virtual machines.

Price? Mac's are treated like cars in that the price of a new machine is inflated. But the used machines still hold the value of a solid professional product which allows you to sell and upgrade. If you buy slightly used at aftermarket prices, the cost is the same as Windows hardware but with out the planned obsolescence.

If you do audio or video work the main apps are written in OSX. Many useful apps are only written in OSX. Any useful Windows app that comes along can be run in OSX. I've been using Macs for audio work for at least 15 years and I've felt at least 5 years ahead of the Windows crowd for functionality the whole time.


I might consider Windows if I was starting over today. I wonder if the functionality and stability of the Windows version of Reaper is the rare exception right now though? For my work, it still makes sense to stay with Macs at the moment. If nothing else I'm familiar with the OS and workflow. Windows scares me and I would be very nervous mixing a show in front of people running it. And Mac's are extremely easy to work on, upgrade, modify, etc. for me.


I also think if Apple doesn't stay on it with their professional products or they'll be in trouble for this market. Reaper is in a unique position now with Protools in a bug riddled death spiral. If Reaper were to make a Linux version and the video people followed suit, this could very much change things.

Last edited by serr; 08-05-2012 at 11:26 AM.
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Old 08-05-2012, 10:33 AM   #13
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A friend with a Mac told me you can allocate how much RAM you want to different programs. But how many programs can you run at once?
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Old 08-05-2012, 10:40 AM   #14
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Cor.. Patronising or what!?
Ha-ha! I'm included in the second group, so I guess it's okay.
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Old 08-05-2012, 11:19 AM   #15
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A friend with a Mac told me you can allocate how much RAM you want to different programs. But how many programs can you run at once?
You can run whatever until you use up all your CPU and/or ram. I imagine it's the same with Windows.
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Old 08-05-2012, 11:33 AM   #16
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I have both a Mac laptop and a Windows laptop, and I love both of them equally...though OS X doesn't have Media Monkey.
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Old 08-05-2012, 11:43 AM   #17
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For audio and video, all the pro apps are written for OSX. If the app maker writes a Windows version it is often times watered down. You can run any software in OSX using a linux trick without slowing anything down with virtual machines.

If you do audio or video work the main apps are written in OSX. Many useful apps are only written in OSX. Any useful Windows app that comes along can be run in OSX. I've been using Macs for audio work for at least 15 years and I've felt at least 5 years ahead of the Windows crowd for functionality the whole time.


.

utter nonsense, this highlights the brainwashing Apple have done such a great job with the uninformed.

I run both in my studio, I have windows 7 x64, windows 8 x64 preview OSX 10.6.8 and OSX 10.7.3 on various machines and with the exception of Logic ALL my DAW/VI software runs better under windows.


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Old 08-05-2012, 11:52 AM   #18
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Why is mac so popular in music/media industry?
I wouldn't characterize it as such. Practically the whole video game/3D industry works with Windows. Not to mention the fact that almost every major DAW has both Windows and OS X versions, which I would imagine wouldn't be the case if one OS didn't have a viable market base of users in audio production.

In general, the OS X/Mac market share is still just a fraction of Windows.

http://www.netmarketshare.com/operat....aspx?qprid=10

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I mean, you can get the same specs on a pc for half the price. Im not hating on mac, i just wonder why.
Why not get the best of both worlds...

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.ca/
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Old 08-05-2012, 11:59 AM   #19
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@serr - Some of the top/most mission-critical audio software is either Windows only, or started there ... Pyramix, Sadie and Sequoia. Cedar Cambridge runs on a tricked-out Windows system. Audio Precision solutions and Prism Sound's dScope control software is Windows only.

Then there's Samplitude (will be available for OSX by the end of the year apparently), Wavelab (only very recently available for OSX, on which it's kind of rough around the edges).

Then there's Reaper, which is better on Windows ...

And this is from a life-time OSX user
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Old 08-05-2012, 12:24 PM   #20
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A friend with a Mac told me you can allocate how much RAM you want to different programs. But how many programs can you run at once?
What was he using OS 9?



This was something I used to love about macs over windows... the control! XD

Anybody out there still pining away for the good old days of the extension manager and extension conflicts?

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Old 08-05-2012, 12:55 PM   #21
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Mac vs PC hear-say is usually so laden with personal bias that its hard to really judge the truth.
The truth IS that Mac vs PC is a personal decision that should be made WITH the personal bias, there's nothing else to that.

Quote:
I'm not ready to fork out an additional grand or more so I sadly do without.
I have never understood this view, and it repeats itself in every thread. A very capable Mac costs $1300 new. A $300 PC is not in any single way comparable.
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Old 08-05-2012, 01:44 PM   #22
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Haven’t really read this thread, but my MacBook Air is my main recording device and I couldn’t ask for anything more. Stable, extremely thin and light-weight (love always having REAPER and the ability to work on music with me), and I’ve only had REAPER crap out when running a 30-track song with numerous plug-ins on every track.
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Old 08-05-2012, 01:55 PM   #23
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I'm not ready to fork out an additional grand or more so I sadly do without.
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I have never understood this view, and it repeats itself in every thread. A very capable Mac costs $1300 new. A $300 PC is not in any single way comparable.
I just built myself a new PC which has very respectable stats for about £1100. Over the moon with it.

Before I decided to to do this I was seriously considering getting a Mac. Soooooo, I looked into the world of Apple and was slightly dismayed to find that a Mac with the specs I wanted would set me back a cool £3300!!! So by building a PC I saved over £2000, which is what, about $3000?

My bank manager, he say PC.
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Old 08-05-2012, 02:39 PM   #24
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I’m not that knowledgable in the area of pricing, but I believe you can definitely build a state-of-the-art desktop PC for much less than something made by Apple. If I were to ever build a desktop, I would go PC all the way. For laptops however, I’m Apple all the way. For the time being, at least.
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Old 08-05-2012, 02:47 PM   #25
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If I were to ever build a desktop, I would go PC all the way. For laptops however, I’m Apple all the way. For the time being, at least.
I'm so with you there
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Old 08-05-2012, 02:49 PM   #26
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I use both. As for PC laptops they are all crap. But for my main DAW i use custom built PC. Why? Because its cheap, powerful and i can choose any hardware i want and upgrade anytime. I dont have any stability problems with Windows because i never install crap software and surf the websites i don't know. Also i think Reaper works better on Windows (from my own experience)

Few words about Macs. They used to be the best plartform for media production. But not now (imo). With the release of Lion they proove it. Macs are more like home media centers now.
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Old 08-05-2012, 05:27 PM   #27
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Few words about Macs. They used to be the best plartform for media production. But not now (imo). With the release of Lion they proove it. Macs are more like home media centers now.
This might just come true...

But the main point is that on OSX you can use Core Audio for professional audio. On Windows, you have to bypass the internal audio system and install ASIO or ASIO4ALL drivers. The reason is that WDM is built for DRM and not for professional audio.

And now, the Reaper developers have added a Reaper driver for WDM. That should level the field somewhat...

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=108022
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Old 08-05-2012, 07:03 PM   #28
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I just built my first hackintosh a few weeks ago. I have two identical SSD's with OSX on one, and windows 7 on the other. I'm an OSX guy at heart (started on windows tho) but i plan to start doing comparisons of all the software i use and if they run better on windows, i'll swap to it.

This is coming from someone that between my GF and I, we have two 27" iMacs, two macbook pros, two iphones, and the latest iPad.

Building my own machine i was definitely able to get parts and the system i wanted for much less than i spec'd out an equivalent Mac Pro for. I still think my 27" i7 iMac is fantastic for the money tho.
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Old 08-05-2012, 07:42 PM   #29
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I just built my first hackintosh a few weeks ago.
Cool. How was the whole install process? Any hiccups? Definitely considering a hackintosh for my next system.
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Old 08-06-2012, 12:41 AM   #30
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I just built my first hackintosh a few weeks ago. I have two identical SSD's with OSX on one, and windows 7 on the other. I'm an OSX guy at heart (started on windows tho) but i plan to start doing comparisons of all the software i use and if they run better on windows, i'll swap to it.
Good point! Keep us informed.

I've been on Macs since the times of Mac OS 8.6. As said before, it's the OS, not the machines. I currently use Hackintosh builds too. Don't care about the Apple gear since they had to swap to Intel processors. I vastly prefer Mac OS over windows for general use every time. But for audio I keep using both. Nothing is perfect. Regarding Reaper in particular, I cannot say it works better on any OS. Both versions have their own black spots and advantages. I feel more comfortable when running Reaper on Mac with CoreAudio, but I constantly miss my Mackie MCU and sometimes ReaRoute too (wish it could be synched). SoundFlower is not a real alternative, just a turnaround. So jumping back and forth is what I constantly do.
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Old 08-06-2012, 01:06 AM   #31
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I think it literally comes down to the glowing apple on the top.
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Old 08-06-2012, 01:19 AM   #32
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I think it literally comes down to the glowing apple on the top.
I think this thread (and forum section) is dedicated to people who have actually used a Mac.
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Old 08-06-2012, 01:57 AM   #33
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Originally, Macs were popular in graphics studios because of the way text is rendered on a screen. Windows is primarily designed for reading clear text on a screen in offices, whereas Mac text rendering is closer to what you see when you print what's on screen onto a page.

In terms of audio, Macs were the more popular because pre-Intel processor days, Apple were solely responsible for all the important parts of the system and the OS was written to be so tight with the hardware that they were much, much more reliable than PCs. Ideal for studio work where clients might be paying a fortune by the hour and computer crashes would be a nightmare. Now Apple don't make their own processors, you're basically getting a PC in a nice box with a Mac OS. The reliability has decreased from what it was. I've been a Mac technician for the last 7 years and can vouch for several dips in quality of hardware over the last few of them. There have been usually improvements again after these dips, but the Mac is not the solid system it once was. I'm always amused by people who defend the system who never actually used Macs in the G5 days when it was genuinely worth defending as a great bit of kit.

Speaking a bit harshly here, since the Intel crossover it's been interesting to see how Apple have basically shat all over their professional users; the very ones who kept them going and kept their reputation afloat through the hard times. Their App Store system is a joke, their OSes are primarily for consumer use with ridiculous workarounds for multi-user environments and things which just do not work as they should in any logical way (eg, my hopes that Mountain Lion would do away with the crazy saving behaviour of Lion have been dashed after reading this: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/08/05/mount...nsical-save-a/), and their software in general is getting dumbed down to sub-pro standards. I could go on and on about this, but I'll leave it at that. All I can really say is that it takes a lot for a Mac technician to be recommending to all the departments at work that they think about shifting away from using Macs, and that's what I'm currently doing. (I do PCs too, so I'm not talking myself out of a job )

I still use a Mac personally, but Snow Leopard is where I'm staying until this laptop dies and I'm forced to upgrade. I've never owned a PC in my life but I'm definitely moving away from what I can only call a sinking ship as far as professional use is concerned for pretty much any industry which used to be able to call the Mac an "industry standard". That's just not the case anymore, unfortunately. Thank god for Reaper - I'm so glad I left Logic behind when I did...
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Old 08-06-2012, 01:58 AM   #34
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But the main point is that on OSX you can use Core Audio for professional audio. On Windows, you have to bypass the internal audio system and install ASIO or ASIO4ALL drivers.
This is quite important! Not to mention the built in support for Midi and Audio aggregation and Core Audio being true multi client. Another thing I prefer about OSX over Windows is little things like built in Midi over Wifi support.

However my main reason for using OSX for music is so I don't have to look at my day job during none work hours! (20 years Windows Dev and Admin and counting!)
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Old 08-06-2012, 02:01 AM   #35
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Yeah, I forgot about that - CoreAudio is one thing that's still a massive plus for Macs...
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Old 08-06-2012, 02:16 AM   #36
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I think this thread (and forum section) is dedicated to people who have actually used a Mac.
Fairly defensive. Quite snotty. And completely incorrect in your assumption. But, sorry to have found you in ill-humor with my...perhaps slightly too true sarcasm?

In any case, I'm sure you'll agree it's rather annoying being judged by snotty strangers from across the webspace.

So I'll retract my statement. The popularity must be something to do with the shape of the apple itself. Seems to inspire an irrational elitist fanaticism in the user. It simply couldn't be anything to do with the price...

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Yeah, I forgot about that - CoreAudio is one thing that's still a massive plus for Macs...
Though there is that...
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Old 08-06-2012, 03:53 AM   #37
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Mac has 6.9 % of the total market share world wide. So generally, Mac is not so popular.

But the question was about the music/media industry where mac (according to the general opinion anyway) has a bigger share than the total usage world wide. I would guess tradition is the answer. Some programs like Logic is only available on Mac as well (because Apple bought it and scrapped the PC version).
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Old 08-06-2012, 04:15 AM   #38
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Mac has 6.9 % of the total market share world wide. So generally, Mac is not so popular.

But the question was about the music/media industry where mac (according to the general opinion anyway) has a bigger share than the total usage world wide. I would guess tradition is the answer. Some programs like Logic is only available on Mac as well (because Apple bought it and scrapped the PC version).
Mobile wise if you buy an admittedly more expensive macbook you know it will work at low latencies and you avoid the crapshoot of DPC latency issues on Windows laptops, this is a major plus for none techie types who just want something to work, for some this surety is worth the cash over hassle!
For Live use some people just prefer MainStage although Forte for Windows is also an excellent Application for Live hosting, sadly though since MainStage is now so cheap it looks overpriced (It's not really!).
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Old 08-06-2012, 04:44 AM   #39
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And completely incorrect in your assumption.
I figured it was either that or you didn't read the thread you were posting to. I figured that Mac users generally tend to know better than to post to an unread topic, so I guessed the other.

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I'm sure you'll agree it's rather annoying being judged by snotty strangers from across the webspace.
I'll have to think about that since it wasn't a habit in this conversation before this last post of yours.
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Old 08-06-2012, 08:03 AM   #40
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Speaking a bit harshly here, since the Intel crossover it's been interesting to see how Apple have basically shat all over their professional users; the very ones who kept them going and kept their reputation afloat through the hard times.
I second this. I used to produce album artwork for the music industry and had to move to a Mac from PC. (There was absolutely no choice ALL the graphics/publishing industry used Apple Macs then). This was a while ago and used a double-processor G4 and Mac Classic 9 OS. When Mac moved over to OS X they ditched support for Classic virtually overnight. The only way forward, according to their philosophy, was to go out and buy a brand new top range Mac, then buy ALL new X software (again). This was, as far as I was concerned, totally out of order -- especially as I would end up seriously out of pocket but end up up with far LESS creative ability (All the creative Quark Xpress and Photoshop Plug-ins I used would not work in X). (Any graphics aficionados out there will have noticed a sharp decline in creative artwork at this point in time -- look at old album artwork covers compared to those today!)

So yes Apple's contempt for their professional user base was unforgivable. This was a major decision maker for me choosing a PC again for music production. (Although I did go though some doubts when I wanted to ditch my previous DAW). I'm glad now I did and Reaper has been instrumental (no pun intended) is confirming this decision was the right one.

There's still a lot of bollocks out there bouncing around about the Mac/PC debate, I don't think it matters that much any more -- a decent OS is a decent OS and that's all that matters really these days...

Another BIG factor is Bill Gates Philanthropy -- he gives his wealth away, and that's not something I can see happening as far as Apple's greedy business model is concerned.

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