Designer wants feel buying a Mac is justified..

I'm a graduating graphic/motion design student, and am in dire need of a new machine (currently have a 500mhz Gateway from 4 years ago). I am going mobile, so I've narrowed it down that far, but am having difficulty choosing between Mac and PC. For PC i'm looking at the Fujitsu N5010 or the Acer Aspire 2000, and the Mac would be the higher end pre configured 15 inch Powerbook. My question is this... Why Mac? Within the context of design there is a bias in favor of Macs because *at one time* they had superior processing speeds, but that is no longer the case. I've read a few blanket comments in the forums saying that Macs are better at graphics, but with nothing to qualify the statement. How can they be better when the processor is 1.25 ghz (vs. 3.0ghz for pc)slower, and the video card is the same exact card as with many PCs? I love the way Macs look and feel, but I would feel like an idiot if I shelled out $2300 bucks for a machine that wasn't very well near the best performing for the money. HELP. Why are MACS better at graphics when they have less powerful components? How can this be??

 

Processor speeds are not the only criteria for processing speed. The Mac uses a RISC processor (Reduced Instruction Set Chip) which means it has to process less intructions to do the same thing a Pentium chip would be asked to do. Also the graphic accelleration intruction sets have an impact and most graphics packages are written to take advantage of these routines. Last but not least is the virtually crash proof Mac OS X operating system. Its' elegance and consistency make it a joy to use.

Bucky

 

I am unqualified to discuss the technical aspects, but I recently switched to a PowerBook 12 inch after working with PCs for the past 15 years. What really sold me was how the machine looked and felt. I don't think they are more expensive than comparable Windows laptops, because I looked at many of them, especially when you consider the software that Apple throws in. Also, I hate setting up networks, my peer-to-peer Windows one for our small office always has issues, and yet, I was able to get an AirPort network up and running without a glitch, so I can work from anywhere in my house. Everything just seems easier with the Mac. You can have a lot of programs open, and if you run into a problem with one of them, you just shut it down and go on. No rebooting or hanging. If price is a major issue, look at the iBook instead of PowerBook. Also, look for deals from the online merchants, or the Apple for Education store. If you are into design, you can't help go gaga over Apple products.

On the other hand, if you have a job lined up after graduation, you might want to wait and see what system your employer uses. That could determine your choice. Also, by waiting until after your first paycheck, it might be easier for your to buy a more robust system.

 

I am also into graphics and design--I frequently do CG pictures--and I also travel tons, so I use a notebook.

I settled for the Fujitsu because I was tempted by a low price, but I'm peeved because the dealer ripped me off (that's another story).

Anyways, I was also considering between a Mac and a PC...

With the education discount, Macs are certainly very competitively priced. They are just a bit pricier for the PC. However, for what you get, it's worth the extra dollars.

As for processing, as mentioned before, Macs can do the same job as PCs with less processing power because of the way Macs were designed so it is probably not fair to compare a Mac G4 chip to a PC P4 chip.

One thing though, Macs runningo n 256 RAM isn't adequate for graphics (at least I didn't think it was), so if you go for a Mac and do heavy-duty graphics editing, ramp up the RAM to at least 512. That means, the ibook will have to have its RAM mexed out--so it can't get any faster than it is and if your programs and projects get more complicated in the future, there is nothing you can do.

As for why designers go for Macs, well, they are simply easier to use--and they don't crash. With my PC, I find that if I don't save my picture every 5 minutes, I run the risk of losing it. One time, I was almost done with it and Windows caved in and corrupted my file. I was not happy at all...I had spent hours on that project!

Personally, I'd go for a Mac (I really wish I went for a Mac now), because Windows is literally driving me nuts! Aside from the XP crashes (something about memory dump--the new version of the blue screen of death) I'm having difficulty configuring my tablet to work on Windows--somethign I never had to deal with in a Mac.

 

If you are looking for mobility, I would not get the N series Fujitsu. They characterize it as a desktop replacement. It weighs over 7 pounds. You should be looking at the S-series Fujitsu. That's what I use and I love it.

As to your main query, Mac or Fujitsu, I sympathize with your dilemma. Am considering Macbooks or Fujitsu notebooks for my kids for their schoolwork, but after test driving the Macbook we are leaning toward it. The Macbook is a joy to use.

But you won't go wrong with either system IMHO.

 

You sure dug up one heck of an old thread there macbook_burning.

 

This is hilarious: you are answering a 2-and-a-half year old question...

 

Classic

At least it is worth a laugh.

 

Classic indeed, not to mention hilarious and embarrassing all at the same time! Sorry, don't know how I ended up at such an ancient thread. I wonder if the designer is still shopping for a new 'puter? Hope not or shurrly she's outta business.

Nevertheless, my advice stands!