I'll be in the market to totally upgrade my computer setup soon.....I never used a Mac product for anything, Music production, Internet browsing, DAW, etc, etc, ..what are the Benefits of using a MAC vs PC for Music+. Will some PC programs run on Mac & I hear it can run windows also? Also....would it be better to run a NEW DAW that can run on a MAC without using BOOTCAMP...after all whats the sense of having a Mac & using windows too? confusing??
And what would you recommend for a main MAC Desktop unit & why?

PS I use MIXCRASFT pro studio DAW programs .....here is what it says vs using a MAC...
"Mixcraft is a Windows based product that can be used on a Macintosh computer running Bootcamp."

what is BOOTCAMP?
Shortly after the first Intel-based Macs arrived on the market, Apple released a tool called Boot Camp, which lets Mac owners install and boot their machines natively into Microsoft Windows alongside an existing OS X installation without running two operating systems concurrently--perfect for running performance-

Thanx

These days there is not much between them as they now operate pretty much the same, (Although the 2 separate factions will claim there is, even when in reality there isn’t) however, the MAC is more expensive for the same performance but does have a premium feel. (Upgrades are a bit limited though)

Look at what software you want to use, and then check to see which platforms it is designed for, (Most music software will work on both) however, be aware that Apple will drop support for older software even if it is still popular to suit their purpose, whereas Microsoft still supports a lot of the older software.

Get a computer assembled for your specific purposes (Most online shops have a custom build section where you can choose the type of system you want, (Music in this case) and vary it to suit your needs)

If you have lot of older Windows software (Or love free stuff) stick with Windows as it probably won’t run on a Mac, (Even with a virtual PC install) so you will need a dual boot system, (You boot into either Windows or Mac at start up) with the Apple Boot Camp software installed.

Take your time choosing, and always allow for future upgrades. (Don’t buy a minimum spec computer to save money)

Just noticed your recent edit, so go for Windows as it will allow you to run the software you own OOTB.

Have fun

Bill

Bill thank you for your great reply I feel better now knowing the two Mac/PC in todays world are close....I still run Win7 guess I am so used to it,....but, I am a speed demon on my PC and I NEED TO CLICK & GO FAST I need a desktop computer that is "lightning fast" to jump from internet to programs, browsing, picture files, word processors etc, etc, etc, ...I'll do more research and read suggestions until I can make up my mind what to buy. Thanx

Happy New Year To you & Yours!

Hi

Keep your Win 7...
Some old Windows programs will not run at Win 8, 8.1 or Win 10...
Glad, I did NOT update my Win 7 to Win 10 when it was free...

Jørgen

My main reasons for using mac is logic x and mainstage, they are not available on windows..

A reason for using windows would be varranger. Or the huge amount of freely available programs for Yamaha

Next to that the strength of mac osx is in its real time kernel, where audio processing algorythms are part of the kernel... also there are no hardware compatibillity issues with macs. The overall user experience on a mac is much more fluent then on windows.. everything allways seems to work straight out of the box...

Windows has as an advantage that you can make all hardware in the end work with windows 10, some hardware just does not support mac drivers... altough keep in mind to that this hardware is often obscure and not seldom witouth troubles.. the strength of windows, allowing for custom builds is also its weakness as it has to support all the different hardware, where mac just supports the limited hardware used in their models.

It used to be possible to upgrade your mac yourself with extra memmory or ssd’s. This is not possible anymore, as everything now is soldered to the mainboards.. if i wanted a real powerhorse, i could build a hackintosh, which works just as good as an apple build mac.. and since your apple account works on them just fine, these are an option if the price of a mac is to high for you, yet you want to run mac osx and dedicated mac software.. just google tonymac if you want to know more about this..


My choice for Mac is mostly based on the extremely good user experience i have had over the years with it, not just for making music.. also with an ict background, its possible to get most of the window apps working under mac.. my current macbook is a 2011 build, and still feels fresh and new both the software as its physical looks.. and there even is a reasonable price paid for it on the 2nd hand market.. this and the kow price of logic my main Daw warrants the high price i payed for the macbook in 2011, which was €1600 at that time..

Will i stick to mac? Probably yes... the only reason i can think of for moving to windows is transforming my whole setup to Varranger... but i dont think thats very likely any time soon... just the sheer amount of work of registering all my software from mac to windows is enough to keep me away from that idea..

Thank you everyone I am now MORE Confused then I was before I started the thread its all good...all this needs pondering for sure..

Donny, just use the same approach you use with keyboards; buy one, keep it a month, then buy the other one.

chas

Chas you couldn't be more wrong,....I have 3 Computers, 3 laptops, and a tablet of different kinds all for different purposes all windows based. I'm sorry I asked,.....that said back to the Eagles game.

Donny, just pulling your chain.

chas

Agreed I tried win 10 on my laptop for an hour and quickly went back to Win 7

I use Windows 10 and I am happy with it.

Compared to previous versions, Windows 10 has much improved audio and midi handling although I think the application software has to be updated to use the new capabilities to take full advantage.

I updated from Win 7 to Win 10 when it was free and have had no real issues. Microsoft have stated that Windows 10 is going to be their last version of Windows and that it will be continuing updated. Admittedly their updates seem to be ******** huge.

If you want a fast Win10 system, you need 64 bit, 8 gig of RAM minimum, and as good an SSD as you can afford. Intel I7 if possible but I5 is pretty nippy these days. Do not succumb to someone selling a game spec machine with flash extras like top spec memory or a watercooled processor, you money is best spent on that SSD, the gamer spec may be 20% quicker but for 50% extra cost.

Donny,

Here’s my “keep it simple answer”. I love Macs but you have been in the Windows camp stay with it. I have an older Win7 computer that I use for stuff that won’t run on the Mac. Boot camp works but why put yourself thru what could be some un-needed aggravation. Plus your $$$ will go much further than trying to purchase a Mac. Macs have become way overpriced and you can get a comparable Windows machine for many hundreds less than the Mac. The MacBook Pro has changed and in my opinion not for the better, they removed many ports that used to be standard equipment, now you got to buy these so called “dongles,” it’s Apple being very greedy. Yea I have a few friends with Macs and were not happy as a group to how they have changed the Mac Book Pro. Thankfully I have an older Mac Book Pro that I bought refurbished from Apple in 2009. ONe thing for the Macs they are very durable machines my 2009 Mac Book is a good example of it.

Thanx Steve I guess your right, ...I'll just stick with windows but maybe try to get the fastest I can built somewhere...can any of you Pc gerus list some of the features I should Be looking for to build a super FAST PC..for Internet browsing, video, music production, photo files, thanx

AS MacAllcock said, make an SSD your highest priority. No other single thing will affect speed and performance as much. A good graphics card is nice but (a super expensive one) is not critical for music applications. If you plan to use VST's, get 16g RAM minimum (good idea even if you don't use VST's). As much as possible, keep it off the internet. In any case, use Windows 10 and ALL the built-in security it provides. This is just basic stuff, but start there. BTW, I would be careful turning on Auto-update. There have been some problems with a few of the updates (with sleep mode, et al). Do manual updates a few weeks after they've been out and you've had time to check the forums for potential problems. Also, depending on the form factor (Desktop?), installing a SSD drive (assuming you unit doesn't come with one) and porting Windows over to it is pretty simple. Oh, and if you're using an 'older' audio interface, make sure there's an available (Windows 10) driver for it.

chas

Donny, What computer are you using your Focusrite 2i2 with? Plus, you’ve got Mixcraft Pro 8 which is PC only (I believe).

I’ve had good luck with Mixcraft on Windows 10 and I believe your 2i2 should work fine.

The biggest advantage to Windows, in my opinion, is the bang for the buck. You can buy a lot of muscle for significantly less money than you’ll pay for Apple.

Good luck with your choice,
jingleman

I use a custom made win7 PC..... Works fine but lags sometimes when taxed...

I just have a hard time buying into the Mac cult. I have an iPad which I love, and there’s no doubt that their products are well designed and engineered.

It bothers me that once you jump on the Mac train...they got you. Expensive upgrades and proprietary add on components.

Just my 2 cents.

I strongly second the Solid State Drive suggestion. I have one in my new laptop and it is lightening fast booting up and running. When I get time I'm going to add on to my home PC.

I would get a Win 10 PC. You can search online how to make it work very much like Win 7. Not a big deal. Make sure to get an Intel I7 processor and at least 16GB of memory. I agree an SSD drive does make things fast but they are much smaller than a regular HD so get a 1TB HD as well to hold most of your data.

SSD: All modern motherboards have an M2 slot for an SSD which comes in 2 flavours, standard SATA speed (Typically 550MBs) and the PCIe which is significantly faster. (Typically 2.5GBs)
Go for an Intel i7 (Coffee Lake) or AMD Ryzen 1800x for the CPU. (Avoid the Intel K versions unless you want to overclock)
Memory at least 16GB
Data Storage: Go for a 7200rpm drive with at least 2TB capacity, and for better data security get 2 drives and set them up as a Raid 1 array. (But still do regular backups)
For normal use the on-board video will be fine, however if you want 4K (Including HDR when doing advanced video editing) then it can get expensive, so consult your local supplier if you have these requirements.
OS: Windows 10 as it will do everything you need, and there are very few Win 7 (Or older) programs that won’t work on it if installed and run in compatibility mode. (Check the web if you are worried about a specific program)
TIP: Pin your favourite programs to the Start Menu and/or Taskbar for faster access.
All user settings are now in an easy to use screen (You no longer need to bother with the control panel for most things) in plain English for easier understanding. (Advanced options are still available from these screens or by right clicking the Microsoft (Start) button for the most common)

Have fun

Bill

Get a 1 TB evo 850 SSD from Samsung...

Ultrafast
Super reliable
Dirt cheap (i bought one for €270)

No need for regular HD’s anymore....

This is so ething i can advise everyone to do in 2018...

A 1TB SSD would be perfect.

The 850 EVO is good but falls well short of the M2 version, (It’s a snail in comparison) the EVO though is ideal for older or cheaper computers as you get a real boost in performance.

If it’s a laptop a 1TB SSD is fine, but if it’s a Desktop just use the SSD for programs (Hence you only need a 500GB one) and use a separate HDD for the Data and Disk Streaming as you will get a much better performance. (If you look at all but basic music computer desktops they always have an SSD for programs and HDD system for Data)

Bill

now this is great info thank you all so much, .....next week I have decided o stick with windows and get a new desktop built with many of the specs Bill & Nigel etc have suggested and I should be OK speed and efficiency wise thanx again to be continued..

Thank you Nigel appreciate your help....

John advice well taken thanx

I can hardly keep up with PC specs. The PCIe at 2.5GBs? Wow. That is fast. I understand that the PCIe is much smaller than the M2 slot, too. It seems that prices for SSDs have gone up. I paid $500 for a Samsung 2TB Evo 850 SSD last year or so. My next PC would be a portable PC like a Mac Mini with a 20 some inch touchscreen. It can serve as a desktop at home or as a powerful performance PC with a large touch screen. The whole setup would be quite portable.

Exactly how I feel about Apple as a company. Funny that you used the word cult. It reminds me of Lindstrom an expert in neuromarketing who said strong brands are like religion. He once said in a newspaper interview that the reason Samsung can't compete with Apple is because Samsung is nobody's religion. As a Christian, I don't even like the word religion. I used to buy iPads for older relatives of mine so that they could read the Bible. These folks quickly outgrew them; they were taking pics and videos! Limted memory on the iPad. You are stuck, though now there is a way to expand the storage. My sister in law couldn't wait for me to buy an Android tablet for her. She went out and bought one herself. Now she knows how to use micro SD cards and all that!

Offcourse, but we where talking about upgrading Donny’s old windows 7 Pc werent we?

"Get a 1 TB evo 850 SSD from Samsung... "

exactly the model I'm using in my laptop. That is a 2.5" hdd form factor with the "old-style" SATA interface.

The more recent "M2" interface stuff is certainly quicker and would be the way to go with a new build machine.