Macbook Pro or Something Else?

[maX_Andrews]

Pros:
Ability to run OSX and windows on one computer, even at the same time if you use parallels desktop.
Design, size, weight, and overall portability (nothing sticks out, no sharp edges, thin)
Speed and other high performance features (DVI-out and can drive a 30" display at native resolution)
Best value out there for core 2 duo laptops, you'll spend at least $500 more on anything else with the same specs
two firewire ports (400/800) which for some reason works with external hard drives a lot better than USB
expresscard slot for mobile network internet, SATA controllers, etc.
And of course, putting together a reel or short is super easy and fun even with the default iLife software such as iMovie and Garageband, but you knew that.

Cons:
Ati graphics card is fine under OSX, but some windows applications like maya can have issues because the windows ATi drivers are not so good.
Battery life at 3 hours is not bad but it's not great either.
If and when you use windows, you WILL be succeptible to windows viruses. You are only safe (at least for the time being) if you stay in OSX. ALthough leave your firewall on and don't open spam and you shouldn't have too much of a problem in windows. To be safe, I do most web stuff in OSX, it's better for that anyways.

There have been mixed reports of using maya under bootcamp on the macbook pro. Some people have no problems, some people have a few glitches here and there, and for others it doesn't work at all. For video editing, graphics, and CG using modo or cinema 4D a macbook pro is a no-brainer, but if Maya is a big part of your CG workflow I'd make sure it runs as it should, hopefully soime macbook pro users with maya will weigh in on this thread.

[SalaTar]

Max,

You get a Apple kickback for every lappy you sell?

[lots]

First we should dispel some of the rumors here...

1) Mac is no better or worse off in terms of ability than a PC. This is more of a software thing than anything else really. For example Photoshop. There is no magical mojo on a mac that makes it better in any really tangible way than a PC version of Photoshop. Many people in the 2D graphics industry are of the opinion that Mac is better, but honestly, they're about the same. Even more so today than before. Though there are software specific reasons to have a Mac. Many will say Final Cut Pro is one very good one. A more unix like OS (if you're geeky like me, though I still prefer PCs :P), maybe you just like it more, who knows.

2) The biggest difference between a Mac and a Windows based PC, is the OS. Basically Windows vs OSX, whichever you like beter. All other aspects of a Mac are no argument, since Macs are now made of exactly the same stuff as most PCs. In fact, Apple's entire line up uses the same stuff you'd get if you bought a Dell. Macs have the same exact abilities as PCs. Any hardware argument made for owning a Mac, today, is rubbish :P Kinda why those "I'm a Mac" comercials make me giggle :P That and they (the comercials) make the PC guy seem cooler and more 1337 than the mac guy, which kinda back fires on the whole advertising campaign IMO...

3) Macs are not more expensive than any other PC. Since Apple has switched to Intel based hardware, we've seen a dramatic drop in prices on Apple hardware. This is a welcome change, as its been pretty expensive in the past to join the "mac club"

A mac running Windows via Boot Camp will not run it any better than a similarly specced PC. Remember they both use the same hardware now, so there's really no big difference on this point of view. Boot Camp merely allows Windows to run, since Windows is not compatible with EFI (A new system built mainly by Intel to replace BIOS, and what Apple uses). Once in Windows any virus, trojan, spyware, etc, can get into your system. For the most part, this really only effects the Windows side of things, but occasionally you can find a virus or some other malware that damages the hard drive as a whole (erasing areas that shouldn't be), and that could effect other OS's you've got installed. These are rare, mostly because they are self destructive and don't really get a chance to propogate to other systems.

One thing to look out for, is that some apps, such as photoshop, have not yet been rewritten to take advantage of Apple's new hardware (intel). So they run under a sort of emulation layer called Rossetta. This naturally causes these particular apps to run fairly slowly compared to thier Universal Binary cousins, which have been built to run on the new Intel hardware, and the old PPC. For some companies, this is an easy task to complete. Others, with more legacy code, tend to have problems and longer development times (Photoshop, Lightwave).

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