To Mac or not to Mac... That is the question..

[elvis]

quite frankly, if you are comfortable with a PC, and happy to use your old components to save some money, then stick with PC.

macs are not "better for graphics". nor are PCs for that matter. computers are tools for creative people to use. there's no point spending a fortune on a Mac when you are comfortable with a PC and can save some money in the process.

note also that i am by no means a mac hater, nor a mac lover. i use PCs with windows and linux as well as macs with Mac OSX and linux on a daily basis. for me, computers are about getting the job done on time and on budget. not platform wars and pissing contests.

[ostov]

if I was u I would go with the pc. The mac would be doing better in a studio....



ostov

[Digiegg]

thanks for the suggestions.

[toonpang]

Yea man, go with what you know. I'm lucky enough to have both but if your a gamer like me, well, let just say hell hath no fury like me on a night withough counterstrike. :scream:

Don't listen to the one is better than the other stuff, that all personal taste. I prefer macs in general, but like I said, you can't deny its gaming weakness. Having both I have a damn clear pro and con of each and the only thing that I can say the mac whoops a pc in the heiny is a serious ProTools tracking session. PC's are full of signal noise.

But, you didn't mention that, and you want games... rock the PC.

-Toon

[ages]

If u like well made units, buy the G5.
OSX and its iapps make life easier.
I find macs are more quieter and feel more pleasing to use.
Go with your heart and not with your pocket.
If you plan on importing your 3D to a video edittor, Final cut pro has no equal, imovie is great too and its free.

[toonpang]

Oh yes, forgot about that one. Video editing is another world on a mac. Final Cut Pro has no competition, its simply the best. And its Mac only. Againg though, this isn't something you mentioned, but something to think about.

-Kevin

[GregHess]

Go with what you know.

Relearning a new OS/platform takes time, and will render you inefficent for quite some time while you adapt. (A good example of this is OS9 heads, who REFUSE to switch to OSX because of this fact)

If your comfy with that, then the choice becomes much harder.

But as you stated the words "I play games" there really is only one choice.

Macs do have a nice allotment of games, but they usually get those games months after the pc versions are released, and their overall archive of games is a mere fraction of whats available for pcs.

I think you really just have to weigh what primary programs will be run on this system. If more then 25% are games, then I think you should go with the pc. Otherwise when your pals are playing Super FPS XII EXTREME FRAG, you'll have to wait months before you can join them online.

[SouthernLaw]

It comes down to software... If you're already heavily invested in PC versions of your software, stick with the PC. You'll save a ton in license fees.

I'm a Mac guy and I built a PC a few months back (GregHess helped me tremendously BTW) but the only two apps I run on it are Lightwave and Animation Master - both of which I already owned PC versions of. Had this not been the case, I probably would have saved up for a new Mac.

[moovieboy]

Originally posted by NissanSexima
I'm going Computer animation for my major so I think I need to learn how to use macs. I don't know what to do...

Adding to the other common sense posts of "stick with what you're comfortable with," I'd assume that a school teaching computer animation would at the very least have a mix of PCs and macs if not almost all PCs anyway... but that's just a guess...

Most of the programs you would use that support both platforms are nearly identical in workflow and function, so you should have little difficulty suddenly having to work on Photoshop or Lightwave on Mac OSX, for example.

Plus, if you're pretty good at looking under the hood of one platform, you're smart enough to get used to a new platform in no time. Enjoy your new PC! :)

-Tom

[lesterc]

isn't a Apple G5 alot more $$ than a 3.06ghz pc

no games = useless :applause:

i would go for a PC
the onlything a MAC is usefull for is for finalcut pro
other than that it has no use
a pc can outperformace a MAC anyday
althought the new G5 supposidly outperform a pc but then it WAS tested by Apple ;)

dunno when you need the upgrade but G5 isn't comming out till like August
and a new Intel chip is also set to come out
i think it's 3.2ghz

so if you do upgrade i would get the newest Intel Chip
with a Firegl X1 card and dual monitors
will prob cost less than a G5 :)

[beaker]

please Lesterc. we need objective posts in this thread, not narrow minded, one sided posts.

[alphatron]

toonpang and ages,

I personally, I disagree that FCP "has no equals". I've used both FCP and Avid XpressDV on a few demanding projects, and MUCH preferred Xpress DV. I found it more suited to the professional. I preferred the workflow, speed, interface, media management and EDL tools much more than FCP.

[d4rk]

This almost needs it's own seperate forum....

[moovieboy]

Originally posted by d4rk
This almost needs it's own seperate forum....

Yeah, we could call it "flamers and trolls unite forum" with the only requirement being an IQ below 70 :p

and I already know a few individuals around here that would be in paradise in that forum :rolleyes:

-Tom

[mark_wilkins]

One argument in favor of using a Mac for CG work is that it's based on a UNIX-like OS, which makes it a great learning platform if you're hoping to work at a larger studio someday. Also, it comes with development tools, which is nice if you want to head in that direction. However, unlike Linux (which shares both of those advantages) there's broader software support for mainstream applications.

The most troubling argument against the Mac is lack of support for high-end graphics cards like FireGL or Quadro. However, this is an irritation rather than a fatal flaw, and I've found Maya runs well on the Mac, plus I hear Lightwave does too.

-- Mark

[elvis]

Originally posted by mark_wilkins
The most troubling argument against the Mac is lack of support for high-end graphics cards like FireGL or Quadro. However, this is an irritation rather than a fatal flaw, and I've found Maya runs well on the Mac, plus I hear Lightwave does too.
the G5 includes an AGP8X/Pro slot. it's only rumours at the moment, but word is Mac OS X 10.3 (Jaguar) will support "professional" 3D accellerators like the ones you mention above. i personally would wait until it does before shelling out the cash for a G5 (if 3D is your bread and butter).

and i'll re-emphisise my original point: if you're comfortable on PC with 3D, stay with it. if you already own software for PC, stay with it. as many others have mentioned, you'll save time and money in both hardware and software.

i can't think of a 3D application that exists on mac that doesn't exist on PC. i can certainly think of the opposite.

[mark_wilkins]

I would suggest that if you're not yet doing professional work, maximum comfort level with choice of platform is not a plus, because your employers will pick their own platform for you, and it may not be what you expect. :D

BTW that argument applies equally well to getting a Windows machine if you're a Linux user, getting a Mac if you're a Windows user, or getting Linux if you know the Mac well.

If you are buying a machine to do professional freelance work, well, for me at least the argument goes exactly the other way, and going for the highest level of comfort is the best way.

-- Mark

[ages]

Originally posted by SouthernLaw
It comes down to software... If you're already heavily invested in PC versions of your software, stick with the PC. You'll save a ton in license fees.

I'm a Mac guy and I built a PC a few months back (GregHess helped me tremendously BTW) but the only two apps I run on it are Lightwave and Animation Master - both of which I already owned PC versions of. Had this not been the case, I probably would have saved up for a new Mac.

many apps now like Lightwave have dual mac/pc installers...or didnt he tell u this?

[MadMax]

Originally posted by mark_wilkins
One argument in favor of using a Mac for CG work is that it's based on a UNIX-like OS, which makes it a great learning platform if you're hoping to work at a larger studio someday.


Not a very convincing argument though. If you are looking at that aspect, then download Redhat Linux and install it.

Big Studios are not using OSX in the pipeline, so if that is your goal, then stick to what suits your intended market.

[mark_wilkins]

Not a very convincing argument though. If you are looking at that aspect, then download Redhat Linux and install it.

Except that the range of low- to mid-range graphics software (like Photoshop!) readily available for Linux is extremely limited, and most students want a platform on which they can do things like play DVDs or run Microsoft Word. :D

Anyway, the BSD subsystem in OS X is close enough to Linux to become familiar, even to the extent of learning, say, Perl and Python. No, system administration is not very similar, but if you're an animation student you shouldn't be bothering to learn to be a system administrator either.

Incidentally, running Red Hat basically forces you to be a system administrator, which is why for a UNIX beginner OS X is a much better choice.

-- Mark

[MadMax]

Originally posted by mark_wilkins
Except that the range of low- to mid-range graphics software (like Photoshop!) readily available for Linux is extremely limited, and most students want a platform on which they can do things like play DVDs or run Microsoft Word. :D

True, but I can do that on Linux. I got MP3's, DVD playback.

Heck I can even run MS Office on it!

Anyway, the BSD subsystem in OS X is close enough to Linux to become familiar, even to the extent of learning, say, Perl and Python.

Even if relatively burried under the OSX GUI.

Incidentally, running Red Hat basically forces you to be a system administrator, which is why for a UNIX beginner OS X is a much better choice.
-- Mark

No it doesn't.

I run Redhat 9, it's not all that different than running Windows XP.

You have an administrator account and you have user accounts. It doesn't anymore require you to be a full time administrator than anythig else.

I listen to music, do 3D, paint cool HDRI image maps, download stuff and install it just as easy as windows.

[elvis]

Originally posted by MadMax
You have an administrator account and you have user accounts. It doesn't anymore require you to be a full time administrator than anythig else.
i think the original poster is referring to the level of computer savvy required, not the physical account user to administer the machine.

yes, linux is slightly more involving than mac and windows in terms of needing to know what's "under the hood" in order to make things work. i'm not entirely sure this is a bad thing tho, as i think if more users were aware of how their machines worked, less users would break things (and allow viruses to propgate, and script kiddies to be successful, etc).

of course, i have no idea how my car works, and when it breaks am happy to pay a mechanic rather than tinker myself. i guess the analogy remains true for most PC users also. :)

[mark_wilkins]

my experience is that many Mac users like the platform precisely because you can learn how it works gently, as you go, rather than have to dive in all at once just to get started.

Windows and Linux have each gotten better in this regard, but the Mac is still the easiest of the three to get running, by far.

-- Mark

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