Why mac

steve_lyt

steve_lyt

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steve lythgoe
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I’m planning on doing a degree next year , they recomend a mac as a laptop, I have been researching and for the price of a MacBook 32gb I can get a laptop with 64gb
my main reason for asking this question is the mac uses the same processor and also the ram cannot be expanded.to meet future requirements of software. I’m thinking of a very powerful laptop instead
can anyone suggest why I should get a MacBook over a pic laptop with a 17 inch screen
 
Been here recently (also as a none MAC user) and I think you'll get comments from both camps talking about the pros and cons of each system.

I think there are pros and cons to both systems but you get more power for the same costs in say a gaming laptop than a MAC.

I was looking at the 15" MacBook Air (24 GB RAM and 512ssd) and the 14" MacBook Pro (base one but with 32gb and 512 SSD). For the same price you can get some seriously powerful laptops (gaming / editing). They won't have the battery life of the MAC but will handle pretty much anything you could throw at it.

I found this site pretty good for general spec / performance comparisons: https://nanoreview.net/

I had seriously considered the MAC but I also want to game on it with my son on STEAM so, depends on what you plan to do. Mine won't leave the house either so portability / plugs and chargers don't matter in my case.
 
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steve_lyt said:
I’m planning on doing a degree next year , they recomend a mac as a laptop, I have been researching and for the price of a MacBook 32gb I can get a laptop with 64gb
my main reason for asking this question is the mac uses the same processor and also the ram cannot be expanded.to meet future requirements of software. I’m thinking of a very powerful laptop instead
can anyone suggest why I should get a MacBook over a pic laptop with a 17 inch screen
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Comparing a Mac to a PC is a bit like comparing Ford to Vauxhall, they both do the same thing in a very similar way.
 
Depends a bit on the degree you are doing and any preferred or mandated software I suspect. Mac's are generally considered preferable for creative type subjects (although I'm not sure that is still entirely a justifiable position), but also Apple have done some stocking deals with education establishments such that they have equipped their resources labs with Mac's rather than pc's - I know my local FE college is all Mac for this reason.
 
Just to get my position clear: I use OS-X (Mac), Windows and Linux, so I have no real preference overall.

The hardware (processor, screen, etc) of a modern laptop is indeed mostly similar but the operating system is what makes that hardware do what the user wants. When you talk about different computer types, what you're actually talking about is that operating system and what it allows to run on the computer.

These days, all three operating systems support similar user applications and tools and many of the same tools are available on all three platforms. However, if you are having to teach someone, there are many small but confusing differences between the three. This means that when you are explaining something to people using different machines, you may spend a lot of time explaining what to do twice or even three times. Worse, there may be tiny but irritating differences between the (supposedly) same program running under different operating systems, which makes helping a learner even harder.

Therefor most organisations, particularly colleges and universities, standardise on one of the systems and they'll try to persuade people supplying their own equipment to use the prefered system. For all sorts of reasons, Apple's OS-X is very big in academia, as you'll guess if you watch TV programmes about science and take notice of the computers in use.

For ordinary use, of course, one is as good as the other these days and they often play well together...

MacBook and LG17 TZ70 P1030675.jpg
 
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I am a Mac user, and have been, alongside Linux and PC, for a number of years.

First of all, the processor in a Mac is not the same as the processor in a PC, or at least in 2023 you should not be buying a Mac with an Intel chip. The Apple ARM based M series chips are a big jump ahead of what the competition is doing.

What sort of course are you doing that needs a 32GB computer?

If the university is suggesting a Mac, I would go along with that, although it may be wise to wait until you can get a uni email address/whatever you need to get a student discount. Over the summer Apple usually runs "back to school" deals too. If the tutors and your fellow students are all using Macs, the course will be tailored to that, and you will probably run in to "well it works on my Mac" situations. Are Macs prevalent in the industry you want to work in after your degree? That is another reason why Macs may be suggested.

FWIW I work in software development and everyone I work with is either on a Mac or Linux, we only have Windows PCs for debugging issues on that platform.
 
It’s a photography course , the software they use is adobe. So I can’t see the advantage of one system over the other. And thanks for the comments I think it’s confirmed my choice a gaming pc
 
I've just picked up one of these for £2k brand new with 3 year warranty if that helps, it was from John Lewis.


My other laptop is touchscreen and has a pen (HP 2 in 1 spectre) and that was another factor for me. I've only ever used windows and my brother let me borrow one of his Macbooks (13" pro one) and I just found it different, not bad, just not what I was used to.
 
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steve_lyt said:
It’s a photography course , the software they use is adobe.
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If in doubt, you can always contact Adobe technical support and ask if there's a compatibility list between OS-X and Windows for the programmes you're going to use .

Several years ago I had one for Photoshop. I don't know where it came from but it was useful when I was working on both Windows and OS-X.

Of course, it may no longer be needed. ;)
 
I think adobe is the same on both platforms, I think it’s mainly photoshop and lightroom. Atm I use an older laptop , it’s i7 , 32gb , 1tb ssd and 17 inch , it runs adobe with no problems
 
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Battery life will be the biggest practical difference. For photos you need something fairly muscular, but the M series Mac's all seem decent.

Since there's no upgrade path for Apple computers then budget for a substantial external drive too, if you buy one.
 
Generally Mac machines will be usefully working some years after the equivalent PCs are. Also, as others have said, Macs no longer use Intel processors, so cannot be directly compared with a PC with the same processor - because different processors. There is also discussion about the amount of RAM needed. It is possible that 32GB of RAM on a Mac is equivalent to 64GB of RAM on a PC. because the Mac has System on a Chip, which is more efficient. There's only one way to find out! FIGHT!!!

If there is going to be a battle between different systems for you, then I'd say, the bigger battle is that Adobe is being pushed. There are alternatives that do not require a subscription, but are just as capable. Plus, bit like being able to drive a Ford when you have been taught in a VW (or LHD vs RHD) you need to be flexible, not railroaded down one path.
 
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One other thing to consider for a degree like Photography, is display quality.

Although it sounds like your current laptop is a decent spec, if it runs the Adobe suite OK now, I would keep that until you get into your first term and see how you get on.
 
Macs IME provides a smoother experience than windows laptops for most part (but not always).

32GB RAM on recent macs are still just that i.e. 32GB. But the difference is, thanks to the system on chip, OSX optimisations it's really efficient which gives the feeling that it's operating on par with a windows intel PCs with higher RAM.
I still have the original M1 MBP with 16GB ram. When I'm doing massive photo stacks and edits it does slow down considerably especially as apps like LR/PS already use 8-12GB RAM to operate.

Having said all that for 90% of uses i.e. when I am not doing crazy large panos or astro stacks or something like that, M1 is a lot smoother than intel macs and gaming PCs I had before it and they had twice as much RAM with lots of dedicated graphics memory too.

One thing I'll mention is that some software for stacking and such are only available on Windows. There are alternatives on Mac but they are not always free. But if you are using Adobe products for most things then it doesn't really matter since they support the Arm macs natively.

So far I have owned 3 windows intel laptops, 2 intel macs and my current M1. (Have also had numerous windows, Linux and Macs at work)
The macs have out lasted the windows machine. In fact my 2013 MBP is still usable while I have disposed of the windows PCs.
I don't buy into the whole upgrading thing because by the time I come to needing an upgrade the components/tech generally has moved on and it's better to buy something new anyway.

Just my 2p....
 
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You comfortably run LR and PS on a M1/M2 based Apple laptop with 16Gb ram.
32Gb will future proof you.

The way Apple uses memory compared to an Intel system is completely different and you just don't need as much RAM as you do on a Intel/Windows based laptop.

I'm pretty sure the ARM CPU will out perform the majority of affordable Intel Chips.
 
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Possibly the 2 biggest issues are the difference in OS and inability to upgrade storage. As far as possible, you should try before buying.
 
I'd also add to @ancient_mariners post above and add a third issue..make sure you know what you want to do with it.

That is a serious gaming laptop you've linked above, way more powerful than the one I've just purchased. If you plan on doing ANY real gaming, then you'll probably be extremely disappointed with the MAC.

Also, check the colour coverage / accuracy of the monitor / screen (you can easily do that on the link I posted above).
 
Working in the education sector you can get educational pricing which, I think is approximately the same as not paying VAT. It's a pretty nice saving so you may want to look into that.
 
You also need to think where you are going to use this laptop, a 17" gaming machine is no fun to carry and will have a much shorter battery life than any Mac. Universities are not very good at supply power outlets. Personally I would wait until I started the course, for no other reason than this would give you access to a bunch of student discounts and I chance to see how you are likely to use the machine.
 
Adamcski said:
Also, check the colour coverage / accuracy of the monitor / screen (you can easily do that on the link I posted above).
Click to expand...

And this is extremely important too. Calibration is essential, but it can only help if the screen is basically already good. Don't choose anything less than 99% sRGB.
 
Kaolin said:
You also need to think where you are going to use this laptop, a 17" gaming machine is no fun to carry and will have a much shorter battery life than any Mac. Universities are not very good at supply power outlets. Personally I would wait until I started the course, for no other reason than this would give you access to a bunch of student discounts and I chance to see how you are likely to use the machine.
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Totally agree, when you are at UNI you are eligible for a load of other student discounts for programs you may well need .
MS Office , and a load of Adobe stuff spring immediately to mind
 
L320Rio said:
Comparing a Mac to a PC is a bit like comparing Ford to Vauxhall, they both do the same thing in a very similar way.
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Having used both PCs and a Mac, I would have to agree. Personally, I prefer a Mac. I find it easier to use all round, but maybe that's just me.
 
Blimey this is a very balanced conversation.

I am a 20+ year Mac user but I do also use an old Windows laptop for my astrophotography hobby. because some of the old Astro apps only work on Windows.

For general Photography then I would recommend Mac the main app developers all release their stuff on Mac. You don't need to fork out on Microsoft Office as the free included apps on Mac can read and write all variations of Office files.

If your priority is to be able to play games then Windows gives you more choice.

No Mac laptop these days runs on an Intel chip they are all using Apple silicon. If you want/need long battery life then Macs win massively.
 
I used to find that when comparing Lightroom on my windows machine vs mac machine it appeared to be more optimised on the Apple system. However, I recently got the new LrC and it appears not to be very optimised. So it could be whether or not the machine will run smoothly?

But I guess the requirement is in your case, you might be required to use Apple only products perhaps? Either way i'd send an email and ask why.
 
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The reason she needs a new printer is appropriate to this thread.

www.talkphotography.co.uk

Forums All

Hello. I was following a thread regarding a good choice to get to replace a Canon Pixma 610 and cannot retrieve that thread, so here I am. A fellow 'Dave' was posting about the printer he wanted for his wife per her requests...I had to replace my Canon Pixma 610 to make it compatible with new...
www.talkphotography.co.uk www.talkphotography.co.uk
 
ancient_mariner said:
The reason she needs a new printer is appropriate to this thread.

www.talkphotography.co.uk

Forums All

Hello. I was following a thread regarding a good choice to get to replace a Canon Pixma 610 and cannot retrieve that thread, so here I am. A fellow 'Dave' was posting about the printer he wanted for his wife per her requests...I had to replace my Canon Pixma 610 to make it compatible with new...
www.talkphotography.co.uk www.talkphotography.co.uk
Click to expand...

Here is the header from a review of the printer:

Canon PIXMA MP610 Review
Simon Williams
By
Simon Williams
September 21, 2007 4:00 am BST
 
I'm still using an M1 Air with 8GB of RAM and it absolutely flies, I've had Windows laptops with significantly more memory than start to wobble long before this thing does.

Typically processing a couple thousand big ol' Sony RAWs per week at this time of year, bought the M1 at launch and assumed I'd need an upgrade by now, but it still runs like the day I bought it, and although I'm a quick editor I'm not quick enough to hit any limitations of the hardware, so I have no reason to upgrade.

Silent and cool too, so never mind using it on my lap occasionally.

Hopeless for gaming though, so there is that to balance in if you're thinking about multiple uses. I bought a Steam Deck to scratch that itch and I'm very happy with it.
 
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Pound Coin said:
Here is the header from a review of the printer:

Canon PIXMA MP610 Review
Simon Williams
By
Simon Williams
September 21, 2007 4:00 am BST
Click to expand...

It's just a printer.

TBH I've had bad experiences with Macs and printers, and would not have been surprised if it was just 3 years old before they decided not to support it.

My comment was also in response to 'they work '. If you really want a system that just works with everything then Linux will do that, though the hardware isn't so shiny. ;)
 
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Well, I've had bad experiences with PCs and Linux machines and printers. Macs too.

But I don't see that a 16 year old printer not being compatible is relevant to buying a computer nowadays.
 
ancient_mariner said:
If you really want a system that just works with everything then Linux will do that,
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For a given version of "just works".

There's plenty of peripherals for which you'll have problems finding Linux interfaces, because no one's found them interesting enough to write the code. Of course, if you have the time and the inclination you can write your own, in the true spirit of the open software movement! :naughty:

On the whole, Windows is the most likely system for which you'll find all the drivers for all the devices, simply because of its installed base. The latest figures I can find suggest that Windows has roughly 62% of the market; , OS-X (Apple) around 19%; Google's Chrome 3.5%; Linux 2.7%. The remaining 13% isn't recorded. With its massive dominance in the market, hardware manufacturers are always going to cater to Windows - it's where the money is.
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
With its massive dominance in the market, hardware manufacturers are always going to cater to Windows - it's where the money is.
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Agree that Windows has a bigger share of the market, but it is an interesting question about being where the money is. If all machines were made by Sony, maybe, but a lot of machines that run Windows are low budget. The market is not homogenous.
 
I can't remember if it was for smartphones or computers, where Apple had a much smaller share of the market, but a much larger share of the profit...
 
My laptop needs to fulfil several roles. Photography - it has to run Lightroom and Photoshop mostly. I also have a 3D Scanner, and that requires a nVdia graphics card - anything else either won't work anywhere near properly. I'm an occassional gamer. Hence I've got an Asus Rog G14. Its maxed out at 40Gb RAM, but need more for 3D scanning large objects...
 
I would also add that my Asus Zenbook duo (link above) is optimised for LRC and you can use the second screen to have your sliders and bars and the main screen has the images. It has lots of customised applications (apparently).

I also work in academic areas and it's actually more useful than I thought as you can use the second screen to have your word documents open whilst researching on the main, and things like that.

Not much larger than the MAC Pro 16 in size or weight and the screen is amazing, I think slightly better colour accuracy but not 120hz refresh rate. I had to get something I could game on also, although I have the series X and gaming monitor for serious gaming but running steam and Xbox was a minimum.
 
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