Windows Or Mac [A Consumers Dilemma]

[Captain Fabio]

Mac Vs. Windows



Ok, so I am currently looking to buy a new laptop as my Desktop is getting on 4 years old and my laptop isn't powerful enough for what I need for my 3rd year in my Games Technology degree.

I have been thinking the past few days as to what I want top buy; Windows computer or a Apple Mac.

Normally, I would say Windows, but hold on there.

For what I need, is portability with powerful graphics and processing. I don't want to be attached to a plug socket all the time, so I can run the programs. Even though people say it isn't compatible with anything, maybe so, but I would end up running Windows in parallel with Snow Leopard.

I am just asking really, what do people think and are there any amazing laptops out there that are just like a Mac, but not a Mac, if you know what I mean.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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[Deleted member 12729]

The OS choice is entirely up to you; nobody should be entitled to influence or affect your OS decisions. Windows and OS X are both extremely solid and compatible; they each do stuff better that the other one doesn't.

Hardware, on the other hand.... Macs have great build-quality but in terms of specs they're extraordinarily expensive. If you're willing to hand over the money, you're very likely to not be disappointed. And yes, the laptops have a great battery life, no matter which one you pick.

Windows PCs have equally high standards, however, and are relatively cheaper as well. You run the risk of the software not necessarily being able to fully recognize the hardware, though. Because of this, power management suffers.

Be sure to consider the type of software you're going to run or need. If it's graphics-intensive and Windows-only, don't even dare try running it in parallel with OS X. Graphics stuff is dirt-slow on virtual machines. You're better off booting Windows off Boot Camp on your Mac or just buying a PC.
If the software's Mac-compatible, that's a completely different story. Give it a shot. If the app is built using native tech, Mac OS X is going to handle your graphics-intensive stuff like a charm.

It's up to you. Because I'm an Applefag, I'm obviously going to recommend a MacBook Pro (look around for their graphics cards - some are, of course, better than others), but you obviously don't have to listen. Just pick whichever one feels best, and more importantly, can run the software you're going to need for your degree.

 

[Captain Fabio]

Thanks man! I meant to say bootcamp windows, because parallel is rubbish at times! XD

Another thing that I do want to do as a past time, is developing apps which can only be done on the Apple OS.
I think I am going to end up going for a Mac, but I am still looking around. I think I will end up getting a normal Mac, as I don't REALLY need a Pro, but I will have to see how much money I can afford to shell out onto them.

I do, however, get 14% discount off them because I am a student, as well as a free iPod touch! XD

 

[Team_SJK]

If you want stability, get a Mac. If you want wider compatibility, get Windows. If you want both, get a Mac, now that they are running Intel processors. I have a MacBook (it's about 3 years old), and I couldn't be any more satisfied with it.

... parallel is rubbish at times!

I couldn't agree with you more on that. I can't even use my USB video capture device in Parallels, because it gives that dreaded fade-to-gray Kernel Panic screen, an error that would otherwise occur once in a blue moon. Every Mac user knows what it is: "You need to restart your computer," et cetera. So, I just totally gave up on Parallels, and now I'm using Boot Camp, which comes free on the Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard install discs.

 

[twocows]

I recommend a ThinkPad or ASUS. ThinkPads are expensive, but their engineering is even better than Apple, in my humble opinion; they're very solid laptops. ASUS also makes solid hardware; my current laptop is an ASUS and the one time it broke, ASUS had no problems repairing it for me, got it back within a week.

Personally, if I had the money, I'd buy a new desktop and a cheap netbook, since I don't need a laptop for much and I'd rather have something that can play games well. That's just me, though.

 

[Zet]

Well since you're doing a gaming degree you're best off with something that can give better results than the results you would get from bootcamp since the mac isn't too great with gaming(I know it has games on it, just not a lot of good ones and ones that you can't run with everything maxed out).

And I'm pretty sure you can develop apps on Windows as well.

 

[twocows]

Well since you're doing a gaming degree you're best off with something that can give better results than the results you would get from bootcamp since the mac isn't too great with gaming(I know it has games on it, just not a lot of good ones and ones that you can't run with everything maxed out).

And I'm pretty sure you can develop apps on Windows as well.

Boot Camp is for running Windows on a Mac. I believe you're thinking of Parallels or something.

 

[Captain Fabio]

I recommend a ThinkPad or ASUS. ThinkPads are expensive, but their engineering is even better than Apple, in my humble opinion; they're very solid laptops. ASUS also makes solid hardware; my current laptop is an ASUS and the one time it broke, ASUS had no problems repairing it for me, got it back within a week.

Personally, if I had the money, I'd buy a new desktop and a cheap netbook, since I don't need a laptop for much and I'd rather have something that can play games well. That's just me, though.

Well, I am not going to be making my decision in the next 2 weeks, so I have time to look around and all that. =]

I will look into both of them; I know ASUS but not so much about the ThinkPad, so I will have to look into that.

I would buy a new desktop, as I can build them myself, but I want something that I can bring around because it is so much easier. Since the computers in Uni are always on high demand, I like to have something to fall back on that can run more than Word XD

Well since you're doing a gaming degree you're best off with something that can give better results than the results you would get from bootcamp since the mac isn't too great with gaming(I know it has games on it, just not a lot of good ones and ones that you can't run with everything maxed out).

And I'm pretty sure you can develop apps on Windows as well.

Maybe, but the Mac, obviously, has better support and it would be a hell of a lot easier when building and exporting them to the actual iPhone/iTouch.

Thanks so far guys!

 

[Deleted member 12729]

And I'm pretty sure you can develop apps on Windows as well.

If we're talking iOS development then that can only be properly done on the Mac. Sure, there are tons of third-party, jailbreak-driven frameworks for Windows, but if you want to get a proper application on the App Store, you need Mac OS X along with Apple's own developer tools.

 

[Dawn]

If you intend to be developing for the iPhone / iTouch / iPod / iWhatever the legal way to go is a Mac.
Just saying, Apple doesn't want to make it easy for you to do it on Windows. They won't change either, unless forced.

 

[Captain Fabio]

If you intend to be developing for the iPhone / iTouch / iPod / iWhatever the legal way to go is a Mac.
Just saying, Apple doesn't want to make it easy for you to do it on Windows. They won't change either, unless forced.

I wouldn't bother trying to develop for an iProduct on Windows. More pointless than a cardboard board flavoured lolly pop.

I think I am going to get myself a MacBook Pro. =]

 

[chikorita125]

i prefer Windows because all my games you can only play on windows

 

[Zet]

Oh another thing, will the course involve any flash type of work? If so, you will need Windows since Mac is going to lose flash support because Jobs is a gigantic douche who hates flash.

 

[twocows]

I wouldn't bother trying to develop for an iProduct on Windows. More pointless than a cardboard board flavoured lolly pop.

I think I am going to get myself a MacBook Pro. =]

Care to explain why? I personally recommend against this.

 

[Deleted member 12729]

Oh another thing, will the course involve any flash type of work? If so, you will need Windows since Mac is going to lose flash support because Jobs is a gigantic douche who hates flash.

My God, you're funny.

Care to explain why? I personally recommend against this.

There's no official support for developing for Apple's mobile devices on Windows. Their developer tools run only on Mac OS X.

If you actually bother to get the third-party frameworks, jailbreak your device for testing it, and submit it to the App Store, you run the risk of Apple detecting the fact that it was not built using their own frameworks and having your dev certificate revoked as a result of violating their terms of service.

 

[Dawn]

If you actually bother to get the third-party frameworks, jailbreak your device for testing it, and submit it to the App Store, you run the risk of Apple detecting the fact that it was not built using their own frameworks and having your dev certificate revoked as a result of violating their terms of service.

*Sniffle* It just... It just makes you want to go out there and develop for Apple right now doesn't it?!

 

[Deleted member 12729]

*Sniffle* It just... It just makes you want to go out there and develop for Apple right now doesn't it?!

Joke away, but their tools are great. And that isn't sarcasm. :P Non-Java based mobile devices have OS-specific development tools as well, and if you've used Xcode, you can see why it's Mac-only.

 

[Dawn]

Joke away, but their tools are great. And that isn't sarcasm. :P Non-Java based mobile devices have OS-specific development tools as well, and if you've used Xcode, you can see why it's Mac-only.

Oh I'm sure they are. Just makes me want to get kicked in the shin by their policies. Sarcasm feels good.

Xcode is a proprietary language made by Apple for Apple things. I consider that a downside.

Just saying, Apple does very little to encourage people to develop for them other than being popular.

 

[Deleted member 12729]

Oh I'm sure they are. Just makes me want to get kicked in the shin by their policies. Sarcasm feels good.

Xcode is a proprietary language made by Apple for Apple things. I consider that a downside.

Just saying, Apple does very little to encourage people to develop for them other than being popular.

Xcode is not a language, it's a development environment, and has wide support for more than one language, not just Objective-C.

The .NET framework is a proprietary library by Microsoft for Microsoft software.
The Android Eclipse integration is a proprietary IDE add-on by Google for Android software.

Is that a downside to you?

Perhaps you're just one of those people who make comments without actually basing them on any sort of knowledge or experience on the matter.

 

[Captain Fabio]

Oh another thing, will the course involve any flash type of work? If so, you will need Windows since Mac is going to lose flash support because Jobs is a gigantic douche who hates flash.

Naaa, it won't. I hate flash as a language. It is just horrid to work with and boring.

Care to explain why? I personally recommend against this.

Well, one thing is battery life. I do a lot of work when travelling and I like to be out of University and my flat to do work. I work better in a busy environment, like a coffee shop or what ever. I can't really do that if I have a laptop that has barely 2 hours of life.
Another is the fact that, I think, the mac is more robust than a Windows computer. Sure, we all have our different preferences and if you asked me 3 years ago, which OS I would rather have, there would be no question about it; windows. However, I feel that having the Mac build and boot camping windows for the programs that need to be run on that OS, is more benefical for me.
Also, out of all my friends who have got Macs, they have had them for years. Windows decreases in power over time, Macs don't really.

I am not rich enough to be buying new laptops every year or so and I think, in the long run, a Mac will benefit me more.