Thinking about buying a Mac... need some advice

Hello everyone, I have been a member of this forum for many years but I do not post much. I would like to get some opinions from you all.
I have been thinking about making the switch from PC to Mac. I have been a PC user for 15 years or so and I have never really touched a Mac so I do have some concerns.
Everyone I have talked to that has used a PC and a Mac say that they love apple computers and would never go back. Is there anything I should know or be aware of? Are Macs as good as everyone makes them out to be? What are the pros and cons? Is it pretty simple to figure out? Why doesnt Macs need antivirus software?
 
These may seem like silly questions but I really want to make sure I make a good decision when spending a lot of money.
 
I am thinking about buying an iMac 27 inch version. Not sure if I am going to go with quad core or dual core yet. I am also thinking about buying a macbook air to take on the road with me.
 
Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Jason

iMac27 !!!

lol....


Edit: holy crap I posted my comment without reading your post, just wanted to crush it...and now that I read your post....haha


The iMac is amazing!
I´m not that a big fan of the MacbookAir because it just does not feel right to me somehow...
and for 1300€ there are far superiour notebooks on the marked...I´d buy a Macbook pro 15" at any time compared tot he air version...

lennartbar


iMac27 !!!

lol....


Edit: holy crap I posted my comment without reading your post, just wanted to crush it...and now that I read your post....haha


The iMac is amazing!
I´m not that a big fan of the MacbookAir because it just does not feel right to me somehow...
and for 1300€ there are far superiour notebooks on the marked...I´d buy a Macbook pro 15" at any time compared tot he air version...

Just wanted to crush it? and now that I read your post?
 
Am I missing something here? What were you wanting to crush and why is it funny after you read my post?

lennartbar


iMac27 !!!

lol....


Edit: holy crap I posted my comment without reading your post, just wanted to crush it...and now that I read your post....haha


The iMac is amazing!
I´m not that a big fan of the MacbookAir because it just does not feel right to me somehow...
and for 1300€ there are far superiour notebooks on the marked...I´d buy a Macbook pro 15" at any time compared tot he air version...

Or get a Lenovo X301 instead of the Macbook Air.

As for the iMac. Sure it looks good and all and it's an all in one package, but it's overpriced. If you want performance you can build and equivalent PC for half the money. So if it's design that you're after then go for the iMac, if it's performance and value for money go for a PC.

Get ready to plunk down a ton of money replacing all of your windows software.   I don't really see the reason to switch now, after using PCs for 15 years, particularly in light of how rock solid Windows 7 is and how much more computer you can get for your dollar buying a Windows system, but if you want a Mac, well, ok, get it.  It's your money.

They are very nice computers, extremely well made, very elegant design.  I find the operating system extremely annoying though.  (I actually own a couple of Macs, but I rarely use them)

So I guess if you're OK with learning an entirely new way of using a computer and don't mind an operating system that is basically wizard-driven at every step, and have the money to replace any and all software applications you currently have windows versions of, and don't mind plunking down an extra $300+ for a copy of Windows to either dual boot or run in a VM (as the Mac folks will point out) in case you want a computer that is useful for playing games and stuff, and if you don't mind spending double what you would for a comparably equipped PC, then it's a no brainer.

Would it be used for work? Do you use any specific software?

I have the 24 inch iMac and I love it.  I can be more productive with it than I could with a PC.  If you are a gamer, then plan on running Windows on your boot camp partition. There are good games on the mac, but not as many as there are for Windows.  Other than that I have no problems running what I need to do work, school, music, etc...  I advise you to budget some dough for software such as iWork and iLife.  If you are a serious musician, producer, video editor, then look into Logic and Final Cut.  Photoshop CS4 is also nice to have.  Keep in mind that most all popular free packages like Gimp, Neo Office, and audacity are also available so you can load up your mac with gigs of useful free apps.  Oh, I also recommend buying a wired mouse and keyboard.  The wireless ones are cool, but if you use your computer a lot then you'll want the larger keyboard and battery free mouse.

Some things about macs that typical PC users just don't about know are:

• Built-in Spell Checker:  Everything you type in OSX in any application is spellchecked.
• Time Machine:  Attach an external drive to your mac and it will back up everything you do and let you retrieve it through a star trek style interface.
• Expose & Spaces:  Seamlessly switch between desktops and applications.
• Spotlight:  A handy search utility built into the OS, does lots of cool stuff.
• Camera & iChat: The iMac's camera is quality and the video, audio chat in iChat is the best I've ever used.  You can also do desktop sharing a-la GoToMeeting using it without paying anything for a service.
• Boot Camp: Run Windows on your mac faster than most pcs.
• UNIX:  Open a terminal and now you're fancy desktop is a world class UNIX workstation geared towards hardcore computer science, development, education and science in general.
• Cover Flow:  You know the cool cover flow interface in iTunes?  OSX has that interface for files as well. 

There are some technical reasons why viruses are less prevalent on Macs, but it really has more to do with how Microsoft opened XP up to malware, spyware as a business/marketing maneuver back in the early 2000s.  They actually built in features that malware can use to exploit your data.  Macs don't do this, but they still can catch a virus.  Because there is no real benefit to infecting a mac, virus writers don't bother with them much.  Keep in mind that most malware is developed by companies for business reasons and not by black hatted DT fans in their mom's basement who are trying to take over the internet.         

KirksNoseHair


Get ready to plunk down a ton of money replacing all of your windows software.   I don't really see the reason to switch now, after using PCs for 15 years, particularly in light of how rock solid Windows 7 is and how much more computer you can get for your dollar buying a Windows system, but if you want a Mac, well, ok, get it.  It's your money.

They are very nice computers, extremely well made, very elegant design.  I find the operating system extremely annoying though.  (I actually own a couple of Macs, but I rarely use them)

So I guess if you're OK with learning an entirely new way of using a computer and don't mind an operating system that is basically wizard-driven at every step, and have the money to replace any and all software applications you currently have windows versions of, and don't mind plunking down an extra $300+ for a copy of Windows to either dual boot or run in a VM (as the Mac folks will point out) in case you want a computer that is useful for playing games and stuff, and if you don't mind spending double what you would for a comparably equipped PC, then it's a no brainer.

Windows 7 Rock Solid?  BLahahahahahahahaha

Wizard Driven?  Blahahahahaha  There ARE NO WIZARDS in OSX.

That annoying operating system is called UNIX and it's been around for 20 years longer than Windows and it IS rock solid.  Learn it before you knock it.

szabiakanich

As for the iMac. Sure it looks good and all and it's an all in one package, but it's overpriced. If you want performance you can build and equivalent PC for half the money. So if it's design that you're after then go for the iMac, if it's performance and value for money go for a PC.

You can't build a super thin, quiet, cool, and powerful PC for the cost of an 27 iMac.  Also, The OS utilizes the hardware so much better than Windows that you have to spend more on hardware to out perform OSX.  Go read the benchmarks in PC magazine where they declare the mac book pro as the fastest Windows notebook. 

Design is important.  When I was a PC guy my desk looked like a borg cube with cables and wires running every which way, my pc was a loud and hot dust bunny magnet.  The iMac's profile is slender, quiet and the display is beautiful.  I've never seen a PC display that looks as good for *any* price.

KirksNoseHair


Get ready to plunk down a ton of money replacing all of your windows software.   I don't really see the reason to switch now, after using PCs for 15 years, particularly in light of how rock solid Windows 7 is and how much more computer you can get for your dollar buying a Windows system, but if you want a Mac, well, ok, get it.  It's your money.

They are very nice computers, extremely well made, very elegant design.  I find the operating system extremely annoying though.  (I actually own a couple of Macs, but I rarely use them)

So I guess if you're OK with learning an entirely new way of using a computer and don't mind an operating system that is basically wizard-driven at every step, and have the money to replace any and all software applications you currently have windows versions of, and don't mind plunking down an extra $300+ for a copy of Windows to either dual boot or run in a VM (as the Mac folks will point out) in case you want a computer that is useful for playing games and stuff, and if you don't mind spending double what you would for a comparably equipped PC, then it's a no brainer.

you should work in an Apple Store :P

http://www.liamgaughan.com/    lost the game?
Production / Performance / Tuition

SCDTFAN

lennartbar


iMac27 !!!

lol....


Edit: holy crap I posted my comment without reading your post, just wanted to crush it...and now that I read your post....haha


The iMac is amazing!
I´m not that a big fan of the MacbookAir because it just does not feel right to me somehow...
and for 1300€ there are far superiour notebooks on the marked...I´d buy a Macbook pro 15" at any time compared tot he air version...

Just wanted to crush it? and now that I read your post?

Am I missing something here? What were you wanting to crush and why is it funny after you read my post?

well usually at least one person in a "laptop advice" etc thread jumps in and says "get a mac/ never get a mac" and I guess the new ridiculous answer will "get a iMac27"...
see?...

nevermind

You want one - get one. There'll always be people from both camps stirring up shit when one of these threads come around. :p

But stay away from the Air. It's thin, sure, but you'll have no disc drive, no firewire and performance-wise it has been cut down so that it could be made so small.

Get a macbook pro for the same price as an Air, I say.

And... 27" is damn big! If you're into video editing, gigantic photo stuff or any of that - it may come in handy with 27". But if you're just an everyday user; consider a smaller size.

switched to mac about 3 years ago and I never regret that step.

I'm an IT-Pro and have to deal a lot with Windows OSes on PCs and Servers and I've never met such an intuitional OS like Mac OSX to handle with. Btw. ... loved Kirk's joke about Windows 7   ;-)

Of course, if you want to play games with your computer you should buy a PC. But if you wanna work with it (especially using it to record your music or something like that) I'd recommend a Mac. And of course VMware, Parallels Desktop or the OpenSource Solution VirtualBox by Sun are pretty good ways to still use your Windows OS and software.

However, 27-inch seems way too big for non-professional use tho.

more about me at http://www.simplyadrummer.com

mmm don't get a mac. you can get a PC with the same specs for 800 dollars less (AUD)

avoid a macbook air like fire. if you want a small laptop for portability get an eee pc.

I used to have one of the bubble macs. if i ran itunes in the background while i was working it would crash my computer. a Windows laptop is much more worth the money

You nailed, Paulie!

Mac = WORK

PC = check e-mails, play games, steal music, collect viruses, procrastinate, etc.

http://www.soundcloud.com/worldengine
http://www.twitter.com/worldengine
http://www.soundcloud.com/coletivo433

I do music a ton and I LOVE my mac!  I thought about switching for years and ended up realizing I didn't have to...I could get an Imac and still use my laptop...though I rarely do!

SeventhSon

KirksNoseHair


Get ready to plunk down a ton of money replacing all of your windows software.   I don't really see the reason to switch now, after using PCs for 15 years, particularly in light of how rock solid Windows 7 is and how much more computer you can get for your dollar buying a Windows system, but if you want a Mac, well, ok, get it.  It's your money.

They are very nice computers, extremely well made, very elegant design.  I find the operating system extremely annoying though.  (I actually own a couple of Macs, but I rarely use them)

So I guess if you're OK with learning an entirely new way of using a computer and don't mind an operating system that is basically wizard-driven at every step, and have the money to replace any and all software applications you currently have windows versions of, and don't mind plunking down an extra $300+ for a copy of Windows to either dual boot or run in a VM (as the Mac folks will point out) in case you want a computer that is useful for playing games and stuff, and if you don't mind spending double what you would for a comparably equipped PC, then it's a no brainer.

Windows 7 Rock Solid?  BLahahahahahahahaha

Wizard Driven?  Blahahahahaha  There ARE NO WIZARDS in OSX.

That annoying operating system is called UNIX and it's been around for 20 years longer than Windows and it IS rock solid.  Learn it before you knock it.

Um, I happen to administer a cluster of SCO UNIX Servers here in the data center that I operate.  We're in the process of migrating them to a virtual environment, leveraging the new Hyper-V technology that comes with Windows Server 2008 R2 or can be downloaded for bare metal implementations from Microsoft for free.

It's quite likely that I've forgotten more about UNIX than you will ever know, but perhaps I am mistaken.  Are you an experienced computer tech? 

i just KNEW that was coming, good times :P I think your points on Windows 7 are true through, for everything apart from what I really need my computer for, which is Audio Production. Gutted, its Digidesign's fault though

http://www.liamgaughan.com/    lost the game?
Production / Performance / Tuition

KirksNoseHair

It's quite likely that I've forgotten more about UNIX than you will ever know, but perhaps I am mistaken.  Are you an experienced computer tech? 

I've already had enough chances to get to know your mind Kirk!   ;-)

more about me at http://www.simplyadrummer.com

I used to be a hardcore PC user, and hated anything to do with Macs.   Then I started using mac in the Audio Lab at my university.  I really started to like it, and ended up buying a Macbook to replace a desktop that died.   I've been a Mac user for 2 or 3 years now and I love it.

Apple Customer Support:       Amazing!  I bought my Macbook used (its now about 3 or 4 years old) and just before Chistmas I had to take it to the Apple store to have the harddrive replaced.  I didnt buy it from them, and I didnt have the software disk, and it wasnt under warrantee.  They still did the service and loaded OSX and iLife for free.  All I had to pay for was the actual replacement drive.  I was quite impressed with them.

"Well I hear that John Petrucci used an XZY-7Q model of compression unit during the solo at mark 15:10:203:865 minute with a solo in the Phrygian scale in a 29/16 time"

weezul

KirksNoseHair


Get ready to plunk down a ton of money replacing all of your windows software.   I don't really see the reason to switch now, after using PCs for 15 years, particularly in light of how rock solid Windows 7 is and how much more computer you can get for your dollar buying a Windows system, but if you want a Mac, well, ok, get it.  It's your money.

They are very nice computers, extremely well made, very elegant design.  I find the operating system extremely annoying though.  (I actually own a couple of Macs, but I rarely use them)

So I guess if you're OK with learning an entirely new way of using a computer and don't mind an operating system that is basically wizard-driven at every step, and have the money to replace any and all software applications you currently have windows versions of, and don't mind plunking down an extra $300+ for a copy of Windows to either dual boot or run in a VM (as the Mac folks will point out) in case you want a computer that is useful for playing games and stuff, and if you don't mind spending double what you would for a comparably equipped PC, then it's a no brainer.

you should work in an Apple Store :P

You know, I really like Apple stuff.  I do.  But it's really really overpriced.   And I have a really difficult time suggesting that a person who has been using the Windows OS for such a long time should switch now.

Part of what my company does is we install computer driven environmental control systems in places like hospitals, school systems, banks, and manufacturing facilities. 

Each new Operating System from Microsoft is rigorously and extensively tested here in our labs.  Windows 7 has been the most impressive thing (Other than server 2008, which is also very solid) that I've seen from Microsoft in years......

I stand by my statement that Win7 is rock solid.  It's extremely stable and reliable and a huge step forward for Microsoft in terms of user interface.  I don't really care whether or not they stole half of the GUI elements from Apple, my job is to test, deploy and maintain stable systems, and Win7 is stable.

Getting back to the topic at hand, and in an effort to help out the OP:

If you have your heart set on a Mac, by all means, go for it.  But I would caution you to carefully consider WHY you are going down that road and keep in mind that there will be a learning curve and you will experience a significant increase in your overall cost of ownership, both in terms of acquisition cost and TCO, as repairs, upgrades, software, maintenance and just about everything related to the Apple platform comes with a fairly significantly higher cost as compared to Windows based equipment.

Let me tell you what my brother did - he's very computer savvy so it was easy for him, he also comes from an engineering background like me.  He got the high-end iMac, then got himself a copy of VMWare Fusion and a bunch of copies of Windows XP and he created a Virtual XP machine for each family member to use on the iMac.  The upside to this is that he has the best of both worlds, the downsides are it's extremely expensive to do and running XP in a virtual environment, even on a fairly high-end system introduces quite a bit of latency, meaning, it's exactly ideal for gaming.....

But I won't bash Apple products.   They make extremely elegant stuff.  I just wish is was less expensive and a little less.....(trying to think of a better way of putting it than "wizard driven" ).......I wish it did not try to hold your hand no matter what you do......

Advice: If you have access to a Mac (Friend, in store, etc.) try it out. If you like it, buy it. If not, get Windows 7.

It's all preference. Nothing more, nothing less. For me, that's OS X. For another guy, I'm sure it's Windows 7. It's like asking us if it's a good idea to get mustard on your burger. Do you like it?
I have a few Macs and love them all. I doubt I'll ever go back to Windows. But that's my opinion. (I'm looking at the 27" iMac too. Quad Core. I want a beast.)


Edit: And just to add to another point made in this thread, Windows 7 is pretty solid. It's not Vista.

weezul


i just KNEW that was coming, good times :P I think your points on Windows 7 are true through, for everything apart from what I really need my computer for, which is Audio Production. Gutted, its Digidesign's fault though

So far, we're finding Windows 7 to be excellent.  Much better than Vista.  We're having a deployment meeting this week, in fact.  I've already got a couple of dozen clients asking if we can "upgrade" them from XP (you can't upgrade XP to 7....)

SVT_BRYAN


I used to be a hardcore PC user, and hated anything to do with Macs.   Then I started using mac in the Audio Lab at my university.  I really started to like it, and ended up buying a Macbook to replace a desktop that died.   I've been a Mac user for 2 or 3 years now and I love it.

Apple Customer Support:       Amazing!  I bought my Macbook used (its now about 3 or 4 years old) and just before Chistmas I had to take it to the Apple store to have the harddrive replaced.  I didnt buy it from them, and I didnt have the software disk, and it wasnt under warrantee.  They still did the service and loaded OSX and iLife for free.  All I had to pay for was the actual replacement drive.  I was quite impressed with them.

Agreed!  I wish more companies would offer the level and competence of support that is offered by Apple, they are really, really good in that department, probably the best I've ever encountered, other than Cisco

btw that 27" sceen and it´s resolution is beyond freaking amazing and makes full hd look totally small!

^yeah, my brother has the 27" version and it is absolutely stunning to look at. 

cons:
buying new software
paying a bit too much
you're then one of 'm

pros:
very reliable system
way less chance of getting a virus
good customer support

                  *Pling!*

I second the "try it if you can" approach. I dual booted my PC as a "Hackintosh" for a while, and since it has basically the same hardware of a normal Mac of the time, it worked perfectly, no glitches or driver issues. Found OSX quite nice, beaultiful and easy to use, but not nice enough to keep the dual-boot partition, much less to convince myself to spend the necessary amount of money to get a real Mac.

At the end of the day, it's just a matter of taste and the softwares you have to use... about that, remember that with Boot Camp you can use Windows on a Mac, if you need it, given you have a Windows license available.

By the way, saying that Windows is insecure is hardly true nowadays... back in the Windows 98 days, sure, but Windows XP SP3 patched is pretty secure, Vista brings a big improvement in security and Windows 7 builds up on that, being real safe since the Beta days. With the option of a built-in firewall and an "official" free AV software (Microsoft Security Essentials), they're way ahead of what Windows machines used to be, and on par with OSX IMO.

Stupid users with administrative privileges are dangerous on both Macs and PCs. Heck, even on a Linux distro without administrative privileges a stupid user can find a way to be stolen on the web, if he tries hard enough.

“Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary... that’s what gets you.” Jeremy Clarkson

Thanks for all of the advice! I am going to go to the Apple store a few more times and I am also going to look at Windows 7 more indepth before I do anything.

it's all about YOUR experience with the soft/hardware.. Try as much as you find needed before making a deciding.. ;-)

                  *Pling!*

That's really the best you can do...go there and play around with them and make up your own mind...

Kirk...you make a bunch of solid points!  If I hadn't been looking to get into a whole new recording setup there is no way I would've been able to justify the purchase of a mac.  

macs run windows... pc world said that the faster pc running windows is a mac.

if you don't like the OS, you can install windows.
i know about the price but still, you get all the pros and cons.

Sometimes you just don't know what to say.

I used windows since win 3.11 and I bought my first mac (macbook pro) this year, mainly for Logic Studio. OSX (and macs in general) simply offers perfect experience and productivity, but it is impossible to discover it in an Apple store. You have to use it yourself everyday to see how great all the features are. I would never made the switch if I wouldn't need an Apple exclusive software, and now I spent 90% time on my macbook, even though I have a $4000 PC...

I hate these discussions.

Bashing Windows, bashing Mac, I know more UNIX than you, VM clusters.......

The guy wants a Mac, let him buy a Mac.

Personally, I prefer them for my video and music work.  I'm an IT pro and see the use for Widows, but lets not pretend its not flawed....that is just not realistic.  Windows 7? I hear its solid, I'll take a wait and see on that one.....

P.S. Folks bash the cost, which I admit seems a bit steep up front, but stats are stats.  The Gartener groups research has shown Macs to have a 'useful' life expectency of 4-5 years. Meaning, the OS and machine will remain usable with current applications for at least that timeframe (just an average here).  

The best PC averages 3 years according to the study.  

So that would mean, when comparing costs, weigh the initial PC cost 1.5 times to the Macs 1 time. That would be more representative of the true cost.

My 2 cents.  now lets all be nice a get along!  Its all good!

KirksNoseHair

SeventhSon

KirksNoseHair


Get ready to plunk down a ton of money replacing all of your windows software.   I don't really see the reason to switch now, after using PCs for 15 years, particularly in light of how rock solid Windows 7 is and how much more computer you can get for your dollar buying a Windows system, but if you want a Mac, well, ok, get it.  It's your money.

They are very nice computers, extremely well made, very elegant design.  I find the operating system extremely annoying though.  (I actually own a couple of Macs, but I rarely use them)

So I guess if you're OK with learning an entirely new way of using a computer and don't mind an operating system that is basically wizard-driven at every step, and have the money to replace any and all software applications you currently have windows versions of, and don't mind plunking down an extra $300+ for a copy of Windows to either dual boot or run in a VM (as the Mac folks will point out) in case you want a computer that is useful for playing games and stuff, and if you don't mind spending double what you would for a comparably equipped PC, then it's a no brainer.

Windows 7 Rock Solid?  BLahahahahahahahaha

Wizard Driven?  Blahahahahaha  There ARE NO WIZARDS in OSX.

That annoying operating system is called UNIX and it's been around for 20 years longer than Windows and it IS rock solid.  Learn it before you knock it.

Um, I happen to administer a cluster of SCO UNIX Servers here in the data center that I operate.  We're in the process of migrating them to a virtual environment, leveraging the new Hyper-V technology that comes with Windows Server 2008 R2 or can be downloaded for bare metal implementations from Microsoft for free.

It's quite likely that I've forgotten more about UNIX than you will ever know, but perhaps I am mistaken.  Are you an experienced computer tech? 

No I'm not a computer tech, I'm a 20+ year Software Engineering veteran.  Wrote my first program on a UNIX minicomputer back in the 70s.  Since then I've written software on just about every major platform using just about every popular programming language.  Got most of my UNIX experience writing HPUX device drivers at HP Labs back in the nineties, then moved into game development.  Now I'm a freelance iPhone and Android developer.  Sounds like we're kindred spirits.  I'd move away from SCO too.  Hyper-V is a pretty solid virtualization platform. I'm not anti-Microsoft at all.  I just know that for me moving to the Mac was a good thing and that their current products are far superior to anything on the market.  

SeventhSon

KirksNoseHair

SeventhSon

KirksNoseHair


Get ready to plunk down a ton of money replacing all of your windows software.   I don't really see the reason to switch now, after using PCs for 15 years, particularly in light of how rock solid Windows 7 is and how much more computer you can get for your dollar buying a Windows system, but if you want a Mac, well, ok, get it.  It's your money.

They are very nice computers, extremely well made, very elegant design.  I find the operating system extremely annoying though.  (I actually own a couple of Macs, but I rarely use them)

So I guess if you're OK with learning an entirely new way of using a computer and don't mind an operating system that is basically wizard-driven at every step, and have the money to replace any and all software applications you currently have windows versions of, and don't mind plunking down an extra $300+ for a copy of Windows to either dual boot or run in a VM (as the Mac folks will point out) in case you want a computer that is useful for playing games and stuff, and if you don't mind spending double what you would for a comparably equipped PC, then it's a no brainer.

Windows 7 Rock Solid?  BLahahahahahahahaha

Wizard Driven?  Blahahahahaha  There ARE NO WIZARDS in OSX.

That annoying operating system is called UNIX and it's been around for 20 years longer than Windows and it IS rock solid.  Learn it before you knock it.

Um, I happen to administer a cluster of SCO UNIX Servers here in the data center that I operate.  We're in the process of migrating them to a virtual environment, leveraging the new Hyper-V technology that comes with Windows Server 2008 R2 or can be downloaded for bare metal implementations from Microsoft for free.

It's quite likely that I've forgotten more about UNIX than you will ever know, but perhaps I am mistaken.  Are you an experienced computer tech? 

No I'm not a computer tech, I'm a 20+ year Software Engineering veteran.  Wrote my first program on a UNIX minicomputer back in the 70s.  Since then I've written software on just about every major platform using just about every popular programming language.  Got most of my UNIX experience writing HPUX device drivers at HP Labs back in the nineties, then moved into game development.  Now I'm a freelance iPhone and Android developer.  Sounds like we're kindred spirits.  I'd move away from SCO too.  Hyper-V is a pretty solid virtualization platform. I'm not anti-Microsoft at all.  I just know that for me moving to the Mac was a good thing and that their current products are far superior to anything on the market.  

Can't say I disagree that their products are superior.  As I've mentioned many times here, they make great stuff, no doubt.  But I really think that if they lowered their price points, they would capture substantial market share. 

Moving to the Intel platform was certainly an extremely good move for them.  I had hoped that they'd take the next logical step after that and start opening up their stuff a bit more so that third party hardware manufacturers could support their OS, but I guess they like being in the niche or something..... *shrugs*

Yeah, Hyper-V, so far, is terrific.  I've already migrated most of my virtual environment to it from Virtual Server 2005 R2, and we had to move away from the VMWare product (which is actually a little more robust) because one of our third party products that we develop our control systems applications with (Wonderware) doesn't support it.....

Well, what do you use your computer for? Simple tasks like writing and email acessing? Or computer graphics, 3D animations and audio editing? Why do you feel like changing, what problems are you facing with the windows? I am a mac user (Mac Pro 8 Core) because I need a lot of processing for my animations and graphics (its my job), I don´t know if it would be worth re-learning a whole new OS after 15 years in the same one....for basic tasks only. Some people also go for macs because of the protection], if you do need a fast computer that never crashes or gets any virus...mac could be a right choice too.

Worldengine


You nailed, Paulie!

Mac = WORK

PC = check e-mails, play games, steal music, collect viruses, procrastinate, etc.

The Book Of History
Before it became a widespread hobby to collect viruses people collected stamps.

In need of some advice and this thread seemed appropriate. 

It looks like i may FINALLY be on my way to purchasing a Mac for recording.  Question is, which Mac to get?  I'd be using it for audio recording/production, so it would need to be capable of running a DAW and several plug-ins w/o lagging or crashing. 

The Macbook Pros look good, though i'm also curious about the newer iMacs.  Any suggestions?

Hwangman


In need of some advice and this thread seemed appropriate. 

It looks like i may FINALLY be on my way to purchasing a Mac for recording.  Question is, which Mac to get?  I'd be using it for audio recording/production, so it would need to be capable of running a DAW and several plug-ins w/o lagging or crashing. 

The Macbook Pros look good, though i'm also curious about the newer iMacs.  Any suggestions?

i had an old imac (2006 model) running logic 8, with Superior Drummer, and it would error occasionally because the CPU couldnt handle the Superior Plug-in.

i just got a new 21.5" imac, running the same logic and Superior Drummer, and its using like 40% cpu at the most, at any given time, and can easily and pretty much flawlessly play back 10 or so tracks all with numerous reverbs and plug-ins on them.

what i find is, despite the macbook pro (have one in my house as well) having the same specs, it does not run the same as the imac. which is why i think all the "you can build a pc with the same specs for cheaper" arguments are shit. theres something going on inside macs that makes them run that much better than anything else with the "same" specs.

so my advice: get an iMac, and if you can afford it, the top of the range 27", cos itll make seeing and using your DAW extremely easy...

http://www.facebook.com/HalcyonOfficial
http://soundcloud.com/plini

Thanks.  I'll add the iMac to my list of potential candidates.  I was leaning towards a MBP due to the portability and the fact that i see them used all over the place by musicians and audio guys.  However, portability isn't a deal-breaker so i'd go w/whatever will do the job the best (provided it's in budget).

im sure the new MBP would do well, on second thoughts, cos you do see a hell of a lot of musos using them for live stuff. i just find desktops sturdier for home studioing

http://www.facebook.com/HalcyonOfficial
http://soundcloud.com/plini

True.  The only advantage to the MBP is being able to start a song, take it to a friend's house for additional recording, and then bringing it back for mixing. 

I have an IMac24....the baseline 2.4 with 1 gig of ram (upgreaded it to 3 though)...

I run Logic 8 and have been able to routinely get 28 -32 tracks simultaneous playback with no issues...at about 36 tracks i will start to get the occaisonal "cpu overload" message...but all it does is pause and then I just hit play again and it is good...

this being the bottom line IMac I must say I was and am blown away by this...

I don't do much else but record and my IMac was the best "bang-for-my-buck" purchase I have made!

"Be careful.  You're a man who makes people afraid, and that's dangerous."

"It's what people know about themselves inside that makes em' afraid."

^ yeahhh!!! thats exactly what i mean. when i got my new imac i was amazed how it handles big logic projects so well.

http://www.facebook.com/HalcyonOfficial
http://soundcloud.com/plini

WilliamMunny


I have an IMac24....the baseline 2.4 with 1 gig of ram (upgreaded it to 3 though)...

I run Logic 8 and have been able to routinely get 28 -32 tracks simultaneous playback with no issues...at about 36 tracks i will start to get the occaisonal "cpu overload" message...but all it does is pause and then I just hit play again and it is good...

That sounds perfect!  Right now i'm on a home built PC w/4GB of RAM, but after 10-12 tracks (only a couple w/fx), it bogs down and sometimes blue screens.  Really frustrating.  I want something that would just work, and for a little more than it would cost to rebuild my PC, i could get a MBP or iMac and have it work when i want it to. 

Don't get the iMac 27'' yet. It's first run had a lot of problems including defective LCD Panels that Apple didn't want to admit at first, but still sent memo's internally to convince unhappy customers to keep them.

More info here:

http://gizmodo.com/5478509/the-conclusion-to-the-faulty-imac-saga-the-beginning-of-the-fix

oh lol edit: I'm a computer scientist, and I got my first mac last year (24'' iMac). OSX is great but I can't get used the keyboard yet. I'm a  programmer so I code a lot and you need to know that the Home/End/Page up/Page Down keys don't work the same as in a PC and this is frustrating when coding.

Go with the Quad-Core iMac as the other models are using the outdated Core2Duo chips.

Hold off on the Macbook Air, as a laptop update is due soon.

As for the iMac issues, they are fixed last I heard.  I have a 27" iMac and it is flawless.

This Is Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled...- Steve Wilson, Lightbulb Sun

"Time for the song that will get us chicks backstage!"

Hwangman


I was leaning towards a MBP due to the portability and the fact that i see them used all over the place by musicians and audio guys.

Yeah that's right. I'd like to know what the specs of artist's MacBook Pro's are. Does anyone know anything about this?

The point is that for example JR uses one for presentations and stuff and he can afford a very well equipped MBP and so I wouldn't be surprised, if he'd buy a MBP with the (more or less) best available components.
Michael Jackson's keyboard player on This Is It used a MBP as well...

Yup...now that i'm paying attention to it, i see them being used by keyboard players, drummers, etc, in a lot of live footage.  If something's durable enough to be used night after night on the road w/o crashing, i'm interested.  I've also seen footage of a MBP running 20+ tracks w/tons of plug-ins and having no problems at all. That's what i'm looking for.

Don't.

I've recently upgraded my mac to the Imac 27" and I absolutely adore it.  It is the 5th Mac I've owned over the last 16 years, and all of them have been great machines.  My last model was the only one that had a problem that required service, which was a blown power supply, but that was after it was almost six years old. The iLife software is awesome, and makes sorting photos and making DVD's a real breeze.  I also have an Acer netbook with XP which I need to support my HTC Touch Pro 2 smartphone, so I actually need both platforms.

LAST.FM

SCDTFAN


Hello everyone, I have been a member of this forum for many years but I do not post much. I would like to get some opinions from you all.
I have been thinking about making the switch from PC to Mac. I have been a PC user for 15 years or so and I have never really touched a Mac so I do have some concerns.
Everyone I have talked to that has used a PC and a Mac say that they love apple computers and would never go back. Is there anything I should know or be aware of? Are Macs as good as everyone makes them out to be? What are the pros and cons? Is it pretty simple to figure out? Why doesnt Macs need antivirus software?
 
These may seem like silly questions but I really want to make sure I make a good decision when spending a lot of money.
 
I am thinking about buying an iMac 27 inch version. Not sure if I am going to go with quad core or dual core yet. I am also thinking about buying a macbook air to take on the road with me.
 
Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Jason

I have the iMac 24" that preceded the iMac 27" and it's been awesome.  It's my third Mac, and I plan to upgrade to the new refresh Mac Pro on 3/16/2010 and just go whole hog.  The cool thing is Macs keep their resale value and OS X has a utility for wiping the drive after you transfer it (also the transfer utility is AWESOME and makes the Windows file transfer wizard look like a sick joke by comparison) so it's not hard to start with the Mac that feels comfortable to you and incrementally upgrade from there.  I switched from PC in 2007 with a Mac Mini.  It was awesome so I upgraded to what was then the current iMac in 2008, then to my iMac that I have now in summer 2009.  Each time I sold off the old one on ebay and got a healthy chunk of its price back.  As a PC user for basically my whole life up to that point, I had never encountered anything like that.  You buy a PC, and in a year it's a doorstop.

The big downside is price.  Macs cost money, as you observed.  I'm finding that you do get what you pay for.  I will not switch back... everything just works so much better on the Mac.

One big adjustment was the basic command structure.  If you have worked with any Unix it will seem simple, but you do stuff like command-C instead of control-C to copy.  I know, people laugh, but this is a big change for a PC user who is used to doing it the other way without thinking.  But once you think about it you're like "wait, that makes MUCH more sense than control-C!"  That's kind of how all the adjustments are.  At first you're like WTF but then you realize it's much easier, more intuitive, and works better the OS X way.

And the Magic Mouse is amazing, and yes it has right-click.  Don't let the naysayers fool you with bad info.

Macs don't need AV software because there just aren't any viruses circulating for Mac, and because the basic way Unix works is different, it doesn't run off a registry and such.  Operations are self-contained.  So even if you did get a Mac virus, it would have a hard time doing anything.  And since the market is something like 88% Windows, 10% Mac, 2% Linux, the virus/malware/spyware authors don't split their time 88/10/2.  They just spend 100% of their time writing Windows viruses/malware/spyware because those give them the most possible machines to pwn.  Nobody wants to fight over the scraps.

I can't say enough of how much more solid mac computers are, and my only regret is not being able to afford one. I have used them in many a professional application and they are the best.

jdonoso

oh lol edit: I'm a computer scientist, and I got my first mac last year (24'' iMac). OSX is great but I can't get used the keyboard yet. I'm a  programmer so I code a lot and you need to know that the Home/End/Page up/Page Down keys don't work the same as in a PC and this is frustrating when coding.

Emacs is your friend:

home = ctrl-a
end = ctrl-e
page up = alt-v
page down = ctrl-v

And much more...

"Set it..."
"and forget it!!!"
-Ronco Showtime

KS and RTG

+10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Looks like that's the way to go.  Thanks to everyone who chimed in.  I need to do some price comparisons, but whenever the purchase does happen, it's probably going to be either a 15'' MBP or a 24''/27'' iMac.  Just depends on which one i can upgrade the most (since i can't do any upgrades down the line aside from buying a new Mac).

Hwangman


Looks like that's the way to go.  Thanks to everyone who chimed in.  I need to do some price comparisons, but whenever the purchase does happen, it's probably going to be either a 15'' MBP or a 24''/27'' iMac.  Just depends on which one i can upgrade the most (since i can't do any upgrades down the line aside from buying a new Mac).

I would urge you to to consider the hard drive spindle speed when you make your decision.  I am not sure if the MacBooks come with 7200RPM drives or not, but I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in performance between a 5400RPM drive and a 7200RPM drive.  So the iMac (if you have really settled on Apple and the huge price tag they come with) is probably a better choice, unless you can get the laptop with a 7200RPM drive in it.

It's too bad this came up now, because I got rid of the MacBook Pro 17" laptop I had recently, since it was just collecting dust.

Just thought I'd throw my two cents in without engaging in any debate.  I was a long time 15 plus years PC user, and I was really hesitant to switch to Mac for fear of a learning curve.  I can say now that one year later all of those fears were unjustified. Macs have a few minor annoyances, but they only stand out because everything else is perfectly intuitive.  More to the point, after using a Mac for a while you start to realize how inefficient Windows really is.  It's also entertaining to check out Windows 7 and realize that all the amazing 'new' features it has are all things that Mac OS has been doing for the past 10 years, and the Windows implementation STILL isn't as good.  I guess I did engage with the debate a little...oops!

jdonoso


Don't get the iMac 27'' yet. It's first run had a lot of problems including defective LCD Panels that Apple didn't want to admit at first, but still sent memo's internally to convince unhappy customers to keep them.

More info here:

http://gizmodo.com/5478509/the-conclusion-to-the-faulty-imac-saga-the-beginning-of-the-fix

These problems have been resolved. The patch has been sent out, people all over the net are reporting the issue as resolved, and there are no more mysterious internal letters from Apple.

Mine should be here today. I'll report back if I just embarrassed myself! 
Oh, by the way. i7, 2TB, 8GB (4x2), 27", AppleCare. A fine beast.

Firestorm


It's also entertaining to check out Windows 7 and realize that all the amazing 'new' features it has are all things that Mac OS has been doing for the past 10 years, and the Windows implementation STILL isn't as good.  I guess I did engage with the debate a little...oops!

Yeah... And this is the case for Ubuntu as well. I was kind of surprised, when I checked out Windows 7 and they obviously didn't include tabs in folders.
Ubuntu has got that feature for 3 or 4 versions now...

I'm not pro or contra one of Windows, Mac or Ubuntu. All of them have good features and features they lack of. And it depends on the kind of work you do with your PC. If you are only doing office stuff and surfing basically I dare to say that you can use all three of them without having to fear any problems.
When you are a lot into gaming you should go for Windows I think...

josh_b55


Mine should be here today. I'll report back if I just embarrassed myself! 
Oh, by the way. i7, 2TB, 8GB (4x2), 27", AppleCare. A fine beast.

Wow... That sounds great!

Did you sell your house?!

Car?!

I recently switched back to Mac again.

I was PC...Then I got one of the Graphite iMacs from around 2001ish...then went back to PC for a couple of years and then just got a 21.5" iMac a couple of months ago...absolutely the most awesome decision ever.  I was going to get a 27" one, but in the end I decided that was just TOO big and I'd fatigue pretty easily as I sit quite close to my screen and when I do artwork I usually concentrate on certain areas rather than the whole screen.  So 21.5" has been AWESOME.

It's just brilliant...I can't believe when my old Mac died I went back to a PC again...well I CAN believe it because at the time Macs were STUPIDLY expensive.

I'm more than happy to pay what I paid for this iMac though...it's been amazing.

www.ozprog.com - Australian Prog HQ

KirksNoseHair


I would urge you to to consider the hard drive spindle speed when you make your decision.  I am not sure if the MacBooks come with 7200RPM drives or not, but I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in performance between a 5400RPM drive and a 7200RPM drive.  So the iMac (if you have really settled on Apple and the huge price tag they come with) is probably a better choice, unless you can get the laptop with a 7200RPM drive in it.

It's too bad this came up now, because I got rid of the MacBook Pro 17" laptop I had recently, since it was just collecting dust.

Damn!  Yeah, a 17'' version would have been sweet, though good call on the HDD speeds.  I definitely need 7200RPM.  Haven't decided on anything yet, but i should be doing so shortly.  I am going to give my PC rig one more chance.  I've had to reinstall the OS and all of my programs.  I'm going to try recording later this week/weekend, and i get tons of errors and crashing (like i did previously), it's Mac for me.  So sick of this not working.  I'm fine w/spending a little bit more if it's going to work and continue to work for years.

I loved my toshiba laptop and the windows XP it ran...LOVED it....

until...I'd download a service pack or an update and everything would just NOT work...a lot of my equipment did not have windows signed drivers and manufacturers were always late in getting updates...

This was only a problem with recording..and boy would it derail my mojo when I'd have to deal with this bullshit....I am not a computer guy and I'm sure others would have not had an issue but with me all I wanted to do was record...when I WANTED to....

solution...IMAC with VMware and pro copy of windows XP....the best of both worlds....

"Be careful.  You're a man who makes people afraid, and that's dangerous."

"It's what people know about themselves inside that makes em' afraid."

Unfortunately, an iMac w/the specs i want would cost roughly $2400.  I was hoping for under $2000.  Argh.

Hwangman

KirksNoseHair


I would urge you to to consider the hard drive spindle speed when you make your decision.  I am not sure if the MacBooks come with 7200RPM drives or not, but I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in performance between a 5400RPM drive and a 7200RPM drive.  So the iMac (if you have really settled on Apple and the huge price tag they come with) is probably a better choice, unless you can get the laptop with a 7200RPM drive in it.

It's too bad this came up now, because I got rid of the MacBook Pro 17" laptop I had recently, since it was just collecting dust.

Damn!  Yeah, a 17'' version would have been sweet, though good call on the HDD speeds.  I definitely need 7200RPM.  Haven't decided on anything yet, but i should be doing so shortly.  I am going to give my PC rig one more chance.  I've had to reinstall the OS and all of my programs.  I'm going to try recording later this week/weekend, and i get tons of errors and crashing (like i did previously), it's Mac for me.  So sick of this not working.  I'm fine w/spending a little bit more if it's going to work and continue to work for years.

Well, let's be logical here for a moment.  If you're reloading a 2 or 3 year old PC and using that as the criteria by which to evaluate whether or not you should move on to a new Mac, what's the point?  Just go get the Mac, because clearly, you've decided the Windows machine sucks because you've been having tons of problems with it.  And that's perfectly understandable.  But from what I've seen here on the forum, you're pretty new to home recording technology, and it almost seems like you're kind of making a knee-jerk decision here because you've had problems with the PC....

I don't know what software you use to record.  I am a Cakewalk Sonar guy.  I use Cakewalk Sonar 8 producer edition on a Windows XP Pro machine.  I've got one project for my album that has over 45 tracks on it, and I have no problems at all.  No crashing, no latency, no blue screens, nothing.  Works flawlessly.

But that wasn't always the case.  On the studio PC I had prior to this one, I had nothing but problems.  Crashing, Blue Screens of Death, all kinds of latency, freezing, you name it.  And the PC was probably 3 years old.  So I went out and purchased a brand new PC for about $1200.  Pretty high-end HP desktop.  3.0 Ghz CPU, 16GB of memory, (4) 1TB 7200RPM SATA-300 Drives in a RAID 1+0 (mirror + stripe) configuration, Windows XP Pro 64bit, etc.....I load it all up with my software, I install my recording interface (I use the Delta 1010 recording interface, which uses a PCI card to connect the rack component to the PC).....so I get all this stuff loaded up, I open up one of my projects, I start working...and BAM!  Fucking blue screen of death!

I was PISSED!!!   I almost threw the computer out the damned window!

Turned everything off, left it alone for a few days.

Then I sent an email to Cakewalk technical support, describing my problem and the symptoms.  They replied with questions about my hardware.  I answered their questions.

The next day, I find out that on Dual Core CPUs, under certain conditions, you have to disable something called "Data Execution Prevention" for Cakewalk to function properly.

I did this and never had a problem again, neither on the original system that I spent $1200 to replace, nor on the new spiffy computer that I never really needed to purchase in the first place.

So anyway, my point is (and I know you've been battling this problem for a while now) just make sure you've covered all of the bases before you run out and plunk down a huge wad of cake on a new Mac.  If you've got your mind made up already (and that kind of sounds like the case) well, that's OK too, those iMacs are definitely extremely sweet machines, but they are ridiculously expensive and for the kind of money you'll spend on one of those, you could set yourself up with a really nice PC and not have to learn anything new or buy any new software.....

I won't bash the Macs, they are great.  Overpriced, but definitely high quality, and yes, they tend to be more stable than PCs in general. 

WilliamMunny


I loved my toshiba laptop and the windows XP it ran...LOVED it....

until...I'd download a service pack or an update and everything would just NOT work...a lot of my equipment did not have windows signed drivers and manufacturers were always late in getting updates...

This was only a problem with recording..and boy would it derail my mojo when I'd have to deal with this bullshit....I am not a computer guy and I'm sure others would have not had an issue but with me all I wanted to do was record...when I WANTED to....

solution...IMAC with VMware and pro copy of windows XP....the best of both worlds....

Here's what I do:  Once I have my studio PC working the way I need it to work, that's IT!  No downloads, no updates, nothing.  It's not even connected to the internet.  I have not had a single problem with it since I loaded it.  Because nothing has changed.  Because nothing needs to change, because it's not exposed to any threats, because I keep it isolated and off the internet.

By the way, this is what I use for my DAW, only I have the 64bit version and I added an SATA RAID controller, another 12GB of memory and the 4 one TB drives:
http://www.pcconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=10744521&cac=Result

You could have that for UNDER $2000, way under $2000

And then spend the $300 or $400 you save on a nice monitor like this one:
http://www.pcconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=10078311&cac=FeaturedSearch

KNH, insightful as usual.  Here's where i'm at:

I know my current rig either won't work or won't work properly.  I put over $1000 into it barely a year ago, so it's not a relic or obsolete.  I've also put several hundred dollars into my recording hardware and software.  It's a significant investment for me.

Now, based on people i know who do recording, producing, and engineering for a living, i'm sure that a Mac would work.  It's expensive, and i'm not a fan of that, but i know it would work, and that's the issue. 

I don't want to buy and build another custom PC and waste all that money if there's a chance i'll get the same problems.  Even if it's a cheaper initial investment, if i spent $1000 - $1500 on a new PC that crapped out on me, i'd be out a ton of cash and have nothing to show for it.  From what i've read, heard, and seen, i could spend a little more up front, but have a fully customized and optimized Mac that would handle any audio requests i throw at it w/o screwing up. 

I'm no Mac fanboy, and have tried everything i can to get good results out of my PC rig, but my motivation for recording has been completely wiped out by these constant problems.  It may be worth the extra cash if i can just sit down at a Mac and record whenever i want w/o blue screens, freezes, critical errors, random reboots, etc.

I consider my iMac my secret lover - it's that good indeed. 

Hwangman


KNH, insightful as usual.  Here's where i'm at:

I know my current rig either won't work or won't work properly.  I put over $1000 into it barely a year ago, so it's not a relic or obsolete.  I've also put several hundred dollars into my recording hardware and software.  It's a significant investment for me.
Damn, that's a drag, and yeah, if it's only a year old, it should definitely work right. 

Hwangman

Now, based on people i know who do recording, producing, and engineering for a living, i'm sure that a Mac would work.  It's expensive, and i'm not a fan of that, but i know it would work, and that's the issue. 

Well, yeah, it would work.  But the question is (using an analogy):  Should you purchase a BMW because you can't figure out a problem with your Chevy?  Know what I mean?  But I definitely get the frustration, my man.  Been there, done that.

Hwangman

I don't want to buy and build another custom PC and waste all that money if there's a chance i'll get the same problems.  Even if it's a cheaper initial investment, if i spent $1000 - $1500 on a new PC that crapped out on me, i'd be out a ton of cash and have nothing to show for it.  From what i've read, heard, and seen, i could spend a little more up front, but have a fully customized and optimized Mac that would handle any audio requests i throw at it w/o screwing up. 

Understood, and your logic is quite sound. 

Hwangman

I'm no Mac fanboy, and have tried everything i can to get good results out of my PC rig, but my motivation for recording has been completely wiped out by these constant problems.  It may be worth the extra cash if i can just sit down at a Mac and record whenever i want w/o blue screens, freezes, critical errors, random reboots, etc.

Man, I can really relate to this.  When I was having all of those problems with my other PC, it really took all of the pleasure out of doing any recording.  Nothing is worse than having constant problems with something like that, especially when you're kind of new to all of it.

So, how are you going to deal with it?  Are you just going to bite the bullet and spend the $2400 or are you going to settle on a lower-end system for less money?

Also, just curious, but what is the software you are using?  ProTools?

i have the iMac 27" and the thing is simply SkyNet jr. it's UNREAL!

my only complaint, which i hope to clear up soon, is i can't get the magic mouse to work in windows xp via bootcamp. i tried customer support last night and they need a few days to figure out.

other than that tho...i get a lil moist every time i sit down at that thing...

no comment

I'm using Reaper as my primary DAW, but i've also tried Ableton Live and Cakewalk on the same rig.  The problem i was having was across all the DAW's.

As for your car analogy, i wouldn't jump to the most expensive choice as a knee jerk reaction, but if my Chevy had problems for months and months and i had already sank a decent chunk of $$ into it, and then i saw/read nothing but glowing reviews for a slightly more expensive car company, and i knew it worked for specifically what i wanted, then i don't think that's unreasonable. 

Like i said, it's possible that i could build another rig w/upgraded specs, but that's minimum $1000 for the type of processor, HDD, and RAM that i want.  That still doesn't guarantee success, as i've had friends experience problems recording audio on their (very nice and pricey) PC rigs.  Since i'm going to have to spend some serious cash either way, i'm just thinking it makes more sense to try something that is guaranteed to work and is in many ways made for the type of stuff i want to do.

I'll go on Newegg and price out some PC components this week.  I am curious to see how much it would ultimately cost to upgrade/replace my PC w/another PC.

I think the key is research, Hwangman. For every piece of hardware you consider, google to see if people have had problems running your DAW  with it. I guarantee that if someone has had a problem, then they've complained about it online.

True.  If i could upgrade my rig for under $500, i'd consider it, but i would need to get a new mobo, processor, RAM, and a couple HDD's. 

I'll see what some googling gets me.

Hwangman


I'm using Reaper as my primary DAW, but i've also tried Ableton Live and Cakewalk on the same rig.  The problem i was having was across all the DAW's.

As for your car analogy, i wouldn't jump to the most expensive choice as a knee jerk reaction, but if my Chevy had problems for months and months and i had already sank a decent chunk of $$ into it, and then i saw/read nothing but glowing reviews for a slightly more expensive car company, and i knew it worked for specifically what i wanted, then i don't think that's unreasonable. 

Like i said, it's possible that i could build another rig w/upgraded specs, but that's minimum $1000 for the type of processor, HDD, and RAM that i want.  That still doesn't guarantee success, as i've had friends experience problems recording audio on their (very nice and pricey) PC rigs.  Since i'm going to have to spend some serious cash either way, i'm just thinking it makes more sense to try something that is guaranteed to work and is in many ways made for the type of stuff i want to do.

I'll go on Newegg and price out some PC components this week.  I am curious to see how much it would ultimately cost to upgrade/replace my PC w/another PC.

Why not just buy a PC?  I've gotta tell you man, the vast overwhelming majority of PC problems like this that I encounter are with systems that people insist on building themselves.  What's the point?  You don't really save much money at all nowadays and you end up with the possibility of components that don't really work together. (as you've already seen).  You buy a name-brand, at least you are guaranteed that all of the components work together. 

I am almost positive that your problems are related to some compatibility issue between a couple of the components on your current system.  If you're really thinking about another PC, my advise would be to just buy a PC, from a reputable manufacturer, (HP/Dell/Sony, whatever - I recommend HP) then at least you have someone to go to when there are problems.