Time to Re-Visit a Mac vs. PC Thread

[Mike Rivers]

I just updated my phone from Android 8 to 9 and now I'm in the mode of finding out what apps don't work any more, which ones need to be updated, and were they hid things in the user interface. At least I've been able to keep Windows XP going for 20 years, but with a phone, if you don't keep up with the updates, it becomes a light duty paperweight.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

Quoted: "I have a real problem with statements like "it just WORKS""

 

I was the (or one of) person who made that statement. It may be pedantic, but perhaps I should go into more detail. To be exact, it doesn't ALWAYS just work, but the vast majority of the time it DOES work. I've been making my livelihood since the early 1980's primarily on and with computers and networking. My skill set includes both Windows and Mac, with a small amount of Linux/Unix, and a little bit of IBM mainframe connectivity. My business specialty is "Making Microsoft and Apple PLAY NICE!"

 

I have used musical software (not like mp3 playback, but DAWs, various music generating methods controlled generally by MIDI, and apps for effects) in both Windows and the Mac environment. Admittedly, Windows 10 does somewhat better now that the Operating System understands MIDI and partially music apps; but that support is still not up the level that Mac OS has it integrated.

 

My initial couple of DAWs were built on Windows XP and Windows 7 Pro. Quite frequently, when one new application, especially from a different vendor, was added to the mix, the whole system changed, and required significant time to get all working again. I have not personally had that problem with Mac OS, although I don't have as many music apps on that platform (mostly because I find myself doing pretty much all of the live performance stuff using IOS, which again "just works" most of the time.

 

Admittedly as a computer "pro," the majority of my study time is devoted to those things which can help me generate business revenue. That is primary reason for my limited knowledge of Linux - in my potential customer base, there seem to be two subsets of clients: those who know almost nothing but are using it because it is "free" (and I quote the famous science fiction writer Robert Heinlein here: "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch."); and the other sub-set, those who are true gurus, live on and in Linux, and don't need my services because they know a lot more than myself in that area. The place where I have found Linux knowledge useful is primarily in Network Attached Storage units, which most frequently are built on a Linux base.

 

Maybe some of this is like "the cobbler's kids have worn out shoes," but I no longer get any real enjoyment out of spending multiple hours trying to fix IRQ conflicts, incompatibility between applications, and the like (especially when web searches don't provide much useful information). My music time is somewhat limited, so I'd like to make the most of it. Most of my rigs are built largely from hardware, and software is a more recent addition. The IOS systems are used mostly as an add-on sound module, or to display the chord chart/lead sheet; and excel primarily when I want the lowest amount of weight and stuff to carry that is feasible - getting so more of the time as I get older.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

[Anderton]

The secret to making Windows as reliable as a Mac is this: treat it like a Mac.

 

* Use a computer designed for music (PC Audio Labs, Studio Cat, Creation Station, etc.)

* Use only software from mainstream companies.

* Pay the extra bucks for lots of memory

 

That's it

 

[MoodyBluesKeys]

Agreed, Craig. At that point the cost of implementing either is likely about the same. Extra memory is always useful, machine I'm using has 32GB. Most useful speedup (for those still using rotating magnetic drives) is SSD drives. Almost all of my machines now have them (couple of Windows 8.1 computers used exclusively for recording TV shows still with regular drives, fast enough for that application, which is a very write-intensive use.

I personally have also had better success with Intel than AMD in the processor area - would not call it a general rule, way too few samples for declaring that. Definitely higher quality motherboards (which of course are likely used by the companies you mention).