I’ve been thinking about making the switch from PC to Mac for a few months now and I just wanted to hear a few opinions from you guys if there are any. I’m already in the ecosystem with the iPhone, two iPads, and an AppleTV, and I’ve been working in Logic Pro X (Mac Exclusive) for the last few weeks now and I’m in love. I’ve been eyeing the 13” MacBook Pro w/ 2.7GHz i5, 8GB RAM, and 256GB PCIe flash storage for $1399 using the education discount. Of course I’d like to go all out with the 15” model and max out the processor, RAM, and flash storage - But price is a factor due to an additional $1000+ I’m going to spend on software and external drives that I’d need either way. And the only thing that will be kept on the flash storage is the OS and programs, so I think 256GB will do. The MacBook is way more spec’d out then what I’d be coming from, so I know I’d be happy with performance. I’m mainly just interested in hearing other people’s experiences with making the switch over from PC. Especially if your main use is for creativity… Photos, music, video, etc. How did your workflow change? I’ll be using it primarily for music. I’m also interested in any other random thoughts and opinions as well.
If you're using Logic or any other multimedia software (Final Cut, Photoshop, Adobe Premier, etc), opt for a larger SSD.
are you buying the mac from bestbuy? There's a movers 10% discount you can apply with your education discount. I love my macbook and the good thing is it is reliable and fast. If I decide to upgrade later on my macbook will hold its value compared to other laptops.
I have that 2015 13''inch model exactly. I also use an external portable hard drive for additional storage. People make a big deal about the Mac/PC difference........it is not really that much different in everyday usage. Most mac apps are self-contained, so there is no registry to bog it down. Multitasking is better on the Mac because for the gestures on the trackpad. The mac wheelhouse is creativity, so the apps that do that on the mac OS usually do it better. I use Office 365 and MS is finally bringing parity to OS X with Office 2016 (there are beta out for download now). Ive been using a macbook pro since 2009 as my main computer. I hate when I have to use windows.
BTW.....using a fast USB 3 harddrive is fine for the creativity stuff. I use a WD My Passport Ultra 2TB drive for storage. If you want and can afford to get 512gb,fine. However, There will be 3rd party SSD for the 2015 Macbook Pros in the fall (the only thing you will be able to upgrade......RAM is not upgradable). I personally think the external works great.
it really depends on the person. My brother went from a PC to a mac and hated it, but my Uncle and Aunt switched to a mac and absolutely love it. My brothers issue is that he cannot use some of the programs he runs on his work PC at home on his Mac, and that he hasn't found a workable solution to transfer his work to his mac. Basically its a compatibility issue with his medical programs (he's a psychologist) In the media world, you'll have very little problems adjusting. I learned basic on an apple in the 80's and have used nothing but Apples until about 8yrs ago I switched to a PC at work - but then again I work in TV, so I have that flexibility to go Mac or PC. Had lots of complications with the video editing system (Quantel) and basically I'm back on a mac running Final Cut Pro and Premier. We may start running Avids as well.
I've owned two MacBook Pros, and as an avid Windows fan I had a hard time getting used to window management in OSX. It just doesn't make much sense to me. At the time, they didn't have "app snapping" either - but I found an app on the app store that did it for a few bucks.
The two OS's do some things kind of backwards from the other. It's going to take some time to get used to, not basic functions like surfing the web or pulling up email,but I think you'll be fine, especially depending on what you want to do. One thing though Mac's seem to last forever for some reason. I have an iMac and a PC in my office. Use both for different things honestly.
Is the price premium for Macs worth it? I mean I love the look and the OS from the limited time I've used Mac devices, but you could get much better specs on a Windows laptop for a lot less.
I have my Macbook for 7 years and its still going strong and plan to have it for another 3 years. Obviously it depends on what you want to with the laptop.
The hardware inside of a Mac is exactly that of a PC, except for the display (some PC manufacturers are worse, some better). It all comes down to the ecosystem you want to be a part of and usage to determine if it is worth it.
Everything we do on teh home computer either involves a web browser, or photo storage. To that extent, it doesn't really matter what we use, but the home computer is a Mac. My work computer is a Dell... all Office product type stuff. To that extent, I'm not switching to Mac... though others at the office have. I find them both to be equally annoying at various things. I don't think it matters either way.
I own a PC desktop but a Macbook air for a laptop. It was a weird transition for me at first (who am I kidding, it still is). I am much more comfortable using a PC since school/work/gaming comes naturally on a PC. I do find the battery life and intuitiveness of the mac very refreshing though.
Depends on your expectations and potential uses. Macs are least common denominator computers, they're strong enough for > 90% of computer usage which is office/web/email. I got a mid-level 2009 MBP 13' and it was everything i wanted until about a year or two ago when OSX upgrades started bogging it down. I did some light gaming with the integrated 9400m video card. After doubling the ram to 8gb and swapping the 5400rpm HD for a 256gb SSD last year, it's been perfect for casual use again. The only thing it struggles on is outputting 1080p video to my HDTV. Something I've come to love is the integration of all my apple devices: MBP, ipad, iphone. Icloud is a real valuable feature. That being said, if you're a hardcore gamer get a PC.
I switched to a Mac for college and then back to a PC afterwards. A Mac is a great choice for someone with a deep wallet and who seeks user-friendliness (I usually recommend them to friends who are technologically illiterate). I made the switch back to PC because I chose a more powerful machine over the price premium that comes with the apple brand.
I remember we used Macs in middle school (Spring Forest) back then. That was the only time I ever used a Mac until recently when my previous work gave its employees Macbooks. It took some getting used to and most of the employees there still preferred windows laptops because doing management consultant stuff on Macs were difficult. I like PC better for work and gaming, but Mac was pretty convenient for everything else.
I'm still waiting for Skylake before I upgrade my 09 MacBook Pro. Looking forward to the re-designed MacBook Pro's with the USB-C's.
I usually have a PC for gaming, and everything else in our house is Macs. Since I do alot of Linux Admin and development work, the mac for me works amazing. I would highly recommend getting 16GB of RAM at minimum since you can't upgrade RAM afterwards.
