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MAC or PC — Page 20

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Very interesting, indeed. I didn’t even know that Apple owns Beats, but I can’t say I’m surprised they do.

Ceci n’est pas une signature.

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Introducing Microsoft Surface Studio .

For years and years I’ve been in constant arguments with people who think that if you’re going to be a creative professional (video, music, art, design), you have to have an Apple computer when my PC can run programs as good or better than any of Apple’s proprietary software while simultaneously out-performing any pre-built Apple. All of Adobe’s programs, plus analogies for their video editing and music production software, plus it can play video games with amazing settings, plus it’s modular and upgradable.

Maybe now that Microsoft has a powerful (though I admit the specs aren’t incredible in this first iteration) pre-built, proprietary computer aimed at creative professionals, the laypeople will come around and realize that Apple’s design was really the only thing they had over the average PC.

I love competition, and I’m excited to watch Apple scramble to find a new sales pitch that doesn’t rely on looks alone or removing features.

Plus holy shit is that display sexy or what? And that little accessory pod thing? Man. I want one to plug into my PC. If they were just selling the displays alone, they’d get rich.

JEDIT: Holy crap.

Keep Circulating the Tapes.

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Believing that an expensive iMac clone with a touch screen running Windows is the thing that will draw creative professionals to Microsoft products kind of demonstrates that you don’t really get it.

Professionals performing pro work for pro clients don’t want large touch screens with pens and dials. They don’t want iMac clones running Windows 10. They don’t want iMacs either, for that matter. They want high-end upgradeable hardware with lots of ports, pro GPUs, and ECC RAM that allows them to crank through tasks like rendering digital cinema masters without encoding errors that are unacceptable at a certain level and might show up on typical consumer hardware. Fortunately for Microsoft, Apple’s biggest fuckup in this space was ditching their beloved cheese grater Mac Pro tower and replacing it with the cylinder we have today.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, Apple fans with $3K to spend aren’t buying this thing if they need a PC for pro work. They’re buying workstations from PC manufacturers that — surprise! — cost the same as the Mac Pros they’re replacing. And if an iMac or MacBook Pro will do the job, they’ll buy the Mac to avoid Windows. Nobody must use a Mac for creative endeavors, but it should tell you something that so many creative people choose to. And saying it’s because they don’t know any better and you do is pretty condescending.

Here’s my favorite recent PC vs. Mac article. Hard numbers based on tens of thousands of deployed computers at one of the largest companies in the world. And it reflects my experience at every company I’ve worked for in the last decade. Macs are cheaper than PCs to deploy and maintain over a typical hardware lifecycle.

All that said, I applaud Microsoft’s latest efforts across all fronts because they’ve really stepped up their game. Let’s not forget who forced them to do that, though.

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MTFBWY…A

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I will say that if all we get at the announcement today is a spec bump and a “Touch Bar” for MacBook Pros, Apple will come away looking like chumps compared to what Microsoft just announced. Apple has definitely been resting on its laurels when it comes to the Mac lineup.

Edit: Terrible presentation from Apple today. Gimmicks instead of real features and a geriatric “pro” desktop that will continue to age disgracefully. My current gen MacBook Pro is fine for now, but I might be going back to Windows next year (or building a Hackintosh).

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MTFBWY…A

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hmm, windows 10 is the biggest joke ever, I’ve heared it’s even worse than 7, they even supply the spyware now. macs are just overpriced, and isn’t most 3d animation been pretty much a linux dominated thing?

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The illustrator of Penny Arcade shares his thoughts on the Studio:

When I first saw the device months ago in that secret room at MS, they asked me what I thought. I said, “Well I have no idea if anyone else will want it, but you have made my dream computer.” I recognize that not everyone needs or wants a computer they can draw on. Some people do though and I will tell you that the Surface Studio is without a doubt the best digital drawing experience I have ever tried.

Apple has been ignoring creative professionals with their Mac updates and focusing largely on phones and tablets, and after they bombed yesterday with an overpriced laptop lineup, I’m sure Tim Cook is doing a lot of thinking today. Even though the Studio isn’t a mass market device that will sell in the millions (too expensive, too niche), it just established Microsoft as the frontrunner in the creative space, and there’s something to be said for statement pieces.

I still think OS X is the best choice for developers and UX designers because the whole ecosystem is so centered around it, but Microsoft is making real headway there as well. They certainly have my attention.

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Keep Circulating the Tapes.

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Been saying this for years.

Mac hasn’t really truly innovated since the iPhone. Hopefully now that Microsoft is competing, we’ll see Apple start to wake up and there can be a competition again.

Keep Circulating the Tapes.

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Windows 7 and 10 for me (dual boot). Macs are PCs though.
Self-built computer with decent graphics card. Would rather have the 1080Ti. Even though my current dual major is Digital Media - Web Design & Digital Publishing, I highly prefer Windows since I’m more familiar with the shortcuts and have been using the operating system for far longer. Plus side is since I have a 970 FTW I can have the Adobe programs, CC 2015 and CC 2017, strictly use the VRAM from it. Not just for games, re-encoding stuff, and making Blu-rays on my machine.
Except I want to build another computer. I tend to stay with AMD since I’m more familiar with them and nVidia for graphics cards. Majority of everything else is ASUS.

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Tyrphanax said:

Lol.

  • At these resolutions, the difference between 750p and 1440p really doesn’t matter. The pixels per inch is already beyond the point we can tell the difference.
  • Not untrue, though the iPhone of yesteryear was water resistant to some extent.
  • Many times, the number of pixels in a camera doesn’t matter as much as the quality of the sensor. For example, the size of the individual pixels on the sensor matters. Bigger pixels typically bring more quality, due to each pixel being able to capture more light. I am 99% sure that the iPhone 7 has a better camera than the Nexus 6.
  • Not necessarily untrue, though I’d argue the difference between those two layouts is negligible.
  • True. Google Now is probably better than Siri.
  • True, but the raise to wake function was added in software, which means iPhones from a few years back now support that feature.
  • Introduced on iPhone in 2011.
  • Introduced on iPhone in 2014.
  • Introduced on Android in 2015, not 2014.
  • True.
  • And finally, some of those features would be nice, like wireless charging, VR support, multi-user support, and selectable default apps, but I’m not sure why anybody would want a curved display on a smartphone, or a TV for that matter. VR is coming to the Mac, but not to the iPhone. However, there is a powerful AR platform coming this fall to the iPhone. App installs from the browser would be a security nightmare. We already know where this road goes from our experience on desktop platforms. (Yes, you can install apps from anywhere on a Mac.) I don’t get what’s with the “seamless updates” comment, considering we’ve had that on iOS for years, and most Android phones aren’t even on the latest version.
  • Besides, feature comparison lists like these often misrepresent one or both products that are being compared.

Tyrphanax said:

But it’s a great company though guys!

Yep, there are a lot of problems with toxic corporate culture in Silicon Valley companies. I’m sure Apple has these problems, but I’d also be pretty sure that companies like Google have them too. And it’s now been proven that Uber has a massive sexism culture problem. This isn’t a problem with individual companies; it’s a problem with the startup culture in Silicon Valley that’ll take a lot to fix.

Tyrphanax said:

It’ll change everything though guys!

Ironically, that is one of my favorites from The Onion. Sometimes it hits a bit too close to home, though.

At least Apple seems dedicated to pro users now. That has been one of their weak points for the past couple of years or so.

JEDIT:

I feel like I failed to communicate some points in the Great File Name Extension Debate of 2016. I think I failed to communicate that when you supposedly “turn off” file name extensions in Windows Explorer, that there are still file name extensions under the cover. Go ahead, turn off file name extensions in Explorer, and then fire up cmd.exe. Look at a directory, any directory. You can even see this in the C: directory. Then type in dir /w. Alas, the file name extensions are still there. As I articulated in the Debate, this is technically offensive.

If you want to hear me complain about Apple’s products, I can talk about the way HFS+, the default file system on Apple products, is terrible, and how Apple is fixing it with APFS.

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chyron8472 said:

yhwx said:

Also: y’all should use Macs.

If you’re into graphic design or video editing, sure. I am not.

This is a misconception that a lot of people have about Macs: they’re only for artsy-fartsy people. That’s just not true. They’re for everybody, from the lest competent computer user to a visual artist to a web programmer. That last one, I think, is a particularly important point, as there was a bit of an exodus from Windows and other platforms to the Mac for programmers in the last decade.

Apple products are, by and large, overpriced

Not in comparison to similarly speced products.

and heavily restrictive.

At lest in the case of the Mac, a Mac is hardly more restrictive than a PC.

Sure, you can install Bootcamp on a Mac and run Windows, but isn’t that defeating the purpose?

If you want nice-looking hardware and a useable trackpad, perhaps not.

The advantage of a PC is if I want to fix or upgrade a part, I can open my box and upgrade it. Like adult Legos. If a part on a Mac breaks, it’s time to buy a new Mac.

True, but the premise is that a Mac should last long enough to where that isn’t a problem, in part, because of the sealed-in-ness of them.

Also, I don’t want adult Lego bricks or toys. They already sell those.

Also, I can not stand iOS. My dad gave me an old iPad when he upgraded to a newer model once upon a time, and I almost immediately was compelled to jailbreak it. Seriously—you can’t even do something as simple as change the app icon titles on the home screen, or give the folders actually interesting looking icons. Among other things. It’s beyond frustrating to have to cope with vanilla iOS.

“Interesting looking” does not necessarily mean “good looking.” You could be as creative as you want and create something that just looks terrible. I’d find it frustrating to cope with that, along with the myriad of other not specifically visual design problems that both Android and Windows have.

Also, when was this iPad gifted to you?

The primary advantage Apple has is the ability to dumb down their interface and simplify settings so a monkey can probably use it.

Just to note before I make this point: I have done what I will be accusing you of, so I am one hundred percent the pot calling the kettle black. But I’m still uncomfortable with it, nonetheless. Trying to make things so that a wide cross-section of people can use a technology without reading a four-hundred page manual is not dumbing things down so that a monkey could use it. In fact, that’s pretty insulting to the people who don’t want to or can’t read that four-hundred page manual.

Also, there are many power user features in Apple’s platforms that have a lot of ins and outs to them, so your point is partially incorrect.

But I want more flexibility in my software, so no thank you.

It is also among these reasons that Apple TV is only a tiny fraction of the streaming box market, since they waited until the recent Apple TV 4 before you could install apps from the Store that didn’t come stock on the device when you bought it. So if my dad wants his ATV2 to access his media server, he has to install certificates on the ATV and run a script on the server that lets the server hijack the Trailers app. It’s ridiculous.

That was ridiculous.

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@yhwx I’m a gamer. Macs are not for gamers. Yes, Steam does have a decent Mac game library catalogue now, but it pales in comparison to PC.

And Macs are still grossly overpriced.

JEDIT: Also, on my Android phone, this is my home screen.

Some of those are folders; some of them are not. I can’t make an iPhone look like this. And that’s just part of the many issues I have with it. I can’t set Chrome as the default browser. I can’t set Google Maps (or Waze or whatever) as the default navigation app (ie. tap an address in Contacts and it opens Google Maps).

Apple is vanilla. It’s easy to use, if you use it the way Apple intends you to use it. But that’s about the most going for it. In my opinion, beyond that it’s just hype and brand loyalty. I’ve heard several people claim that Apple is more stable, but I’ve also heard others argue the exact opposite.

JEDIT 2:

yhwx said:

Trying to make things so that a wide cross-section of people can use a technology without reading a four-hundred page manual is not dumbing things down so that a monkey could use it. In fact, that’s pretty insulting to the people who don’t want to or can’t read that four-hundred page manual.

My point is not that Apple caters to idiots and as such people who like Apple must be so. My point is Apple is very user-friendly-centric to the point of blocking off certain customizations, both in the front end and the back end, that I desire (many of which don’t come to mind, but I could immediately point out with an iPhone in hand)—and in being so it’s simply not for me.

TV’s Frink said:

chyron just put a big Ric pic in your sig and be done with it.

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chyron8472 said:

@yhwx I’m a gamer. Macs are not for gamers. Yes, Steam does have a decent Mac game library catalogue now, but it pales in comparison to PC.

This is true.

And Macs are still grossly overpriced.

I’ve covered this before.

JEDIT: Also, on my Android phone, this is my home screen.

I failed to convey the point that design isn’t just how it looks in my previous posts. While looks are a significant part of design, many times, it feels like Android and Windows are less well thought out than a Mac or an iPhone. The nice little touches that might not be much individually but add to a great sum are just not there. There just isn’t as much polish and thought into how things work on the other side of things.

Apple is vanilla. It’s easy to use, if you use it the way Apple intends you to use it. But that’s about the most going for it.

I’d argue against your vanilla point, as if you actually used an Apple product, they’re very opinionated in their design of things

In my opinion, beyond that it’s just hype and brand loyalty.

No.

If this were just about hype and brand loyalty, then none of the people who use Apple products would have any complaints about them. But that’s just not the case. Apple users have a discerning eye to the flaws in any product, including Apple’s. You could say that they have too much of a discerning eye. The sum product is what makes Apple users chose Apple products, because the sum is just better than other things out there.

JEDIT:

chyron8472 said:

yhwx said:

Trying to make things so that a wide cross-section of people can use a technology without reading a four-hundred page manual is not dumbing things down so that a monkey could use it. In fact, that’s pretty insulting to the people who don’t want to or can’t read that four-hundred page manual.

My point is not that Apple caters to idiots and as such people who like Apple must be so. My point is Apple is very user-friendly-centric to the point of blocking off certain customizations, both in the front end and the back end, that I desire (many of which don’t come to mind, but I could immediately point out with an iPhone in hand)—and in being so it’s simply not for me.

And I’d argue that that’s a better decision, as the operating system should yield to the user, unless it is very likely that the user will do something bad.

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yhwx said:

chyron8472 said:

Apple is vanilla. It’s easy to use, if you use it the way Apple intends you to use it. But that’s about the most going for it.

I’d argue against your vanilla point, as if you actually used an Apple product, they’re very opinionated in their design of things

See; iPhone 7 headphone jack.

My point is not that Apple caters to idiots and as such people who like Apple must be so. My point is Apple is very user-friendly-centric to the point of blocking off certain customizations, both in the front end and the back end, that I desire (many of which don’t come to mind, but I could immediately point out with an iPhone in hand)—and in being so it’s simply not for me.

And I’d argue that that’s a better decision, as the operating system should yield to the user, unless it is very likely that the user will do something bad.

Why is it Apple’s job to coddle the users and make sure they don’t accidentally fuck something up?

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Jeebus said:

yhwx said:

chyron8472 said:

Apple is vanilla. It’s easy to use, if you use it the way Apple intends you to use it. But that’s about the most going for it.

I’d argue against your vanilla point, as if you actually used an Apple product, they’re very opinionated in their design of things

See; iPhone 7 headphone jack.

Yes.

Also, Google’s Pixel 2 has no headphone jack anymore.

My point is not that Apple caters to idiots and as such people who like Apple must be so. My point is Apple is very user-friendly-centric to the point of blocking off certain customizations, both in the front end and the back end, that I desire (many of which don’t come to mind, but I could immediately point out with an iPhone in hand)—and in being so it’s simply not for me.

And I’d argue that that’s a better decision, as the operating system should yield to the user, unless it is very likely that the user will do something bad.

Why is it Apple’s job to coddle the users and make sure they don’t accidentally fuck something up?

Firstly, it’s not just specifically Apple’s job. It should be every tech company’s job.

Secondly, because technology should be for everybody, not just those who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to learn the intricacies of it. Technology helps people, and we shouldn’t make it too hard for other people to use it.