Mac vs. PC - Laptop discussion only.

[Androxity]

Now I have always been a PC user, ever since I was 5 year old I have owned a PC rather than a Mac. Now I have seen Macs commercials and they never cease to amuse me because from my perspective I see 10 mac commercials per 1 PC commercials, and Mac says PC is doing tons of advertising.

I have tried looking around the web, utilizing google.com's search engine. Haven't found any solid arguments for either one, just see lots of advertisements for their respective OS'.

I was just wondering if a few mac users on these forums could maybe give some of the pros and cons of a mac (as a laptop). Let me repeat, I'm looking into buying a - Laptop - Not a desktop computer. And PC users are welcome to describe their experiences as well and for those who own both a PC and a Mac your advise might be the most helpful.

Yes it will be used for art, I HATE having to sit at my desk to do my art on my tablet when I could be taking it anywhere, even outside to actually draw with the flow of nature.

Sorry but I am not interested in other off brand OS' either.

Let me add that I have been running a gateway desktop Windows XP SP2, I bought it in 2004 freshman year in high school and have had only a few minor problems and have had to wipe it clean twice. It has 1 GB ram, 200 GB hard drive with a 3.0 Ghz processor.

I am not looking for a gaming laptop- not at all. Merely an OS suitable for dealing with large amounts of available memory for digital artistry.

I have a price range of up to $2,000.00 US without tax. So yes, the Macbook Pro for $1,999 is an option.

I have used Vista before but I do not like the amount of ram it takes to run smoothly.

Thanks for your input it is greatly appreciated.

[stoph]

i cut my teeth on PC's when i was 7, and didnt make the switch till about 2 years ago, opting for a white, then later a black macbook 13"er. i may come off as a fanboy here, but im more than happy with its performance, and it would take a lot to get me back on PC's side. i put in 2GB memory to beef it up a little, and it came with a 120GB HD as standard (which im not even close to filling).

when it comes to handling programs such as CS3 other adobe products, it does so very well. to my knowledge, there's no capping of usable memory with mac OS, as opposed to the 2GB cap (or thereabouts) with XP or Vista. i could put another 2GB of memory in my lappy right now, upping it to 4GB, and it would run quite happily.

in my opinion, the standard Apple displays are very good quality. the macbook monitors are no exception. they are very crisp, and handle colours pretty good too. i've shopped around with a LOT of notebooks, and im yet to find one i prefer to the macbook's display.

there's less that you can do to a mac to make it die. you know how you'd have access to all of those little, seemingly insignificant files on windows machines? i lost count how many times something was overwritten or uninstalled by accident or without my knowledge, and it required me to blow its brains and start from scratch. the mac OS is very user friendly, streamlined, doesnt crash (hasnt for me yet) and is aesthetically pleasing for the designer in all of us ;)

the keyboard on macbooks are much better than other notebooks. well set out, no unnecessary buttons or awkward layouts to confuse your fingers. the keys are very light to the touch, too, so youre not finding yourself having to apply millions of pounds of pressure to type speedily.

i can only suggest to go into a mac store and try out their floor models to make up your mind for sure. keep in mind that theyre used by a lot of people everyday and are probably on their last legs from all the abusive wear and tear. if you are the only one using it, and you take care of it, then it will last you :)

[Androxity]

Well for a general overview of macs I'd say I have a good idea how it compares (I started looking around on the internet for pictures of the Mac OS and I have to say, I am very impressed and I assume you can do all the changes to a Mac like a PC Changing the background and stuff of that sort.)

Furthermore I would like to know if there are any very good programs that Come with the Mac (like a word processor and such) and how well it all works?

Basically any information helps. Anyone else?

[stoph]

you can customise the look of your mac just as easy as a PC, theres no difference there. there's also no annoying start bar to get in the way. the dock in OSX keeps everything in plain sight, you know what programs are running, and you can either click on their icons, or apple+tab between them to navigate. you get a very basic text editor as standard on mac, but its the same with windows - if you want something, you gotta pay for it ;)

[DSillustration]

I own 3 macs... and the only cons I've noticed are:

1. No games.
Also a limited selection of freeware.

2. The default text program on the Mac opens Microsoft Word '.doc' files, but doesn't display their graphics properly. You would have to buy additional software.

3. Very few third party product.
You want more RAM?.. you have to go to Apple.
You want an airport card?... you have to go to Apple.
Apple products are of the highest quality, but their prices tend to be high.

I have never met a person who went from PC to Mac and was sorry that they did.
Seriously, If you use your computer primarily for movies, music, art, photos and internet... there is no better machine.

And since you are looking for a laptop specifically, I have to mention, I have NEVER seen a PC laptop display with the quality and consistency of a Mac display.
Though, the $2000 macbook pro (which I have), only has a 15" display.
I find that for art, it's a little small.
I always end up using my desktop display instead.

[Hexokinase]

Also, Macs can boot both OSX and Windows. I'm not very tech savvy, so I'm not sure if it involves a hard drive partition, or two separate drives, but I've seen it done many times. If you ever wanted to run windows only games, that's always a good way to go about it.

The only problem that I know of (and I can't verify this at all), is that programs purchased for windows will NOT work on OSX. You'd have to re-purchase the mac versions of your favorite programs (Photoshop, etc). Again, I don't know the specifics on this at all, but its something to keep in mind. (I believe with photoshop, you only have to purchase a cross-platform upgrade)

Edit - In line with Ian Miles' post, the Macs in the computer clusters at my college can boot in OSX or XP. OSX boots, and performs much faster than XP on the same computer.

[entdroid]

2. The default text program on the Mac opens Microsoft Word '.doc' files, but doesn't display their graphics properly. You would have to buy additional software.



Or you can download NeoOffice, (http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php) which is free and works like a charm :)

[Brashen]

Well since there hasn't been any advocate for PCs I'll step in to the fray.

First of I want to make it clear that I do prefer PCs to MACs for many reasons. I have used a lot of hardware pertaining to both persuasions and nothing beats the customability (is that a word?) of a PC. Now the thing is with laptops things tend to sway differently and since this is intended for art it limits your choices somewhat tho any laptop wih decent specs would suit the programs we use.

Now I suggest you look for a tablet PC. You did say you'd rather be free than be constricted to a desktop. Even if you did buy a Laptop you'd still be dragging wires and a tablet with you. Why not just buy and all in one solution. That way you'll just have to worry about charging it. Most of the Lenovo and HP professional Tablet PC lines have Wacom tech in them and if you'd rather A MAC based OS there is the MOD BOOK which is quite good.

Good luck in your search.

Edit: @ DSillustration: I'm sorry to inform you that Apple outsources their display manufacturing and the current best laptop display is held by one of the Lenovo workstation laptops. People think that Apple has a little factory where little ielves produce special equipment for MACs....it's the same stuff guys.

[Aenhimal]

I own 3 macs... and the only cons I've noticed are:

1. No games.
Also a limited selection of freeware.
....


Well I think this is about to change, since some companies like Blizzard have just starting thinking about mac users (the diablo III has been anounce for mac too) maybe is going to be just the first of many more.

I don't personally own a mac (I wish I do) A friend lend me his macbook, this summer for a couple of weeks, and I fall in love with its OS, everything becomes faster, then I have to get back to my PC and was like if the world was slower or something, I open Photoshop and I have time enough to learn all the names of those who created while in the mac it happens in a blink.

[Androxity]

So far macs seem like the better choice for me, and although the 15" screen might not be perfectly suitable for art, I'd rather have that portability and the intuos 3 has a look that goes along with the mac.

As for the software, I haven't purchased any yet - I was waiting for this topic to guide me first.

It isn't chump change.... $2,500 is a lot of money for a college student, looks like I'll be having a LOT more ramen these days than usual. So much for those extra apples I like...

It is all for the better though, so far my plans are to get a bachelors degree in math by 20, and then maybe (if i see enough improvement) consider taking my art ventures to the next level.

Any other information about macs and pcs would be great.

[Brashen]

Well I think this is about to change, since some companies like Blizzard have just starting thinking about mac users (the diablo III has been anounce for mac too) maybe is going to be just the first of many more.

I don't personally own a mac (I wish I do) A friend lend me his macbook, this summer for a couple of weeks, and I fall in love with its OS, everything becomes faster, then I have to get back to my PC and was like if the world was slower or something, I open Photoshop and I have time enough to learn all the names of those who created while in the mac it happens in a blink.

As a warning to people disregard anything this person has written. Because I'm sorry to say there isn't a scrap of truth to be had in any of this.

First off Blizzard has always been making their games compatible with both MAC and PC.

Second of all owning a MAC doesn't make things magically faster it's the specs of a the machine that does. So if your computer has specs that are lower than your friends MAC then buy a better SPEC'D PC. If you need help with that just ask and many here will guide you.

Oh and please stop spreading this crap around thanks and Season's greetings.

[Penabled]

Absolutely Brashen....and I would have to agree with the recommendation to look into Tablet PCs. If you're going to spend that much money anyway....why not spend it on a device that you will really be happy with.....I would if I had the money myself. Fujitsu has a brand new Stylistic ST6012 that looks awesome.

Macs aren't trouble free....they just have a different set of troubles. For the amount of money we are discussing here...you could get yourself quite a performance machine in the Windows camp....and have quite a bit left over to buy a nice case and accessories. Depending on the model nearly 700$.
Maybe even more if you just stuck with a machine that met your stated requirements. Check out Newegg's inventory.

As far as screens go...my brother liked my Compaq's screen better than his own Powerbook's....tho his is about 3 years old now. My Compaq is only one year old.

[Aenhimal]

I didn't Know that about Blizzard so sorry for that, and I didn't say that mac makes things magically faster, but running the same programms in that macbook and my pc (which hardware was very similar to that macbook) I think that the mac did it faster, If I had an amazing PC maybe I wouldn't have notice so much difference I don't know, but please don't talk to me like if apple pay me for saying that stuff, thank u

[Grumbledook]

Huh, google searches seem to suggest macs have the same ram limitations as windows machines, its 32bit operating systems.

The latest macbook wasn't received that well, check out reviews, it is overpriced compared to a same specced pc laptop.

$2k will get you a lot of machine these days (unlike when I got mine :[ ) I would suggest you look at a laptop forum where the nerds hang out. If I was spending that much I would take a good look at the lenovo range (used to be IBM).

Mac's are no more reliable than PC's these days, someone in the conceptart chat last night was bemoaning a mac crashing and losing 2 hours of drawing.

Things to consider: get more machine for your money with PC, you are used to them, more versatile, may have existing software you can still use.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ More tech savvy people here, spending that much money pays to do some research.

You may also want to consider not spending as much, with the speed that tech advances and prices drop you can afford a nicer machine for the same money further down the line. Don't get swayed by the sales speal in any store you go to either, remember they are sales people.

On a side note, photoshop cs4 is 64bit only on windows if you wanted to go the 64bit route and get even more ram. It is all swings and roundabouts but I wouldn't get a mac unless their prices were bought in line. Though even if they did, I use quite a bit of software (not games) that doesn't run on osx.

[Ian Miles]

I own both laptop and Desk Macs, and my mom have a PC machine in other room.

My two cents.

Since apple has switched the architecture from ppc to intelx86, the software avaliable for mac has exponentially exploded in this platform. I need a custom app for to do a custom task? You can bet there is a OSX version of it.

Games: Since PC has always been the peak of gaming world, It´s clear that not all games has been or will ever be ported to the Mac platform. But when it comes to games, I really like x360 before PC gaming. The only games I really want to buy not for console, are the ones from blizzard, and they are all PC & Mac compatible.

Upgrading a Mac: If you care about upgrade your standard Mac, you can put kingston, samsung, maxtor, or any well-know brand of hardware, Ram or HDD if you meet the specs and requirements of that hardware. The major down of a mac is, apart from Ram or HDD there is NO more upgrading avaliable ever. No more Graphics, CPU, MotherBoard, etc. Is cheaper to buy another mac rather than buy a single faster CPU.

Quality: I have had no issues with quality on Macs. A friend of mine has dropped his macbook couple of times and the Laptop still running fine. I have heard storys of unitys shipped with issues and in most of the cases, the customer can change it for another brand new. Just in case, but it in an apple store and test it in place.

Fast & Stability: Macs can´t be surpassed in this category. My little Macbook 1.83 c2d with 2gigs RAM beats almost any desktop pc I tried since I bought it. For a WIDE margin. It´s really impressive how a laptop with integrated and shared GPU kicks XP and Vista asses when it comes to Speed and Productivity. If you can try one iMac (I have iMac c2d 2,16 "24 3Gbs Ram & GeForce 7300GT 256Ram, a quite old for today specs), you really have the felling of working with a supercomputer. I have NEVER experiencied so much computing power in my entire life.

True: The Mac Apps CAN crash and Quit without warning (save a lot, you know), but the an entire OS crash is something that in... almost 4 years, I almost never experienced it (maybe 2-3 times).

Just for demo purposes:
This screens are taked from my desktop with almost EVERY APP I have, running simultaneously, and I can still work. See the stats and get your own conclussions.

pic 1
http://i44.tinypic.com/2yvvubk.png
pic 2
http://i43.tinypic.com/15z2j4l.png

PD. If you go for it, get applecare. Worth the money.

[Mock]

First off: Both systems will have program crashes sometimes. You will possibly lose progress on your art. However, this is very easily fixable by saving more than once every two hours. Like someone said, apps will crash sometimes, but the OS crashing is a rare occurrence.

And of course the new Macbook is going to be overpriced compared to same specced PCs. It's rare for any new piece of shiny technology to be released without a price hike to benefit from people who want to have it nownownow.

I recently bought the new 15" Macbook Pro after years of building my own gaming PCs. This is my first Mac, and I'm with stoph on this one; it would take a hell of a lot to get me to switch back to a PC.

The main complaint I had heard about Mac before getting one was about game compatibility. Which I suppose can be an issue for some games, but I have yet to run into a problem finding the games I want for Mac. And I play a ton of them.

The price, however, is the biggest downside. You can get a much more powerful PC for $2500 than what I paid for my Macbook Pro, as Grumbledook said. However, that's just part of buying shiny, newly released computers. People who wanted an iPhone when it first came out had to take the same financial hit.

[Elwell]

3. Very few third party product.
You want more RAM?.. you have to go to Apple.
You want an airport card?... you have to go to Apple.
Apple products are of the highest quality, but their prices tend to be high.

The days of Macs using non-standard components are long passed. You can get compatible RAM from almost any third-party vendor. All new mac models have built-in AirPort, which is just Apple's name for Wi-Fi.

Andoxity, if you already have a lot invested in software that could be an issue if you switch. You'll have to get mac versions of Photoshop etc. I think Adobe will give you a "sidegrade" deal if you contact them, though.

[inmygucci]

The only concern I have with mac is how it's hardly compatible with a lot of programs and games out there.
Plus you can't get anything pirated ;)

[James Kei]

I've recently purchased a laptop, and it was a tough decision between PC and MAC. Ultimately, I went with a PC (ASUS). For 2 major reasons.

1) Cost.
The PC laptop that I got has the same specs as the top of the line Macbook and cost half as much. So to me, I would have had to shell out an extra $1500 just for the privilege of running the Mac OS. I'm sorry, but no operating system is worth that much.

2) Games.
Because I decided to use this laptop as a desktop replacement, it had to play games. And while Blizzard may consider developing for Macs, I'm more of a Valve kind of gamer, and Gabe Newell swore never to develop anything for the Mac OS.
Yes, you can split the hard drive, but I'd rather not run 2 OS on the same drive. (Call me old fashioned.)

My previous laptop was an ASUS PC,and it never crashed nor did any of the hardware break. Even after traveling with it for years, and even dropping it on the floor a few times. It's a very solid product.
And for the Vista critics, after the last few updates, it's been very solid, and I haven't had any issues of any kind. So they're on the right track.

Do your research on the screen. As a digital artist, it's the most important component of the laptop. Spend the money on a higher res screen.
Also, some laptops come with preloaded software that deepens the contrast of the monitor, for a "better" movie watching experience. Disable this software first thing, or suffer the wrath of seeing your painting on another monitor after you've posted it, only to discover that the colors and values are way off. :/

[dark eagle]

Well its the same choice is has been for years. Look and I think thats it over real good performance and lastabillity(any pc can probably last 5 years from release).

The competition between pc's and mac's only start at around 4,000 dollars.

Mac pros vs. Gaming laptops.

Mac provides a variety of options at that cost.
Pc's start to crumble at this price option.

So the real competition between macs and pcs only start at the top. Unless your gonna pay that much, pc is the best option.

[Androxity]

My next question is would it be better to go the route of the macbook 13.3" screen and then just upgrade it to 4GB ram?

The hard drive is not really an issue the only way I ever got near filling up a hard drive was with movies (full quality at that). Other than that a simple $100 500GB external hard drive would work just fine.

Or maybe get the $1,999 macbook pro and upgrade the ram?

[chaosrocks]

they are both tools. neither will improve your art.

i don't play games so thats not an issue
and DID YOU SAY PIRATED? inmygucci... um don't even think about that tooo loudly around here

that being said..Ive been running macs for (cringe) almost 20 years. with one mandated excursion into other PCs... I've never regreted it except that you can't use Open Canvas.... that hurts

[Brashen]

AS Chaosrocks said they are both tools and they wont magically make your art better.

A friend of mine had a professor that came into the first day of class and made them raise their hands to show who didn't own a MAC. He sneered at them and showed them to short video clips one made by a MAC and the other a PC. The MAC one was visually pleasing while the PC one was just a blurp on the screen. Now this is supposedly a professional who's studied quite some time without the use of computers. What kind of teacher is that that preaches shit like that to his students.

If only I was in his class...........

[Androxity]

No not pirated movies, its way more enjoyable to see the full quality movie for a simple $20, and have it to view later on rather than risk losing much more than a simple piece of paper.

Also, I have decided to go with the MacBook Pro. Now one of my last questions is if Ebay is safe enough to buy a laptop from?

I found a macbook pro 2.5 Ghz cpu 9600M & 9400M nVidia cards along with 4GB ram for $1,949 and that is one option.

I also found a macbook pro 2.4 Ghz cpu with the 256MB video card with 2GB for $1,699.

So far of those two the $1,949, PLUS i can get a $200 discount via live.com referral? Not entirely sure how that works but I will be looking into it. Seems like the better deal. (Thats over $500 savings from apple's price ).

[Brashen]

Okay that was a quick decision........well it's your money but I guess you had your mind made up before this discussion. Good Luck.

[Slash]

I worked on a macbook for a month, and after i got used to the new OS i must say it was a good experience. For desktop work its got some slick solutions that i found myself missing when i went back to pc.

That being said, i don't like the way the mac crashes. If a program on my pc crashes, i can open the task manager and disable the culprit in 99% of the cases. I've had a bluescreen twice in the almost two years i've running my current vista install. Both were my fault. :P

When a mac crashes it seems like you're more up shit creek. This might be because of my lack of knowledge of the OS, but from what i hear macs have a tendency to crash harder when they crash.

But then again, both platforms can be very stable, a lot of crashes can be blamed on the user, like logging weeks of uptime without proper restarts, running more applications at the same time than your hardware can handle etc.

[Sorknes]

Early 2002 I bought a somewhat high end PC through my work that I wouldn't have managed to afford if I bought it from the shelves in a store at that point.

One of the guys I shared living accomodations with got himself a Mac about the same time. Both stationary and in about the same price range.

I replaced that computer this year, in 2008, for less than half the price (more like a third) of the price that the old one would've cost brand new from a store at that time. Everything new, including a case. During that time periode of a little over four years I bought some more ram and a new graphic card. I had still not encountered a game I couldn't play on my old one, but I think it was getting closer.

As far as I know, the other guy is on his third Mac after the first, and he's been paying about the same, if not more, each time.

Now think about the amount of money he's used and the amount I've used over the time span and tell me it's worth it. Apart from the "Oooh... shiny stuff!"

The reason a Mac seems faster is usually because it's A: a lot newer than your PC, B: You bought the PC as a package deal from some salesperson instead of looking into what would give you the most for the money or C: You've clogged your PC with a ton of things that a Mac user probably wouldn't have and that's not really necessary to have around at all.

In fact, back then, his Mac would crash way more often than my PC. I still haven't crashed on my new one because of the OS, and not once gotten a BSOD. That happened a few times with my old one, but so seldom I can probably count them on my fingers. These days his Mac and my PC is probably performing at about the same. Guess who's gonna buy a new sooner?

I have space to upgrade my ram, but I haven't really even thought about it yet. My games runs well, and I can't read the "peopleses list" in PS when starting the program, it's "click - open". I still run XP and keep away from Vista though.

You sound like you decided before even starting this thread, so I don't really know why you started it in the first place or why I am answering, but oh well.

[petitemistress]

Mac's are no more reliable than PC's these days, someone in the conceptart chat last night was bemoaning a mac crashing and losing 2 hours of drawing.



since i am the user in question ;), I'd like to point out that was the FIRST TIME my MAC (not photoshop, but then again theres a good reason my photoshop crashes, and still that happens rarely) crashed after 2 years of faithful services. I also have a PC (one year old) and it crashes on a regular basis...

[Brashen]

@ Ian Miles:

Opening a bunch of pictures and minor apps doesn't constitute strenuous exercise on a machine. I've opened Photoshop, Zbrush, Bioshock and Crysis while still able to use them all and surf the net. You want computing power get a PC. BUt your right about the upgradability of a MAC beyond a few ram modules and a HDD there's nothing you can do about it.

PCs are way more powerful QFT.

[Ian Miles]

My next question is would it be better to go the route of the macbook 13.3" screen and then just upgrade it to 4GB ram?

Or maybe get the $1,999 macbook pro and upgrade the ram?

Buy the biggest screen you can pay. Work in a "13 screen is NOT for a everyday´s work.
And I mean WORK. :carnifex:

>>You want computing power get a PC.
Probably, but macs gives me a crucial point: I just don´t care anymore about the goddamit OS issues. ^^

[tensai]

doods/doodettes... really? another one?

[Sorknes]

doods/doodettes... really? another one?

It'll happen every time someone wants a new toy, and deems a few months old threads are out of date. ;)

Continuing the updated discussion in the same old threads might tarnish the new shiny stuff, you know. :P

[Brashen]

It'll happen every time someone wants a new toy, and deems a few months old threads are out of date. ;)

Continuing the updated discussion in the same old threads might tarnish the new shiny stuff, you know. :P

HAH, couldn't have put it better myself!!

[Androxity]

Ok well just 2 hours ago I ordered the Macbook Pro 15.4" screen 2.53Ghz Processor with 6MB Shared L2 cache, 4 GB of DDR3 ram, and a 320 GB hard drive. Found a great deal on ebay for $1,999.00 brand new, tax-free, I searched all over, went to the apple stores tried them out, tried out other windows vista laptops and I must say that the Mac OS X runs very smoothly and I can't wait for it to be shipped.

This topic served its purpose, and then some, thank you all for responding and your responses were all taken into consideration.

Sadly Vista did not live up to my expectations; XP still rules.

[FactorZero]

anybody got experience with Linux on a laptop?

[DSillustration]

Ok well just 2 hours ago I ordered the Macbook Pro 15.4" screen 2.53Ghz Processor with 6MB Shared L2 cache, 4 GB of DDR3 ram, and a 320 GB hard drive. Found a great deal on ebay for $1,999.00 brand new, tax-free, I searched all over, went to the apple stores tried them out, tried out other windows vista laptops and I must say that the Mac OS X runs very smoothly and I can't wait for it to be shipped.

This topic served its purpose, and then some, thank you all for responding and your responses were all taken into consideration.

Sadly Vista did not live up to my expectations; XP still rules.

I think you are going to be very happy with your decision.

[evildisco]

omigod a civilized mac vs pc thread...


PREPOSTEROUS!

[Brashen]

In all fairness I think we realized he had his mind set on a Mac so their was no swaying him with our anger fits. Tho it does beg the question...why did he waste our time?

[Grumbledook]

In all fairness I think we realised he had his mind set on a Mac so their was no swaying him with our anger fits. Tho it does beg the question...why did he waste our time?

QFT FYP

[Not Pink]

from hearing so many mac vs pc debates, I've always walked away with one thing.

It's all about opinion.

sure, there was once a day and age where, yes, mac was the high and mighty when it came to art and design, but that time is long and gone. both pc and mac are comparable today, you get a (well made*) laptop running vista with the same exact specs as a macbook running OSX and your gonna get near the same benchmarks for almost everything.

*the problem with pc is that every little startup business can make a desktop, slap on vista and sell it at the local computer shop, which creates a lot of problems for a un-computer savvy person looking to purchase. yes, buying a buying name brand (HP, Dell, etc.) will solve this problem, but the average household is looking to buy the cheapest. Mac is much more proprietary, with apple going so far as to sue companies making their own computers with mac os' and usb devices that transform PCs into macs, even when apple has no regrets for letting you buy a mac and run vista on it because you already payed them for a system and a OS anyway :rolleyes:

there are a very small number of programs that cant be used on either system so choosing a Mac because it runs cs3 better (which I still have yet to see any real proof of that) is a faulty choice. I have heard of cs4 problems on the mac, but I haven't delved into it so I couldn't tell anyone about that.

really it comes down to:
1. employer's/school's requirements (gotta make the dough/grade man, no use rebelling.)
2. personal opinion

I run all 3 operating systems and from my personal experience I have to say that windows is best in terms of tablet work, in vista everything becomes integrated to the controls once you plug the tablet in. mac is alright, but I barely touch the thing, I'm just used to windows more. and linux I just use for fun and programming random stuff.


PLOT TWIST:
I'm actually running the beta build of windows 7 right now, you can check out my tablet impressions...

HERE


.... or maybe here... (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2065212#post2065212)

[CaNiBaLe]

Windows' enviroment is ugly, period. :p