jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have several programs that are not available for the Mac - DVD Profiler, Automotive Wolf, and others - and I don't want to buy and learn new programs for the Mac. I'm using the PC for them, but I will eventually run them on the Mac.

Mudshark Loc: Illinois

MMMMAAAAAAAAAAAACCC!!!

trapper jim Loc: Tacoma

Plus MAC's are user friendly and not user hostile like PC's...

Daryl New Loc: Wellington,New Zealand

I see of graphic artists and the like go for Apples,we use a PC and am happy with that. For what it's worth....

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I know what you mean by "hostile." :D

hrlygrl798 Loc: New York

I have actually just made the switch from PC to a MAC, and I can tell you it's been a relief, my work flow is more steady, even and organized, not to mention that I can now run more programs together (light room & photoshop) at the same time due to the Quad core processor I have now compared to the dual core I used to have.

The computer just handle so much better and smoothly when it comes to editing, no more waiting for anything to load. I've fond since i've made the switch the two above programs work more smoothly and load up time is a fraction of my PC.

The computer I went with is the Imac 21 inch, however I chose to stay with the older one because of the ability to upgrade, the memory on the MAC that I chose is upgradable to 16gigs which should last me a while. The older Mac (2011-2012) also has the built in cd drive, so you don't have to by the external one as you would for the new mac. My cd drive is important because I use this to burn DVD discs of pictures for clients.

The only downfall is that I had external hard drives from my pc that just happened to be a brand that does not work with a MAC, these have tons of pictures on them that i'm having a difficult time to my MAC without using Migration Assistant (which can take a long time when you have large amounts of files). However this is a minor issue for me and I have a friend of mine that can transfer these files to the new external hard drive once I get it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This topic has come up before. If you post a separate question about how to transfer, you should get good answers.

Joecosentino Loc: Whitesboro, New York

I the past year MAC's have become more of a target in the malware world, nothing to bad yet but since they are now a larger platform out there the hackers will start targeting MAC's I use an I Mac iand a MacBook air to run Lightroom they oth work fine. My current photo catalog is on a 2 TB external dive.

That said like others have mentioned at this point PC or MAc, they boh will do the job for you

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

Actually... the type of design you do will dictate which machine is right. Most designers today work cross-platform. For example, many web designers use PCs as they need to view the finished product with the most ubiquitous platform out there. On the other hand, most print designers (including photographers) use the MAC not necessarily because it's the best, but it was the best back in the 80s, and since then publishing and the MAC have become forever linked as the standard. Moreover, back then publishing software was written exclusively for the MAC---in fact, you couldn't publish with a PC if you wanted to.

Fast forward to today... the hardware & software lines have blurred between MAC & PC. Sure, there are still small advantages/disadvantages here or there between the two, but for the most part, either platform would serve a photographer very well. If this were not true, then there would never be a question about which platform is better---we would all know and stop wasting hours trying to decide.

Greg Loc: Maryland

Not so:

http://www.hackintosh.com

As far as build quality, you can't blanket say Mac's are better than any non-Mac computer out there. I find that most people that complain about the lifespan/build quality of their machine are ones that buy the cheapest PC they can (or nearly) and then compare it to a Mac that is not in the same class. That's like buying a Yugo and complaining it's not as fast as a Ferarri. Compare apples to apples (pun intended).

amyinsparta Loc: White county, TN

I have never used anything buy PCs. I have never had a problem with them-ever. When I taught, I used a Mac and the students used Macs. I could never tell the difference. I never had a PC break down on me unless I did something I shouldn't have. It seems to me that most complaints are from those who make mistakes in using whatever they have.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

I bought an iMac desktop strictly for my photography. Moving from PC to Mac OS scared me to death as my "support system", my two boys, both are PC guys so I always had someone to ask computer related questions. I found the Mac OS really easy once I got past the basics. It is quick and comes with everything you need and the big monitor is great. I can say I am not sorry in any way and would do it again. I'm only sorry fear of the unfamiliar held me back for so long.

RMM Loc: Suburban New York

Personally, I will take a Mac over a PC any time, unless there is some software that's essential, usually for business purposes, that only exists on the PC. I know a number of people who have switched from PC to Mac, and no regrets. I don't know anybody who has gone in the opposite direction.

Yes, if you run Windows on a Mac, you're open to Windows viruses. If you use Parallels Desktop or VMWare, you can take snapshots of your Windows system and, if you get whacked by a virus or a bad install, you can restore the snapshot, and Poof! Virus gone.

Most graphics designers are on Macs. That should tell you something.

RMM Loc: Suburban New York

Yes, Macs can crash. So can PCs. My business is supporting computers, and PC disasters far outnumber Mac disasters in my experience, and recovery on a Mac is generally far easier. If you have had no bad experiences, you are fortunate. I've seen Windows (also Mac) updates that "broke" things, sometimes in the operating system, more often application software. Any system, Mac, Windows or Linux, should have backup for the data. Hard drives die, it's just a question of "When," not "If."

TchrBill Loc: Houston, TX

I completely agree with this sentiment. The biggest problem I have with anything with an "i" in front of it is that you are locked into whatever Apple wants you to have and, you pay for it. You want this service, pay this much. You want that application, pay this much. You want us to move your files over, pay this much, etc. You want more memory or a bigger hard drive, get one from us. If you want a new battery for your iPhone, we will sell it to you and we have to install it. As I have said quite often on this forum, I have no problem with people who love their Apple products. What I do have a problem with is that most of them think anyone who thinks otherwise is an uneducated idiot, “How could you not see the light like the rest of us have?” Steven Jobs was NOT a master technical guru. He was a master marketer. He did have the uncanny ability to “know” what people seemed to want even before they did. And, heaven forbid, if he was wrong, he also had the ability to convince you that you DID want it even if you didn’t know it.

I have read in this thread where people have said their PCs would crash often, have numerous attacks from viruses, and mysteriously lose files that magically reappear elsewhere days or weeks later. That is a bunch of bunk! It is like when someone tells you that there is a problem with your account that is a computer error. There are two errors every time a problem is blamed on the computer. First is the error made by the user or the programmer who wrote the application, and the second is blaming it on the computer. If you feel the Apple computer (or whatever device) works better for what you want it to do and you are willing to pay the premium for that product or service, then go for it. I won’t tell you that you are wrong or stupid for believing as you do. At least have the common courtesy to allow me to make that same choice with my non-Apple products. Trust me, if my PCs (and Android phone) no longer provided me the stability and service they have provided me for years, I would probably look for an alternative. That alternative may be an Apple solution. But, until then, I will happily stick with my current devices.