Apple Vs Windows

[kleinbull]

I've been made aware of Apple's media capabilities from friends in the music industry, and I hear many graphic designers prefer Apple for their work. Today, I read that Apple is touting these capabilities in reference to speed and the new G4's. Something about DVD encoding at 302% faster than the P4.

I was just wondering how true y'all believe this is or opinions about the difference in quality, ability, useability, etc. I've often thought about sinking into an Apple system but couldn't justify it, so I was just curious.

J.Klein

[Jerry Jones]

We have a 733mhz G4 running Final Cut Pro 2.0 here in my building.

Those reports about its speed are simply untrue.

It's not any faster than my Pentium 4 1.7gHz box running MediaStudio Pro 6.5.

I *will* vouch for one advantage where Apple is concerned.

The Apple OS is no where near as FUSSY about various camcorder models and their less-than-compliant Firewire interfaces.

The capture software of Final Cut Pro accepts everything we throw at it without any sound or picture glitches.

We've found the Windows OS (even Windows 2000) to be more finnicky.

But after working out some capture procedures on the PC side of things, we're doing just as well with the PC as with the Mac.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Sciascia]

I would say that until maybe 2 years ago Apple clealy was teh best multimedia machine, but either due to newer products and/or much faster components PCs have caught up if not surpassed. The nice thing about PCs are that there is so much more support for them. Of course that is an obviousity (if that is a real word) and something that all PC and Mac users will attest to. I liek having the flexibility with the PC even though 99% of the time the Mac will be reliable. If there is an app released for it, it usually works. Of course for such a limited SW line, it better. I have a few colleagues that use PowerMac G4 laptops and a couple of Canon DV cams for in the field capture and editing. It is the most portable, powerful setup out there. Of course I can do the same thing with my Laptop if I had a DV cam. Its just really neat to be involved in this industry these days. I love my job!!

[Hulk]

Comparing the speed of one system to another is tricky business. It is not that hard to find one application, or script that is highly optimized for one platform or another. If that one piece of software is the PRIMARY reason you will be buying the computer then that may be a legimate concern.

But, you also have to look at how fast a given system run the majority of the software out there. It's great that we have so many affordable and fast options today.

The SSE II instructions really are effective in keeping the P4 on an almost equal clock-for-clock basis with the PIII and Athlon. The PIII and Athlon still have an advantage clock-for-clock but it is not overwhelming in MS Pro 6.5 like it is in some other apps.

Apple's are great computers and I hope people keep buy them like mad so PC prices continue to fall and processor speeds continue to increase

I am thinking that MS Pro will be near real-time for many operations when P4 clock speeds reach 3.0GHz. Of course by then we'll have to deal with editing hi-def, or something else requiring more cpu power!

[wkulecz]

Premiere 6 runs on the Mac. Premiere 6 runs on the PC.

Render Terry's Premier6 vs. MSP6.5 premier test project on various Mac's and compare to the runs people have already done on various PC's.

We know MSP is faster than Premiere, but is Premiere on the Mac faster than Premiere on the PC?

--wally.

[Dr Mordrid]

Now THAT is something I'd like to see

I'm presuming the project files are cross/compatable between Mac and PC versions of P6?

Dr. Mordrid

[kleinbull]

Apple Vs. Windows

My thinking on the subject is that Windows has to deal with many different hardware specs, configurations, and standards that Apple just doesn't have to consider.

Since building my first PC, a little over 2 years ago, I've run into several problems related to compatibility. Some of these related to hardware and some related to software such as drivers.

I guess my question is, why doesn't Wintel provide better specs or open-source information, or why doens't Apple better promote the idea of single standard builds of information systems?

Ingenuity is great, but if no one can use your idea, what's the point.

J.Klein

[hippie91]

it's fairly well known that the port of premiere to pc is HORRENDIOUS it's far faster/stabler on a mac

too bad i can't bring myself to use a computer where i can't handbuild it

[Frank Marshall]

I have owned Macs and PCs and used them primarily for creative applications such as video and interactive multimedia authoring at a prosumer level on a semi-professional basis.

In my humble opinion the Apple platform's chief strength is that it allows users to just get on with creating and not be bothered about the technicalities. This is why your designer and muso friends are using Macs; they don't want to spend any more time at their computer screens than they have to. They could care less about geeky computer stuff, and why should they? They've got lives to live and they just wanna make music or videos or DVDs, etc. as painlessly as possible, right?!

This kind of convenience comes at a price though, and Macs are relatively dearer, no doubt about it. Seen the price difference between a Windows RT2500 and Mac RT? It's not just a simple price issue though, PC's also offer hard- and soft-ware flexibility and choice at the consumer and prosumer level that the Apple platform can't match. For example, although I would've prefered a Mac when I wanted to build an analogue Video Editing System three years ago, products like the Matrox Marvel made a Wintel solution far cheaper yet just as effective. The downside of the flexibility of PC's is the increased potential for system conflicts.

In conclusion, whether to Mac or PC is an individual choice that is made (hopefully) according to one's specific needs, wants, capacities and limitations. For some, it's a lifestyle decision ; )

[Ted222]

I've got a brand spankin new P4-2 gigahertz system if someone with a MAC wishes to pose a rendering comparison. I have Premiere on it too.

Ted

[Greebe]

Frank, as of today...

Matrox Video Products Group announced a $400 price reduction on the Matrox RTMac realtime editing card for the Apple Power Mac G4. The suggested list price of Matrox RTMac (for use with Apple Final Cut Pro) is US$ 599 US in North America. The RTMac with Adobe Premiere bundle is now priced at US$ 799.

[Frank Marshall]

@Greebe,

Wow! That's some price reduction! Now if only Apple would come to the party and reduce the price of their G4 towers by 40%...


@Ted222,

The fastest G4's currently on the market haven't even reached 1GHz. Your PC would be faster without a doubt, so yes, another advantage of PC's is that they're ultimately faster. Clock-for-clock, the story would be much more interesting but I guess that's irrelevant; dollar-for-dollar PC's are certainly faster.