What reasons to get a Macintosh?

HooRU

I am a guitarist who is working on writing music and website and books. I do a little recording but I need more gear for that. I don’t game. I may want to do a youtube channel in a couple years.

Why would I want an Apple computer and what apps would I want for it? Basically, a rough primer is what I’m seeking.

HooRU

BTW, I use Linux, not Windows.

MacLeech

HooRU what apps do you currently use on Linux to do the activities you want? What peripherals do have connected to the computer? Is there anything you’re currently having problems with? What do you want to improve? What is your budget?

Unless you’re having problems or looking for some specific feature or software you can’t get on Linux, stick with what you have. It can be expensive and problematic to switch platforms and work flows.

PC user since 1982 first using 8086 hardware.
Mac user since 1989 using System 6 on an SE/30.
On and off Linux user since 1998. Started with Yellow Dog Linux.

CommunityMember

HooRU BTW, I use Linux, not Windows

OBS Studio (works on Windows, Mac, and Linux) is an open source tool some people use to record content and also produce youtube videos. There are a number of tutorials (on youtube) about how to do that, and some include the details about the necessary hardware (mics, cameras, etc.). It may be something to explore.

Donut417

HooRU Why would I want an Apple computer and what apps would I want for it?

I for the most part switched from Windows to MacOS in 2020. I do still have a Windows device for gaming, but more and more of that can be done on Linux. Speaking of Linux I have my Plex server on a Ubuntu based system because it works better for that.

To me, it’s more of a personal preference. I mean Windows, MacOS and Linux are all desktop OS’s and all pretty much do about the same. Sure there might be certain things each OS does better.

The question you ask yourself is there features in MacOS that you need or want? For example Apple Silicon is known for being very power efficient so that means laptops have battery life for days. If you have an iPhone, your text messages and calls can be handed off to your computer. Thats a feature I really really really like. To me the integration between devices is what really sets Apple apart from competing OS’s. But is it worth the cost? The big reason I have a MacBook Pro is because the government cut everyone a check for $1200 to stimulate the economy back during Lock down. So in reality this $2000 MacBook Pro at the time only really cost me $800. Unlike everyone else I was still working every day as my company found a way around the stay at home order. (It was the only thing that kept me sane.)

ChromeJob

I switched from Windows XP (squeezing a few years more out of it) to a Mac Mini, Macbook Air, becuase work gives me an iPhone … and I’ve used an iPad Mini for years. I’ve discovered that all these things work extremely well together as a single ecosystem. So if you have one or more Apple device, there are Continuity functions and unlocking that, to use an old phrase, “just work.” Unlike Windows, unlike Chrome OS.

For content creation, the architecture of Apple’s computers is leveraged a bit for raw computing, e.g. the thick pipeline from processor —
WTH. Q: why does the hCaptcha keep prompting me??

markuswarren

Mac does seem to have been seen as the machine creative types go for, be it design, typesetting, music, and other stuff.

My introduction to Mac’s was at my first full time job as a typesetter. Next up was working for a Mac software developer, which I loved, and got me into tech support, quite a few clients were schools, colleges, and universities, and Mac’s tended to be their art and design areas.

These days I think there’s also a bit of the “look at me” type deal with getting a Mac as they aren’t cheap. I’ve had a few personal machines, first two were Apple refurbished and latest was first brand new mac and yeah I splurged as I tend to keep the machines for quite some time. I do wish you could upgrade them yourself, as you could do with older machines, I remember putting in more memory into various older models and replacing had drives on others.

Donut417

markuswarren getting a Mac as they aren’t cheap

The Mac mini is pretty ok on the price. Even the base model Air isn’t priced bad. Id say those are on par with the cost of PC’s for what they are. Now the Pro models do cost a lot.

markuswarren

Donut417 Yes the M4 mini is very reasonably priced, until you want bigger internal disk storage. Having said that, you can get kits to expand the storage now at a fair better price, obviously not from Apple, and it could void the warranty, but it is possible.

I was tempted to replace the iMac with a mini, but I thought a laptop - actually my first laptop - would be handy as it’s a bit more mobile than an iMac or Mac Mini, and it has travelled with me a little bit, and does come in handy.

I was tempted to go for the Max, but I don’t need that, oh want yes, but not need it, so went for a decent macbook pro with Pro chip in it. yeah big HD, so got the Apple tax for that. I’m hoping it’ll last me as long as my iMacs have, and it is a nice machine. The only thing I don’t overly like is the trackpad, I just don’t like them, and on this machine it’s stupidly huge.

Sparkchaser

markuswarren Mac does seem to have been seen as the machine creative types go for, be it design, typesetting, music, and other stuff.

That’s what I’ve seen. My info is a bit dated but my son, musician and teacher has never had anything but Macs in about 35 yrs of computer use.
When I was employed, I would work with graphics designer and commercial printers. They always had Macs.

Just thinking back, when my son first started, all the software for music was for the Mac. So, there wasn’t a choice.
Don’t know what it’s like now.

Donut417

markuswarren Yes the M4 mini is very reasonably priced, until you want bigger internal disk storage. Having said that, you can get kits to expand the storage now at a fair better price, obviously not from Apple, and it could void the warranty, but it is possible.

You can buy an external drive. There are tons of external options. From standard externals to docks that have M.2 slots in them to external enclosures that you can add any drive you choose to. Not to mention Network Attached Storage options as well.

markuswarren

Donut417 good point about external drives. Closest I’ve got are a couple of externals for backup (one superduper the other Time Machine) and I just DIY’d an upgrade to two Orico M.2 nvme “drives” into owc envoy enclosures.

Somewhat-Reticent

Back In The Day, Macintosh bucked Microsoft’s different-GUI-for-each-vendor BS.
Which made using it possible for anyone who needed to focus on task(s).
That was then; dunno if it still applies.
For many tasks, there may be other options.

markuswarren

I remember when QuarkXPress came out for windows. The usual people popped up and said it was the end of Apple. The same kind of thing happened when Photoshop appeared on Windows too.

Did Mac’s die off? Nope. I’ve always got stick from people about working with and having personal Mac’s, and how it’s all going to end. I just wish I’d had a bit of cash to get some Apple stock back in the day. I feel I’d be the one doing the laughing

Astyanax

I want iMacs with 27+“ screens to come back. I heard they were possibly designing 32” iMac Pros but I don’t want one that costs the equivalent of a decent used car.

MacLeech

Astyanax get a mini with whatever screen you want. Mine is running dual 28” 4k monitors.

antdude

After Steve Jobs got fired and before Steve Jobs came back, Macs weren’t good IMO.

HardlyWorthit

antdude After Steve Jobs got fired and before Steve Jobs came back, Macs weren’t good IMO.

That was 1985 - 1997.
Probably depends on what you compare them to.
His return brought a Unix based operating system (BSD/NeXT).

MacLeech

antdude After Steve Jobs got fired and before Steve Jobs came back, Macs weren’t good IMO.

There were some good models, but there were just too many under powered variations like the Performas and Centris especially common in schools.

I had a Quadra 660AV then a Power Mac 8500/132 (which I ran MacOS 7, 9, BeOS, Yellow Dog Linux, and Rhapsody on it, before MacOS X came out) around that time. I had dropped an overclocked 604e upgrade card into it to run MacOS X.

antdude

HardlyWorthit I grew up with Apple 2s so I like its command line. Hence, why I like MacOS X and newer. I use Linux, UNIX, Windows, etc.