Mac or Custom build for video/photo editing and just casual use

[HeiAggra]

Hi guys i can't adivice my friend because i'm ati-apple.
So here's my question my friend needs a laptop for video/photo editing and just casual use, watching series and movies.
So a Mac or another laptop?
Tks for the advices in advance.

[ro9ue]

As someone who has used both Windows and Mac for years. Mac always for creative use. They are more efficient for loading files. They have a lot of base editing features for free. Not to mention the just overall ease of use for a casual user.

Windows is more for a hardcore user imo. You need to do a lot more maintenance and watch your anti-virus more. For someone who just wants to casually browse the web and use some creative software, Apple is the way to go.

Keep in mind though, in order to really render out a video at a reasonable amount of time you might need to tell your friend to get a Macbook Pro - which is a bit on the expensive side depending on what options you choose.

[SL1200]

Apple is expensive and expensive to maintain; if that's not an issue, go apple.

[Talyrius]

I'd never recommend going with Apple.

[Deleted]

If you are specifically needing a laptop format to render videos and such, macbooks really, most PC makers don't really build anything that competes with apple in this segment and such make gaming laptops instead.

Most laptops that come with proper processors are in the region of a macbook in price anyways otherwise something like https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showp...959&catid=1828
is what I would suggest that is windows based, to my knowledge that is a proper 4 physical core chip with HT which should leverage more processing power which is whats needed here however the GPU and such seems overkill for your needs. Its hard to find a full on windows based laptop that has a CPU like this but doesn't include a gaming grade gpu in it.

[vqkatsuko]

Hackintosh

[Artorius]

Windows is more for a hardcore user imo. You need to do a lot more maintenance and watch your anti-virus more.

It's hard to believe that something used at ~95% of the personal computers in the world is more for hardcore users, but ok. I don't remember the last time that I had to install an antivirus at Windows, maybe at Windows 7 times but that's half a decade ago. You're pretty much safe using the default Windows defender and a add-blocker. Not clicking suspicious links also helps a lot, the best protection comes from the user.

For someone who just wants to casually browse the web and use some creative software, Apple is the way to go.

While I agree that OSX isn't bad for creating media, you can do anything at both systems... And you generally can get more with the same money not going with Apple.

[moremana]

I'd never recommend going with Apple.

Really? Why?

Then what would you use and why?

That is how a discussion goes.

OT
I have both and I use each one for something different. At work I use a Windows laptop for putty, hyper terminal, etc

At home its a macbok pro, it is a better machine hands down, and yes it is expensive, but you do get what you pay for.

Video, photo editing, working PS and ID are much better on a Mac.

[Pull My Finger]

Mac somehow being "better" for creative work is an amateur myth, to be frank. That hasn't been true for several years.

The real difference is that for less money, my custom-built PC setup runs circles around Macs for my professional work. Laptop might be a different story. Irrelevant for me though. Laptops are toys and prosumer devices.

[moremana]

Mac somehow being "better" for creative work is an amateur myth, to be frank. That hasn't been true for several years.

And making statements like that without owning one is a myth as well.

Laptop might be a different story. Irrelevant for me though

I do think that is what the discussion is about but for Imac vs PC?

As a a matter of fact my PC only gets used to play some older games I can not play on a Mac.

OSX = no hang ups, no bsod, no updates daily ... I could go on, but it just works.

I take it you don't own a Mac?

[Deleted]

And making statements like that without owning one is a myth as well.



I do think that is what the discussion is about but for Imac vs PC?

As a a matter of fact my PC only gets used to play some older games I can not play on a Mac.

OSX = no hang ups, no bsod, no updates daily ... I could go on, but it just works.

I take it you don't own a Mac?

In fairness macs are designed in a way that its harder for an average user to mess it up, its a more restrictive environment so makes sense in this regard.

Under the hands of a knowledgeable user, PC windows doesn't hang up, but sadly the average person buys into shit like norton, AVG and pc tune up software when really they just make it worse.

PC users need to be mindful in what they do but the benefits as a whole package is its best selling point, I don't get hang ups on windows and updates often to me are a good thing, hate when you pay for something and its left in the dark. With the regards to BSOD, the only 3 times I have had those in the last 5-6 years has been trying to push overclocks on my CPU by fiddling with the voltage and clock speeds.

I have not had a BSOD from anything else in the past 5-6 years or so other then induced user error.

[ro9ue]

Mac somehow being "better" for creative work is an amateur myth, to be frank. That hasn't been true for several years.

The real difference is that for less money, my custom-built PC setup runs circles around Macs for my professional work. Laptop might be a different story. Irrelevant for me though. Laptops are toys and prosumer devices.

Yeah you clearly don't own both machines. This tends to be the problem with a lot of people giving advice in these threads - they just have irrational hatred of Mac without having experience with them at all.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Really? Why?

Then what would you use and why?

That is how a discussion goes.

OT
I have both and I use each one for something different. At work I use a Windows laptop for putty, hyper terminal, etc

At home its a macbok pro, it is a better machine hands down, and yes it is expensive, but you do get what you pay for.

Video, photo editing, working PS and ID are much better on a Mac.

Although you could use "ssh username@ipaddress" or "telnet ipaddress" from Terminal in OSX

Something that always astounds me is the screens on Apple devices. That alone can make the difference between a Windows PC and a Mac for colour reproduction in video and image editing. I use a 2009 iMac at work for testing software on OSX, and the colour reproduction on the screen makes the (admittedly non-IPS) monitors attached to my Windows machine look washed out in comparison.

[ro9ue]

Apple is expensive and expensive to maintain; if that's not an issue, go apple.

Not true at all. Slightly more expensive at purchase, but ready to roll right out of the box, super easy to use and far more reliable than your typical pre-built PC. If you're custom building, you will save more money, but you have to take that time and effort into account as well.

There are little to no maintenance costs. I've had multiple Macbook Pros, iMacs, Mac Pros over the years. I've also had high end and low end pre-built PCs and recently tried to build my own. Far, far, far more expensive in the long run maintaining those.

Also let me note: all of the Macs I've owned still work, even after years and years. The other machines eventually always crash or come to a grinding halt in their speed until I just have to junk them. There's a level of quality in how the Apple machines are built that a custom PC builder can't replicate and half the pre-built PC machines on the market - trash.

[Deleted]

Not true at all. Slightly more expensive at purchase, but ready to roll right out of the box, super easy to use and far more reliable than your typical pre-built PC. If you're custom building, you will save more money, but you have to take that time and effort into account as well.

There are little to no maintenance costs. I've had multiple Macbook Pros, iMacs, Mac Pros over the years. I've also had high end and low end pre-built PCs and recently tried to build my own. Far, far, far more expensive in the long run maintaining those.

Also let me note: all of the Macs I've owned still work, even after years and years. The other machines eventually always crash or come to a grinding halt in their speed until I just have to junk them. There's a level of quality in how the Apple machines are built that a custom PC builder can't replicate and half the pre-built PC machines on the market - trash.

The quality is the same at the mid to high end... they both use the same parts, that intel chip is the same as any other intel chip, people tend to treat pc devices like trash so it becomes trash, the same type of abuse will yield both camp machines grind to a halt.

Get a macbook and a laptop, both the same cpu, stick in a SSD of the same branding, other then the casing, the quality is pretty much similar from this point, those new dell XPS laptops that linus reviewed some months back looks amazing and decently specced.

If you are spending that kinda money, there isn't much quality difference aside really, I can never know why people always compare hugely different price points and do not factor in the user attitude to said hardware, treat it like trash, it becomes trash.

[Remilia]

Are we talking about laptop only choices?

If the photo editing is color critical then laptops aren't really a great choice unless you're willing to dump $3.7k on an HP Z-##.

iMac displays aren't bad however. They generally are factory calibrated so you don't really need to spend anything on hardware or software.
If your friend is looking for wide gamut work though, then you're going to have to look at a separate monitor usually at $800+ for a decent one. A $250 colorimeter or $1k spectrophotometer for calibration devices. If hes going down this path, then a custom tower with a cheap AMD card. Due to 10bit output capability without having to go to their professional line and lossless color compression (only GCN1.2 though so not cheap) as opposed to lossy ones that Nvidia introduced.

And if someone wants to debate that lossless + color compression doesn't exist, I can link two gigantic PNG files for you, one with and without compression and you can analyze it in photoshop to see the same color value.

[Deleted]

Just saw a trailer preview? for the surface book, get that, like seriously fuck everything else, get that, god damn!

[Vash The Stampede]

Hackintosh

Winner Winner chicken Dinner!

[Akainakali]

Winner Winner chicken Dinner!

I'm not sure I'd recommend a hackintosh to anyone who isn't at least somewhat technically inclined. Laptops tend to be more problematic for hackintoshes as well, simply because the hardware is usually more customized, but I've not tried to do one. For what I want out of a laptop, there isn't a reason to hackintosh a PC, they aren't going to be any cheaper and I have a desktop rig for when I want lots of power.

Tools for making and updating them have gotten a lot easier to use in recent years though.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

I'm not sure I'd recommend a hackintosh to anyone who isn't at least somewhat technically inclined. Laptops tend to be more problematic for hackintoshes as well, simply because the hardware is usually more customized, but I've not tried to do one. For what I want out of a laptop, there isn't a reason to hackintosh a PC, they aren't going to be any cheaper and I have a desktop rig for when I want lots of power.

Tools for making and updating them have gotten a lot easier to use in recent years though.

Also, sometimes Apple pushes an update that can stop a hackintosh working.