for intel based mac's they're the same. Before that mac's had more in coming with SGI's vs PC's.

compared to similarly professional PCs

A Mac Pro is a workstation class machine equivalent to HP's Z800 series (or the older xw8600 for example).

Pricewise, for similarly configured machines, they're the same price. Not just in theory, but in practice.
Still, the Mac Pro is better built, with a heavier chassis (that also dampens sound), the drives plug into the backplane with no cables to attach, tool-less card removal and chassis opening, and lots of lesser details that just make life easier sometimes.

Still, if I knew I would never need to use Mac software, I'd just stick with a Windows workstation, or if my needs were less, a Windows PC (not the same thing: it won't have a workstation class CPU, error-correcting RAM, ...).

For notebooks, I haven't seen any PC notebook that comes close to Apple's MacBook Pro with a 17" matte 1920x1080 screen. It is jawdroppingly good, and its graphics horsepower is very good also (Nvidia 9600M GT). These cost $1,850-$1,995 for a 4GB machine upgradeable to 8 GB and eSATA interface for editing 2K on the road. Haven't seen a Windows-only notebook that compares, but I'm not ruling out that it exists.

As for OS X, it's nice not to have to deal with the high frequency of security updates for Windows, and to not have to worry about viruses or performance-reducing anti-virus software (I don't think there's ever been a Mac virus in the wild). There are also many apps that are only available for OS X.

Note: many people only know Windows apps, so their question is "which of these are available for OS X?," the answer to which is of course "not all of them by far."

If instead they had asked "what apps are available on OS X to do the job, potentially much better?," the answer would be quite different.

For editors: if Vegas can do what you need, the rest doesn't matter so much. It's a personal choice just like buying a car.

My Dell Mobile Workstation is probably equal to the Macbook Pro. Similar screen, similar power, better graphics (NVideo Quadro 3700), but it was pricey.

I prefer PCs, others prefer Macs. Whatever floats your boat.

"For years now I have rolled my eyes in regards to the presumed superiority of a Mac over a PC, so I ask from a "hardware" point of view, what does a Mac have that a PC does not have?"

And you should keep rolling your eyes.

PC has its fanboys, and Mac has theirs, both of which (IMO) should not be taken seriously. Both systems have their pros/cons and you really need to ask yourself what is best for YOU and ignore all the extremists..... who most of the time know very little of what they're talking about in the first place.

I have a Macbook Pro running Bootcamp and there are two things I've noticed:

A- Sometimes the machine will not shut down properly in Windows, or will not boot properly. And then the next time I boot Windows will want to run check disk, which takes a while. Very annoying. I don't know if this is because I ran the beta version of Bootcamp and haven't bothered to upgrade.

B- The keys on the Mac keyboard are "flipped around" between the windows/mac key and alt. You can remap the keys but that doesn't work for all programs.

Other than that, I needed to run both OS X and Windows so I am pretty happy with my machine.

2- Honestly, Macs and PCs run on pretty much the same hardware now, except that certain hardware lacks drivers for the Mac platform and therefore they can't use it (especially high-end video cards).

3- The MBP has some nice touches like two-finger scrolling (four on the newer MBPs), the LCD display is good *for a laptop*, little touches like the magnetic power lock, etc.

4- Who cares... really. ;) Just edit already.

Bootcamp has seen significant updates since the beta, no one I know has problems with it any more.

But why not run Parallels 5? This version really rocks, way faster than VMware Fusion, and totally stable (where VMware fails in some situations and Parallels doesn't).

See this very thorough MacTech review:

Virtualization Head to Head

certain hardware lacks drivers for the Mac platform and therefore they can't use it (especially high-end video cards)

What hardware is that? If anything I've seen the opposite.

>>>
For notebooks, I haven't seen any PC notebook that comes close to Apple's MacBook Pro with a 17" matte 1920x1080 screen<<<

That's simply an absurd statement, kind of like claiming that Lexus is the best car on the planet and forgetting about the existance of Mercedes, Bugatti, or Ferrari. On the PC side you can get RGB LED screens and i7 processors which are not options when buying a Mac. + all other options.

The main difference is. Apple moved to intel chips when lies about their superiority became too obvious to everybody. Now you get the exact same hardware you get in a medium level PC and you pay through the nose for it.

I posted real examples right here how easy it was to get Mac book Pro hardware or better for almost a $1000 less ( some people think that Dell and HP are the only PC makers in existence when in fact there are not only cheaper, but cheaper and better options ).

Anybody telling you that Macs are better has no clue. Problem with Macs is that they give you no options. They decide what your machine should be and give you a couple of options.

So no, neither cases, nor screens , or anything else is even close to being better on a Mac simply because when buying a PC you can get anything that's available, with Macs you get only what Apple offers you. Anything, any screen , any case, any chip, whatever you want is available on PC side, infinite options.

In the end you don't buy hardware first. You look at software you want to use, then buy hardware and OS that will run those. If that has to be a Mac then buy a Mac, but please don't bullshit me about any superiority of OSX or Mac hardware and how cheap it is, or how their laptops have the best screens when you can buy true RGB LED screens even from Dell and not from Apple.

(I don't think there's ever been a Mac virus in the wild)

It may be true that there's never actually been a mac virus in the wild but the first time I ever heard of a virus was from my Mac using friends in the late 80's/early 90's. Every time something went wrong they blamed it on a virus.

The tables have certainly turned since then, and OSX makes it quite a bit harder to spread Viruses on the Mac.

On the PC side you can get RGB LED screens... which are not options when buying a Mac...


The RGB LED on the MacBook Pro is certainly a big part of what makes its 1920x1080 matte screen so jawdroppingly good.

BTW, all MacBook Pro notebooks have LED screens nowadays.

So which Windows-only laptop can match it for picture quality? I'm sure many here would like to know.

And if you ever see a Windows-only workstation with a case that matches that of a Mac Pro, I'd like to hear about it so I can recommend it to those who care about such things.
.

Well, this gentleman's comment below isn't clear, let me clarify.

In the old days of real IBM PC's, two guys built a simplified OS in their garage and called it Apple.

They did this to make a simple computer with pictures instead of text because they thought pictures would make it easier to use. They basically roughed out an experimental version of Windows.

They needed a lot of graphics capability, so they used high-end graphics hardware, whereas IBM-based computers used text and didn't need the extra boost.

So a few graphic artists switched over to Apple, and Apple became the leader in graphics. So Apple computers went off track into art design and sales to the general public never materialized.

To solve this problem, Apple gave away free computers to schools all across the country and then waited for those kids to grow up. Having been raised on Apple, these same kids entered the workforce and were clueless about business computers.

So Microsoft came out with "Windows" to help these Apple people get up to speed. But what happened is that Apple made up their own cute terminology and the Apple users were never able to translate them into real terms.

So this has been the dilemma with them, and the Apple people think it's the PC people who don't understand, so there's no way to educate them. Also, they think they're part of some grassroots movement and it's become like a religion to them.

So I hope this answers your question, YES the PC is a much more advanced implementation of what a computer should be, and Apple is more like a stylized version.

And the philosophies are different.


===========================================================
PC has its fanboys, and Mac has theirs, both of which (IMO) should not be taken seriously. Both systems have their pros/cons and you really need to ask yourself what is best for YOU and ignore all the extremists..... who most of the time know very little of what they're talking about in the first place.

Microsoft came out with "Windows" to help these Apple people get up to speed.

Thanks for making my day. I haven't laughed so hard in many years, and my tear ducts have been washed totally clear of beams and such :O).


But what happened is that Apple made up their own cute terminology and the Apple users were never able to translate them into real terms.

Please translate this to English, I can't even guess what you are talking about.


YES the PC is a much more advanced implementation of what a computer should be, and Apple is more like a stylized version.

So PCs are advanced but ugly, while Apple computers are primitive but stylized?

Too bad they can't be like this car which is both advanced and stylish.

"In the old days of real IBM PC's, two guys built a simplified OS in their garage and called it Apple.Revisionist history - the garage built Apple preceded the IBM PC by several years. The real picture oriented OS first occurred in the LISA - years after Jobs & Wozniak moved out of their garage. Furthermore, Windows & the Apple OS owe their heritage to the Xerox Parc Star.

...Jerry

I have to admit, the Apple wasn't always stylized, that came later when eMachines took off and became popular, so Apple copied them.

Xerox Parc? Those guys never did anything..... much. :)

Who needs the intarwebs and mouses anyway!

As to hardware. I don't think any of us here can tell for sure. The Apple and pC components are the same (at the same specs and price point). But computer components are "binned" and some manufacturers get their hands on the parts from the "A" bin and some settle for the dregs from the "D" bin. But you really should watch the Apple TV adds. What do you want to look like when you are editing? The nerdy bespectacled PC guy or the cool, hipster Apple guy? Isn't that what counts?

Apple copied eMachines? Are you serious? Tell me, what color is the sun on the planet on which you live?

OK, I'll changed to "inspired by" eMachines. I hope you won't sully my post with one of your ridiculous graphics.

To OP:

See what I mean about extremists?

These threads come up all the time all over the place and it's just hilarious to watch get more and more out of control.... "my Mac can wash dishes".... "Oh yeah, well my PC can shovel the driveway after it does the dishes".... blah, blah, blah.

Meanwhile most of these extremists have no idea what they're talking about which can be easily as the thread spirals into the abyss with bigger and bigger fairy tails.

Do yourself a favor and make a stop at Bestbuy or similar and play for a while on each machine and make up your own mind because listening to this rubbish is about as useful as doggy-doo-doo on the bottom of your shoe.

I use Adobe CS4 apps on a PC at home and on a Mac at school. Given the choice, I'd stick with PC. Performance-wise I don't notice a difference but the Mac seems like a dumbed-down interactive terminal you'd find in a shopping mall. I want to throw the stupid mouse across the room every time I try to right-click and I hate that they deliberately reversed the close/minimze screen options. The worst of all is the obnoxious, straight out of Sharper Image, keyboard. The lack of a border aound it (useless as it is) just irritates me and the fancy clear edge collects hairs, lint and debris that just looks nasty.

In summary, I've contributed nothing to this discussion. I feel much better though. I really had to get that off my chest.

Edit to add one more pointless comment....
All the machines in the Art New Media Dept. are loaded with After Effects and I have been dying to see what all the fuss is about. Unfortunately, it errors out and asks where my scratch disks are when I try to run it. Scratch disks? Seriously?

"OK, I'll changed to "inspired by" eMachines. I hope you won't sully my post with one of your ridiculous graphics."

BudWzr, you sully your own posts by spouting ridiculous nonsense. eMachines was launched in 1998 and Apple had developed their industrial design style LONG before that.

I say forget Mac & forget PC.
Just get a Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) . You're gonna love it.
Guaranteed to never get a virus either.........

Ted

One falsity that needs to get nailed down: Yes, Mac Pro's are workstation class hardware, but they are not workstations. I have seen the comparison of Mac Pro's to HP workstations, and the Mac warranty and reliability are nowhere close to workstation standards. When you look at an HP or Dell workstation, observe the certifications for CAD packages and other professional tools. You are paying for a solution that is commercial grade and warrantied as commercial grade. The device drivers for the graphics adapters are explicitly certified for commercial apps. If you have an issue, you are given an event number, and it gets corrected fairly promptly. I managed engineering and IT at a small software company for three years that was predominantly Mac up until 1.5 years ago. Apple's support is high grade consumer, nothing better. Dell is far superior in its support of hardware sold. As far as compat support, nothing beats a workstation certified for the apps you need.

Joe