Goodbye XP

[Jeff Davis]

I loooove XP. It uses very few system ressources, and most of all I can unload all the eye-candy and avoid the bloated feel of Win7 or OSX. XP gives me the overview, visually, that I want.

I do not like OSX's file handling and general navigation, it really slows me down, but on the other hand I don't like the browser-like philosphy of Win7. I've only tried Win8, but it seems bloated, like a lot of modern software.

So, I'll continue using XP offline for music production. Frankly, it annoys me quite a lot, the dropping of XP.

You do music production? Cool. I did it with XP 32 bit for years. I never did do XP pro 64bit. But now that I use windows 7 64bit the value that it's memory facilitation represents to music production and sound design is just phenomenal. Windows 7 can also be really lightened up resource wise through tweaks like XP was always good for. Yes, XP was the bomb, but then again so was the internet 20 years ago. Now look at it.

 

[stonehart]

You do music production? Cool. I did it with XP 32 bit for years. I never did do XP pro 64bit. But now that I use windows 7 64bit the value that it's memory facilitation represents to music production and sound design is just phenomenal. Windows 7 can also be really lightened up resource wise through tweaks like XP was always good for. Yes, XP was the bomb, but then again so was the internet 20 years ago. Now look at it.

Ran my 24bit 96k 8 in 8 out ADAT bridge card on a PC running win XP for many years myself.. was stable as a rock and always had plenty of resources.

For live shows effects, playback, lighting, and video we use Mac for good reasons as it is all synced and has only ever crashed once in all the shows we have done in the Pink Floyd Project and to be honest it was more of a glitch than a crash.
Mac setups in this situation are rock steady and trustworthy and they have to be 100% of the time every time. The crash we had was with the video to audio sync on the song Money the video would not roll but the audio did.. so no harm done as lighting just had to fill the gap.
I am not a platform or OS snob I use them all as they all have their pros and cons but if you are doing live work go with Mac for critical show systems.

 

[Ezechiel]

I decided to upgrade to Windows 8.1 last week and I actually enjoy it . My feeling is you don't want to be the crusty old-timer technology has left behind. Gotta stay on top of this stuff or it buries you.

In a corporate environment, implementing 8.1 is a mousey hand-holding nightmare trying to get users familiar with the subtleties of the touchy-feely interface without a touchscreen lol.

 

[Jeff Davis]

In a corporate environment, implementing 8.1 is a mousey hand-holding nightmare trying to get users familiar with the subtleties of the touchy-feely interface without a touchscreen lol.

Precisely! It seems so limited in scope. It's like Microsoft just can't get past the nature of "following" technological fad. Like they invested a fortune in an attempt to exhibit trend based bells n whistles and now we are supposed to sympathetically develop some pretend symbiotic "keep up" relationship with their misspent corporate buffoonery bloat. They don't even have their eye on the individual user. Their eye is on the machine assemblers that pay the BIG buck license fees. Just designed to sell more machines to feed a mentality no less mechanized. It's messed up.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

I just see more and more reasons to use a Mac.

 

[Jeff Davis]

I just see more and more reasons to use a Mac.

Mac, the best commercial consumer grade machine you can buy. Not the best professional grade machine you can buy. There, in terms of high end audio and video production work, most pro goes with multiple processor, custom bridge work built custom/pro built PCs. There is no question that at one time Mac OWNED that world. Not so much anymore. I guarantee you beyond question that a MusicXPC (and numerous others as well) laptop will annihilate any commercial mac laptop on the market today statistically in terms of their professional live show dependable reliability. It's too easy to do this nowadays. Too many truly excellent pro builders and writers forces the prices on these monster machines lower than one would expect. It's honestly more about the OS these days with respect for what developers utilize primarily to write and develop the programs within initially. Everything else subsequently is a workaround adaption in most of these eccentric applications. Like I stated, Mac used to own the Music production world via ProTools. those days are truly long gone. Too many killer PC DAWs to choose from these days.

The Bottom line IMO Gene, you want the best money can buy in terms of sweet typically reliable consumer grade computer product? Buy a Mac. They almost own that world now in terms of buyer loyalty and emphasis on quality over quantity, and with the advent of their affordable priced line of machines, they may mission complete in this sense.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Go take a look at a Mac Pro which, fully outfitted with the fastest Intel Xeon chip, twin AMD FirePro graphics processors, and 64GB of RAM, and you'll find no direct equivalent at a comparable price in the PC world. The fact of the matter is that, from the cheapest model, which starts at $2,999 to the maxed out version, reviewers have tried to find a PC workstation that matches the features, the specs, and the price, and have been unable to do so.

 

[Jeff Davis]

Go take a look at a Mac Pro which, fully outfitted with the fastest Intel Xeon chip, twin AMD FirePro graphics processors, and 64GB of RAM, and you'll find no direct equivalent at a comparable price in the PC world. The fact of the matter is that, from the cheapest model, which starts at $2,999 to the maxed out version, reviewers have tried to find a PC workstation that matches the features, the specs, and the price, and have been unable to do so.

Like I stated, I agree! They are KILLER machines that cannot be beat for the money. They rule the consumer world completely. Now go look at the pro DJ and Mobile Music Production & Recording PC laptops and how much they are going for. As a musician you can't beat these because 90% of the eccentric music implementation and production programs are developed within the PC (mostly XP, now windows 7) OS architecture. So when using these products, especially those synthesis users that incorporate and rely on sample libraries that demand rigorous memory and processor loads, many prefer these custom built PC machines whose dos has been tweaked (modified in writing, not just resource effected) to enhance speed, efficiency and reliable performance. When a MacPro topped out around 3.5K around 6 or so years ago, you could buy these custom built pro machines for not much more. That was the beginning of the end for Mac's rule in the music laptop world. No longer could they claim that it was their machines that were most reliable due to their OS working best and most solid with their hardware which was always second to none statistically in terms of commercial assemblers. The little guy caught up and is still a fairly well kept secret due to tight circulation amongst eccentric caterings. Building is always really where it's at with respect to value.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

So, by repeating what you wrote already, you won't touch my response. Consumers don't buy Mac Pros, and Mac Pros remain backordered. Clearly content creators want them.

 

[Jeff Davis]

So, by repeating what you wrote already, you won't touch my response. Consumers don't buy Mac Pros, and Mac Pros remain backordered. Clearly content creators want them.

Gene! LOL!! It doesn't take a "Pro" to buy a MacBook Pro. They are just a killer laptop. They are popular and that's why they are on back order. Every kid into electronic music wants one and their price tag is no option. Trend my friend, trend. Certainly not because only Pros or Artists ordered them or use them. Believe you me, with respect to Apple's phenomenal level of success, I credit ONE thing. If there is one thing that Apple understands, it's visionary marketing. It purchased their future. Can you say "owned"? Like I stated, they rule now that Dell (and remember Gateway!?) has been relegated to utter junk. Apart from that, all those back ordered MacBook Pros represent is bling. Nothing more. Some are real creators, I would bet not even close to a majority however.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

That's preposterous. You can do great music on any Mac, and a fully-outfitted iMac is actually a great professional tool for those for whom a Mac Pro is overkill. Apple's music creation app, Logic Pro X, at $199.99, runs even on a $599 Mac mini with credible performance.

The Mac Pro's advantage is strictly for high-end content creators, such as those needing to run multiple 4K video streams with many filters active without dropping frames. They aren't for "kids into electronic music." You are sadly misinformed.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Long and short of it is that, ever since the Apple Macintosh debuted in 1984, the critics have said it was just a machine for consumers, or an expensive plaything. This is while Apple built a substantial market in the print and publishing industries, education, music, video, and other creative pursuits. While there are exclusive vertical apps only available on the Windows platform, most of the apps people need to do real work are available on the Mac.

It is also suggested that Apple is doomed and will expire any day now. This "Apple Death Knell" has also persisted since the 1980s. At the same time, Apple owns the premium personal computer, smartphone and tablet markets. There's a lot of cheap junk out there, and people buy them because they want things that work but don't want to make long-term investments. But how many people actually love Windows? How many people love Windows 8, which even devoted Microsoft fans have labeled a huge mistake?

Take the platform you want. Go with Linux if you will, although the command line options on a Mac are quite extensive. Indeed, you can even run Windows and loads of other operating systems on a Mac. But let's keep the facts straight and stop the myths please.

 

[dyingsun]

Gene, we know you love Apple..

 

[Gene Steinberg]

It's a matter of facts, not opinion.

 

[dyingsun]

Hm, debatable..

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Well, not the use of Macs in the business world, or sales figures, or the fact that the growth of the Mac, while not what it was, has exceeded the rate in the PC world for a number of years.

 

[dyingsun]

What about gamers though ? I am one, and buying a Mac would severely limit the titles I want to play ? I'm with you on the other pints, at least somewhat, though.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Depends on the game. And nothing prevents you from using Boot Camp on the Mac to install Windows for your hard-core gaming on Windows-only titles. The Macs have pretty decent graphics processors. They are not dedicated gaming machines, but they are fine for most people.

The discussion, however, has been about using Macs for work. There can be no argument on that score. I know lots of people (including Chris and me) who have used Macs for business for years.

 

[stonehart]

That's preposterous. You can do great music on any Mac, and a fully-outfitted iMac is actually a great professional tool for those for whom a Mac Pro is overkill. Apple's music creation app, Logic Pro X, at $199.99, runs even on a $599 Mac mini with credible performance.

The Mac Pro's advantage is strictly for high-end content creators, such as those needing to run multiple 4K video streams with many filters active without dropping frames. They aren't for "kids into electronic music." You are sadly misinformed.

Correct all serious studio work is done on Mac running Pro-Tools.. fact.
Mac = Audio production in a very big way and if you have never used one for audio work, then people you are missing out as they are easy and stable to use.

 

[Ezechiel]

Macs have always had the 'elite' tag. High quality, cutting edge, high price. In other words, once you've made your name using cheap clones using Microsoft you can afford apple lol