any future for MacBooks in music production ?

[telecode]

The graphics on my i9 MBP are absolutely gorgeous. I'm so not somebody who reads up on components in magazines to be influenced or gather material for shit-talking on the internet.

If you really go for the high spec machine you can spend as much for a windows box.
I cannot stand Windows OS. There is too much dicking about with things which I never have to, this is always going to be the case.
Some of the trials and tribulations I see here, on a regular basis are pitiable. It isn't about the past or hanging on, I just don't have the time for that nonsense.

Additionally there is the integration when the same entity manufactures the hardware and develops the software for it.
I do videos to present my music, and DaVinci Resolve is literally unbelievably fast at renders on this machine, and FCP X is considerably quicker with it than it was before. You're doing this on a Dell? I doubt it.

As to the OS 'breaking stuff', I don't have to update it. I chose to, for definite reasons, and the only things broken by doing so are age-old things in 32-bit - 3 in all - the developer couldn't be arsed to make 64-bit on OS, a big flip of the bird to us and he can GFH, my use was rare 3 yrs ago. Kontakt 2 doesn't work .

FWIW.. I am/was a OS X user for music. But am switching to Windows as my understanding is the applications I use (cubase and Maschine) are more tailored for Windows. We shall see what comes of it over the long run. What I am finding is, applications that used to work stably in the past are starting to get a little slower and finicky on OS X. A biggie is Maschine and the Sounds.com integration. I could swear it used to crash a lot less in the past. The last few updates are generating stange instability on the user end.

[jancivil]

do ppl still not realise apple stuff is expensive for the sake of it, not because its better?

Do people not realize that assertion is not an argument?
That words like better with no context at all are pretty much empty?

I would say integration such as I just went into *is* better. Many things suit me better subjectively, but objectively you don't have applications integrated w. your hardware like that. Full_stop.

[AnX]

better build quality
better performance

ok?

thought it was quite obvious...

[mgw38]

better build quality
better performance

ok?

thought it was quite obvious...

Build quality of Macs is generally better although you will find PCs these days that are at the same or maybe even better level.

The price/computing performance argument is one I have to admit is valid. However, computing performance does not really play a huge role anymore these days. My main concern is my productivity and not the one of my computer. And I tend to be much more productive in the MacOS ecosystem than I am in the Windows one. By a lot, actually.

Speaking in raw computing power, I am on a 4 year old MacBook and have not yet found a situation where I maxed out the computer. Usually, when the CPU is reaching a certain level of utilization, it is more of a sign that it is time to commit and bounce than it is to buy a more powerful machine.

I have colleagues who run professional studios on machines much older than mine. If it working for a pro, it most certainly should also work for a hobbyist like me.

[jancivil]

"ok?

thought it was quite obvious..."

So you don't really grasp the difference between assertion and making an argument.

[fmr]

better build quality
better performance

ok?

thought it was quite obvious...

Build quality of Macs is generally better although you will find PCs these days that are at the same or maybe even better level.

Are you kidding? Maybe that was truth in times, but not anymore. This is a serious case of "Stockholm syndrom":

[jancivil]

But do ignore the points as to integration. I'd pretty much bet money you can't render a video as fast as I can.

Anyway, the 2018 models boast significant boosts in performance vs the last generation. To argue performance we need some kind of context.
I don't know, but I'm not worried with the increases I saw with this machine. Specs on paper are not real life.

[telecode]

better build quality
better performance

ok?

thought it was quite obvious...

Build quality of Macs is generally better although you will find PCs these days that are at the same or maybe even better level.

The price/computing performance argument is one I have to admit is valid. However, computing performance does not really play a huge role anymore these days. My main concern is my productivity and not the one of my computer. And I tend to be much more productive in the MacOS ecosystem than I am in the Windows one. By a lot, actually.

Speaking in raw computing power, I am on a 4 year old MacBook and have not yet found a situation where I maxed out the computer. Usually, when the CPU is reaching a certain level of utilization, it is more of a sign that it is time to commit and bounce than it is to buy a more powerful machine.

I have colleagues who run professional studios on machines much older than mine. If it working for a pro, it most certainly should also work for a hobbyist like me.

I think the main choices these days are, do you spend a lot and get one thing that (hopefully lasts a lot of years) or you spend less and keep renewing every couple of years. what OS you use and how productive you are is very finicky. I am sure there are lots of OS X users who just waste away on internet forums and chart forums all day and do very little actual productive work.

There is no argument, Apple products are cooler and a good build, but when you compare them to the top tier products of Lenovo and Dell -- the prices start to sort of even out once you start comparing apples to apples. Compare the MBP to a X1 or high end lattitude workstation, don't compare them to shitty $500 acers.

[telecode]

Anyways, can we steer this back on topic and away from fanboi flame thread. Is OS X still a valid main alternative for music making in todays environment? I am starting to think not so much as I am seeing lots of "creative types" moving to Windows platforms. A few of my graph designer friends moved to MS Surface and pen hardware solutions. I am seeing lots of evidence that the major DAW and VST vendors actually target the Windows platform. FL Studio/.Imageline, Steinberg/Cubase, NI e.t.c..

It does seem the OS X superiority for creative work seems to be dropped a lot since 10+ years ago.

[jeffb01]

I've used macs my whole life, but my next computer (by the end of the year) will be a PC. I'm a little nervous. wish me luck. Right now I'm on a 2012 mac mini.

A few reasons why:

1. I hate how apple always switches thing so nothing works. Example: my firewire audio interface. I'll have to buy a new one. I feel PCs are much better about backwards compatibility. There's rumors that Apple might change their chip from intel. I lost so much software last time they changed their chip to intel.

2. They only put out new versions many years apart. So if you don't buy a computer right when it comes out, it's an old computer - no discount given.

3. I think switching will be easier than ever. Most software companies now have account systems so you can just re-download in PC format.

[mgw38]

Are you kidding? Maybe that was truth in times, but not anymore. This is a serious case of "Stockholm syndrom":

Congratulations, you found a video.

[mgw38]

I run an academic department with around 400 students in the creative field. Not in music but in something related. We recently decided to switch our labs from Macs to PCs. The decision was a purely financial one. The cost of ownership for a PC lab is easier to manage because machines can be upgraded incrementally. And all the software we use is OS agnostic anyway. Most universities have switched to PCs for that reason and I would expect that most of the students coming out of these universities will not even consider using Macs in the future.

So, yes, PC based systems are starting to become more dominant in the creative fields. But personally, I still prefer Mac based systems over PC systems. Might change in a few years. I can't rule out that I will not switch back to a PC eventually.

[AnX]

"ok?

thought it was quite obvious..."

So you don't really grasp the difference between assertion and making an argument.

i was doing neither, dear

i asked a question. The question mark gave it away really...

[AnX]

There is no argument, Apple products are cooler...

ok

[Jace-BeOS]

Anyways, can we steer this back on topic and away from fanboi flame thread. Is OS X still a valid main alternative for music making in todays environment?

Yes.

I am seeing lots of evidence that the major DAW and VST vendors actually target the Windows platform. FL Studio/.Imageline, Steinberg/Cubase, NI e.t.c..

Imageline only recently released a native Mac OS version of FL Studio. The others you mentioned are cross platform.

It does seem the OS X superiority for creative work seems to be dropped a lot since 10+ years ago.

Apple has faltered, but it’s not as dire as some would have you believe. I am angry at Apple for various things right now but I still hate Windows FAR more, don’t have any use for Linux outside occasional utility, and don’t like the build of ANY PC (and i refuse to keep dealing with the voodoo of building PCs). I have yet to see a single brand of PC laptop that feels solid or has a decent trackpad.

If you don’t know the difference, then it doesn’t matter to you. Use what you like. I know the differences very acutely, so I use that which is less bad for me.