Mac vs Microsoft: what's better for me?

Question

I'm looking for a good computer that will last me for a while (at least 5 years, preferbally more). I need something that can be upgraded and modified; from the get go, I need a good video card and lots of memory and RAM. I want a computer that I can use Photoshop quickly and effeciently with, without it stalling or taking forever; a computer that will work with Wacom tablets; I also want to listen to music while working on my pictures. What computer brand should I use, and what specifics should I look for? (Brand/size of video card, amount of RAM and memory, etc).
Also, for monitors: what size, and what resolution would be best for artists? I prefer the bigger moniters, but a flat screen would be fine too. Does brand matter much with moniters?

Answer 1

look both brands have some strong and week points
but i think microsoft is the future as it is used almost all over the world
moreover microsoft is a good company and almost a universal operating system

Answer 2

PCs are much more upgradable than Macs, I think. But I dunno.... people say macs are better for video editing and stuff...
For memory, I suggest at the least, 1 gig, 2 gigs preferably or even more. windows vista, coming out next year, is rumored to eat up memory like no other, so its best to prepare yourself. Plus, extra ram makes your computer run smoother and sometimes faster.
It doesnt seem like your into 3D graphics or games or anything, so video card might not matter as much. maybe a nice but cheap one, 100-200 dollar range. A good CPU is probably more important for photo editing. single core - more speed, dual core - less speed but better multitasking.
As for a monitor, CRTs can get very high resolutions, so can fit lots of stuff on the screen. I can't really think of any advantages of LCDs for artists. maybe they won't hurt you eyes as much ;)

Answer 3

All of your specification requirements point to Mac, built in. Most of the programs you need come with the OS.
My friends old Macs and mine came with all those specs. since time immemorial with average life span of over 8-10 years, and I'm talking about heavy usage.
The only downside to your question would be hardware upgrade, which PCs have more out there in the market.
But hey, I'd rather work with my machine, not on it and be productive.

Answer 4

If you want to do photo/video/sound editing etc and you want something that works all the time? Go Mac.

There are more programs made for MS products, but all the stuff you listed in your question are included with a Mac.

As for specs, you want long lasting? Go for a new G5.

Go to apple.com and check the specs.

Answer 5

get a mac.. they released 5 OS while windows only released one.. They are better, easier to use, less viruses. if you want photoshop.. USE MACS. there the best for editing photos and vids.. otherwise. i like compaqs and hps. never broke down on me. dells are cheap. but there stock is going way down

Answer 6

The Microsoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation with 2005 global annual sales of US$39.79 billion and 71,553 employees in 102 countries and regions as of July 2006. It develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices.[4][2] Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, its most popular products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, each of which has achieved near-ubiquity in the desktop computer market. Microsoft possesses footholds in other markets, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSN Internet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopedia. The company also markets both computer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse as well as home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360 and MSN TV.[2]

Microsoft's name, originally bi-capitalized as MicroSoft or with hyphenation as Micro-Soft, is a portmanteau of "microcomputer software"[5] and is often abbreviated informally as MS. The company was founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico on April 4, 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800.[1] After the market saw a flood of IBM PC clones in the mid-1980s, Microsoft used its new position, which it gained in part due to a contract from IBM, to dominate the home computer operating system market with MS-DOS.[6] The company later released an initial public offering (IPO) in the stock market, which netted several of its employees millions of dollars due to the ensuing rise of the stock price.[7][8] The price of the stock continued its rise steadily into the early 2000s. In Microsoft Windows, originally an add-on for MS-DOS, the company was selling what would become the most widely used operating system in the world[citation needed]; Microsoft continued to push into multiple markets, such as computer hardware and television.[9] In addition, Microsoft has historically given customer support over Usenet newsgroups and the World Wide Web, and awards Microsoft MVP status to volunteers who are deemed helpful in assisting the company's customers.[10]

With what is generally described as a developer-centric business culture, Microsoft has become widely known for some of its internal codes of conduct for its employees.[11] One example is the "eat your own dog food" mantra, which describes the practice of using pre-release products inside the company to test them in an environment geared towards the real world.[12] Microsoft has been convicted of monopolistic business practices—the U.S. Justice Department, among others, has sued Microsoft for antitrust violations and software bundling.[13] The slogan "embrace, extend, and extinguish" is often used to describe Microsoft's strategy for entering product categories involving widely-used standards, extending those standards with proprietary capabilities, and then using those differences to disadvantage its competitors.[14] In addition, Microsoft has been criticized for the insecurity of its software.[15] However, Microsoft has won several awards, such as the "1993 Most Innovative Company Operating in the U.S." by Fortune magazine, as well as maintaining a place on the Fortune 500 list of companies as of 2006.[16]
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so i think that is convincing that microsoft brand is better then Apple, with few weak points.