How many PC and Mac users are there out there?

DEredita

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Dec 24, 2004
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I am using both the system in my signature and a 2 GHz Core 2 Duo Macbook w/ 2GB of ram. At work I mostly use the Mac, except when I do webdesign, just because I like Windows Notepad better (old school coder). At home I mostly use the PC, although I switch back and forth.
I can't decide for my next system if I am going to go with a Mac Pro or a dual socket Intel/AMD windows machine. Looking for a super workstation - loads of ram, and a ton of processing horsepower. I tried 64bit Vista and it was an technological abortion. At least with OS X - it's very compatible when it comes to software. I find windows limiting when it comes to high end hardware, which is why I am strongly considering the next gen Mac Pro when it comes out.

Unless Microsoft fixes 64-bit Vista, my future as a PC user looks doubtful. I would miss the joy of hand-building my own machine though.


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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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Yeah, I just walked my wife through her first build (for her parents) last night. I miss doing that since we have a Mac at home now :(

As far as Windows goes, have you tried using Parallels yet? I too prefer Windows Notepad for doing website coding, plus some of the other tools I'm used to in Windows. If you get a Mac Pro, you can install Parallels and run XP and/or Vista virtually, even set it up fullscreen on a second monitor if you have one. That's actually my plan - I'm planning on getting a Mac Pro plus 3 x 24" LCDs - the primary for Mac, the left one for Windows under Parallels, and the right one for previewing sites, checking email, etc. The next release of Parallels is supposed to have better Vista support as well as support for multi-cores under the VM, so you can run XP with 2 of the 4 cores in your Mac Pro.
 

effowe

Diamond Member
Nov 1, 2004
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As far as coding on the Mac is concerned, I use the great freeware utility Smultron. It's like TextPad on Windows, as it color codes all the html tags in your documents. I use a Mac Mini at work and I occasionally load up XP through Parallels so I can test my site on IE. It works great, but it's a real memory hog. At home I have your typical gaming rig PC. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and I enjoy using them both.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: effowe
As far as coding on the Mac is concerned, I use the great freeware utility Smultron. It's like TextPad on Windows, as it color codes all the html tags in your documents. I use a Mac Mini at work and I occasionally load up XP through Parallels so I can test my site on IE. It works great, but it's a real memory hog. At home I have your typical gaming rig PC. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and I enjoy using them both.

Ah man you're making me miss my Mini :( I'm all about pimping rigs out, so I juiced up my Mini with a 2ghz Core Duo and a couple gigs of ram. It ran everything flawlessly...Windows was full-speed under Parallels, no memory problems...I sold it to get a MacBook, then had to go back to a dedicated laptop PC for work/school since I was running Windows 99.9% of the time. Glad my wife has an iMac ;)
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
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I use both, and can't see myself buying a Mac.

Work = 98% mac.

Home = all pc.
 

KaOTiK

Lifer
Feb 5, 2001
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My desktops are PC but my laptop is a Macbook Pro. <3 the Macbook Pro

Kao
 

ForumMaster

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2005
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the Mac is very fast as a workstation cause underneath all that nice aluminium case, it has the same guts as any other high end workstation except that it comes with OS X. the only problem that the Mac Pro has (as well as any other dual socket Woodcrest workstation) is the necessary FB-DIMM technology (the only type of RAM that the Intel chipset will support). you could buy a Mac Pro, install bootcamp and put windows on their and/or run Parallels for the precious notepad (yes i love it too.)
 

DEredita

Senior member
Dec 24, 2004
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Originally posted by: ForumMaster
the Mac is very fast as a workstation cause underneath all that nice aluminium case, it has the same guts as any other high end workstation except that it comes with OS X. the only problem that the Mac Pro has (as well as any other dual socket Woodcrest workstation) is the necessary FB-DIMM technology (the only type of RAM that the Intel chipset will support). you could buy a Mac Pro, install bootcamp and put windows on their and/or run Parallels for the precious notepad (yes i love it too.)

Yeah, the prices for the FB-DIMM memory is actually breath-taking. :Q
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: DEredita
Originally posted by: ForumMaster
the Mac is very fast as a workstation cause underneath all that nice aluminium case, it has the same guts as any other high end workstation except that it comes with OS X. the only problem that the Mac Pro has (as well as any other dual socket Woodcrest workstation) is the necessary FB-DIMM technology (the only type of RAM that the Intel chipset will support). you could buy a Mac Pro, install bootcamp and put windows on their and/or run Parallels for the precious notepad (yes i love it too.)

Yeah, the prices for the FB-DIMM memory is actually breath-taking. :Q

Oh come on, $3,000 for 16gb ram is not that bad :D
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: deathkoba
In NYC if feels like there are awfully more Mac users than there are PC users.

You know, I've noticed that too. I think it's a combination of being trendy and being able to have a Mac that can run Windows. imo most PC users should be on Macs rather than Windows...it's easier and less hassle to run than Windows. I'm not saying the bulk of Anandtech should, just that my support life for friends/family would be sooooo much easier if they all just had Macs :D
 

monk3y

Lifer
Jun 12, 2001
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My computers at home are PC. But ALL the computers (8) in the research lab I work at are Macs. I hated it at first but don't mind it at all anymore.
 

DEredita

Senior member
Dec 24, 2004
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I dunno why, but I have a soft spot for the Mini. Now I wish they came with the Core 2 Duo processors. Rumor is February a new Mac Mini will be released. Someone recently put a 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo in his, then realized though benchmarks the hard drive was bottlenecking, so he added a 7200 desktop drive using a firewire enclosure as his primary drive. The benchmarks were huge improvement.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: DEredita
I dunno why, but I have a soft spot for the Mini. Now I wish they came with the Core 2 Duo processors. Rumor is February a new Mac Mini will be released. Someone recently put a 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo in his, then realized though benchmarks the hard drive was bottlenecking, so he added a 7200 desktop drive using a firewire enclosure as his primary drive. The benchmarks were huge improvement.

Ditto, something about the Mini is just so cool :) And yeah, if you can build a computer you can swap the proc in the Mini pretty easily. I put a 2ghz Core Duo in mine early last summer, worked out great. There are four main upgrades you can do inside the Mini: the proc, the ram, the hard drive, and the DVD drive. Mine has a 2ghz Core Duo, 2 gigs of G.Skill ram, a 100gb 7200rpm Seagate 2.5" SATA hard drive, and a Pioneer DVR-K06 8x DVD burner. I'd love to get my hands on one of those 2.33ghz Meroms, but they cost more than the Mini itself right now :Q

The Firewire option works just as good as replacing the stock drive in the Mini, since you can use a Firewire drive as your boot medium. My friend and I did a bunch of work on the Mini over the summer and came out with adapters for the SATA 2.5" hard drive and the IDE slimline drive, so you can use full-sized SATA and PATA drives with the Mini :D The SATA connector isn't too hard to come by, but the PATA was a real pain in the neck. However, you can use up to two drives on the IDE channel (like a hard drive and a DVD drive), so it worked out nicely. Plus an SATA drive (anyone want to do a Raptor-based Mini?) If you want to build yourself a cheap power Mac, it's a good way to go - grab a nice case, the appropriate adapters, some full-sized drives, and faster proc and more ram and voila, sub-$2000 Mac Pro ;)
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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Originally posted by: DEredita
but the problem would be the missing video.

As long as you don't game or do heavy 3D work, it doesn't matter. The GMA950 is fine for OS X & Boot Camp in that regard. Parallel's has like an 8mb emulated video card, which isn't that big, but it runs Paint Shop Pro and Rhino 3D just fine for me. I've heard they are going to be improving in that area for Vista, too.