Macbook vs windows laptop

[Skol]

So a week orso ago I was looking for a college/university laptop for media design (video/photo editing) and I settled with lenovo. (Thanks again everyone who helped)

 

But looking at those laptops I noticed something was different from the Macbooks compared to thr windows laptops.

 

Macbooks are usually known to be THE laptop for designers. (and hipsters but oh well)

You study graphic design or video editing or whatever, people usually say; Get a Mac. But looking at the apple line-up, most macbooks have no dedicated videocard.

Which I find weird as when I say I'm looking for a Windows laptop for the same study, people tell me to get a laptop with a dedicated videocard.

 

So I am wondering why Macbooks can get away with just general onboard graphics and be known to be THE laptop for creative purposes, while windows (atleast if you also want to do video) you need a dedicated videocard?

 

Besides that I also got told I needed at minimum 8gb RAM, but I see macbooks with 4gb, I needed an i7, but Macs use i5...

It can't be just the OS that makes the difference right??

 

The prices are about the same for what seems less

 

I'm just curious..

[alexhelvetica]

It just shows that the software's recommended specs is higher that what you actually need (also they might have a Haswell i5, and the software requires a lynnfield i7 or better)

Some of the Macbook Pros do have dedicated graphics or beefed up intergrated called Intel Iris.

 

The reason why people buy Macs if because they like the brand, they like the OS or they are misinformed and believe that it is somehow better than an equivalent specced with a similarly priced laptop.

[AresKrieger]

It's due to some software available on mac and marketing (mostly marketing), essentially it comes down to people being stupid more or less. The software for design on mac is good but there are software options on windows that are also good so buying a mac is an idiotic if you are informed, however most people are not very informed.

[Pendragon]

45 minutes ago, Skol said:

Besides that I also got told I needed at minimum 8gb RAM, but I see macbooks with 4gb, I needed an i7, but Macs use i5...

All the designers and video editors use the 15in MBP with a quad core 16gb ram. 

 

For graphic design exclusively, there's no reason to go MBP because you'll probaly be using Photoshop and that's not intensive at all. Reason why people DO go Macbook is because the trackpad is just great and you can do graphic design with that trackpad whereas you can't on Window's machine. 

 

For video editors Macbooks are king. Final Cut Pro is so many light years ahead for individual editing use than Windows counterpart that is positively laughable. Take that core m5 12in Macbook joke. That thing will edit better on Final Cut Pro, than say an XPS15 on Adobe. Built in hardware acceleration for Final Cut Pro makes it not only capable of 4k playback and scrubbing on basically tablet CPUs, but also render out videos light years faster than Windows software. 

 

38 minutes ago, Comic_Sans_MS said:

misinformed and believe that it is somehow better than an equivalent specced with a similarly priced laptop.

 

36 minutes ago, AresKrieger said:

The software for design on mac is good but there are software options on windows that are also good so buying a mac is an idiotic if you are informed, however most people are not very informed.

Yep, you both fall in that category of not very informed. In addition to have built in hardware acceleration for native OSX programs such as FCP, which makes it video editing god-tier, better than anything Windows has for individual use, inbuilt SSH with shell access and unification of OS also makes Macbook Pros tier 1 picks for programmers who have money. 

 

Yes they are "overpriced" for the specs. But if you're a individual video editor or programmer Macbook's UNIX based OS is tier 1. 

 

For more advanced video editing software like Da Vinci or enterprise workflow requirements for Adobe Priemere you definitely have to go Windows, but if you're just a youtuber or making videos for yourself, Final Cut Pro is tier 1. 

[alexhelvetica]

23 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

All the designers and video editors use the 15in MBP with a quad core 16gb ram. 

 

For graphic design exclusively, there's no reason to go MBP because you'll probaly be using Photoshop and that's not intensive at all. Reason why people DO go Macbook is because the trackpad is just great and you can do graphic design with that trackpad whereas you can't on Window's machine. 

 

For video editors Macbooks are king. Final Cut Pro is so many light years ahead for individual editing use than Windows counterpart that is positively laughable. Take that core m5 12in Macbook joke. That thing will edit better on Final Cut Pro, than say an XPS15 on Adobe. Built in hardware acceleration for Final Cut Pro makes it not only capable of 4k playback and scrubbing on basically tablet CPUs, but also render out videos light years faster than Windows software. 

 

 

Yep, you both fall in that category of not very informed. In addition to have built in hardware acceleration for native OSX programs such as FCP, which makes it video editing god-tier, better than anything Windows has for individual use, inbuilt SSH with shell access and unification of OS also makes Macbook Pros tier 1 picks for programmers who have money. 

 

Yes they are "overpriced" for the specs. But if you're a individual video editor or programmer Macbook's UNIX based OS is tier 1. 

 

For more advanced video editing software like Da Vinci or enterprise workflow requirements for Adobe Priemere you definitely have to go Windows, but if you're just a youtuber or making videos for yourself, Final Cut Pro is tier 1. 

I didn't even bring up software because there are good programs for both platforms (even linux has some nice programs as well). I'd also believe that would fall under what OS they prefer, also FCP is $300 (I thought it was $1,000 since I was unaware that the price changed, I guess that changes it a bit), a little bit pricey for students and I am sure a lot of them would be happy cheaper (or free) alternatives. Where does that leave people who don't want to video edit, is there a better program than Photoshop? 

Other than FCP, what makes OS X better for video editors, you mentioned UNIX is important, but why, I kind of have a weak understand why for programmers would like UNIX, but why video editors?

 

I never said they are overpriced for their specs, because they are not. You have to factor in build quality and the OS, then they go inline with other pro-consumer laptops like the Dell XPS, HP Spectre and Lenovo Ideapad or even low end business laptops like the Dell Vostro, HP Probook or Low end Lenovo Thinkpads.

 

I am ignorant, I'll give you that.

[AresKrieger]

26 minutes ago, Pendragon said:

Yep, you both fall in that category of not very informed. In addition to have built in hardware acceleration for native OSX programs such as FCP, which makes it video editing god-tier, better than anything Windows has for individual use, inbuilt SSH with shell access and unification of OS also makes Macbook Pros tier 1 picks for programmers who have money. 

 

Only an idiot would use mac for programing when linux is a thing, as for hardware acceleration do you really believe there is no video editing software available for windows/linux capable of utilizing that, if you do you are the one who is misinformed not me.

 

Also it's not impossible to run apple's OSs on outside hardware, it's difficult no doubt but hardly impossible.

[Pendragon]

4 minutes ago, Comic_Sans_MS said:

Where does that leave people who don't want to video edit, is there a better program than Photoshop? 

Don't video edit. Photoshop is universal. I mentioned for strictly Photoshop use there's not much reason to go Macbook Pro. Photoshop isn't intensive, and people who get Macbooks are like you said pretty damn ignorant. They are paying more for less. 

 

5 minutes ago, Comic_Sans_MS said:

Other than FCP, what makes OS X better for video editors, you mentioned UNIX is important, but why, I kind of have a weak understand why for programmers would like UNIX, but why video editors?

I think I bundled up the statement too much. UNIX doesn't matter for video editors. Reason why UNIX is so good for programmers is because you have built in SSH access (terminal is so much better than anything on windows), you have unification of OS which means while you can run Windows on Macbooks you cant do it the other way around. So programmers who want to code for OSX or IOS NEED to get Macbook Pros. There are alot more technical reasons, but suffice to say that Macbooks are a really good option for cash-strapped programmers.

 

8 minutes ago, Comic_Sans_MS said:

I am ignorant, I'll give you that.

I was very rude just now and I apologize. It's just that Macbooks have their uses, but are generally expensive and not worth it for the average person. But for those who do need the UNIX based OS or OSX native software it's pretty much one of the only options. 

[Pendragon]

8 minutes ago, AresKrieger said:

Only an idiot would use mac for programing when linux is a thing, as for hardware acceleration do you really believe there is no video editing software available for windows/linux capable of utilizing that, if you do you are the one who is misinformed not me.

Running VMware for Xcode brings up a host of compatibility and native support issues, you also run into issues when you try to debug via usb on VMs (idk if that's FINALLY been fixed). As in your response for hardware acceleration existant on Windows/Linux, which one. Please point some out to me that is so embedded as FCP. The core m on the 12in Macbook can scrub 4k and render 4k videos faster than anything Windows. Find me some software that can have a core m scrub raw 4k footage. 

[Prysin]

1 hour ago, Skol said:

So a week orso ago I was looking for a college/university laptop for media design (video/photo editing) and I settled with lenovo. (Thanks again everyone who helped)

 

But looking at those laptops I noticed something was different from the Macbooks compared to thr windows laptops.

 

Macbooks are usually known to be THE laptop for designers. (and hipsters but oh well)

You study graphic design or video editing or whatever, people usually say; Get a Mac. But looking at the apple line-up, most macbooks have no dedicated videocard.

Which I find weird as when I say I'm looking for a Windows laptop for the same study, people tell me to get a laptop with a dedicated videocard.

 

So I am wondering why Macbooks can get away with just general onboard graphics and be known to be THE laptop for creative purposes, while windows (atleast if you also want to do video) you need a dedicated videocard?

 

Besides that I also got told I needed at minimum 8gb RAM, but I see macbooks with 4gb, I needed an i7, but Macs use i5...

It can't be just the OS that makes the difference right??

 

The prices are about the same for what seems less

 

I'm just curious..

 

 

you dun fuck up OP. Video and Photo editing is the ONLY thing a macbook is good at. It is the ONLY use case where a Mac is a better choice then a PC

[Pendragon]

Final Cut Pro is just such much better optimized than anything Windows. Nothing takes advantage of hardware acceleration like FCP and OSX.

 

Photo editing you don't really need a Macbook Pro. 

[Skol]

But is Mac still better when using the same programs? Let's say both use adobe suite; Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Dreamweaver.

(photo, video and some coding)

 

I also don't know how competitive FCP is to Adobe, never used it..

[Pendragon]

18 minutes ago, Skol said:

But is Mac still better when using the same programs? Let's say both use adobe suite; Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Dreamweaver.

(photo, video and some coding)

Fuck no. Same programs Windows > Mac. Both using Premiere, Windows is better cause generally for the same price you get more hardware. 

 

18 minutes ago, Skol said:

I also don't know how competitive FCP is to Adobe, never used it..

FCP > Adobe Premiere (mostly for individual use). 

[Prysin]

18 minutes ago, Skol said:

But is Mac still better when using the same programs? Let's say both use adobe suite; Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Dreamweaver.

(photo, video and some coding)

 

I also don't know how competitive FCP is to Adobe, never used it..

FCP is faster then adobe in every way. For video editing on a MAC you would be absolutely retarded beyond belief NOT to use FCP.

 

As for comparison between adobe software. If Mac and PC has same hardware (or atleast comparable), then it will be about the same. PC may be faster in some regards, MAC may be faster in other regards. It all comes down to software optimisation anyway.

 

Also, if you want to reply to someone, use "@" then write the name of the person you want to reply to

[Skol]

@Prysin ah ok thanks!

[SuperHyperMegaTurbo]

Hmmm... that video Prysin posted seems like a good comparison... but it also makes me suspicious. 

I won't claim to really know any of the details going into how these things work, but... 

 

Final Cut Pro being 10x better rendering speed than Adobe Premiere Pro on the same Mac computer, and 5x better on the Mac than Adobe Premiere Pro on the opposing laptop with more powerful hardware, and still like 3x better than the beefy workstation with Adobe Premiere Pro...

I wouldn't think that all that improvement can just be hardware acceleration and software optimization.

I'm inclined to think that one of the many little checkbox options that can compound render complexity happened to be checked on the Adobe side, making the process that much more intensive. I'm not trying to say that Final Cut Pro isn't better, but this comparison seems extremely skewed for doing the supposed exact same operation, even across more powerful hardware. 

 

Is Final Cut Pro really supposedly better in its native environment by such a huge factor? 

 

That high-frame-density preview rendering in Final Cut Pro does look really good, though, I have to say. 

[Zodiark1593]

The (seeming) general consensus is for production use, buy a Mac if you want FCP, otherwise, a better Windows/Linux machine can be had for slightly less.