Why do people think Macs are better than PCs for creative/artsy stuff?

I don’t like apple, but their music making software is better than any windows counterpart. Logic Studio is amazing.

For anything, they are not any different.

You’ll get a ton of answers. My two cents:
1. Deep system-level color sync accuracy
2. Great design inspires great design

@PupnTaco What is “Deep system-level color sync accuracy”?

While I’m a design-oriented person, with my choice of computers I definitely prefer function over form. No one else (I hope) is looking at my computer excessively, so I don’t find a reason to be “showy.” Also, I personally think Sony’s (and somewhat ASUS’s) are much better designed than Macs.

At an earlier time, Photoshop and other important design programs like Quark, etc. were largely published for Mac, and Mac has always had a more elegant interface between the hardware and software due to Apple’s proprietary business model.

While to my taste Macs are still the better-designed machines, I don’t think the performance of design software is significantly different any longer, but the tradition of design shops using Macintosh persists.

cause it’s all snazzy lookin’ and stuffz.

@pdworkin Wait wait, you think Sony is designed better than Mac? What is your reasoning behind that?

@monsoon I don’t know anything about Sony, nor do I recall having said that, nor can I find it in my post. For those reasons I am unable to answer your question.

I have both a Mac and a PC and there is nothing I’ve done on a Mac that I could replicate on a PC: Photoshop, Premiere vs. Final Cut Pro, etc.

Except for GarageBand, but to be honest, I didn’t search for a PC alternative in earnest.

iMovie, GarageBand, photo booth, iTunes (although this is obviously ported to windows). Basically the whole iLife suit that comes with a mac. Windows has….office?

@pdworkin, Sorry!

@FrogOnFire, Wait wait, you think Sony is designed better than Mac? What is your reasoning behind that?

@monsoon My brother had a Macbook Pro ($2500 thing crapped out after 1.5 years and AppleCare refused to cover it) and I thought I looked nice, but I still didn’t like the it’s “feel”. While shopping for laptops recently, the Sony’s just felt so well designed and comfortable to use. I remember one had this great trackpad that made me reconsider buying a separate mouse. My mom has a Sony and I think the design of it is at least up to par with that of mac. Go to your local best buy and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Sony is too expensive though…I prefer ASUS.

@monsoon Meant to direct that to @FrogOnFire and I second the question. I used to sell computers and have had a number of Sony products and they routinely break because of design that favors looks and extra features of strength and durability etc.

Maybe I’m biased but I liked the look of sony stuff and have regretted it every time. I hate Sony now.

I do like Apple, but I will admit their fault is that PC simply has the bigger following and thus more software and support available. It’s more standard. Otherwise Apple crushes based on reliability, the OS doesn’t slow down over time as quick as a PC, not viruses to speak of etc.

Why for artsy stuff? Logic Studio, other software for Mac, speed which is important for art stuff, etc.

Because Windows has a disgusting User Interface, they don’t think a UI that elegant wouldn’t be for design.

Macs are better for creative, artsy stuff! (Ex: Final Cut Studio, Shake, + Adobe Suite..) (I use it all the time and looove it!)

@FrogOnFire I worked at Best Buy for the last year, on the Geek Squad. Your opinion is your opinion, and I try not to be an annoying Mac user, so… I was just wondering. As a help desk tech though, I feel morally obliged to dissuade you from buying Sony products.

But I LOVE Asus, we’re together there.

@tramnineteen Don’t worry, I hate Sony too for a whole bunch of other reasons, but I’ve never had a big problem with their stuff breaking. I feel like Macs are that way, though, they look good but they’re flimsy and unreliable. In fact, that’s what I think of all Apple products. My iPod Nano has died of firmware/software problems after less than a year and I always hear about Mac chargers and other products that are flimsy and bugged (remember those sparking laptop chargers?).

@FrogOnFire :: Back in the day Macintoshes were very good with color. What you saw on the screen would come out of the printer.

Windows was very bad at this. Your blues would come out purple. They really couldn’t be trusted for print work. I’m talking about stuff like magazines.

@monsoon Yeah, see my last post, I hate Sony because I think their company is unethical. But if you’re buying a computer for it’s design (I sure am not) and you want a PC, Sony’s your best choice probably.

And yay ASUS. I love my new ASUS Laptop. Definitely the best computer I’ve ever owned and was $999.99.

Marketing. Creativity has nothing to do with what computer you use. Apple just markets itself to creative professionals more. But in reality, it’s more or less the same. For example, if you are a graphic designer, you are probably going to use Adobe’s Creative Suite which is pretty much the same on both the mac and pc.

I do believe the mac has some more easier to use development tools like cssedit and coda but i’m sure there are similar pc alternatives. And creative nerds tend to like cleaner interfaces and good looking icons (and macs have an abundance of these)

I’m a mac guy but i feel like its a level playing field for both Macs/PCs in the design world.

What @mirza said.

Macs, with their low-tech, intuitive design and Borg mentality relieve the average artist from technical concerns, leaving more cognitive resources to put toward the creative process. They’re intuitive, which they better freakin’ be for the shitload of money they cost, and beautiful, which again they better be, but give you less control; which is just fine for someone who wants to produce their own product, not fuss over making other people’s software do what they want.

This is random, but since you all tend to be “creative” folks, check out this amazing video of how the vimeo background was created. You could do the same on a mac but it’s just the illustrator’s skill that matters.

This argument is always brought up.

Anyway, I use a collection of up to date Macs to manage music, video, photos, and a variety of other media. I also am a photographer, designer and like to mess around with the Pro application and create funny and serious music and videos.

I don’t feel like I could do this on Windows in the same fashion as I can with the Mac, it just flows much more efficiently. Of course, most of it can be done in a Windows environment, but I feel it’s much better to work with on a Mac.

Apart from the fancy magic, I probably can’t live without the security features, such as having everything I install have my authentication, so If something does happen, I probably overlooked some simple mistake I made.

It’s not wonder Apple makes everyone their bishhh, it works, quite close to perfect.

PC’s and Macs are essentially the same. What makes Mac more used by the creative world is the user interface, user experience, and workflow.

To eject a flash drive correctly from a PC you have to click about 7 times, on a Mac you click 1 time and youre done.

Get it?

not to mention Macs immunity to viruses and looking a hell of a lot better than a hunk of molded plastic PC

How do you get a 7 click eject? I can eject any drive in one click.

I find it funny to hear all the “intuitive” and “borg like thinking” and “they think for you” bull. Just because it can be so doesn’t mean it is. I have been a designer for 17 years and no program thinks for me and I promise you no program thinks for the majority of the real designers out there as well.

The fact is that true creativity doesn’t come from the program or the machine but the user. I can and do create from a pc or a mac.

The reason is because most people cannot (or will not) switch platforms. What you learn on, you stay with. People are incredibly passionate about it because your computer’s interface is integral to being able to use your machine efficiently. So because, initially, macs were far superior to PCs in terms of the programs that graphic designers need to do their work (like @pdworkin said), they all used Macs. They then taught their students to use macs, who taught their students to use macs, and even though the programs are now available on either platform, it’s just ingrained into the culture of graphic design to use macintosh. Graphic designers who learned on a mac will not switch to PC merely because they wouldn’t be as efficient.

I think @Bri_L said it perfectly.

@wenn 7 Clicks to eject a flash drive? It takes me 2. In the system tray, click on Safely remove hardware and the click the flash drive on the menu that pops up.

@fireinthepriory Exact opposite for me. The small amount of graphic design classes I’ve had were on PCs. My high school used to have iMacs in their Art computer lab, but switched the whole thing out to PCs a couple years ago. I think that goes to prove the point that either can be used for design nowadays.

I feel like its like saying you can do anything on linux you can do on a PC. But would you REALLY set up a design shop on linux or PC. A few of the tools we use do need to be run on a PC and we use VMware to achive that. And our network and server software is almost all linux. But for the Desktop designer/retoucher/builder I could never have an all PC setup. There are too many conflicts as far as hardware and software go. Believe me id like to. And have thought about it. It would save me a fortune. But when you really map it out its not practical in the design world as far as business goes.

@FrogOnFire Oh, either CAN definitely be used. But that doesn’t mean that both have an equal chance of being used. And in fact, most professional graphic designers use macs. That’s what makes it the industry standard. You asked why this seems to be the case, but you seem intent on proving why PCs are better. And I’m not saying macs are better. (Yes, I prefer them, but I don’t think they’re inherently “better.”) I’m just saying that once you’re used to something, it’s not worth the effort to change to another platform, which is why they don’t.

My university used PCs for their digital darkroom and macs in the graphic design/video editing lab. I think that was great – anyone who took classes in both HAD to get used to using both platforms, and then upon graduation could move on to whichever platform was required of them in their workplace. (Which was usually mac, from what I’ve heard from my friends.)

@FrogOnFire Maybe its my parents janky PC then, I still don’t like anything about Windows user interface and experience.

also, one main reason schools or whatever lean towards PC labs over Mac labs is cost. PC’s are cheaper. and yes either can be used for design nowadays but nearly everyone ive met in the design world swears by Mac because the OS is so much streamlined and easier to use.

and you have to remember, you get what you pay for. Mac may cost more, but you get an overall better machine IMO.

@Bri_L

Yes, exactly, but which do you prefer for an overall experience?

Yes I agree with @Bri_L too but I have a question for you. On what platform or OS does your creativity flow better?

@crunchaweezy – I prefer the Mac because in the two years I have had it, it has never crashed on me once. I have installed and removed hard ware and programs with out problems including printers, wireless printers, cable internet modems and wireless routers both mac and pc.

It allows me to concentrate on what I like. Using and learning the programs to do what I REALLY like, design.

@TheCreative – Neither. My creativity isn’t tied to the machine. It is tied to the program.

because they are

Here’s my argument about why we see more Macs in the creative world:

1. From a graphic or web designer, you’d expect someone knowing and caring about usability, simplicity and beauty.

2. Someone knowing and caring about usability, simplicity and beauty likes to have hardware and software that give him usability, simplicity and beauty.

3. Mac computers and Mac OS X are the only hardware and software that can give him usability, simplicity and beauty.

I don’t think Mac computers and Mac OS X brings you creativity, I think it’s just logical that someone who cares about design wants to work in a usable, simple and beautiful environment.

Personally, I have never seen anything coming from Microsoft that I could have called “design” (except the Zune lineup, but hey, how could you say they’re not iPod ripoffs?).

And, I have never seen any PC computer that seemed to have been “designed” before manufacturing (except Sony’s VAIO lineup, but hey, how could you say they’re not Mac ripoffs?).

Marketing, Shmarketing. If marketing stuff to everyone, we’d all have the clap from the corner whore. Mac’s graphics are one of the reasons why someone with a couple more dollars would choose one. Another is their OS lets you relaunch an app if it hangs up, vs. facing the blue screen of death.

It’s what it’s generally built for, and marketed as. I use a desktop Mac to do my photo editing, and it’s a lot easier than my PC at home. A bigger, brighter screen, lots of shortcuts, and other things like that make it easier for editing pictures, movies, and music.

i didn’t read everything so forgive if already mentioned, but mac flimsy? their laptops have metal inside! that’s why their so heavy. (the macbook air prolly doesn’t, tho, and i’ve heard it’s not rugged at all, but most people don’t have an air i think.)

and my mac’s never crashed on me either, vs a zillion pc crashes. (tho sony vaio’s i must say do look lovely).

mac, mac, HURRAY!!

God i LOVE my mac, there are so many reasons i couldnt even count, and for those that say design doesnt matter it does to some, and for those that belittle macs sating its all snazzy marketing smkarketing they are wrong. I have had my mac for years and now i have the macbook pro and the desktop, pure bliss and so much fun!!