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Thread September 13, 2014 editorial: comments

6 replies
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Mike Levine

Author

First post

1 Posted on 09/13/2014 at 10:00:03

Apogee Does Windows

Big news on the audio interface front, as Apogee has partnered with Avid to make the Pro Tools | Duet and Pro Tools | Quartet audio interfaces, which are compatible with Mac and Windows systems, and come bundled with Pro Tools 11 software. This is newsworthy because Apogee previously focused only on the Mac side. The company has long been known for making high-quality interfaces and converters, so these new products will provide a nice option for Windows users.

Which brings me to that old subject of Mac vs. Windows. I have been a Mac user for virtually my entire adult life, and have only used Windows systems when I had to for work. From my own personal standpoint, I prefer the vibe of the Mac OS, and for me, it's more intuitive and user friendly. But I also recognize that longtime Windows users typically feel the opposite way, and a lot of it has to do with what you’re used to and what you learned on.

What's more, for music users, the differences between the platforms are not as stark as they once were. A lot of DAWs, such as Live, Cubase, Reason, Studio One, Pro Tools and Digital Performer, among others, offer you a very similar experience on both Mac and Windows. Most major plug-ins are available for both, too. Overall, you can make great music on either platform; it’s really a matter of which flavor of operating system you like.

I started using Macs back when Apple was thought of as a David and Windows a Goliath, and when the user experience was radically different between the two. Back then, Mac was the distinct underdog, synonymous with creativity and user friendliness while Windows brought to mind faceless IT departments, breathtakingly dull business software, and limited music production choices.

Because Apple was the only computer maker on the Mac side (except for the short-lived "Mac clone" era in the 90s) standardization was easier for peripheral makers and software developers, and everything pretty much worked with everything else. On the Windows side, there were (and still are) so many companies making CPUs that standards were more variable, and thus compatibility was more of an issue. It was analogous to the iOS and Android markets of today.

From my own subjective viewpoint, it seems like the dynamic has changed somewhat on the computer side of things. Apple has become so big and powerful a company that the whole “root for the underdog” feeling that Mac users once had is pretty much kaput. What’s more, Apple isn’t focusing as much attention on the creative professional as it once was, because its attention is focused on the much-more-lucrative consumer-oriented iOS world. So the whole “creative people use Apple,” meme is no longer quite as relevant.

Nevertheless, I’m still a loyal Mac user, and wouldn’t voluntarily switch over. However, the idea of using a Windows machine doesn’t fill me with dread like it once did. I’m sure I would adapt if I had to.

So what do you think? Would you ever consider switching platforms, or are you still a passionate supporter of either Mac or PC?

Have a great week.

Mike Levine

U.S. Editor, Audiofanzine

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slowlight

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2 Posted on 09/13/2014 at 10:58:53

Very good thoughts on the MAC vs PC topic!
I feel the same like you but from the opposite. Beeing a PC user since Mid-90ies I got used to all those bumps in the Windows world. When beeing on a Mac which happens occasionally I often get confused in my workflow and ask myself whats the attraction of this MacOS ;-)

But anyway, as long as we dominate the machines and they serve us everything is alright.

markalex49

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3 Posted on 09/13/2014 at 12:37:34

I have to agree with you whole-heartedly. My only reasons for sticking with Mac now are that I'm so invested in it (iPad, iPhone, MacBooks, etc.) that I dread the thought of losing that simple connectivity. Also, if something ever goes wrong, I can usually fix it very fast. On a PC, I'd be fumbling around looking for solutions -- NOT good if a clients are standing behind me waiting to hear their song!

[ Post last edited on 09/13/2014 at 12:37:57 ]

Mike Levine

Author

4 Posted on 09/13/2014 at 15:08:07

I know what you mean. I've used Macs so long that I can troubleshoot them fairly well. I would be pretty clueless trying to figure out a problem on a PC (other than if the AC power cable wasn't connected :-D

[ Post last edited on 09/13/2014 at 15:09:21 ]

NYCGRIFF

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5 Posted on 09/14/2014 at 01:15:46

To keep this short and sweet. I simply use both platforms. Each has something to offer on the creative side. If you're a computer user, why on earth would you blindly restrict yourself with only one OS? Where's the adventure and fun doing that?

NEEDMOREBASS

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6 Posted on 09/15/2014 at 02:22:12

Quote from slowlight:

Very good thoughts on the MAC vs PC topic!
I feel the same like you but from the opposite. Beeing a PC user since Mid-90ies I got used to all those bumps in the Windows world.

Great topic, I was also used to the windows world until purchasing an original plastic white macbook after testing out my friend's computer. I thought I was used to the 'bumps and bruises' of the windows world, but after switching to an interface that took less than a day (probably less than 10 minutes) to comfortably learn, and experiencing virtually no viruses or speed-loss issues (and above all, NO BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH!!!!), I was already sold. Combine that with the fact that the macbook came with garageband (which, at the time, was quite an impressive piece of software that showed me things I didn't even know was possible), and I never looked back.

It's true that windows-based PCs have come a long way, but IMHO that's particularly the case after Microsoft decided to copy virtually everything about the Mac OS and incorporate it into their own OS releases. If you look in the last 10 years, windows was consistently horrible, then started improving with Vista in 2007 (interestingly enough, about a year after the introduction of the first Macbook that changed the game entirely), and has drastically improved since.

I will agree entirely with Mike when he says

Quote from Mike:

What’s more, Apple isn’t focusing as much attention on the creative professional as it once was, because its attention is focused on the much-more-lucrative consumer-oriented iOS world. So the whole “creative people use Apple,” meme is no longer quite as relevant.

Now that other brands have been able to play creative catch-up, the industry has changed. But I've stayed loyal to Apple's computers because they were the first that truly catered to people who wanted more than Word and Excel, but didn't know how to (or want to) build their own computers to fit their needs.

Regardless, so long as you have a system that helps you follow your musical passion, all the power to you! Great newsletter :-D

Mike Levine

Author

7 Posted on 09/16/2014 at 07:17:23

Thanks! Glad you like the newsletter!

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