I'm in the opposite side of this. To me aesthetics are not a boring white thing, but a powerful massive tower that implies that what's inside is PURE POWER. Also the chance of using silent hardware, sound-proofed enclosures... A joy to work with and a need to keep powerful hardware cool. I'm planning my next PC build (current computer is around 6 years old and still kicking like a mofo) and same specs in a mac would probably cost me x3 the price.

Well, considering how huge their userbase is, I'd say they're not wrong

 

2 weeks ago, I went to 2 computers stores in search of advices to replace my old Imac by a new one.
In both shops, the sellers adviced to buy another brand than Apple, which surprised me because no more than a few months ago, according to the same sellers nothing was better than Apple !
Something has dramatically changed, One seller explained that for half of the price, I could get a more specs PC laptop or tower.
Apple video card are too weak, SSD and memory outragously increase the bill.
He shows me a I7, 520 Go SSD, 15 " windows laptop for 1500 euros and shows me the equivalent macbook pro was 3000 euros !
Apple sells obsolete componants at expensive prices in order to keep there monstrous margins.
Why did we still get 5400 HD and poor integrated video card in 2018 computers in a top brand ?
The quality argument of Apple product was true in the past but now, Apple uses the same componants than PC computer, waranty returns for Apple is 17 %, for PC 20 % so roughly the same and mothing which can explain twice the price for Apple products.
Windows OS has now catched up with OSX.
They also told that everyting is hard wired inside Apple computer and imposible to repair, sorry Mr, we undersatnd but you must buy a new one ! this is a revolution.,The only thing you can change in Apple product, is your credit card !
Apple is now an Iphone company and neglect the computer branch, in fact even Iphones sells has dropped !
I saw a video on youtube inside a Apple shop where a guy was charged 1200 $ by Apple to repair his mac (sorry guy, we must replace the mother board, please insert you credit card). The guy went to a local computer shop who did it for free, the mother board was OK only dust on the computer !
There is also the riduculous diseapering of USB ports on macbooks, you must buy dongles (please insert your credit card again).
I can see in every shops discounts on last gen mac computers, not a good sign.

This is serious arguments for my future computer replacement and I hope next Imac gen will be better spec'd or I seriously think of going back to windows. For a budget of 2500 euros, I will be abble to buy a powerfull PC laptop and two 27 " 4K screen, a good audio card and some VST plugins !

I will no more able to run Logic pro but that's not important, I switched to Reaper months ago.

 

im far from an apple fan, have worked with pcs since for ever but I cant other than admit that the overall construction and feel of a macbook pro today is lightyears from the quality in hardware and software in pc laptops. it really hurts me because I as most people dont want to spend more than necessary but i like quality. just the pad on a macbook is beyond comparison to pc laptops, it freaking guesses what I want to do! for someone who uses his machine intensively many such details add up.

as long as I have the cash to pay up of course, times when I dont have the money I dont sweat it, but when I can..

the question is what the hell is hindering other brands from making "perfect" hardware? the price? apple has already shown people are willing to pay, so whats the deal?

maybe all these companies have simply found a convenient share of the market and therefor couldn't care less then to keep the status quo where all of them make cash suck us dry without anyone rocking the boat to much, that to me is the most probable answer

for me the stationary macs are not interesting at all, its just the macbook pros, ipads and phones that are truly great in comparison with the other brands, and the apps, windows is still in diapers when it comes to music apps, so even with all the late "mishaps" apple still holds up im afraid..

sure, the stupidity with the audio jack is really really annoying plus the freaking dongles but, they are still tolerable problems and hopefully they will correct them, if not ill opt out and will get a pc as laptop too but I will miss the good things with apple for sure, but I hope pc/windows/hardware world gets their act together sooner than later

 

Last edited: Jan 12, 2019

I told ppl YEARS ago about this problem.
4 years to be exact.
And it was already there.

There it is : Oct 22, 2014
https://audiosex.pro/threads/apple-mac-why-it-is-going-to-be-bad-for-pro-sofwares-soon.14641/

-Apple is no more a computer company
-Apple is no more "think different" (few ppl) but "think mainstream" (mass production, like iPhones)

So now, they don't care anymore about pro/power computers users ... because those users are NOW less than 10% of their client base.
In the 80's, pro/power users where 90%

WHY they would make choices for less than 10% ?
Read the whole thread to get more points

 

The 2006-2013 Mac Pro were the last really great machines Apple created. Overprice like everything Apple but at least very solid. And most of them seem to be still in use. It was a different Apple back then. Doesn't compare to anything Apple is today.

The only great thing about Apple today is macOS. If Apple would switch to Windows tomorrow, Apple computers would be dead. Nobody would give a dime for this shitty hardware.

 

I still like MacOS for its stability and simplicity
I don't hate windows but MY users experience on Windows 2000-XP-Vista was a nightmare...Virus ..trojans ..dll not found... .net troubles ...blue-screen...NTDLR not found , Asio troubles etc... (sad but true ...Macos are more stable than legal win7x64 on my PC)
i confess... Win7 and above are more stables than olders (when win is sane)
and games working great (i have Win7x64 just for playing)

But it's right , Apple doing bad things to musicians and more....
My old M-audio fire410 is unusable since a while Avid has bought MAudio...
and drivers are no more available "officially" for new OS because of the apple thunderbolt update
for those interested :
unofficial drivers : http://maudio.boards.net/thread/4/firewire-working-capitan-install-package

There is some thunderbolt to firewire adapters ($$$) so i using one with my Presonus firestudio & my Macbook thunderbolt.
but impossible to have a new USB-C audio card working on a Mac with Thunderbolt 1&2 interfaces...MotherFu.kers

i don't want to speak about IOS but i don't jailbreak my IPhone and IPad1&2 since years ...
and when they will die , i don't want any others Ipads or IPhones ever...
When i want to share or adding some music with friends it's an impossible mission ... device limitation ...APP updates or no more more working ...i can't synchronize with multiples macs ( i have to have the same itunes lib) or erasing the device etc....

My Ipad-1 (the first) is alive but i can install anything on it because IOS is too old etc ...(Software Obsolescence...MotherFu.kers)

However i still making music on Mac Os X because i'm lucky to have some old and new Macs ,
I recording with an Apollo-Twin Thunderbolt with my MacBookPro then i go back to the 'BigMac' Hackintosh Tower for mixing ...
i also continue because i really love LogicX (the most intuitive DAW for me) and all my projects are on it ...
I'm mixing on Sierra and all my go for plugs working great , OpenSSH included...
i'm really afraid about a "complete" fusion between MacOs & IOS ...It's partially the case but MacOs still "OPEN" compared to IOS
So i like MacOsX but i'm tired ...

 

Last edited: Dec 17, 2018

just one thing missing from PC:
Logic Pro X

 

Totally, I've been replacing defective parts with pc stuff and it works great. I'm looking forward to trying a full hackintosh since a lot of pc's tend to pack more power then mac's to compensate for Windows handlings. How much more powerful would a modern pc be with the more streamlined mac OS I wonder...

 

long time ago......near 2 decades
today cheapest shit run forever and near with what ever component

 

such a no go....
such a yes for the lobby
-----
best answers

Spoiler: spoiler

 

Last edited: Dec 17, 2018

for one half the other half is flipping information simple as that...

 

microsoft has nothing to do with pc hardware and parts and stuff...... ;)

 

I would rather get my ATARI 1040st out of the closet, and sequence tracks to tape rather than make music on a MAC. No really. BTW my 1040st still works, and awaits the day MAC is the last thing on Earth Until that day, I'll stick with my Win-Daw!

 

I guess we all have a vastly different perspective of how we grew up with our specific technology. Maybe you were a PC gamer who moved into music production and can't understand why anybody would use a Mac. That's fair and valid. My perspective goes back to my first computer, a Commodore 64. Then I ran Notator on an Atari. At that time I was also a freelance graphic designer and the only tool in the industry were Macs. I also worked in music publishing where PC's ran spreadsheets and client databases. When the hardware for Macs became usable I bought Emagic Logic V1. I still did some occasional office work and there was the dreary PC with its word processor and cumbersome user interface. It was now sadly perhaps, forever planted in my brain that Macs created fun stuff, while PC's were stuffy offices with deadlines and short lunch breaks. I still can't sit in front of a PC without looking over my shoulder to see if the boss is tapping his watch and shaking his head.

 

yeah it was a real pain in the ass windows those days, I think it is more stable now, just installed windows 10, and it is ok, but I prefer mac os now, everything is simpler, installers.. never has a crash.. well like 5 times in 10 years, no problems in drivers.. no problem in anything.. I will stick to mac for the rest of my life without a doubt. , all good here on mac os,

 

Good quote from da YouTube commetz:

""Apple does not have the best interests of Musicians at heart." Forget Musicians, they don't have the best interests of USERS at heart. Search for an old article written by Steve Jobs where he says, "We will not allow Flash to run on OUR devices." At the time, it was the most anti user thing I ever read. I never was an Apple fan, but after reading that, it cemented me in to avoiding all things Apple for the rest of my life. I could care less about Flash, but the whole notion of *WE AND WE ALONE DECIDE WHAT RUNS ON ***OUR** DEVICES** is so egregiously offensive, sometimes I can't fathom why anyone would want to support that unless they're brainwashed. And I don't say that lightly because it sounds crazy / paranoid."

 

All I can say is ha...f*cking...ha. You reap just what you sew.

 

I'm afraid even the hackintosh's days are very likely numbered due to the addition of the T2 security chip in every new mac. Heck, even Nvidia cards don't work properly in the latest OS and may never be supported at the current rate. Cook is no Jobs. It's in the names. The analogies are sadly more than skin deep. It's was a pretty good run for Mac but they've dropped the ball. It's the 10% - the power users - that the 90% go to for advice. I used to tell folks that they'd get twice the years out of a Mac all the while enjoying it much more than if they bought a PC - and that justified the extra expense. And it truly did. That value proposition has shrunk considerably over the last 4 years. The fashion is out of balance with the function. Pretty on the outside, and an iFixit score of...wait for it... 1! on the inside. 1! The new Macbook Pro, the top of the line mac, gets a...a.... 1! A $5000 throw-away. Now Macs are only for folks with more money than smarts.

Speaking of smarts - some smart company should build a svelte powerful laptop - with all the ports - and with components that are all Sierra or High-Sierra hackintosh compatible... and start a revolution. Mac software developers should follow in suit. Refuse to support Mojave and bypass the "App Store" completely. Hackintosh would then become the go to Mac. Apple would be forced to smarten up or dwindle. As it stands now, the future is looking grim for MacWorld.

 

Hope Microsoft finally fix Windows 10 and re-design the whole Explorer and file dialogs and add all mmissing features. Let's see what happens first, the end of Hackintosh or Windows getting fixed

 

Windows and PC's are always going to be shackled to the business world and your music PC has "let's get some global financial networking going eh?" embedded in its DNA. Cubase will have transformed itself into an AI stock trader on the Nikkei Stock Exchange and the tax department will wonder why you suddenly have a Cayman Island account. You've been warned.