Hello,

I am having a huge dilemma over which laptop I should buy. I have saved up a good amount and I'm able to work within a 3k budget so it all comes down to: do I buy the xps 15 (8 core, 32gb ram, 1tb ssd) or a macbook pro 16 (8 core, 16gb ram, 1tb ssd)?

I have been with pc/windows my entire life. I'm in college now and I am planning on transferring a majority of the files I have on my pc right now to the new laptop so that I am able to be mobile with music production because right now I am locked down with a desktop. The only reason I'm really considering switching is because I heard Macs are supposed to be extremely good with music production as well as video editing and other creation based work.

Please help me out. I would love to hear opinions on macs and pcs and recommendations on what I should do. Especially from those people that have used both systems and especially from those who made a switch from one to the other. What was a deciding factor?

 

Hello,

I am having a huge dilemma over which laptop I should buy. I have saved up a good amount and I'm able to work within a 3k budget so it all comes down to: do I buy the xps 15 (8 core, 32gb ram, 1tb ssd) or a macbook pro 16 (8 core, 16gb ram, 1tb ssd)?

I have been with pc/windows my entire life. I'm in college now and I am planning on transferring a majority of the files I have on my pc right now to the new laptop so that I am able to be mobile with music production because right now I am locked down with a desktop. The only reason I'm really considering switching is because I heard Macs are supposed to be extremely good with music production as well as video editing and other creation based work.

Please help me out. I would love to hear opinions on macs and pcs and recommendations on what I should do. Especially from those people that have used both systems and especially from those who made a switch from one to the other. What was a deciding factor?

 

"Mac is better for making music or video" is a mit.
I'm working on a mac few months and nothing special. For me was same as Windows but less apps, less possibilities for mac newbie like me. Windows for me is like open book, on mac I was feel little greenie and uncomfortable all the time. Also sometimes same problems like on windows. App freezing, problems with drivers etc.
If You using Windows all life take xps 15. Much better choice

 

"Mac is better than pc for production" is a myth.
But iOS vs Android for music production isn't.
Android sucks. This isn't a platform for production but
iOS is great for music production. So many great apps and exclusive only to iOS like for example Pure Acid by JimAudio or refreshed ReBirth RB-338 By Propellerhead

 

Mac or PC also heavily depend on which software you like to use.
Studio One for example performs less good under macOS .

macOS looks and feels more polished visually and workflow wise than Windows.
Alone the default systemfont of windows makes me shiver. Or the tiny Ribbon icons fonts, ugly as shit. Fider with its transparency is much more clean imo
the macOS Finder has the ability to show foldersizes inline which explorer can't, besides many other tiny features
Easy portable custom icons in finder
ech finder windows remembers its last position ... try that on windows
Cloning macOS is much more reliable than under Windows
macOS' Email Client is 'better'(imo) than anything avaiable under Windows
macOS has no white glitches in dark mode
macOS has Quicklook etc build in , under Windows you need to install separate apps to add the functions
Less Virus worries.
In general macOS Software has a better visual more concise look (depends on taste of course , some prefer windows xp)
macOS feels less snappy than Windows
Some DAWs perform better under Windows
Much easier App De/Installation
No Windows Registry !

Years ago I had to make the same decision but I had previously a iBook which died exactly after one year. So I was frustrated with Apple and bought a Dell Notebook just to show Apple my middlefinger.

So I got the Dell and it has coil whine all the time, and its hardware quality felt less good even than my iBook. I returned the Dell and bought a MBP but It had some Hardware errors either in future


When buying either of them , please make sure that you can return it if you don't like it !
Or buy both an compare them I dislike Apple policies that you pay high prices and get just one year warranty but I like macOS for looking better. Make sure to test all software you liek to use and how it performs and if it suits your need

 

Last edited: Nov 6, 2020

That's a myth when it comes to most things except games maybe.
On Windows we need stuff Like Powertoys , Quicklook which is already build into macOS itself.(less waiting on boot

 

If you are using pirated and cracked programs go with PC since all the releases are windows releases. And like what Roject said is true, it's just a myth.

And that XPS laptop that you are trying to get is really good for production, so yea I would say go with the XPS, or the windows/PC side.

 

If you are using pirated and cracked programs go with PC since all the releases are windows releases. And like what Roject said is true, it's just a myth.

And that XPS laptop that you are trying to get is really good for production, so yea I would say go with the XPS, or the windows/PC side.

 

as a user of both, i jus hate drivers on windows.
i have both macbook pro and dell XPS 15 7590
you need to install and update drivers for EVERYTHING its so annoying, i just want to connect an interface and have it working...
not to mention some drivers might have issues and cause trouble with DPC latency... yucc.
if i wasnt gaming at all id be 100% mac

note that if you primarily use pirated software and rely on that, you pretty much have to go with Windows, atleast for now

 

That not true, most stuff is also available for macOS, and most times it is even less hassle to download if you know where ;)
no peeplink, no shitty ads, no slow doenload provider with annoying captchas, no money needed ...

 

First off, he never said either was better. So lets leave that out of this please? No myths here.

As for the question. I use both and can say they both have their merits, strengths, and negatives.
I do use Mac way more and here's why. I've invested thousands of hours into Logic. That's it.
So if you have lots of hours invested in PC then stick with that.

Only reason you need to cross platform is if you work with other people or studios that require different formats.

 

while i partially agree, you still cant compare how many goodies are available on Windows and not on Mac, its still something serious to consider imo

 

*Ahem* Serum *ahem*

honestly though, depends on your needs, personally, if something already works well for you, no point switching over, especially at this moment in time when Apple is shifting to arm and future support for Intel based macs(from 3rd party developers especially) is questionable.
I've heard VERY good things about the XPS, and if we're being honest, the MBP and XPS are neck and neck. 32GB of Ram would help though, to be fair.

If you see yourself using Logic, or if you've done your research and have found all the things you use and need are easily available for Macos(both officially and unofficially) then you could try MBP. As much as I hate it(not the device, to be clear!), the truth is, if you're in the US especially, MacOS IS very popular among "Creatives" in a lot industries, just like the iPhone is, and its possible you'll find it easier to work with others or in a studio if that's applicable to you.

Also, you COULD just use bootcamp if you end up not liking MacOS

 

Last edited: Nov 6, 2020

If you ask me, go with a PC. For the money you have, you'll get twice the power (hardware related) as you would get from Apple.
You'll be also more free to customize your hardware (extend disk space for example) as you can put in hardware by any manufacturer
compared to apple, where you're only allowd to use their overpriced stuff.

And if you want to try Mac OS, you still can install it on a PC. On a Mac on the other side it's quite hard to install any other OS.

 

Soon Apple have ARM on their computers, making them useless for music production, or any other professional use, so Windows PC.

 

A bit religios question imho. I have made music on a PC since way back and I´ve also worked on MACs.
In the past MAC ruled completely regarding grafics and audio - I agree to that, but.........
today I would buy a Win10 based PC with the very best "entrails" and save some money
Good luck

 

I have used both and although a Microsoft partner I prefer Macs and still use Mac as system of choice. Also it depends on which DAW you are using. If being able to use Logic Pro X in college/university you will have to use Mac. Please be aware from experience most studios use Pro Tools and Logic, other DAW are limited. I hope this helps. Good Luck, stay safe.

 

Other DAWs are limited?
In which way?
For example. Do You ever use Cakewalk Sonar 7 Producer?
Can You explain me which things are limited in Sonar 7 comparision to Logic?

I think Pro Tools is limited compared to other DAWs because don't support VSTs which is basic thing in DAW.

 

Last edited: Nov 6, 2020

the problem lies only with compatibility issues. If you're planning to work with folks who use a mac, being on Pc might be a problem.

 

It's actually true if you are a member of AN you will be so annoyed by the butt hurt MacOS users who can't get the release for Windows and Mac at the same time and begging for the macOS version all the time under the Windows releases.