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General discussion

PC musician going to MAC

Aug 14, 2006 2:03PM PDT

I am a songwriting musician who also DJ and KJs. I am sick of Windows crashing so I am going to buy a MacBook. I would have done it by now but a friend advised me to wait due to the latest changes in the MAC OS and hardware changes in the Macbook. Of course he also has informed me that it could be the last OS and MacBook would be better suited and even cited a high operating temperature of the latest MacBook. Since I have always beed PC, I have no knowledge base on the MACs and could use some advice. I mostly want a MAC for songwriting and my DJ KJ gigs. I have a PC laptop but I am interested in the Macbooks ability to run Windows prgs. I would like to know what Mac users think would be the best buy for my situation. Here is the setup I am using in my studio right now;

Cubase SL3 cross platform recording software
Tascam 428 USB interface/mixer
2-250 gigabyte hard drives formatted FAT
Roland midi XP30 keyboard
Samson studio monitors

Right now I am using PCDJ for my DJ/KJ software on a PC and haven't found much on the MAC for Karaoke work. Any advice would be appreciated.

Scottie

Discussion is locked

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(NT) (NT) sounds like a MacBook Pro would suit you better.
Aug 15, 2006 1:21AM PDT
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Yes, but which one?
Aug 15, 2006 1:31AM PDT

I should have been more explicit. I am choosing a Mac Book Pro, but should I go with the latest one with the new OS or the older one.
Scottie

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Latest OS?
Aug 15, 2006 1:45AM PDT

The latest OS is 10.4

You will not be able to purchase, right now, a MacBook Pro with an older OS.

If you are referring to 10.5 (Leopard), that will not be released until Spring of 2007. Can you wait that long?


P

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I am buying a Macbook Pro today!
Aug 16, 2006 12:42AM PDT

What do you all think about a refurbished model? It will save me several hundred dollars.

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ahh i see.
Aug 15, 2006 3:14AM PDT

I'd get the MacBook Pro 15.4" with a 2.16GHz Core Duo - however there are rumours about that the MacBook Pro will move to Core 2 Duo (which is far superior) before the end of the year.

That coupled with the Spring '07 release of OS 10.5 may hold you back, it would hold me back - but it really depends on your need.

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The 15.4 over the 17"?
Aug 15, 2006 3:53AM PDT

Is there a reason (besides $$$) to go with the 15.4 over the 17"?

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Go with whatever you feel you need
Aug 15, 2006 4:30AM PDT

Some people manage quite nicely with a fairly small screen while others prefer the 17.
As you will probably be running Garage Band, a 17", wide screen, display might be the way to.

P

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(NT) (NT) garageband fills up a 13" screen - 15" is okay.
Aug 15, 2006 4:54AM PDT
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I am ordering a MacBook Pro Today!
Aug 16, 2006 12:41AM PDT

What do you all think about a refurbished model? It will save me several hundred dollars.

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(NT) (NT) portability. that's all. besides, money & resolution.
Aug 15, 2006 4:54AM PDT
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What about the Windows factor?
Aug 15, 2006 7:13AM PDT

Until I completely move over to my new Mac, I will be using windows prgs for my everyday stuff. I heard you can run Windows and/or windows prgs on a macbook pro. How does that work?

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2 solutions.
Aug 15, 2006 7:50AM PDT

Both of which require you buying a full copy of Windows (that of course is the legal route..)
1. Boot Camp; www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp - installs Windows on a separate partition.
2. Parallels Desktop; www.parallels.com - opens a virtual session of Windows within the Mac OS.

Now the complimentary 3rd solution;
Reply here with the names and details of the Windows programs you can't separate from. I'm sure there's a Mac equivalent; for example; MSFT Outlook -> MSFT Entourage.

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Windows prgs I can't live without
Aug 16, 2006 12:39AM PDT

MS Outlook
MS Word
Photoshop
MS Publisher
PCDJ - this is a combo DJ / KJ software and I cannot find Mac software that can do Karaoke!

I am sure there is usually a Mac replacement for all of Windows software, but after spending $3k on a computer, i imagine I will not be investing in a ton of software right away. It will be a gradual transition.
Hey Thanks guys / gals

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cooooool.
Aug 16, 2006 3:07AM PDT

Get MS Office for Mac 2004 & Photoshop. That'll probably be about $1000 so not yet, but until then there's iWork & GIMP - that'll be about $50 Happy

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What about the regular Mac Book and Cubase?
Mar 2, 2007 11:59AM PST

What do people think about using the Mac Book (not the Pro) with Cubase?
I'm thinking 1 Gig of Ram and 80 Gig HD. Seems like enough.

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I agree: What about the regular Mac Book and Cubase?
Jun 24, 2007 8:56AM PDT

I'm thinking about this too.

Did you try this? Did anyone else? What was your experience?

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windows programs
Aug 17, 2006 10:52PM PDT

Pretty well all of those are available as MAC versions. Not publisher..but there are better programs for the MAC. Be aware that you cannot at this time run Mac and PC seemlessly together at the same time. Parallels...is getting close though. Entourage is a MUCH better program than OUTLOOK..and once you get used to MAC Mail...you will only use Entourage as a back up. (Word & Entourage comes with Microsoft verision of office....which should be out in Universal Binary soon!). Photoshop is also coming out Universal soon too! It is better to wait for the Universal versions cause they will run faster on the Intel processsor. I think I just read the other day about a DJ/karaoke program for Mac...I'll see if I can track it down.

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Mac OS is the benefit
Aug 18, 2006 11:22PM PDT

The Mac has a well-deserved reputation for being good for music. Since you mentioned that you want to run your Windows music programs, I thought I'd just mention the following thing:

Mac hardware is only as good as PC hardware for audio and music (which is still pretty good). It's the actual Mac OS which makes music composition and recording much better than on Windows or Linux. It's trouble-free, basically.

Running Windows on a Macbook, or even running a Windows program through virtualisation, will not be any better than just using a Windows PC. If you're serious about your audio and music work, switch to Mac-native music programs as soon as you can afford. You really won't regret it.

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Finally! Another Musician Who Gets It!
Aug 21, 2006 1:22AM PDT

I am also a musician, going to school to be an audio engineerer and I have to commend you for the switch. Honestly there are much better programs for music and the Mac then you'll ever find on PC because multimedia is what the mac is built for! Just give it time you'll find good software!

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I Agree but here is the thing ...
Sep 4, 2007 1:04AM PDT

I'm a high school student and I'm going to the Conservatory , I'm a musician and I work with the Cubase sx 3 and the nuendo ..

Anyway .. I'm thinking seriously about buying a macbook BUT to be honest there is some stuff make me don't want to ...

1-I'm not happy with a 13" monitor ,I put to 17" monitors to run the Cubase So I don't think It's a good idea to work on a such small screen

2-The VGA .. It's 64 mb for Christ's Sake !!! ..Nobody is talking about 64 mb , We're talking now about 256 mb and higher ...

And What makes me not to buy it ..Is that I can buy a dell one for example with 15.4" monitor and 256 mb VGA With the SAME PRICE !!!!

However I think we all want to have a mac and know about it ,I think the mac is better than the PC , Specially that there is only one Company making it which is apple ...

Any other opinions ?

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The VGA ram is a non-issue.
Sep 4, 2007 1:15AM PDT

Software that runs on a MAC is ... running on a MAC. The issues of video ram differ. If you are a "gamer" then you move to the Macbook Pro.

As to the screen size, I like my smaller notebooks and plug in a big external when I go big. Cheaper than a big notebook screen.

Bob

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Mmm
Sep 4, 2007 9:07PM PDT

I'm not a GAMER , but I play some games like san andreas and need 4 speed . I'm not buying a laptop for games but I prefer the laptop that have a better specs. like the VGA . And the Macbook pro Is VERY Expensive !!!

About the screen .. I like having a small laptop so I can carry it where ever I go .. But I didn't try a 13 inch monitor before specially with programs like Cubase .... and I'm also not sure about putting a big screen because it has a mini DVI plug so It will need a converter and I don't know anything about these stuff .. But I'm sure that the apple converters will be very expensive you know because It's apple .


Another thing that makes me confused about getting a mac ..

I'm not sure that I will find the softwares I want compatible With the mac os x , I know I can install windows vista or xp on the make But .. What is the point of buying that expensive mac and then install the same os .. It won't be a mac any more !!!

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DVI Adapters
Sep 4, 2007 9:48PM PDT

"But I'm sure that the apple converters will be very expensive you know because It's apple"

Free with every MacBook Pro or $19.99 if purchased from the store.

Guess it depends on how you define expensive.

Software:
Do you even know what software you want? You seem to have spent quite a while giving us reasons for you not to buy a Mac.

Which way do you want us to advise you? For a Mac or for a Windows machine?

P

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..
Sep 5, 2007 9:50PM PDT

About the dvi adapters ... I live in Egypt and the apple prices here is much more than it is in the USA or Canada .The macbook is 3000 Egyptian pound more than it is in Canada , And the dvi adapters (or any apple adapter) is 150 Egyptian pound . So excuse me if I don't know the prices in your country .

About the software thing ..
Of course I know what do I want from my laptop and which softwares I'm gonna need . And why will I give reasons for not buying a mac .. I do love the mac even I have a pc but I really thing that Microsoft is going down .. I wanted a mac and the reason I responded in this post is that I want to buy a macbook

I had some problems with the macbook just like you !! And I thought it would be nice if we all join together to solve these problems .

And thanks alot for your lovely words .