Mac vs. Windows for Using VW

[C W]

So I'm in the market for a new computer and am considering going to a Mac platform. I have done quite a bit of research but would appreciate feedback from anyone that has used both systems... with running VW or in general. Thanks in advance.

[Damon Design]

I doubt you will find many MAC heads that are not enthusiastic about the operating system-not perfect of course but much more elegant, logical and graphically rich-I think PC users are perfectly happy with a system that works but don't think too much about it.

As someone who has used both, (admittedly Mac first) I struggled mightily to make the PC work for me.

I likened it to: a Windows OS is like forced study hall detention with a strict and exacting professor-you will learn and work but you wont much like it. MAC OS is like a semester abroad with a really hot lecturer/tour guide. ;-)

VW works fine with both-but again the graphics are nicer on a MAC

[brudgers]

It's not really a choice between hardware, it's a choice between operating systems.

Windows runs more applications than the Mac and probably supports a wider variety of hardware.

The only machine you can run MacOS and mac specific software on is a a Mac.

You can also run windows software on it, but if that's your goal why buy a Mac.

If there's a killer app that rus only on a Mac then that's a good reason to buy one, but VW is not that app.

[C W]

Thanks for the input Tad. And your analogy cracked me up... bonus!

Edited January 21, 2008 by Mayhem

[C W]

Brudgers, your response very much falls in line with what I'd been thinking (and the majority of Windows users I know) up until I specifically began using VW. The reason my thoughts are changing are that since using VW, in addition to a few other programs, I've had nothing but headaches with my computer. One explanation I received (I think actually from a Nemetshcek employee) is that VW was originally designed to run on Macs only and only afterwards was made for use on Windows. Accordingly, my hopes are to make life drafting a little easier.

As for running windows on a Mac, it may be worth the extra money to compare the two systems... guess I'm thinking long term.

Thanks though.

[grant_PD]

I use both systems. Mac OS is a beautiful and stable thing, fast too. As a quasi tweaker though, I don't like how I'm unable to "pop the hood" on the system like I can with Windows. Windows is more clunky (although Vista is a huge step forward to competing with Mac OS for looks and style). But Vista is difficult to master.

We should all remember that Windows makes its money off of massive business licensing, not individual sales. Those huge corporations with thousands of seat licenses can afford system administrators and all that jazz. If you're a home user, or running a business with only a few machines, get used to the idea of being the system administrator.

All that being said, I find that VW works great on both systems. The biggest difference you're going to see is how your hardware works with the software. Better processors, better RAM, better video card, all adds up to better software response.

[C W]

Thanks Grant. Your thoughts on being one's own system administrator is a theme many people have expressed with me recently. And if you don't mind my asking, why do you use both systems? And do you have two separate machines or run both operating systems off your Mac?

[Guest]

grant_PD: pop open Terminal.app, you'd be surprised how down and dirty you can get with OS X. Leopard is, after all, a true Unix.

I'd have to say, personally, it comes down to preference. Having been a former Windows and Linux user on the desktop, I use a Mac because it melds the best features of both very well. Easy to use, but very stable. Powerful when you want it to be, but simple when you don't.

Also, no viruses or spyware, so no need to waste CPU cycles on that kind of software.

But in the end, it's all preference.

[Damon Design]

I would say trying to use the internet coming from a Mac on Windows XP with all the warning pop-ups and the constant intrusion of virus protection was nearly maddening-I would just about give up.

I would choose a Mac just for not having to deal with that.

[grant_PD]

Yes, I've opened Terminal.app. It's true you can get down and dirty with a Mac. Apple doesn't encourage it too much. To clarify my point: Mac spends a lot of time making macros and whatnot to streamline processes. The user doesn't have to spend a lot of time thinking about how things work. This is genius on their part, as they realize that most people do similar tasks on a computer. PC's seem to me much more open ended, thus you are forced to engage them more.

Sigh...but in the entertainment industry there are just a ton of Mac users. So I've learned to use both, and enjoy both. At the home office, it's 3 windows computers, all networked and I get to ping back and forth between them all with terminal services and networking. Away from the home office, I get the Mac G5 and another one next to it, and they aren't networked properly so I can't run them efficiently. The designer who owns the macs never got very far with networking them because as a mac user, he expects the computer to come "running at full speed right out of the box." I don't mean to sound like I'm passing judgement, but I do find that an overwhelming number of Mac users I run across seem to have that attitude about their machines.

[Pat Stanford]

Grant,

What do you consider "networked properly." I have set up networks for both Macs and PCs, and I have always found the Macs much easier to connect. Let me know what you are trying to do and I will try to give you some suggestions.

Pat

[Chris D]

As an AutoCAD user on a PC for over ten years, I hated the idea of moving to Macs (and VW for that). Now, I would never go back.

Two illustrations:

My last office (similar size, 60-70 staff) employed two full time IT dudes to maintain the Windows network and AutoCAD. My current office has no IT dudes - the architects just manage the Macs/VW with the occasional input from a support company when upgrading servers etc.

Running Norton Anti-Virus on a PC is just painful - even on a powerful machine. It really grinds the machine to a halt. I wouldn't suggest Macs are immune, but I don't feel the need to run such a top-heavy security suite*

*We do use Sophos at work, simply because we were forwarding Word documents to PC users outside the office that had still got the viruses in that they had when we originally got them (they didn't affect us, but we forwarded them on). Sophos has very little effect on the system (maybe this is true of the Windows version too, I don't know)

[monkey]

go for a mac, forget that PCs exist, i have run VW on both, and macs are way ahead of the game, graphically and in terms of ease of use. it may cost a bit more for the mac, but i think it is worth it.

[michael john williams]

I will not repeat things said but add from my personal experience. I have worked on mac and pc using diffrent CAD on each including VW. I reluctantly moved from pc / autocad 10 years ago and then back to pc but stuck with VW. At the time VW was the most cost effective and best 3D CAD but I am not so sure now with Revit around. You usually stick to the first system you use as its the system you know your way around.

Mac kept crashing on me when using VW but it rarly crashes now on pc. I also find it quicker on pc rather than mac.

Software is cheaper and easy to obtain for pc, even free.

Hardware is more expensive for Mac.

We occasionally use autocad as it is the industry standard and unavoidable and it does not work on mac, even with powerpc.

Anti virus software is not a problem if you manage it right and at least you are protected and it is usually free - forget norton go for the free and better avg and windows care.

Block pop ups.

There are 3 of us and no IT dudes and we fix all our problems ourselves and can get pc advice locally if required - not so for mac.

All our other software is windows based.

All our consultants are pc based.

There are more games for pcs than macs!

Perhaps if you use an ipod than mac is better but even thats debatable.

[C W]

Thanks for all the info! If for no other reason than a basis of comparison, I'm going with a Mac... I simply don't except that because Windows is the industry/everything standard, its the better the better platform. More so the arguments you all made are variations on those I've heard from Mac users for sometime... though it meant a lot to hear it from designers.

Actually, Jkelly if you could direct me to a site that gives a good break down of Unix and Linux, I'd appreciate it... this is all very new to me.

Thanks again.

[Damon Design]

Finally, it was the "semester abroad with the really hot lecturer/tour guide" analogy that gotcha. ;-)

Welcome to the fold- you won't regret it.

All the 1000's of available software on windows that you will never need never made too much of a successful argument on me either. Though, if you are a gamer-there really is no comparison-me, I'm too busy designing to play on the computer.

Now if I can only upgrade my decrepit but trusty machine soon...

Cheers

[Guest]

CW: Check out the link below for a brief introduction, be sure to follow on to the tutorials:

http://www.mcelhearn.com/article.php?story=20040924101603259

It certainly takes effort to learn the methods of using the command line, and it might not always be apparent that the command line can help you in a situation. For instance, if looking to display absolutely all hidden files on a system, the following commands do it, where I am not sure if you can or how to accomplish this only using Finder:

# defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

# killall Finder

And that's it. Pretty simple, pretty powerful. As you learn to solve more problems under the hood, your ability to make the operating system do nearly anything you want will grow.

As far as Linux, I'd just read the Wikipedia article for now:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux

If you ever happen upon a Linux system, you'll be surprised at how much you learn about the Unix parts of OS X transpose to Linux.

[C W]

Thanks jkelly... really helpful.

[G_Hannigan]

Ubuntu (Linux) forum:

http://ubuntuforums.org/

GH