MacBook?

[Subsonic_Noise]

Well, since my PC started making more and more problems and even the soundcard now keeps glitching, and my pc therefore nearly is unusable for making music, I thought about getting a new one.

Now, concidering I'd mainly buy it for recording and composing, a laptop would be better - I can't take a whole PC to a friend to record some violin or piano parts, and I get my best ideas when I'm not at home anyways.

So, then I thought, why not buy a macbook? They are standard in the music buisiness anyways, and I'm sick of all the problems an crashes windows does when it comes to programs like Cubase, FL Studio, Guitar Pro 6 or Sony Vegas, which are the programs I use the most.

So, what do you think are the pro and cons of said notebook? Would the higher price be worth it?   

[Blizzard]

The only difference between a Macbook and a normal Notebook is the that Macbook is up to 3 times as expensive. Guess if it's worth it.

[Subsonic_Noise]

Well, the MacBook does have some advantages, like the internal soundcard, which is, since apple owns Logic, actually usable for quick recordings, since it's low latency and acceptable noise level. I wouldn't want to set up an external soundcard for every single idea that randomly comes to my mind.

Also, please no pure apple bashing here. I do know about the price and am willing to work for it, so please give me some real arguments.

[Blizzard]

That's no bashing, that's a fact. You get 20% better hardware for a 200% higher price. Better you get an external sound card for that kind of money if the sound card is your main reason for buying a Macbook.

[Subsonic_Noise]

Better you get an external sound card for that kind of money if the sound card is your main reason for buying a Macbook.

I wouldn't want to set up an external soundcard for every single idea that randomly comes to my mind.

The idea here is working on the go - try setting up an external soundcard on a trainstation or in a park. And yes, I need that, ever heard the cognition Vault stuff? The beats are made out of sounds I recorded, and it'd really boost the possibilities if I could rwcord those sounds, in an acceptable quality, everywhere. Like, recently, I had the idea of recording drum samples from a scrapyard, but that isn't possible with a Desktop PC or a Laptop with a crappy soundcard.

Anyways, that was just an example. Are there any other pro/cons?

[Blizzard]

You can always get a high-end laptop (which is surprisingly still cheaper than a Macbook) with a good sound card. I know a guy who has a laptop with a monster GFX card and sound card, yet he didn't pay as much as he would have for a Macbook with weaker hardware.

Pretty much the only two reasons to buy a Macbook rather than any other laptop are a) if you want to be fancier than everybody else and don't have to care about money and b) if you can make good use of it at work because you develop for Mac. Everything else can be done (usually even better) with a high-end laptop or desktop PC for less money. Take a look at Alienware's models, they are beasts.
I would actually even debate point b) as you can always buy a desktop Mac if you need it for work...

I'm not saying that Mac aren't high-quality (because they are high-quality) but I am saying that you can get non-Apple hardware with the same performance for less money or better non-Apple hardware for the same money.

[winkio]

Just get a mac if you want one so much.  You'll be happier with the computer you have the best preconceptions about.

[tSwitch]

except Alienware are terrible quality computers.
Alienware is owned by Dell.
Do the math.

As far as Macs go, there is some good software that you can't get on windows that I like (logic) for sound, and it's good about dual booting so if you're geeky like me it makes it easier.

That being said, it's really your choice, Macs -are- often used in video and music because they handle it well (so do PC's but see: exclusive software) and it's more of a personal opinion than anything.

[Blizzard]

Owned by Dell doesn't mean they are Dell. But I don't have any first-hand info so you're probably right.

winkio's right. If it makes you that happy, just get one.

[Subsonic_Noise]

Winkio got it wrong. I Appreciate your input and will concider alienware, but I wanted to have some more opinions and arguements on this first. That's what I made this topic for, to get as many different opinions as possible.

What NAMCOR said is definitely an arguement, I'll see if I can get to test Logic in an Apple Store. I am happy with cubase, too, though. Dual Booting is a plus, too, since not every software/game will work on OSX.

So, any other pro/cons? Especially from a musician's point of view?

I do know that at the music fair I was on, which was one of the biggest, there wasn't a single windows machine, the SAE (an audio engineer university) gives macbooks to all of their new students and many musicians use them, including Olafur Arnalds. So, that alone isn't really an arguement, but there must be more reasons for this. I don't think all of them bought macbooks to be different or because they look cool.

[winkio]

If you are looking at it from a technological standpoint, there is very little that you can do with Mac that you can't do with Windows, and vice-versa.  The differences are really insignificant in the grand scheme of things.  That is why I said go with whichever one makes you happier.  You can go around and argue the fine points, but really, it's going to come down to what you do with the computer, so just get whichever you you like better and feel more comfortable with, as you will be more motivated to do more with it.

[tSwitch]

Don't get Alienware, one of my friends had one and it broke 6 times and they refused to fix it up.  He traded it back for a refund (bitched at a manager) and got a better Asus for less than the Alienware.

[Subsonic_Noise]

Don't get Alienware, one of my friends had one and it broke 6 times and they refused to fix it up.  He traded it back for a refund (bitched at a manager) and got a better Asus for less than the Alienware.

Well, I most probably won't, anyways. If I don't get a mac, I'll get a hp/compaq, since my stepfather works there => better prices and free support, anytime xD
But I'm still thinking about getting a mac... but then again, I actually don't know too much about them, I might have to test one before.

[tSwitch]

that'd be a smart idea.

[Subsonic_Noise]

The problem is, where'd I actually test a macbook under realistic conditions? I doubt the ones in the apple stores have logic or cubase installed, and I didn't manage to get high processor load with garage band yet... also, I don't want to use garage band.

[Blizzard]

*scratches head* Why not just try? Maybe they have. Or maybe they'll install it so you can try it out.