Mac vs PC

There has been an ongoing debate as to whether there is a functional difference between using a Mac or a Windows based PC as the nucleus of your home studio. Well, from someone who has been a long time Windows user (and self proclaimed computer geek) and a fairly recent Mac “switcher”, let me tell you: You can make a great record on ANY modern computer. However, in my experience, the Mac operating system is far more conducive to a smooth and trouble free experience in the studio and beyond. The reason for this is simple. In a general sense, the Mac operating system requires a lot less maintenance than Windows. Things like drive defragmentation, registry cleaning, virus scanning and the like are virtually nonexistent on the Mac.

As a Windows user I would spend inordinate amounts of time tweaking and optimizing my system so it performed at it’s best. Granted, as a geek, I enjoyed this pursuit of perfection and when I first switched operating systems, I felt a lack of control that I enjoyed under Windows. However, after a short time, I realized that I was spending much more time actually making music with my computer! After my initial feeling of discomfort subsided, I realized that my computer operated at it’s full potential WITHOUT any need for hours of tweaking.

No, my music productions did not sound suddenly better on a Mac. Nor did my DAW (Cubase in my case) acquire any new features but, the amount of music leaving my studio increased. For me, this made the switch well worth it.

Apple computers tend to cost more than Windows PC’s of the same specification. If your budget does not permit you to buy a Mac, or you have other barriers (such as the need for pci cards, etc), get the best Windows PC your budget permits and move on! After all, it’s about the music. Isn’t it?