As I wrote about before, I have always been the biggest Apple fan anyone’s ever seen. Especially with my background in graphic design, it only made sense to use an Apple computer. Naturally, as I transitioned into being a photographer, I continued to use nothing but Apple computers, and I do still maintain that they make an excellent, high-quality product. That said, it does come at a price, a rather hefty price that made me question things.
With the introduction of the iMac Pro and the lack of claimed production of any new Mac Pros at the time, I began to really lose my excitement for the Apple computers, as the entry-level price point is very high, and I have never liked iMac anyway since I like to be able to choose what display I use. This led me down the path of investigating whether or not it was actually feasible to use a Windows machine for my production computer.
Before you say “of course it was possible, duh” I should clarify that what I mean is I am over-the-top picky with every little fine nuance of any platform: how well do all the little shortcuts work, how can I shave off seconds off of each image’s retouching, etc. And the Mac OS is very good at all those fine little details and efficiency; the Mac finder is an incredibly powerful organizational tool itself. Combining that with the stability and security of the base platform that Mac OS is built on, it was a very large pill to swallow to consider using Windows and all the hassles that come along with it. But the price point made it where I didn't have a whole lot of choice, so I purchased a new PC that was designed for gaming, since the specs also align well with graphic design, photography, and video editing.
Differences Between the Platforms
The hardware isn't really that much different between the Mac and PC, both using Intel processors, same hard drives, etc. The PC actually offered significantly more options in the GPU department, and I was excited by that and went with a balance of the good GPU versus not spending a ton (GTX 1070). So, I knew that as far as performance goes, there shouldn't be much difference between a well-equipped Mac and a similarly equipped PC except for the price. What concerned me was the stability, reliability, and overall hassles that Windows has been plagued with for years. The last Windows platform I had used was Windows 7, and needless to say, it had many problems and was quite clunky compared to Mac. I am pleased to say that Windows 10 is an unbelievable leap forward for Windows and the user experience and general overall feel of it is vastly improved over the old Windows versions. Windows 10 also is reported to be and so far has proven to be much more stable than prior versions as well.
Some Small Irritations So Far
The transition from Mac hasn't been entirely without issues; there have definitely been some Windows-like things that are mildly annoying. For example, when I plugged in my CAD USB microphone, it worked perfectly and Windows automatically found a suitable driver and used it; however, after a couple of days, it quit working, and after digging around a little bit in the device manager, Windows had decided to make my microphone an output device simultaneously with being an input device and caused it to not work. This is the type of thing I rarely if ever experienced while using Mac OS. But we can't be too overly frustrated, because we must understand one fundamental difference between the two platforms; since Apple only allows their operating system to be installed on their own computers, the software is optimized for the different hardware configurations. On Windows, since there are so many different possibilities and configurations of PCs, ranging from companies that build custom computers to a do-it-yourself build, the software cannot possibly be optimized for any different hardware configuration, and it is up to you to make sure that everything is compatible and works well. If you truly want a computer you can just turn on and use without any issues, the Mac will almost certainly be better, as every one I have had has worked perfectly from day one.
A Major Drawback
Windows Explorer is vastly inferior to Mac Finder, without the column view and easy drag/drop shortcuts into things like save dialog boxes and browser upload windows. The workflow from within Windows is definitely a little more clunky there, and that is a huge deal since no matter what type of file you are working on, you are using this interface to save, open, etc. However, with some time, it’s working ok. I did lose a lot of my efficiency and shortcut capability.
Some Excellent Positives
I hated the basic Windows keyboard, so I purchased a new Logitech G910 gaming keyboard and G502 mouse, and wow, it’s awesome. Even though these are intended for gaming, the ability to customize these are exceptionally useful for photographers. The first thing I did was use the extra keys that the gaming keyboard offers and program them to specific actions and tasks within Photoshop, Lightroom, and Capture One. Then another nice bonus is that on the keyboard, you can change the LED backlight for individual keys to individual colors and have that change per application. So for example, if I'm using Adobe Premiere, I can highlight certain keys on the keyboard that are frequently used shortcuts and tools, and if I switch to Adobe Photoshop, I can have the keyboard highlight different keys that I use more frequently there. For an even deeper level of customization, the keyboard can store different profiles for different users or purposes, so for example if I were to play a game, I could switch the keyboard's properties such as custom key colors and shortcuts to a profile that is set up for that and then effortlessly switch back to my photography workflow — very slick for someone who is all about all the little customizations and efficiency enhancements.
The Logitech customization options are awesome.
Summary So Far
The customizations combined with the modern feel of the operating system have meant I am enjoying using the computer. My workflow overall even with the small hiccups with the Windows Explorer has tremendously improved, and with a gaming PC for under $1,500, I'm running circles around my old quad core Mac Pro, which cost triple the price. Even though Apple has dominated the graphics and photography market, I feel they are losing ground since Windows 10 is much more stable than prior Windows, and the price point is so vastly different. If the Mac were a few hundred more than Windows, I’d stick with it, but when my sub-$1,500 PC can run circles around a $4,000 Mac, the cost wins out for me.
As I jokingly told a fellow photographer who is a PC user, I am really liking Windows 10. I'm still a little skeptical, but we’ll see if the typical Windows slowdown still happens or if we can stay on this so far great course.
Have you considered switching?
In my opinion Windows is very stable since years - the problem "can" be the many hardware options. They're awesome and I don't want to miss them, but if someone goes into the store and buys a full build system the chance is very high that it might have a bad quality mainboard, power supply and bad ram inside - because those components are something the Windows PC industry never used for marketing and always liked to save money on. Often they don't even say what exact model is inside. The average consumer just doesn't know how important they are for a good and reliable system.
As soon as someone pays attention to the mainboard, power supply and ram (self build system or a store you really trust) the system won't be less stable than a Mac.
This is something that I have recently learned. Most of my computer problems point back to a hardware failure of some kind. I was having major issues with Adobe Premiere recently and I got a new graphics card and everything was instantly fixed. My last computer was crashing all the time and it was a mobo failure. I wish Windows was able to diagnose these issues.
Don't forget the power supply! The most underestimated component of the PCs! If it is a cheep sg, ALL the components in danger, no stable working because of the lack of the stable and consistent voltage and more!
I haven't had a single failure of...anything hardware related since I switch back from PC. now Adobe's software is a whole other issue...
Yeah, 10/10 it's hardware incompatibility or driver issues when a problem pops up (PSU issues are a pain). These days I just look at ASUS ROG products exclusively for the components they choose.
Lee, exactly. Now this is one of the great benefits with trade off of a Mac, the Mac's software is designed to work with only their specific hardware, which means excellent stability. With the tradeoff of less customization options, such as GPU choices. - And part of the high entry point cost of Mac, is you are buying quality hardware, such as power supply's that are used in Apple computers.
very true :)
why macs were stable is quality hardware and that is the same many PC folks build crappy cheap hardware and have issues ?
especially cheap power supplies and not realizing the sweet spot in them for efficiency (around %50) had way to many discussions I am only drawing 400 watts a 500 is plenty and you still get that today !!!!!
"I have always been the biggest Apple fan anyone’s ever seen."
...The bigger they are, the harder they fall?
I freaking hate Apple. Therefore, you'll have to pry my Macbook Pros from my cold, dead hands.
I'm a camera geek, not a computer geek. Computer problems, whether software or hardware, only make me want to smash my computer with a baseball bat. I strongly dislike many of the things that Apple stands for, and their "luxury" price that attracts snooty people who think tech gadgets can be a sexy fashion statement. That's definitely not me. My phone is a $99 ZTE knock-off phone. It works. Just like OSX. It works.
I don't like Macs. I simply hate PC's with the fire of a thousand suns, but I only hate Macs with the fire of a few dozen suns.
windows is really making leaps and bounds above Mac for the creative market. The power they’ve put into their surface line is proof of this. This being said, I have experienced such terrible reliability from my windows Gear that I can’t justify the purchase of another windows computer again. My Surface (one of the most perfect creative laptop designs I’ve seen). Has been replaced four times now. It’s gotten so bad that all editing is now done on my 2011 MacBook Pro which has proven significantly more reliable time and time again. This has thrown me for a loop as the large sums I spent on switching to windows have depleted my ability to upgrade for a good while. I’ve come to view Mac in a similar manner to Profoto gear. In the end it costs more than the competition, but what you pay for is a piece of gear that works every time you need it to. This reliability is what I found ultimately matters most in a professional setting. It’s a shame to, windows has some truly incredible ideas that Apple should take note of.
nope. i'm sticking with mac. to me windows is crazy and takes 6 more steps to do things than a mac does. XP was the last windows platform that worked.
I can say the same to MacOS. And if you're one of the people who is still stuck with the "XP is the best" ideology, you're missing a lot as Windows 10 is waaaaaaayyyyyy better in so many ways.
Lastly, it's like Canon vs Nikon, whatever works for you will always be the best option.
It is actually the other way around. It takes more clicks to perform most tasks using a Mac. It has almost always been that way.
I see a lot of parallels between Fox News viewers and Mac fans. There's a lot of misinformation they propagate among themselves and believe is true. Even the author of this article was doing this by implying that Windows 7, my favorite Windows as a network administrator, was unstable. It was more stable than Windows 10 by a long shot.
Thats 100% true!
Lol, MSNBC is way worse than Fox :-)
As soon as someone says "It's been all downhill since windows XP" or similar, you know that they have no idea what they are talking about.
"to me windows is crazy and takes 6 more steps to do things than a mac does"
I find this statement strange. I am not a Mac user, however, each time my wife asks me for help with her MacBoob Air I find it so frustrating. It takes so much more effort to use the Mac.
lol that's how i feel about macs. it's just preference really.
I've been a graphic designer for 18 years and every job I've ever had they used Windows. Even Turner broadcasting where I did flash and static banners for the NBA All-star game. Last time I used a Power mac was in school in 2003. I was curious then to see the trendy glory of mac in action and it behaved about like my pc, color wheel spinning forever, crashing, programs hanging, etc. Then I went to a computer store and saw all the software I could use on windows and the one tiny area for mac and that cleared the mystery up. Macs usually run better because Apple only allows what they allow on it. And the windows gets more virus attacks? Sure, hackers want their stuff on as many machines as possible so makes sense they would skip the smaller crowd using Apple.
Once you get over the fact that you no longer have a UI designed for 5 year olds to be able to work, realize that you can install anything with more customization (which is how most screw up their machines), you start to wonder why you're paying an extra grand or more for one over the other. Like you said, same hardware so basically you're paying a design and OS tax to be mac cool.
Anything broadcast, VFX/video/3D related you're going to see predominately Windows and Linux running off proprietary software. Most render farms are Windows or Linux, (heavily Intel/Nvidia) as well because of the openess and better connectivity of those platforms.
The big studios are all using Davinci Resolve for grade and Premiere Pro to cut on Windows. You will hardly ever see Final Cut Pro or Vegas in these top-tier pipelines. Apple is far too closed sourced and pricey for the scale of these workflows/pipelines and these studios require max compatibility.
I'm just going to come out and say it like it is, Apple is a boutique brand with boutique prices geared towards those that like the prestige of computing without having to know a lot about it. There is a market for that, but Industrial Light and Magic (Intel/Dell) isn't it.
You nailed it.
LOL, that's funny because I been a graphic designer (now creative director) for over 20 years and I have been using Macs since my first job. Every prepress house, printer, agency and corporate art department I have work for or work with use Apple.
I also have done on-screen graphics, old school and with custom built systems explicitly created for broadcasting. Yes, not an Apple in sight, then again, Apple has never really entered that segment of the creative industry.
Last thing, UI designed for a five-year-old. So Microsoft isn't trying to simplify the user experience too. Wasn't that the point of Windows 10? Wow, you do know that in design, simple is considered sophisticated. Usually, that's how my clients interrupt it.
I tried to like Windows 10, after reading all the "great" things Frank Doorhof was posting about his move from Mac to PC... I did spring the cash for a Wacom Mobile Studio Pro (the 13" edition, maxed out specs...) to replace my aging MacBook Pro on the road (no way I'd be replacing my iMac 5k in studio this early.)
Let's just say the experience was less than stellar. 1. I missed the Automator. 2. I missed the built-in shell. 3. Windows Explorer vs Mac Finder is like going back in time to the Middle Ages (dark ages?!) 4. That crappy Windows pen interface kept interfering with the Wacom pen tablet settings (making it jittery and imprecise.) 5. My MBP has never crashed out of the blue - the MSP apparently likes 'the blue' - not sure why, but I got the blue screen of death about once a week, while using the tablet normally (retouching photos in PS CC 2018). Needless to say, I am back on my MBP with the Intuos Pro; and have a 13" MSP for sale...
Not for ME.
It sounds like Windows is not for you, and that's totally fine. I give you props as a consumer in giving yourself fair trial. You are a better consumer than most because of it.
But I ask you this? (There's no wrong answer) Is the extra cash you pay for an Apple device worth those inconveniences you personally have with Windows? Some consumers would say yes, some would say no. It's a personal choice.
And yes, Wacom tablets are notorious in interfering with Windows Ink depending on model and driver. Windows ink can be disabled, and that's the power of Windows. Like Andriod you're given the choice.
If you force features on the user you'd better be damn sure that's what users want and the error rate is less than 10%. I feel like Apple has become less and less reliable with this over the years, and I have a feeling what is feuling that is a mix of legacy and complacency, not to mention the overrated celebrity designer that is Ives.
I am always surprised when people mention the "blue screen" on Windows. With all honesty I cannot remember the last time I saw the "blue screen", we are talking almost 10 years.
Th only time a PC will do it would be hardware conflict, however, if you stick to the likes of Dell, you will have a great Windows experience.
"Blue screen" is almost always (according to a very experienced IT person) a conflict between Windows OS and some hardware or its firmware.
Hardware and software optimization in the WIndows ecosystem is infinitely better these days. Add to that a solid OS like Windows 10 and you have pretty much zero chance of "blue screen".
As I was saying, I haven't had any in many years and I am not running thousands of dollar PC's. I used a bit above average components to build mine.
There are tools to automate Windows such as PowerShell, Bash and you can you get third party tools such as AutoIt.
PowerShell is by far, far more powerful than BASH and anything macOS has especially if you take the time to learn it. I use PowerShell to automate creating folders and backing up images at the end of each shoot.
I will say that I much prefer Windows, but Windows 10 has created a big teething process for reasons I can only guess. I don't know if it is because it is free or they look at this OS as more of a living product instead of one with a shorter life cycle like every iteration before, but there has been a lot more bugs that happen during some of their updates.
Lately this has been better, but after a few updates there would be new bugs that needed another update to remedy. They also have changed big things on the UI that sometimes needed more time in the oven and almost any UI change is difficult for consumers to accept, even if it is ultimately a good change.
So I was surprised to hear the author of this article say that Windows 7 was buggy, because it was solid. So was 8. Now 10 is the first OS in a long time that has created frustration. Not sure when you last gave it a try, but my guess it was around the time of those big updates. Lately I am very happy again and the OS was free for me.
To me it is unforgivable to charge what Apple does for hardware that is essentially a couple of generations old. They NEVER include a fully updated hardware suite for their PC's. You will always get an older video card, usually very old technology wise and that is a key component for a lot of people's computing experience.
Nope I've using windows since 3.1. Windows ME was hell!
I haven't had any problems with XP or Windows 7.
Now, I have a new PC with Windows 10 and I'm getting used to that transition from Windows 7.
Apple has never been a consideration with their closed ecosystem. My wife and I don't even own iPhones; it's Android.
I have a G910 Keyboard, that I bought for the same reasons you did, and I love it. Not quite the same as an IBM Selectric I learned to type on and use in HS and College but very nice. And the large lit letters on the keys make life easier when looking down at them from a bright screen.
the G910's awesome huh!
I hate to disturb the author's preception about the creative industry's reliance on Apple but any top-tier editing house I've ever seen are running beefy PC's running Windows for reliabity, expandability and of course cost.
I started my career as a GD in print, then moving to digital and now finally UX. While it's true some of my more hispter colleagues run on Macbook Pros, I'm often called on to do motion, 3D and video editing. And I use a gaming system on Windows because the Macbook Pro I was also issued could not handle these tasks without sounding like it was getting ready to take off from the tarmac.
Apple products always reminded me of the "me too hipster's" that are often attracted to these systems. Very eloquent and seemingly cool on the exterior, but no real bite when things actually need to get produced.
I see the same craziness with photographers that willingly choose an iPhone for mobile photography when clearly the better options and quality are on the Andriod side. That's a pretty strong bias at play there.
It's been entertaining seeing all the justifications crop up (even amoung my design colleagues) for the hideousness that is the "Notch". Any designer worth their weight should immediately understand what poor design this is but the mental gymnastics have been absolutely revealing.
The author's perception about Windows is extremely outdated and that's why he was so suprised by Windows 10, which is largely an extension of Windows 8, aesthetically speaking, it's all modeled off of Swiss minimalism MS dubs as "Metro Design". This has been the hottest design trend particularly in the digital space.
Apple, in 2018, still seems to be stuck somewhere between skeuomorphism and minimalism which breaks the cohesion of a consistent visual language. It's as if Apple put such a strong visual stake in the ground in the early 2000's that it's been trying hard to get away from its own legacy, but they can't deviate too much, creating a confused visual and ux language. What my colleagues would certainly resist in design principles anywhere else, they willingly give a pass to Apple. The pshycology is amazing to witness.
And certainly when it comes to industrial design Apple does not hold the patent on that and hasn't for quite some time. Has anyone seen MS's latest devices? Sexy.
I've been harsh on Apple here but believe it or not I'm actually device agnostic, which I affirm is the smart position as a consumer. I use both platforms as well as Linux occasionally. There are small pros and cons to each, like anything in life.
However, what annoys me in particular are fanboys in general, who become shocked and awe'd about things others have already known for years because they were unwilling to have an unbias outlook. This is the mental mechanism that leads us to monopolies and complacency.
Apple is no longer "king of the hill" and some consumers are slow to comphrehend this, particularly if they've grown up solely inside that ecosystem. It's commonplace. Every company has it's heyday and for Apple that was around the release of the first few iPhones in the Steve Jobs days. Apple will be forced to address its pricing and arrogant public image. Consumers are finally starting to catch on and are demanding more for their money.
Nice read here! I have considered and actually did switch, but I switched from Windows to Mac. I prefer the keyboard shortcuts on Mac to the PC. Using the extra keyboard keys is pretty smart! I haven't been using Windows 10 though either... I'm really digging how closer you feel to the OS with Mac, that's for sure. It sort of make me think that Windows' OS just prefers taking the long way home on so many things. haha! Yes! Windows Explore is very clunky (especially in a networked environment), but so is Active Directory. As for the "slow down" point, if you're reading this and on the fence about what system to choose for your photography, "slow down" is real; it's not a myth at all. haha.... Personally (and the short story), I believe the Windows Registry is a bottleneck and should be upgraded. I'm totally interested to see how your Windows 10 experience is like in say around a year though for sure!
Interesting article. When I bought my first computer I can't remember why I chose a pc but back then it was probably cost:) Now days I just don't like the Apple "ecosystem" as someone mentioned here. I tried a iPhone 5 a few years back but he apple culture feels a bit like Big Brother to me. With a pc, if you're so inclined you can replace and upgrade parts as you like. Tremendous variety and price points. I'm now using a HP Z800/WIN10 which I've upgraded along the way and I highly recommend one to Photog's, Very reliable and stable, plus the ability to run huge amounts of RAM and some very good graphic cards available as well.
I also use a gaming keyboard and mouse. Mouse is Logitech G700s and keyboard is a Steelseries APEX 350. TH keyboard has 20 plus programmable keys and is a great way to save time inPS.
Cheers
pretty much sums up my switch
windows is stable I have never said it was not as a mac user I am level headed and like tech over any one company its the other apps that suck
I would rather have 5 solid choices in OS X then 10,000 in windows land with all of them sucking and maybe one is OK
I still need to find a high quality sync app like chronosync ?
every single one I have tried crashes at some point !!!!
strange things happen with drivers etc..
explorer flat out sucks compared to the finder
no native space bar support and seer works kinda but not nearly as smooth and fast
no way to quickly color tag files
column view is hugely missed
and no native thumbnail view in detail mode or any mode for PSD PSB etc..
teh 3rd party clashed with something on my system and it kept crashing (checked in crash app it was the culprit)
from inside programs saving out you only see that file type !! what were you thinking MS !!!!
HORRID color support not being OS wide and seems to have issues with changing profiles at a whim
horrid wacom support and while setup is not as smooth as OS X of course
still want to do hackintosh for fun but not sure the future of OS X either it is not what it was and has had recent issues for those newer to OS X they might not realize how good it used to be :)
I'm a little curious as to why you bought a mouse when you do retouching. After I switched over to using a wacom tablet, I haven't used a mouse on my personal machine in years. It actually feels foreign & weird if I have to use a friend's for something on their computer...
the mouse isn't for retouching, it's for all my other tasks, email, browsing and occasionally now a game. I of course use my Wacom for my retouching.
Personally, I just find it more efficient. But like I said, I've gotten used to not using a mouse now. I just use the little circle wheel for scrolling, and then find I'm more efficient in using the pen than a mouse. But it definitely took a little bit of time before I became used to that...
I have a Mac at Work - company policy and a Surface Pro 3 using Windows 10 at home. The surface pro 3 is set up for 10 Bit Color- something the mac cant do till the 2017 models came out. Driving Eizo monitors. I find the Mac Usability annoying. Having double monitors and multi windows and not being able to drag a window from monitor to monitor without first having to minimize the window is one example. This is not an issue on the PC. The Mac user design sees so 1990's in design. Over the course of the day, usability on the Mac adds up to a lot of annoyances the PC does not have. Then there is the cost factor. In a lot of ways, the PC is far surpassing the MAC
and windows is 80s design :) hahahaahhaha
something is wrong about minimizing a window to drag ?
curious the usability issues you hate on the OS X ? where win is better
I want to learn more about win 10 and how to leverage things so do not read this snarky :) I am serious about the worlkflow thing again my issues are mostly just the explorer and trying to find other areas I can get better at in win 10
the explorer has seriously crunched any gain I had hardware wise I work longer but quicker :)
for me they are both about the same except again for the explorer sucks to me in win
cant see PSD or PSB thumbs and no native support for that (3rd party had issues)
no native support to preview any file with the space bar (again 3rd party seer does not cut it compared)
no way to quickly color or custom tag files on the PC and even then limited to certain files of the stupid star rating that takes so so so many clicks and then does not even show up unless you do more clicking ?
no column view (I would love to find a solution but have not seen one that is native to explorer or 3rd party even)
truly being able to have what you want on the side bar (again every skin every thing I cant find anyway to remove all the stuff)
no OS wide color support in windows
horrid wacom comparability
everything buried under multiple clicks
hardware I agree 7820x and 1080 gpu C1 flat out moves with no lag at all even with layers and such and output is blinding fast
even that recent post about the new iMac pro I did the same PS tests and mine was quicker in ever single way I was at $2700 no monitor and again I prefer a proper monitor over a shiny iMac 5k built in :)
thanks :)
Why are you using windows explorer? Chrome is vastly superior hands down. I might have also recommended fire fox but since the release of quantum i have had nothing but issues on all of my pc's. That sucks because I have been using firefox for years and have built part of my workflow around how the browser works. I switched to chrome instead and no problems.
the file explorer not the browser :)
Exactly. the file explorer. And, Windows' default browser isn't called Explorer anymore, it's called Edge.
Win 10 still has Explorer as well as edge. Edge is way better in terms of speed but is lacking in feature sadly. Edge has potential.
BAHAHAHAHAH!!! sorry I read your post wrong . Okay yeah that makes waaaay more sense. lol my bad .
edge I use when I watch netflix since chrome limits the output to :)
I do like chrome since I can have everything sync etc.. even onto the iPad and see my open browser windows etc..
Oh wow I didn't know chrome limited output D: . I guess I'll start using edge for netflix as well haha.
Using the default Windows Explorer is like using MS Paint instead of Photoshop. Look up Directory Opus, and set it up as a Windows Explorer replacement.