Why do desginers usually use a mac?

Why do a lot of graphic desginers use mac over a window?

I'm looking into getting a new laptop and I was wondering why anyone would get the 15" Mac over a Sony.
Sony - 15.5" VAIO S Series Laptop - 8GB Memory - 640GB Hard Drive - SVS1511EGXB

Because spec for spec the Sony is a lot better.

 

While i'm no expert on the subject, i'd say that it's because a decade or two ago, Apple made products and software to cater to the needs of the graphic designers which made macs the tool of choice. It then established itself as an industry standard and people stayed with macs since the software met their needs and they could still access their older projects with as newer versions of the same software came out.

It's starting to change in certain domains though, you can take a look at the whole final cut mess that happened at the launch of the latest version for example.

I could be wrong though, this is what i gathered from the internet, but i never really looked into the reason so take what i just said with a grain of salt until someone who actually really knows this stuff comes along.

 

I agree with tijo other computers, in terms of graphic design will satisfy your needs but Macs have been catering to "professionals" in those aspects for years now giving them some ground and rapport in the industry.


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Because apple takes time to make things pretty, and designers have eyes for that stuff.

 

Your pretty much dead on, but the transition away started about 3 years ago with the killing of Color, xserve and other tools, it accelerated the last year since Apples remaining " pro " hardware and software fell behind, as well as the FCP fiasco ( Mac Pro is now the biggest joke if designers I know ).... now Adobe is raining on the parade with CS6 working better in windows than OSX for the first time.

 

Thanks for all the response, also I noticed that sometime when comparing benchmark on a windows based machine vs a osx based machine, the osx somehow ends up scoring higher. What's the deal with that? Just better optimization in the software part?

 

Windows and OS X are very different under the hood. Although most people have a wide expectation of what an operating system is (often focusing on UI features and built in applications) - the primary purpose of the operating system is to set up a software environment that manages the execution of applications and handles memory. Because Windows and OS X implement these systems differently, performance can vary dramatically between both.

 

Yup and since they are so different, OS X has a *nix base IIRC while windows is well windows based it means that the software has to be made differently for mac and windows.

Some devs have more experience with one or the other which would translate to better performance on what they are more familiar with.

Personally,i find it too bad that Apple started leaving the pro market, in a monetary sense, it makes sense to go for the consumers, much larger customer base there which translates into more money, but the pro market while small could be a marketing asset me thinks. My research supervisor isn't gonna be happy if the mac pros get dropped or they are slow releasing new hardware (haven't seen any info on whether they will or not in a while though). He's a die hard mac adept since at least 20 years ago, but he needs processing power for CFD too.

On the other hand since mac started using x86 CPUs, more software now has a mac version as well as a windows version.

 

I work in IT at a web company.

For the most part, the affinitybetween design and macs is due to history.
A history which is currently trending AWAY from mac.

Macs are losing ground in design right now due to design choices in hardware and some odd support choices with software companies that have been long-time allies.

-Apple hardware has no choices, and thus only models are a lot more consumer-based and a lot less "professional".
-Aforementioned FCP and Adobe issues.

Part of this trend is also the overall improvements in Windows 7.

In our company, 2011 mbp are frustrating the beejeebers out of our designers with repeated heat problems and complaints of fan noise paired with a scary tendency to need to be sent in for repair.

Sad, as carrying a MBP used to mean you were carrying the most durable and reliable laptop on the planet. Now it means you have a laptop that is more fashion than function.

Design people really like having an eye-catching laptop. They really hate when it stops working when they have a deadline though.

 

Ignorant response. Nuff said.

Your entire post sounds actually biased more than from experience.



@OP: If you want the Sony Vaio go ahead and get it. It really doesn't matter which platform is preferred by Pro's. Yes, currently and probably many years in the future professionals will choose Apple's system. It's not necessarily a question of "better" but more of a situation of familiarity and what people just plain prefer.
The recording industry (in fact the music industry including professional DJ's) will probably always choose Mac until Apple stops making them. Apple owns that market.
Same goes for the business world. Now although tablets are merging vastly into this sector, the Windows operating system is still the most used. Not necessarily the preferred system but people are sort of locked into the Microsoft world due to Windows Server, Exchange and the like so it's much easier just to choose a Windows system. Windows 8 might unfortunately change that stronghold for Microsoft.

You can't just look at it like, "Well I can now do this on Windows so why do I need a Mac" type of mentality.

So just understand it's more about what the industry either prefers to use or is more comfortable using where change just is not an option.

Now if your question was "Why are more people choosing Mac today?" well then the answer would be that Apple has a great ecosystem of devices and nobody else offers this and OS X is really a great OS to use.

 

the sony has a weaker cpu and gpu, and even though the ips panel used in them looks great it has a red/orange color inaccuracy problem

if the bluray, backlit keyboard and price outweigh those concerns that's great, but that doesn't mean the sony is a lot better spec for spec

 

That's not necessarily true. I had my early 2011 13" MBP for a solid year before selling it and that machine was a solid performer from day one. It lasted a lot better in that year's timeframe than any other notebook I have owned/used including a few Dells (marked with the XPS labeling no less), one Toshiba, and a couple of HPs. My mid-2011 MBA is getting even more use as it is a lot easier for me to carry into my office/lab. Its weight, along with the AC adapter and my iPad 3 added up is still less than many other notebooks on the market. I have had my mid-2011 MBA for 6 months now and, with my excessive daily use, is still better than most other notebooks after the 6 month timeframe.

In fact, I'm willing to bet that not many notebooks would be able to even last 6 months with the amount of use I put into mine. Although Macs have problems just like EVERY OTHER computer out there (and that has ALWAYS been the case, they have never been perfect), they aren't nearly as scary as you make them out to be.

 

This is a serious question, not trying to insult you: Why do people talk about laptops being reliable when they last for merely a year (or in your case, even 6 months)? I've always considered that short for the lifetime of a laptop. I've always expected my laptop to last a good 2-3 years minimum without problems, especially if I'm shelling out over $1000 for it.

For example, my consumer-model Dell from the early 2000s (I seriously don't remember what year, maybe 2004?) just died last year, and it's not even really dead. The power cord just has a short in it and I don't need to replace it since I'm done using it anyway. I did have to buy a new battery for it at one point, but that's to be expected over the course of 8 years.

My Dell from 2009 still runs flawlessly (Inspiron 9400), save for a battery that dies in about 1.5 hours, but decreasing battery life happens in all laptops, so I wouldn't consider that "breaking".

My HP dv6t from 2010 is fine as well. The only thing about the dv6t is that I overclocked the GPU and ran Crysis and Mass Effect at 1080p over the course of a few months, so I had to replace the thermal paste on my fan/cpu, but this "problem" was my own fault and not from expected use.

Basically, my consumer-targeted laptops have never needed to be repaired or have anything fixed and I've had them for 2-8 years using them in cars, running processor intensive tasks such as Maya 3D, AutoCad, Abaqus CAE, etc, so I'm just curious, what sorts of problems are people encountering in merely 6 months to a year? I just can't believe that's now considered a long time for a laptop to last.

 

You didn't read his post completely. He said 6 months of excessive use. That can mean a lot depending on how he uses it.

 

No, I read it completely. That's why I'm asking what exactly was he doing, and what kinds of problems are people having that quickly. I'm just curious. And it's not merely directed at him; I've heard many people talking about having a laptop last a year as if it wasn't expected, and I know for sure some of them are not doing anything ridiculously intensive on it. Granted, I tend to take really good care of my machines physically (as in, I never ever drop them).

EDIT: And as for the OP's question which I completely forgot to answer, as a graphic designer/developer, I believe the main reason designers choose MBPs, at least currently, is more cultural than performance-related. Once upon a time, I believe graphic design software was more optimized for OSX, but as others have mentioned, the software advantage seems to be disappearing. For developers, there's still the advantage of being able to run OSX, Windows, and Linux on one machine (legally), and is the sole reason I'm considering a MBP.

Then there's the design of the MBP. Designers like things that look nice (obviously), and the Apple's emphasis on "design" and "creativity" are really attractive, especially since the physical design is actually attractive and not just marketing hype.

Finally, one thing I've noticed is that all MBs seem to have above average screens (color-wise, not resolution), especially when compared to most Windows laptops. I've had a hard time finding really nice screens in Windows laptops for under $1700ish, however, this is slowly changing as IPS (or even really good LCD/LED) displays appear in $1000 - $1500 Windows laptops, but that requires some searching whereas with a Mac, you don't really have to worry about it unless you need something that's absolutely top of the line when it comes to RGB coverage (though you should probably be looking at an external monitor if this is the case).

Disclaimer: I've never actually owned a MBP, so I'm only speaking from research and using friends' MBPs.

 

Not to be nitpicking but you really didn't ask him what type of work he was doing on his Mac. You only asked why 6 months was considered a long time.

Do you honestly believe this? What proof do you have to show this? Are you a graphic designer? IMO I don't believe it for one second that being a designer means that person would buy an Apple product because they like nice looking things. People don't necessarily bring their profession into their personal lives. Macs didn't always look so amazing and designers were very attracted to the Mac and it's OS and as you said, the great optimized software for it. When people get accustomed to using something they stick with it regardless if the competition offers similar usage for lesser money.

Sorry man, but I've been on the Mac for 15 years and I never ever bought one because they were "pretty" to look at and I get really annoyed when people make blanket statements like this. It's really devaluing people as a whole. Not everyone is this shallow. Maybe people just starting out on the Mac are attracted by it's looks and great looking OS but the functionality of the Mac as a whole is what attracts most legacy users such as myself and designers of the like.

Yep, wasn't too hard to tell, that's why I responded the way I did. It's much easier to address the OP's question based on full personal experience, not from the outside looking in.

 

This is a bit of an overreaction in the opposite direction. Having things that look nice shouldn't be automatically considered of low value, devaluing of people, or shallow.

 

You missed my point entirely and you're throwing words in my mouth. The person I quoted said designers like nice-looking things so they will choose a Mac for this reason. I replied saying that he's devaluing people by saying that because they are a designer they would choose a Mac because of it's looks. That's saying designers choose form over function. I'm referring to people professionally speaking since this thread is about "designers".

 

What goes around comes around.

Fair enough, although you are nitpicking, but regardless, the question of "why 6 months?" still stands. I'm interested to know, because it's a trend I'm noticing with people saying 6-12months is long life for a laptop.

Yes, I am a graphic designer as I mentioned before. And obviously, the statement about "design" being a factor isn't true for absolutely everyone, but it is a factor in some, perhaps many, cases as others have pointed out. And obviously I don't think that's a deciding factor, seeing as, like I said before, I'm a graphic designer yet I don't use a Mac. But lets face it, anyone who actually argues that the MBP design is not a big factor in most purchases is just in denial. The design is one of the biggest selling points, though it's not the only one.

I don't own one (as in I've never bought one for personal use), but I've used them extensively at work as they're provided, I just don't use them as a primary machine, which is a decision I came to based on FULL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. And seeing as A. I am in this profession, B. I have extensive experience with Macs, C. I've been in the situation of choosing between a Mac and Windows for design-related work which fits the OP's question exactly (in fact, I'm trying to decide between the new MBP Retina and a few other Windows laptops as we speak), I have the background to support my response.

Besides, you conveniently disregarded the rest of my legitimate answer which I'm sure the OP will find informative.

This is getting ridiculous. I sincerely hope you're just trolling. Quit overreacting to my words to extract something that might slightly be misconstrued as anti-Apple. I'm asking valid questions, which I'd rather you not reply to unless you actually plan on offering a valid answer, and I'm giving informative answers to the OP, so unless you'd like to contribute in a non-sarcastic, actually helpful way, quit wasting everyone's time.

 

It seems like one reasonable motivating factor. Obviously, it can't be the only reason, as they need to use the computer. But I don't think most designers would be worried that it wouldn't work.

I also imagine designers having a tendency towards nicely painted walls in their house, and probably a nice sofa.

And I clearly didn't miss your point:

This is precisely the point with which I have contention. You're talking about designers of all people, as if it's wrong for them to have a preference for one thing over another based on it's attractive design. I totally disagree.

Moreover, choosing form over function only applies if you're giving up function. Picking an attractive couch that's uncomfortable would be choosing form over function. Picking a comfortable attractive couch instead of a comfortable ugly couch is not form over function. That's just picking better form over worse form. If apple laptops didn't work, then designers who picked apple laptops *would* be picking form over function. But, that isn't the case, and it wasn't even implied in the original statement.

 

That wasn't clear, but I meant I used them on friends' at work (this is where most of my use has been). I have also been provided with some for community use at work (primarily iMacs, but some MBPs). Point is, I've used them quite extensively, for graphic design.

And you're still disregarding my points because as you probably know, they're valid despite you're over-analyzing of my posts (which I'm not changing, not sure where you got that from..? (Unless you mean the spelling mistake edits).

Stop being sensitive? Such irony considering you overreacted to my harmless posts and went so far as to label them as 'devaluing' and insulting and what-not (and just by the response of others in this thread, I'm not alone in thinking this). Congrats on the online rep; that's a massive accomplishment.

Anyway, this is just distracting from the actual discussion. I occasionally come to NBR to ask questions, get answers, or provide them, not to debate with fanatics over trivial issues not even related to the topic. If anyone wants to answer my question (even you, HLdan), please do. I'm seriously interested. And OP, I hope you found my un-biased insight informative. Thank you masterchef341 for seeing my point and not overreacting/misconstruing/twisting my words.

 

I mostly agreed with the substance of your point, but I don't condone your rudeness.

 

My standard time for owning a notebook/desktop has actually been more like 3-4 years. The Dell XPS labeled notebook I purchased held up for exactly 3 years and then kicked the bucket. However, it began to show signs of wear and tear along with other various aspects that come up (cooling fans needing replaced, having to clean out the inside every 4-5 months, and the obligatory re-installation of Windows XP about once every 6 months). It definitely wasn't in the same shape as my early 2011 13" MBP after the same 12 month period or my mid-2011 13" MBA after 6 months despite me not taking my Dell notebook anywhere with me (it was a 17" gaming notebook). The Dell was also in the same price category as my 13" MBP while my 13" MBA was less expensive. My Toshiba business tablet held up for about 1.5 years before giving up the ghost (the 360 degree rotating hinge gave out), the HP netbook I had put in about a solid year before breaking down, the various Dell business notebooks I used at work (starting in 2004 all the way through this year) have all needed heavy maintenance after 6-12 months, and I can keep going on. I have had a few notebooks (whether they were my own or supplied to me) put up the same fight as my MBP and MBA but they are very few and far between. I'm sure there are other current notebooks out there that would be able to provide the same reliability that my MBP and MBA have given me too, I'm not denying that at all. It's just that Apple has been able to produce two well built, reliable notebooks for me.

That's what I am saying. Although 6-12 months isn't that long of a time, the two Macs I have owned are in much better shape than almost every notebook I have ever used after that amount of time (both with the OS and its physical aspects). I fully expect to be able to get 3 years out of my MBA though I will likely replace it after 2 (maybe even 1.5) whenever I land a final job next year after I am done completing my MS research. I will probably keep my MBA and not sell it though as I can use it as a secondary machine, it will be a lot better than the Acer nettop I purchased thinking it would be a good HTPC.

 

Ah, ok. I thought you mean they were kicking the bucket or having serious hardware issues in 6-12 months.

Like I said, I had to replace some thermal paste in my dv6 after 1.5 years which I think was merely from me overclocking it, but perhaps it would've happened anyway.

I didn't game on my older Dells, though I did a lot more Auto CAD and Maya 3D on them, so maybe it was the combination of no gaming and pure luck that I didn't have any issues.

 

I work in the design industry with advertising agencies.
It boils down to a few things:

1) Historical precedence. Macintosh has been the langua di franca in design. Old habits are hard to break.

2) Legacy support in terms of equipment and apps.
For example, we work with ad agencies with font libraries that cost in the six figures. Open Type has mitigated some of this but there are investments in Mac postscript font typefaces that cost as much as $4K.
There are color cailibration equipment that work specifically with mac. Why invest in new printers/scanners that may not work with Windows.

3) Workflow. Mac OS has some unique features that are 20 years old. E.G.
Ability to color code labels on files and folders. Highlight folders in red to know it is a hot job.

Ability to name files without Windows limitations in another example.
You can't name a file like this in windows:

"01/10/2012 Design Prints #2 for 30% of the users@/smith's location"

The above is considered an illegal file name in windows.
For a traditional mac user, the inability to do things as simple as that gets frustrating. Meaning, what, "I can't name my files with slashes ?."

Drag-n-drop is still not as ubiquitous in Windows. E.G. some apps can't accept a drop from an image froma web browser. If you are browsing the web, you can pull the image into a layout program easily. On Windows, only a few app support that. That gets frustrating for mac users.

Then the ability to move files around "live" in the filesystem while working on jobs. The OS knows where the file is because it relies on the file inode (actual node pointer on the hard disk). OSX and many of the apps can intuitively find the file if it has been moved.

If you work on a file on the desktop and move it to your documents folder, the app will know where it is the next time it starts up. On Windows, if you move a file from

C:\Temp\TodaysJob\myfile.psd to C:\User\Documents\Joe\Desktop\renamed_new_file.psd

most likely you will get a "file not found error"


There are some others but that is the top of my head.