oh boy..A Mac vs Windows Discussion

Here's my situation. I;ve had it with Windows. My machine runs ok in Windows 11 (Dell Workstation, 32gigs ram, some i7, blah blah blah) and I only very recently caved in to Win11 from Win10. The OS seems like a house of cards to me now and I sure don't like their business strategy and how they try and invade your privacy in many ways..they just seem very unethical to me. I seem to be always adjusting/fixing stuff and having to install updates

I would much prefer to use Linux for music production. Both bitwig and Studio One have native apps, my Audio Interface works fine in Linux, and both my keyboard and pads have a Linux script, but to get Kontakt Instruments to work in Linux seems almost impossible to get running and forget running great

So that leaves a Mac. I;m thinking some M series Mac Mini to start with. Without getting specific re setups (in general terms), how would my experience w. Mac compare to with Windows 11 with Kontakt Instruments and Komplete Kontrol? with pretty comparable machines (I;m running most recent versions of both). I would use the Tahoe OS . I am looking for info from people who have lots of experiences with both. Most of my instrument vst's are Kontakt so I;m kind of stuck.

I've never used any Apple products but have been using computer gear for decades and just don't know what to expect. For routine stuff I;m an Android phone guy and use a Thinkpad Chromebook. All I want is a solid music production experience. I did a search of this forum and there really wasn't much general info for someone with no experience with Apple at all. sorry this was so long, but perhaps others will find it useful in light of all the Microsoft shenanigans.

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Vocalpoint

Windows is rock solid for many of us so painting it in a bad light is not really accurate.

Yes - it is possible to have any OS slip off the rails but that usually comes down to the operating environment (hardware) and the technical capabilities of the user.

That said - there are many Mac users in here that can give you their take on their Ni experiences - which are very solid as well.

Sensorian

I moved from Windows to Mac about 10 years ago and in doing so moved from Cubase to Logic. The move from OS was not as challenging as I’d assumed it was, the move to Logic was a bit steeper but just in terms of getting to know how to get things done.

Perhaps the biggest leap in satisfaction was the move to M series processor (I’m currently on M3 with 32GB RAM) when performance way exceeded my expectations. Everything runs flawlessly, very, very few issues and my workflow is now centred around making music rather than resolving technical issues.

That said, I don’t buy into OS wars, I know lots of people that use Windows without major issues but Mac OS works for me and integrates really well with my iPad, iPhone etc so just sits well within my overall user experience requirements.

Feel free to ask me any questions if required.

DunedinDragon

I can't say any of your characterizations about Windows rings true for me either. I've got an older PC that I've upgraded several times, but it's nowhere near state of the art. I've never experienced any kind of security issue in the 9 years I've had this particular PC or any previous PC, and the only thing I use is the standard Windows security.

My main PC is pretty much primarily used as my main music production studio with a wide range of well over 500 virtual instruments and plugins from a range of different vendors, two Kontrol keyboards (S88 and S49), two Yamaha HS7 studio speakers, a Blue Yeti microphone which also serves as my audio interface running over a 1 gb wireless network. It has a modest 16 Gb of memory with 6 Tb of SSD storage. It's used every day of every week to create the backing/production tracks used by my band in live performances and is connected to my ASUS laptop running Windows 10 as well which is used as the stage PC for playback of the tracks and automation of the synchronized operations of the live stage equipment every week during our performances. So both PCs are heavily used every week and have never failed or had any security issues in over 9 years. So clearly I'm no "casual user".

Could this all be done on a Mac? Probably. But I see no need given the track record I've had with Windows. The same goes for Linux, but that would probably add a significant amount of complexity to the process.

The difference between myself and your viewpoint is mine comes from actual production and results, not from fear of what "might" occur.

Jojo123

You should be allowed to have a good discussion about Macs and Windows without it being called a war. You're not going to get a lot of input yet on Tahoe. Its still very new (in NI terms). Its always wise to check compatibility. That cant be overstated.

That said, you're in somewhat of a same position as me. First, I agree and I DESPISE M$ blatant violations of privacy and as you put it - shennanigans (and that is an understatement). I'm seeing a growing number of people utterly fed up with it for the reasons you state, so dont listen to these strawman false accusations (I didn't see you fearing anything and I didn't see you paint anything in a bad light that wasnt true). The last M$ OS Id feel comfortable locking down was XP which I really like, still have and have a use for.

I'd prefer Linux too which I use in general every day and is great, but for music I want a stable system without faffing around having to go CL and to extra lengths involving workarounds and whatnot. That leaves Mac.

Im on Logic, and have a well kitted out 2019 iMac which still runs well. I've also recently got an M4 Mac Studio 1TB 64GB and still slowly getting things set up. So far all is well generally. I have K14 UCE - Every system is going to have their fair share of bugs and issues, here and there. Ive been using Macs for over 2 decades. Have I had an absolute error free run? No, but have had a pretty good experience overall. I think Macs are pretty easy to get used to but of course that depends on little things that can annoy the stuffings out of you or maybe not. That part you just wont know until you try it out. Id recommend going into a shop or a friend or something, and just perusing the OS to see how you like it. Some things can just seem back to front if you're used to M$. Just getting around the OS, there's some things I actually find are better in WIndows and some things better in Mac OS. Everyones different so its what works for you.

Also, as Ive said a number of times here, with M$ and Apple, its generally a race to the bottom. M$ is winning that race ATM. When they make it harder and harder to actually use your OS without all this stuff phoning home, well that crosses the line for me, and apparently a growing number of others. It might be secure but from who? It sure aint private. With Mac that exfiltrates data to some extent but at this time I can keep my computer offline as I work. How long this lasts who knows? If Ive got this right, I don't like what Im hearing about automatic OS updates which can't be averted after 90 days without doing workarounds. I'll be watching that because that can spell disaster as NI software generally take ages to be officially supported on the latest Mac OS.

Maciej Repetowski

As many here know, I’m a Mac person, so probably biased just a tad 🤣

Having said that, if you never tried a Mac and you like Windows and you love your Android phone and you like tinkering (optimising, upgrading, replacing cards, motherboards, adding RAM, etc) - you are probably better off with a PC.

If you have lots of software from years ago, you will be also better off with a PC. Mac’s backward compatibility is not a thing, one needs to have the latest versions of everything, old software doesn’t work if it’s not actively updated by a vendor.

Mac is as close to turnkey solution as it gets, so if you want your computer to be an appliance which you replace every 5 years or so and you don’t want to be an IT technician, then Mac may be better for you.

There are however PC audio workstations made to be turnkey solutions, too. So you can also choose one of those, they are pricier than regular PCs, but stability is guaranteed.

Whatever you decide, those are just tools, choose what’s best for you.

Please also remember that those are very different platforms with very different philosophy, different approach to expandability and software compatibility. Best to test one extensively at Apple Store or if any of your friends has a Mac, ask them to show you around.

DunedinDragon

Sorry, but I see no difference at all between the functionality of Windows and Mac. They can both be operated independent of any network connection if you choose to do so. At my performances we have my Windows laptop for automating the backing tracks and coordinated control of stage assets as well as a Mac which is for AV projections. Neither of them are connected to any network and simply interface (as all things do in that environment) through direct-connected MIDI interactions. The only reason I have my laptop networked at home is for the convenience of file transfers through my WiFi home network, but it would function just fine without it. And stability between the two computers is exactly the same. Neither has ever crashed in the last 5 years of heavy complex usage and they function perfectly every single time.

There are however PC audio workstations made to be turnkey solutions, too. So you can also choose one of those, they are pricier than regular PCs, but stability is guaranteed.

Stability is NEVER guaranteed because human beings use them and all of us are pitifully flawed.

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