Advice! Part One of DJ Setup: Buying the right laptop (pc or...mac?)

[LanceBlaise]

I went to school for computers and got my masters in IT. Now with that being said, I have owned Apple computers since the 80s. I also owned many PCs as well. The PCs could be easily taken apart and repaired and all that crap back in the day when most of us geeks were not taking our precious Apple machines apart to alter them. Now a days you can mod an Apple machine for the same price basically as you can a pc, you just need to know where to get good pieces for a food price. So the best part now a days with Apple vs PC is the exceptional software, the great service, and solid machines all around. Speak from personal experience I have converted 5 prouder/dj friends to mac. Now that they are on mac they can't believe they ever used a pc. 3 out of those 5 frie ds could not get Traktor working properly on their pc. To me that is a bad ratio. Again this is my personal experience, it's not bashing. On the PCs my friends were using the sound was very poor and scratchy along with traktor crashing multiple times.

So I strongly recomend using Mac from personal experience. I know there Are many people who use a pc for traktor. But personally when you are relying on something professional and you want to be a profesional, well then use what a pro would use.

As for size. I recently went from a 15" MacBook pro to the new 13" MacBook pro. Size is perfect!!

[Karlos Santos]

Yeah i think Lance is the one that touched on the really important question here.

Its not Mac or PC its : Are you prepared and tech savy enough or even bothered and have the inclination to tweak a laptop to any extent other than actually turning it ON.

I am not.

I hate tweaking laptops, i cant ! ... I know fuck all about suspending system resources.
I dont want to know about Spikes and pops and crackles or how to cure them. Id rather spend my time looking at my own arse.

I have enough tech knowledge to do what i want to do with my DJ laptop and thats enough for me.

Buying an iBook 5years ago (after years of Graphic Design work on PC) was and total enlightenment. After that i got a Macbook Pro and today i have a brand new Macbook Pro.

I know people with great PC laptops that run just as well as my Mac but all of them down to the last one had to work,tweak and adjust there machines. Some of them enjoy it, they like getting under the hood . The other it drove crazy. I am not a tweaker.

I read with horror the thread about Dell laptops on the NI forum. God knows what those guys must be going through to stop the pops and crackles.

I bought an MBP last week, opened the box , copied my iTunes library over, installed Traktor and DJd for 7 hours with it the same night with out a single issue.

Im sure some pc guys could say the same, but not many.

If your like me and you dont like getting you pretty hands dirty go Mac.
If your tech savy and prepared for some work go PC.

This is just my opinion based on what ive experienced on another forum.

[dont buy a Toshiba]

[Segfault]

Hi, my name is Andrew, and I'm a tweaker.

I think that's actually one of the biggest things that bugs me about Macs, apart from the outrageous price tag: you can't tweak them at all, which is a completely alien concept to me, especially on a BSD-based OS.

I like knowing I can get as much performance as (in)humanly possible out of a machine, and Apple's computers just don't do that for me.

BUT! Like I said: go with what you're happy with. If you've got the money to spend on a Mac, more power to you.

[Xonetacular]

Lance- if 3 of 5 couldn't get traktor working on a PC they have problems far beyond the scope of this topic. Both windows and OSX run audio apps just as well as each other, and if you stick to my core 2 duo and 3gb ram or higher rule you will be set. All other features are your preference as well as picking a mac or pc. I vote PC, especially Lenovo thinkpads for durability in the club and mobile scene that macbooks just can't stand up to. You can stick a thinkpad under a beer tap and have it running fine the next day, they take the stress of the scene amazingly; I would like to see a Macbook Pro with a pitcher of beer spilled on it....

[Ciar2001]

I have had pc's since the early 90's taught myself everything about pc's even built a few and I am not in anyway a techy far fromit in regards to my profession, when I restarted djing back in July it was because i bought my first macbook pro first mac i have ever touched! mainly for my media and music collection and movies, that's when i found out about Traktor and everything else, all I have to say, it is the best purchase i have ever made OSX for me is just brilliant, still have a pc for other jobs but for the media and the likes it's mac all the way.

they both have their pros and cons it's all down to personal choice

.

[Karlos Santos]

I like knowing I can get as much performance as (in)humanly possible out of a machine, and Apple's computers just don't do that for me.

.

But dude i dont get this cus my MBP CPU usage barely flickers when im hammering the testicles out of it .
Why would i, you , we want to get more performance from something thats doing everything i want anyway.

I mean we are talking DJing here arent we, not 3D Modeling of the latest Japanese Airport.

I understand the love of tweaking and all things techy but PCs , like Xonetacular points out should be able to run DJ apps in their sleep but many cant..! They cry, break down and make the user want to kill themselves.

I dont need to tweak my Mac to within and inch of its life cus its barley awake when its running Traktor anyway.

All power to the tweakers but im not convinced that being able tweak is a necessary skill that a Digital DJ should have . Just a solid knowledge of what going on with you laptop and whatever is attached to it.

Thats the only reason i recommend Macs .


DOnt get me started on Apple Customer Service. Fucking terrible !!!

Id rather french kiss Bill Gates than have to go through more Apple Service Centre horse-shit.

[DJ_Animus]

I was ready to jump ship and pay way too much for a mac. But I did research and found out mac users have problems just like pc users. Then I got windows 7 ultimate and I LOVE pc's again. It feels like a highschool romance. My machine an HP with 3gigs ram, 4 usb ports, 2 esata ports, 1 firewire800 port, 17 widescreen 250gig hdd, and a 2.4 dual core runs like a beast on 7 when on vista it was utter shit. I need to replace my battery and also get a cooling pad, but ive had the laptop for over a year and wasnt the nicest person to it.

I did a clean install of 7 and didnt have to tweak anything at all. Installed traktor and all my drivers and it works beyond flawlessly.

I think 7 will swing the playing field in favor of pcs.

[Segfault]

Yeah, Vista was kind of a crap-storm of an OS. It got released too early and was bloated and eugh.

People who say that Windows 7 copies Mac's OSX make me simultaneously want to laugh, facepalm, and slap them, however.

And @Karlos: I don't just DJ with my laptops. It'd be nice if I had the money to get away with buying a separate computer for DJing, but I quite simply don't have that kind of cash. I'm not saying people should shy away from macs because they can't be tweaked, the only reason I dislike Macs is because they're extremely overpriced. I'm just saying the inability to tweak a mac properly is /one/ of the reasons /I/ personally dislike them. That being said, if Macs were priced more reasonably, I'd be all over them like white on rice, as they're very pretty machines.

[pier]

the only reason I dislike Macs is because they're extremely overpriced.

Macs not only are pretty... for example how many pcs have a retro illuminated keyboard for typing in the dark?

Or how many have high quality screen panels?

Or how many have a magnetic plug for the power so that if you happen to pull the cable accidentally you will not throw your computer to the ground?

Or how many pcs are build in alluminium insted of plastic?

Or how many pcs have a built accelereometer so that if you happen to throw you computer it shuts down the hard drive to minimize damage on the platters?

Etc.

If try to get a pc with the same features as a mac you'll see they cost pretty much the same. I'm not talking about the same cpu/ram. Pro pcs laptops cost the same as macbook pros.

Of course if you only look at the cpu and the ram, then it's obvious you think they are overpriced. But why it is that so many audiovisuals professionals are willing to pay more? Because they get more, as simple as that.

My point is you get what you pay for. Macs are not overpriced.

[sine143]

I'm gonna stick with the macs are overpriced. They just are in my opinion

How many Pc's have keyboards that are not built to fit the curvature of your fingers?

not that many (although backlighting would be nice, those keys are not really... retro)

How many thinkpads have accelerometers in them to shut down the hardrive (oh wait).

How many pc's have high quality screens:

a good number of them, actually most that I've seen that have been manufactured in the last 2 years.

another quirk I have with mac books is the touchpad. Hell, its nice not to have to click buttons, but rather be able to depress the whole platter. My only question is, why did they put the platter on a hinge mounted on one side, which makes it near impossible to click when you are on the top 50% of the pad

As far as the aluminum goes, that is purely cosmetic. Its not going to protect you computer any more than plastic will, and it probalby costs... what, maybe double a plastic case to manufacture? which brings expenses up from 10 dollars to 20 dollars...

to be honest, most cheap NETBOOKs are starting to offer many of the same features of a mac (keyboard style, touchpad, case), and they cost next to nothing.