Suggestions Please, What hardware/software Options

[BobAdamson]

Hello musicmakers,

I have a few questions before I get into the meat of the subject. I am a long time Mac user (][e). My wife has a 17" Powerbook. My kids all have iMacs or Ibooks. The house is wireless. I purchased iLife to play around with GarageBand. Just as I was starting to get into it, my wife complains that she can no longer get on her Mac. See, I have my office at home and unfortunately, MY computer is a Dell. So, to keep the peace (and avoid buying another Mac for now), can anyone suggest something that might work well (I know that is redundant) on Windows?

I am a long time amatuer guitarist/keyboardist/singer/songwriter. My wife is a teacher. What I want is some kind of setup that allows me to record a few back up tracks to accompany live playing. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but I might want to do more than that, who knows? So, any suggestions?

[jklimeck]

Sorry for this book, but I felt compelled to address this in detail.

One of the main reasons that is cited in buying a PC over Mac is one: price

I digress briefly here, but certainly it can't be that PC's are the standard or majority in the music / film world, because they are not.

But these same Windows users will give you the same argument for PC's in the business world accounting for 95% or more (which is correct ) to justify buying / using a Win / PC.

So I just use that same argument back on PC users.

95 % of the music / video world uses Mac's, it's common knowledge and common fact.

I digress, but I felt compelled to interject that.


There are many articles regarding this issue of price, which is not my point in this article, but need to mention.

This is a fallacy, total cost of ownership is the same and in most case MORE expensive than a Win PC. Corporate buyers as well as schools are well aware of this, (their main argument is software availability, which is another issue totally).

Another reason: A Win / PC user experience has been argued that it is "just as good" as a Mac.

Well "just as good as" does not cut it, and I argue Win XP is not only not "just as good as" but in fact the ugliest, clunkiest OS the world has ever seen.

Sit in front of XP for 30 minutes or so (having been on OS 10.3) or try OS 10.3 for a while, it becomes rather obvious.

In fact I do not know how people can tolerate the Fisher Price, god awful look of Win XP (and many people change it to the Win 2000 because it is so ugly).

Also an interesting observation, this forum is MacMusic.org, not PC Music, yes people are free to do whatever you wish of course, buy a PC, buy Windows, etc., but remember where you came to, to a Mac Music site, I am just wondering why?

Here is a funny and true story. I used to work with a guy at Apple who wanted to buy a computer for pro music, he actually wanted to check out the "cost" of upgrading his old PC.

He wanted my advice and I said I could never assist anyone in considering or actually buying a PC, it was against my better judgment and that I was the wrong guy to talk to in this matter (and I professionally supported Win NT 4 PC's in the Corp. world for several years, so I am qualified and I know).

I said he should buy a G4, and use DP or Logic. Actually everyone he talked with said the same thing.

I told him you work at Apple, buy a Mac, you know they are better, he said I know, but...

But what... If you a looking for justification to buy a PC, there are tons of them, and equally to buy a Mac.

But I submit this is the case with many people who are considering a "PC", they already want a Windows PC for whatever reason, their mind is already made up and there is nothing one can do to change this.

I also interject, this is exactly one of the main reasons why The Apple Swithcer Ad has failed miserably, most people have been inundated with Win / PC and for them there is nothing else, they won't switch, for whatever reason, price, software, etc., it's psychological.

I digress again, but regarding Price, which I believe is the only really valid arguments these days and really only on the low end entry level of the Mac line, Apple needs a low cost box to compete with the like of Dell, like yesterday.

Very soon, I believe Apple is going to address this. I believe as many of the Mac web sites have reported, Apple will release a low cost maybe (700 dollar or less) "headless" but powerful Mac, just to get people started on the Mac, Mac OS X and the awesome Apple applications out there, iApps, FCP 4 Express, etc.

Price will ultimately not be an issue on the Mac (for consumer, small business and even pro-sumer), so it will be time to use another excuse to not buy a Mac.

I have encountered this phenomenon time and time agaim, from home users to small business users to Corporate IT Managers, fine, you don't need to justify your PC purchase, I don't care, and really most Mac users don't care.

We are busy making music on our Macs and enjoying the wonderful experience.

Feel free to buy a Win PC, buy your Windows music programs and get busy making music.

But why do many users do this, waffle, PC? or Mac?, search for reasons, when they know they will buy a PC anyway, and then need to justify it.

Insecurity, that's it, they need to defend their reason to buy a Win / PC , just buy it and live with it, period, end of story.

Anyway back to my story, we went to the PC shop, he quickly found out upgrading was going to be a complicating and costly process, and the sales guy started in on him to buy a new PC, a Celeron no less to do music?, ultimately the cost was now more than a new G4 (at that time) and he was going to buy it and did buy it, even though it cost more than a G4 (and was slower), so this cost argument was a lie, a veil, a dog and pony show.

This guy (in this case was a rather spineless character, not implying that Win / PC users in general are the same in anyway) really wanted to be like his friends, and wanted to be accepted and they used Win PC's so I should to, he said to me.

He actually told me this, Wow, talk about insecurity issues, etc.

You see my point, this is typical of many Windows users, they say things like price, this or that, etc. ultimately they by the PC for whatever justifiable reason they can find, like "everyone else uses a PC".

My relatives use this one over and over and you know what, that is true because the world is average, Windows is a commodity, and as Truman said, "The world is run by C students". Average.

So why, why I ask you are people coming to MacMusic.org asking for reasons to buy a PC and for music no less,

I submit this:

1) your are definitely in the wrong world for such, we are too busy loving our Macs, 2) somewhat insecure about your reasoning and really inside you know the Mac is the best way to go, you just want to talk with fellow Mac people, which is cool and that is why we are here, so Welcome!

Many people can not recognize excellence when they see it, and many and most Windows / PC users can't either, until you get on a OS 10.3 Mac on a fast machine and use all the wonderful apps, Final Cut Pro Digital Performer 4, Logic 6, etc., all of which do not and will not run on Windows.

So if you (think) you want a Windows / PC (especially for music, video, etc) by all means go and by one, you are free to do so, but don't use the arguments I list above, they won't wash with me. In fact don't try to justify it at all just go buy it and use it.

I close with this, My close friends don't get it, my parents don't get it, many people don't get it, either you get it or you don't, and here's to affirming that somehow someday computer users see the intrinsic excellence in the Mac experience (and the intrinsic lack thereof and actual complete mediocrity of Windows / PC's by comparison).

That's it, peace, Good luck to all

JK