Apple or Windows?

Sup Guys,

I installed MPC software on my Windows by default but i also have a (4GB, i5) Macbook Pro....

Is the software running better on one of them or is there no difference?

Just curious!

Thanks,
Mitch,

The soft was designed on Macs so it would be best.

Most reports I see is that it runs pretty well on a Mac.

Ill-Green wrote:The soft was designed on Macs so it would be best.

Unlikely, because multiplatform apps are normally written in an application framework which allows you to (for example) code in C++ and then compile that source code to work under Mac, Windows, Linux etc. So you have a single source code rather than maintaining separate sources for each platform.

IMO, you'd expect from any application developed primarily in the Mac environment to be very 'Mac-like' - the MPC Software isn't IMO, i.e. the use of custom file management windows ('Save as...etc), inability (in Snow Leopard at least) to quit the app correctly from the dock, and so on.

I doing my workflow on a blackfriday $200 lap that came with win 8. I live on the edge

I run both OS's, and any modern software that doesn't run the same on both OS"s is poorly coded period.

I have over 200 retail/paid examples to compare by just re-booting into either OS. Ableton, Reaper etc, hundreds of VST/AU everything CPU/RAM related is essentially a 1:1 match.

And Tutor is dead right on how 99% of apps are birthed in the coding/assembly stage. You're only going to see a "A Mac-centric design/execution of code" in apps like Drum Spillage and Numerology 3 and it's a moot point as they don't even have PC versions.

Really only a couple of utility apps like MIDI mapping apps show their PC or Mac origins and subsequent porting in a comparison of the 2 versions. And even then it's command/GUI stuff like Tutor mentioned not really any performance difference.

If someone is having the Ren/Studio apps or any other modern software run markedly better on one or OS or the other, the user probably needs to make some OS config tweaks that would take less than 5 minutes on either OS, and half that time would be that some settings tweaks take a reboot.

Black Viper, you might want to do those 5 minutes of tweaks, I have a $225 netbook that I was able to triple performance on (which mean 4 tracks and some FX in Ableton ).

http://www.blackviper.com/

He added Windows 8 specific tweaks recently, and his charts are dead easy to follow and know exactly what you're disabling to get the CPU cycles and RAM back in your control for the DAW stuff to use better.

Also if you haven't already gutted the bloatware on that PC, use the 30 day fully functional demo of this - http://www.revouninstaller.com/

100% legit, awesome app. Just be careful using advanced mode when deleting registry keys after the apps are taken out. Maybe 1 out of 25 times it misses on the collecting the obsolete keys. And you kind of need to know how to read a list like that to not accidentally delete OS critical entries.

Generally speaking if it shows keys in the Microsoft and /or Windows32 folder that are not labelled with the uninstalled apps vendor name, choose no on the key deletions. But again Revo gets it right most of the time anyways.

To dump you web cache daily and maintain a tight registry CCleaner is awesome and totally free. It's used by network engineers daily and in Cisco schools students are told to use this one.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner

I've widened the "edge" you mentioned on many underpowered PC's over the years using these 3 methods.

after being pc user since I can remember I have to say my preference is OSX platform for anything media related

Both work. It's what you prefer.

I suggest PC since you get more for the $, and they're less restrictive and more universal. Almost everything with a mac has to be for a mac, which can be kind of a ****...like how you have to spend $85 if you lose your power adapter. I just bought a HP laptop last night - 8GB Ram, 750GB/7200 RPM HD, i5 processor 15.6" screen. Decent PC. It cost me $599. If you want that in a mac, it will be over twice that much. Granted Apple has done a tremendous job marketing towards creative types - ad agencies, video houses, etc, and they seem to be the industry standard for graphic design/video editing. And they do look pretty... But for music - like MPC software, it's all third party stuff, so the workflow should be pretty much identical.

Apple makes a good product, but you pay extra for it. Which is a depreciating asset that is just going to be exponetially outdated in the next couple years.

Co-sign all the above.

But knowing the developers seem to always use Macs to demo the products at NAMM and in official videos should give Mac users some confidence. There must be good reasons why Macs are the platform of choice, besides the 'cool factor'.

Or not.

I run both same hardware every day, ZERO performance difference. OS X has IAC MIDI built in. Windows you get something like the freeware loopMIDI that's literally like 500kbs and takes 20 seconds to install and you have the same thing.

There is no topic I find more annoying than assumptions that OS X has "superpowers".

OS X you can aggregate multiple audio interfaces if you have more than one audio interface, which most people don't anyway, but it can be great if you do and need a ton of inputs.

OS X has Drum Spillage, Numerology, GB and Logic and a few other exclusive plugins that would top out at like a dozen.

Windows has literally hundreds of plugins with no Mac version. Although many are freeware, but that's not a bad thing and many are quite good.

That's it. Everything else you hear about OS X's performance superiority has zero basis in fact, and is an unfortunate carry over from the late 90's until the early 2000's when Pro Tools was previously a Mac exclusive and the first Windows version lagged behind.

That was well over a decade ago. Since the release of Windows XP, the OS's are 1:1 in performance levels on comparable or the same hardware since Apple switched to Intel CPU's.

Not going at you at all Clint, I just am tired of this perception that I swear is solely based in people wanting to find a reason why they paid a $500-$1500 premium on their Apple hardware. The trade show thing is simply that iMacs and Mac Pros make for a nicer aesthetic display at your trade show table than the average PC of the same spec.

If I was a developer I would do the same, every nuance of your public display is assimilated by your audience, even just a more pleasing to the eye outward design. But it does create a false perception that it's better on OS X/Mac and that's simple, not true on any dual format software.

The answer is better metal casings and Apple just flat out charges more because they get it at their registers.

Video editing on OS X is the only thing that can show a better performance than it's PC's counterpart, and that's really because Final Cut doesn't exist on a PC. And truth be told plenty of people shuttle the same amount of video data at the same speeds for both rendering and processing using a product like Premiere on PC's.

If performance isn't an issue then it all comes down to what OS you want to run?

I personally prefer the 'touchy feely' way OSX is set up out of the box, especially coupled with the Magic Trackpad. The mouse died the day I switched to Mac.

I was (and probably stiil) an hardcore pc user, like having hand made overclocked-watercooling desktops and also heavy modified/overclocked laptops.

3 years ago bought a macbook pro at 40% discount via ucas for uni duties, and honestly never locked back...osx is awesome really.

the logic behind setting and making things in osx ihmo is light years ahead windows, if you got skill you can reprogram most of the interface and functions from the terminal.

BUT unfortunately im planning to come back to a windows machine, mainly because i need a mobile powerhouse with a 17 inch screen, powerfull video card (or even 2 in parallel) and 2 hard drives.

current macbook pro imho are too limited feature wise (just 1 hd, average video card).

maybe i can try to built an hackintosh based on some windows 8 high end gaming laptop...

Both are equal. I switched to Mac a few years ago. For me it's better, so that is what I use. To others Windows is better, so that is what they use. Alls right with the world.

To you guys who maybe haven't used Windows 7/8 extensively over the last few years, the lines are blurrier now as far as context menus and general often used mouse commands.

When you take Launchpad and Expose out of the comparision, things I frankly find to be annoying resource wasters and have zero bearing on anything you do DAW work wise, the OS's are closer in moment to moment user operation than any time in the past.

So if you haven't used Windows since the 98/XP days you'll most likely appreciate how Windows is much more like OS X in general layout as it ever was in the past, barring the aforementioned later SL/ML additions on the toolbar that again I find 100% useless. Why would I ever want/need a separate shortcut that looks my iPad's home screen.

The main core of the thread isn't so much user preference or what someone subjectively thinks is better, it's does one outperform the other in any measurable way over the last decade, the answer is a resounding no.

Of course after that general user preference and stylistic presentation preferences come into play and that's more than understandable.

I would soundly disagree that anything in OS X's general functioning is light years beyond Windows that's pure hype. Some things are just set up differently, and to be truthfully about it the Windows shell always was and will likely continue to be far more customizable than OS X.

But again the day to day dealing with files and running your DAW and VST's the two are near identical and it's just personal preference.

andreat668, look at ADK's site to see what components they are using in their DAW laptops and check those against current Hackintosh compatibilities, should be pretty easy to sort a configuration that can dual boot, has two HD bays, can slot an ungodly amount of DDR3 RAM and even do some gamer.

I'm consistently impressed with the parts ADK chooses in their PC build, but if you were overclocking in the past,m you already know you can build the same or better for way less cash.

Metatron72 wrote:Not going at you at all Clint, I just am tired of this perception that I swear is solely based in people wanting to find a reason why they paid a $500-$1500 premium on their Apple hardware.

I use both Mac and PC, each has their strengths in my world.

I was just pointing out an observation from the Akai videos.

I can see this turning into one of 'those' threads, but it all comes down to user preference ultimately. Apple are just smarter at extracting large amounts of money from peoples wallets for Macs, iphones, ipads etc. Possibly more social statement than functional product in some cases.

Metatron72 wrote:When you take Launchpad and Expose out of the comparision, things I frankly find to be annoying resource wasters and have zero bearing on anything you do DAW work wise, the OS's are closer in moment to moment user operation than any time in the past.

Exposé is a very useful tool for DAW users. Well, Cubase users anyway. There's certain windows that won't 'stay on top' so Exposé gives a nice exploded view of everything that's going on so you can bring it in from the background. If you've got a dual monitor setup this would be less of an issue obviously.