Apple or PC? Which is better for us?

[Guest cliffie1931]

Whether to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous PC's?You get the drift. If you were starting again would you get an Apple of would you stick with a PC? I understand that Apple can use Windows and, presumably, we can therefore use FSX and our PMDG aircraft.So if Apple is better for graphics, as I'm told, why not make the change?Cliff

[stevenp 1]

Whether to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous PC's?You get the drift. If you were starting again would you get an Apple of would you stick with a PC? I understand that Apple can use Windows and, presumably, we can therefore use FSX and our PMDG aircraft.So if Apple is better for graphics, as I'm told, why not make the change?Cliff

What does better graphics in osx have to do with anything? If anything pc are much better because they can be built and are much cheaper. And they can have much stronger parts. With apple you can only go with what they provide.

[mburkhard 23]

Cliff,best thing for flying is custom-built PC system. That way you can buy exactly those parts needed for flight simulation.Macs are amazing machines but they are not made for flying. Use them for whatever else you do with computers and you will love them. But I can not recommend them for both FSX or FS9.This is what I do:- I have one PC (custom-built) for FS9 and FSX.- Another small and weak PC next to that as an EFB.- I use Macs for everything else I need computers for. So I use an iMac as my instructor station to run things on like weather tools, flight planning and more. For this I have installed Windows to which I can boot whenever I fly.Apple just doesn't provide the best possible hardware to run FS9 or FSX on. It DOES work of course, but it's not the optimum.Markus

[Gavin 99]

What does better graphics in osx have to do with anything? If anything pc are much better because they can be built and are much cheaper. And they can have much stronger parts. With apple you can only go with what they provide.

Here in Poland it is significantly more expensive for me to buy a new Mac than a new custom designed PC which will run things exactly as I want. I see no logic in buying a Mac. Apple has superior PR and is de rigeur with the 'fashionista' here - but, hey, Flightsim is nerdish, so fashionable I don't have to be ;-)

[Mac_Paint 35]

Markus has a point of view that I cannnot refute although I use my MacBook Pro exclusively to run FS9 and FSX and have no issues. Can I use extra horsepower? No doubt, but that does not prevent me from enjoying both platforms on my laptop. FS9 is smooth as butter and usually FSX is too until I start mucking about with settings and I start to see the occasional stutter. Yes, I could build a screaming PC rig to fly but I still prefer my trusty Mac.Pete 'Mac Paint'

Cliff,best thing for flying is custom-built PC system. That way you can buy exactly those parts needed for flight simulation.Macs are amazing machines but they are not made for flying. Use them for whatever else you do with computers and you will love them. But I can not recommend them for both FSX or FS9.This is what I do:- I have one PC (custom-built) for FS9 and FSX.- Another small and weak PC next to that as an EFB.- I use Macs for everything else I need computers for. So I use an iMac as my instructor station to run things on like weather tools, flight planning and more. For this I have installed Windows to which I can boot whenever I fly.Apple just doesn't provide the best possible hardware to run FS9 or FSX on. It DOES work of course, but it's not the optimum.Markus

[Guest cuizinier]

I see no logic in buying a Mac. Apple has superior PR and is de rigeur with the 'fashionista' here - but, hey, Flightsim is nerdish, so fashionable I don't have to be ;-)

LOLI agree that a custom build PC make more sense for the power hungry FS (If you won the lottery I am sure the mac pro can handle FS very well). But like Markus, FS (and gaming in general) appart, I use macjulien

[Tabs 2,790]

Guys guys...Macs essentially ARE PCs now. They have been ever since Apple switched to using Intel CPUs and chipsets - this is the reason they can even run Windows in the first place.The graphics cards you can put in a high-end PC are better than anything Apple offers right now - the best card you can get on the Macbook or Macbook Pro is a 9600M, best on the Mac Pro is an 8800GT. Those are ancient compared to the GTX 260s and Radeon 4870s that you can put in custom built PC would have.By all means I recommend the Macbook if you're buying a laptop, it's an incredible machine and I love mine (it stays in OSX 95% of the time actually), but for gaming and simming, a custom built PC is easily the way to go.

[Guest cliffie1931]

Guys guys...Macs essentially ARE PCs now. They have been ever since Apple switched to using Intel CPUs and chipsets - this is the reason they can even run Windows in the first place.The graphics cards you can put in a high-end PC are better than anything Apple offers right now - the best card you can get on the Macbook or Macbook Pro is a 9600M, best on the Mac Pro is an 8800GT. Those are ancient compared to the GTX 260s and Radeon 4870s that you can put in custom built PC would have.By all means I recommend the Macbook if you're buying a laptop, it's an incredible machine and I love mine (it stays in OSX 95% of the time actually), but for gaming and simming, a custom built PC is easily the way to go.

My thanks to all of you. What interesting responses..............Cliff

[Guest icecone]

If you are hungry, get an apple.If you want to play FS9/FSX, get a PC, whatever you like. But "Apple is better for graphics"? No way, apple's PC only have relatively low-end graphics considering their costs.Sam

[SMaus 1]

"Apple is better for graphics" means that many graphics applications were originally written for Apple before they were adapted for PCs. Today Apple is used by many professional graphic designers, newspapers (DTP) and musicians in recording studios because the available applications are simply better.That doesn't mean that the graphics cards are better as well. Particularly when it comes to games or our beloved Flight Simulator, Apple is well beneath standard.I've been running both systems for several years now. Therefore I have the direct comparison, also when it comes to ordinary applications like word processing software, browsers, photo manipulation and so on and so forth. Depending on what I'm going to do I either take the PC or the Apple. Before it gets too much off topic:Flawless and above all stable working without any distractions, software crashes, surfing without viruses - I take the Mac.Flightsim without grumbling about sub-standard graphic cards - I take the PC.... and a further advantage: I write this on my Mac while I'm flying from Vienna to Dubai on my PC. Without changing applications or whatever.

[Guest cliffie1931]

"Apple is better for graphics" means that many graphics applications were originally written for Apple before they were adapted for PCs. Today Apple is used by many professional graphic designers, newspapers (DTP) and musicians in recording studios because the available applications are simply better.That doesn't mean that the graphics cards are better as well. Particularly when it comes to games or our beloved Flight Simulator, Apple is well beneath standard.I've been running both systems for several years now. Therefore I have the direct comparison, also when it comes to ordinary applications like word processing software, browsers, photo manipulation and so on and so forth. Depending on what I'm going to do I either take the PC or the Apple. Before it gets too much off topic:Flawless and above all stable working without any distractions, software crashes, surfing without viruses - I take the Mac.Flightsim without grumbling about sub-standard graphic cards - I take the PC.... and a further advantage: I write this on my Mac while I'm flying from Vienna to Dubai on my PC. Without changing applications or whatever.

A useful summary. Thanks Steve.Cliff

[Gavin 99]

LOLI agree that a custom build PC make more sense for the power hungry FS (If you won the lottery I am sure the mac pro can handle FS very well). But like Markus, FS (and gaming in general) appart, I use macjulien

Hey JulienNotice how we English have to use French (de rigeur) when we want to sound smart :( - but I didn't tell you that, ok?