I’m on the fence whether to buy a MacBook Pro 16 inch laptop or a Dell xps 15.6 inch. Prices here in Seoul are virtually the same for both machines (with similar specs). All reviews state that the Macbook with the M2 CPU is simply the fastest and the screen is better for photography (I’m a photographer). Now my dilemma being a Windows user is: what is the learning curve for switching to a Mac environment, specifically using Photoshop? Some salesmen told me to stick to Windows, users on the internet have polarized opinions about it, and I would value recommendations from Wilders members. Any comments are welcomed, thanks.
A M2 Mac may be faster, but do you really need that extra speed? If you're using Photoshop, the experience will be basically the same on both macOS and Windows. I personally hate macOS. That's not to say it's a bad OS and of course there are plenty of people who feel the same about Windows. If it is possible for you to use a Mac before buying, it would help you decide which you prefer.
Mac ... No contest, security is far better than Windows and Unix is and always was, IMO, a better OS.
I appreciate your answer and tend to agree with you. When you say 'I personally hate macOS' it is indeed a strong sentiment, would you care to elaborate on that? I am not judging anything, I just wish to find out why some people have these feelings towards certain brands.
With all respect security is not an issue in this context, my concern is how long it would take to familiarize myself in a Mac environment. Some of the Macbook Pros on sale second hand were ditched because the user couldn't get used to the Mac OS (so I was told in the shop)
If it's just for Photoshop and anything that involves a regular machine, then consider the Mac. If you want to do more using Windows-only software, then consider the Dell.
I was shown side by side two computers (Mac and Dell) in terms of quality of images, and the Mac was unbelievable how good it was. If I wanted to have the same quality of image as the Mac, I would have to spend another $1000 on the Dell. Now having said that, as a photographer my end result would be a print not a screen image, therefore it is not so critical for me...
Hello Osaban, I personally have both, I bought the MacBook Pro for my little business company 4 years ago. The main reason for me was that I felt at the time it needed less attention regarding security and maintenance. For the last thirty years ( I’m not young anymore!) I was alway a Windows user and I can tell you that I had no problem with the learning curve. It’s a little bit like cars, some like a certain make and some hate it.
Well Antarctica you are the best man to ask this question, how do you feel with both systems? When you say you had no problem with the learning curve, does it mean it was rather intuitive, did it take days, weeks, months?
The 16 inch monitor, particularly its 16:10 aspect ratio (the Dell is 16:9) would be reason enough for me to chose the Mac. See the pic below for a comparison, Mac is on the left. As to the learning curve, an OS is an OS: kernel, desktop environment, file manager, programs... it's a matter of time until you're familiar with your new home. I went from Windows to Linux and it took me a couple of months to forget Microsoft.
Well, I was about 65 years old when I bought the Mac and to be honest I felt a little bit lost on the beginning. And I taught OMG, why did I make that move, but after a couple of weeks I felt quite at ease. Now I go from on to the other without any problems. I hope that helps.
Thanks Antarctica! From your replies I could easily say that we are the same age! A couple of weeks is definitely acceptable, but the core question is do you feel at home with Windows or Mac OS after all these years? I'm sorry if I'm too insistent, bear with me...
The image quality of the Mac is astonishing to say the least, but I feel great with Windows whether I like MS or not. I have no doubts I can learn to use the Mac OS, but would I feel happy after that? I know no-one can answer that, but this is the reason I want to hear as much as I can from people who actually took the plunge. Linux was no joy for me.
I bought my first own computer in 1990, it was Windows 3.1 at the time and I was completely lost! I learned the hard way by making lots of mistakes, some more costly than other. It was when I join Wilders in 2003 that I learned to feel at ease with Windows and computers. So to answer your question, yes I definitely feel more at ease with Windows, but it is easily explained, 33 years against 5 with Mac…
I see. Well, there's only one way of knowing: buy the MAC. But then if you don't feel happy you're stuck. I understand the dilemma, good luck.
If they were still making Intel Macs I would say buy the Mac since you could install Windows on it if you didn't like macOS. But I don't believe that is the case anymore. If the specs are good enough you could buy the Mac and load a Windows virtual machine on it and have both.
Macs aren't difficult IMO, easier than getting my head around the vagaries of Windows. If you can use Android, you can use Mac IMO. Plus, it's difficult to match the screen quality of a Mac.
Very much depends on the individual. I know more about Windows than most folks but sit me in front of a Mac and I feel pretty lost. I even find Linux more intuitive. A Mac with virtual machines could give you all of those so if I were considering the Mac that would be points in its favor.
I'm using MacOS for some time now for work. Some things take time to get used to but it's quite easy. If the MBP has a much better screen at the same cost, I'd take that. If you're planning to do photography on an external monitor, it might matter less.
Next month it will be 7 years on my first Mac Computer, I was 65 years old. It took about 2 weeks or a little less for the learning curve on the Mac even with Senior Moments.
Thank you all for your valuable comments, I'm still undecided but this process of pondering before an important purchase is necessary to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
If all you care about is the screen quality, stay with Windows OS and just invest in a good 10-bit external monitor or a monitor designed for photographers and graphics designers. With a good monitor and a good GPU (Nvidia or AMD) you will get the same results as a Mac. If price is an issue, I would recommend against buying a dell/HP/Lenovo. Look into other brands like Acer, Asus, MSI etc. You can get a PC with almost similar specifications form these brands and for a lot less than a Dell. If speed is an issue, look into gaming PCs, as they are designed from the ground up to provide maximum performance. If you have always used Windows and are comfortable with it, switching to a Mac will be an unnecessary pain.
