I am about to invest in a new home computer and keep noticing that most musicians are on a Mac. PCs are cheaper, but I can afford a Mac if need be. I already have an iPhone, and iPad, but I need something for home.
If I purchase a PC am I short-changing myself in terms of functionality, interface or capability?
I know it’s an age-old question, but I would like a second opinion. Your voice matters. 
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I have a mate whose a bit of a computer whiz and he’s also a musician he records whole albums on his PC, he says most software is compatible with both brands these days but what you’ve got to have is a computer with memory space. He builds his computers however. I’ve heard ( and I’ve played on a couple come to think of it) a few of his albums they sound very professional. I don’t claim to understand the first thing about computers but my mate seems to do a great job on his. I know one or two guys on here are really keen on the tech side of stuff they may be able to help you further
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Twenty odd years ago when i was heavily involved in the advertising industry there was no question that you had to have a MAC because all the page make up and design software like Quark Xpress and Photoshop was only available on Mac or at least very poorly supported on PC. These days it’s not the case and i suspect PC users are far more numerous and valuable to companies like Adobe than Mac. Oddly enough, I don’t use a computer for music so I’m not much more knowledgeable than Andy in that regard but I suspect the reason so many musicians started out on a Mac is because of Garage Band and they’ve stuck with Apple ever since. Back in the day there was nothing like Garage Band for PC but like design software i suspect that is no longer the case. Personally, I intensely dislike Apple and their anti-competitive practises and would recommend a PC every time over them. Because PCs are open architecture there is a competitive market out there with thousands of companies building PCs competing for your custom. Consequently you will get far more bang for your buck with a PC.
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@craiginker I was a PC guy back in the day when I was doing business stuff. In 2008, I decided to get back into music and started putting together a little home studio to do some music production.
NOTHING WAS WORKING. Felt like 80% of my time went into troubleshooting technical issues.
Finally, a friend of mine from high school who’s a music producer told me, “you might wanna consider switching to Mac. They just sorta do what they’re supposed to do.”
So in 2009 I switched to Mac and never looked back.
In 2011 I switched from using ProTools to using Apple’s Logic software. It’s such a steal at $200 and so robust. All the studios and producers on my island are using Logic Pro X.
Since you’re already in the apple verse with an iPhone and iPad, I’d venture to guess that you’ll be very happy switching over to a Mac on the computer.
Of course there are a few things that are frustrating in the transition. But, I think the benefits far outweigh the hassles.
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I want to try out a Macbook, but I don’t know if I could play some of the Steam games I like on there as a lot of them are incapable to be played on Mac. I know I can do my Vocal Synth music on there thanks to Synthesizer V and UTAU, plus Reaper and Audacity being available to Mac users as well as PC. But PC is what I’ve always used since my nana had a computer with Windows98 installed on it. There isn’t much of an audio difference whether you record on Mac or PC, but I think PC is more versatile with what you want to do with it.
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Thanks everyone its very much appreciated. It seems that the answer comes down to personal choice and what portability/ functionality the user wants which I thought is always the right answer. You were correct Luke, is that I am on the edge and given my senior years I just need that gentle push to give it a try seeing as its probably my last computer, well, desktop anyway.
Thanks everyone your answers , although you may not have appreciated it, has helped me tremendously.
It looks like I am settling on that ease of full functionality and portability.
Thanks again. Looking forward to meeting you all again on the Forum.
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Back in 1987, I started out with an Atari running Notator. Later, Notator became Logic, which was available on Windows, and I used it up until what I believe was its final Windows version, 5.3. After Apple acquired it, Logic became an exclusive Apple product. I was using an RME 16-channel audio card, installed in a PCI slot on my Windows PC and connected to the optional ADAT optical cards I had in my Yamaha 02R. With this setup, I produced quite a few records.
A few years later, I switched over to Apple and haven’t looked back since. Whether it’s Windows or Apple, there’s always a challenge when it comes to recording complex instruments like an acoustic piano in audio while simultaneously working with MIDI sequences for other instruments. It’s very difficult to capture exactly what you played with 100% accuracy. Because of this, when I’m recording acoustic piano, I rely on analog tape, which delivers uncompromised timing – what you play is what you record.
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We bought our first computer in 1998. Our first smart phones were Iphones and that is what we have stayed with. Like Apple’s software and products. Our pc’s have always been Windows based and the last 4 laptops we have bought for ourselves and grandkids have been HP brand and have been pleased with them.
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As a harmonica player and guitarist I always defer to a Mac - primarily because they come loaded with GarageBand and can also run the DAW - Logic Pro. Logic has become very affordable and is so useful for recording and, most importantly for me, allows looping tracks to play along with. All mixing, effects and editing tools are included. It’s great and only useable on a Mac.
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@
PC with unlocked BIOs/UEFI.
First step is to remove Windows, erase the HD, and then install Debian/Ubuntu or some other Linux OS. (Or you can partition Windows down to 20gb or so so you can run the odd software that doesn’t work with Linux)
Free software, and YOU own your computer. No forced updates or weird stuff from Apple or Microsoft.
The additional benefit is Linux can usually run on much lower system requirements than other OS’s, meaning your computer should last longer.
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@Rogijimbex welcome to the forum! I’m a Logic guy too. Can’t beat the value!!
Thanks! Logic is exceptional for the price - you’re right. I, unfortunately, have a 9- year old MacBook that can no longer load numerous Logic updates over time. Gotta send word to the North Pole - maybe a sad story of sorts that’ll move Santa. Meanwhile I use it for selecting and looping specific sections to play along. Cool stuff. Roger