64 or 32 bit?

[JDArt]

XP and Vista both have 64 bit versions. What's the advantage of running these versions, if any?

[Jason Hermann]

Get a Mac JD!! I finally made the switch and the difference is worth every bit of effort!!!

To answer your question, The 64-bit version gives you the ability to use more than 3.5 gigs of ram. Nice feature, but windows Vista is awful so it doesn't really matter. I had a 4gig Quad core system with Vista 64 and it worked pretty good, but my Mac Book Pro totally blows it away by far.

Other than the increased ram I think some programs can take advantage of the 64-bit, but I'm not sure which. The downside is windows has to convert everything to 32-bit if the programs aren't 64-bit compatible. So most stuff we use won't take advantage and will have to be converted every time we click the mouse.

Thats all I got

Best,
Jay

[JDArt]

So what's so good about the Mac, specifically? I have a ton of Windows software, so switching is not something I'll be doing on a whim. I used a Mac at my sister's house and was underwhelmed. I don't see what all the fuss is about. It certainly was no easier or more intuitive than Windows.

[tekdiver500ft]

If you have to ask what the benefit of 64-bit is, then you don't need it. Not slamming on you, but the fact of the matter is, if you don't yearn for it, then it won't provide a tangible benefit for you. The Mac, on the other hand, is worth all the hassle of switching.

It is far easier and more intuitive (you have to play with it for a week or two, to quit doing things the Windows way before you notice the difference); it is UNBELIEVABLY more stable; it runs faster; color is more consistent and easier to calibrate; it is the platform of choice for artists; the form factor is better; you can run Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, or machine code on it; you can't get a virus on OS X; the art software is generally better on Mac; the machines have been geared toward artists since inception. I could go on and on, but I think this is enough.

I got my first computer in the '80's, it was an IBM PC XT/AT. I then upgraded to an HP when Windows 3.1 came out, and stayed with Windows until Vista came out. At that time, I was running both an Alienware laptop and desktop. I replaced them both with an iMac 24", and haven't missed the Windows machines at all.

[jfrancho]

That's funny, I am running an Alienware desktop, adn I'll probably go with a Mac as my next editing machine. The Alien ware has held up very well, and its still one of the fastest machines I've used.

[mr_maserati]

I've been using Windows XP x64 for over 3 1/2 years. Only problem is that Canon will not provide a driver for my FS 4000 film scanner. When I need it I boot XP. For my money x64 is a much leaner OS (faster) and is very stable since it's actually the OS that was written as a server OS for Zeon based servers in '03.

If you want 64 bit that's what I would suggest.

[tekdiver500ft]

Of course, Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) is 64 bit, so that is still an option.

[Jason Hermann]

Originally Posted by JDArt

So what's so good about the Mac, specifically? I have a ton of Windows software, so switching is not something I'll be doing on a whim. I used a Mac at my sister's house and was underwhelmed. I don't see what all the fuss is about. It certainly was no easier or more intuitive than Windows.

Well, As stated above you really have to use it for a week or 2 to understand the benefit's other than the speed and stability which is clear right off the bat. The way the you save files, search for files, navigate, print, organize, back-up, connect and disconnect devices, burn dvd's, watch movies, ect.... is all different on the Mac. The whole structure of how thigs work is different which takes a little time to learn and see.

At first I was trying to do things the windows way and either it didn't work, or was just way harder than it needed to be. Once I figured everything out it was just so much better it's hard to explain. As fr as the speed goes, my Mac is very fast! I don't think it's as fast as a RAID'ed Alienware Qaud core or anything, but if you got a desktop Mac I'm sure it blow that away.

I also notice in particular, Photoshop and Ligtroom work a lot better. In photoshop the brushes seem to work smoother and aren't as jittery and laggy. Even whith huge 2 gig files, which my badass desktop couldn't eve do! I don't know how the Mac does it, but the way it allocates recorces is amzing! I think that is the main difference it seem so much smoother and faster in every way.

That being said, the software transition is going to be a huge pain in butt for you!! My Brother just switched over to the Mac Book Pro and he owns a resturant business. He has so much software and it took him a good 2 weeks to get everything straitened out. For me it was pretty easy, but I did have to buy several new programs.

Best,
Jay

[SquirrelDip]

I think if I was running Vista I may be looking into Mac... I installed Vista Business and found it was a waste of resources - too much power going to fluff.

For now I'm sticking with XP and have no complaints - hopefully Windows7 will be better. I may at some point look into a Mac but there's a few apps I need that are not available in Mac.

[tekdiver500ft]

Hope springs eternal. Fortunately, there are no apps that you cannot run on a Mac. You may have to go into the other partition, but you can then run Windows apps. Of course, there are Mac alternatives for nearly every PC app, except some very specialized software. Most of the Mac alternatives will even read/write files made in the PC application.