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PC or Mac?
Posted by Geoff Baggett in Church & Missions
Okay … now for that deeply theological query …
PC or Mac? Which one do you use in your church / worship applications?
We’ve recently had a “Mac man” move to our community and our church. He convinced us of our need to switch. Finally, we purchased an iMac and the necessary software (Pro Presenter … and something else that will import my PowerPoint presentations. I can’t remember what it is …)
Wll, I have to admit. I’m sold. It did incredible things for our worship. It’s not “linear.” We can do things “on the fly.” And we haev the ability to do so many creative things! In July I’m taking my wife on a second honeymoon to Hawaii. We’re going to shoot my sermon the week before on a green screen so that we can add a Hawaii background and give it the feel of a live feed. Too cool!
So, what about it? Mac or PC?
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PC is very economical (cheap, which is why I have one), but I’ve never met a Mac guy who’s ever gone back to the PC.
Our pastors all have Macs. We run ACS software, which is PC only, but we have VMWare Fusion running Windows 7 RC on the Macs, just for ACS (and the occasional Publisher product).
Our secretaries all have PCs, because they spend a larger percentage of their time in ACS and in things like Publisher. All of our servers are running Microsoft operating systems.
I’m looking forward to Snow Leopard’s release this year: Better MS Exchange support on the Mac.
With applications getting smarter,…the operating systems and gear are soon becoming a non-issue.
So I think we will soon forget about the PC or Apple and simply ask what App are you using. Eventually Apps will have their own imbedded OS’s that are updatable from the web and the systems will be entirely horsepower.
-Chris
Both PC and Mac have pro’s and con’s… like anything really. What matters is the application in which you plan on using the product. I use Mac OS, Windows, and Linux – some OS’s are better suited for some applications.
Mac is really good if you are going to be editing movies, developing graphics, and don’t mind spending more money than you have.
Windows is really good for office type applications, word processing, more general things.
Linux is really good for server related tasks.
But all of them bleed over into each other. I can edit movies, develop graphics with Windows and Linux. I can run office applications, word processing, server services and other general things on a Mac.
So for me, the questions comes down to: What OS best supports your end goal? And how much are you looking to spend?
Lew
I’ve used Apple computers since I bought my first Apple IIe in 1986. Never had a desire to look back. Macs are not perfect machines — they are, after all, just machines made by fallible humans — but I rarely have problems that can’t be resolved quickly and easily. Often, my problems are of my own making — I’m forever downloading and trying out stuff.
It really boils down to preference. The PC software for Video Editing, Graphics, design are every bit as good as the Mac software. You have most of your everyday user using PCs so the downtime for training people is usually less if the church uses PCs as well. If a church is largely using Macs, then a switch to PCs would create downtime in reverse as you train people.
You have to decide the cost of the software, the cost of the hardware, and how much is your time worth, how much is your staff’s time worth, and how much is your downtime in training and/or mishaps are worth in deciding what to use.
Video Editing using Final Cut or using Premiere CS4 produces the same quality results with the difference being the skill of the user and what the user is accustomed to using to work with during the project. Avid has software that can be used on either platform and their PC version is every bit as good as the Mac software.
I bought my first Apple laptop a year or so ago (Windows Vista converted me to Mac). It’s been the only laptop I’ve owned that hasn’t given me any problems. I’ve also found it to be incredibly easy to make podcast with.
I just hate to see someone else go over to the darkside
Our church website is designed on Mac-only software (RapidWeaver). Our bulletin is made on Mac-only software (Pages) and our Slideshows are done on Mac-only software (Keynote).
Could we do these tasks on PCs? Yes but there is no PC software that will yield professional-looking results with the ease of use available in these apps.
Scott said:
“The PC software for Video Editing, Graphics, design are every bit as good as the Mac software.”
That’s not true on a number of fronts. Is Photoshop, Adobe Creative Suite and high-end video-editing software available for Windows? Yes. But that’s where the truth in that statement ends.
1. Low and mid-range solutions for design, presentation, photo, and video work are much less capable, less user-friendly, and generally cheesy on a PC. No PC software can compete with iMovie for beginners in video editing. No PC software can compete with the ease of use and professional-looking results of Rapidweaver and iWeb for web design.
2. The quality of an OS must be factored in when comparing running equivalent software on Macs and PCs. Run Photoshop in Windows? Sure you can but you still have to deal with WIndows’ glitches, crashes, viruses, etc… Ask nearly anyone who has used both platforms extensively and they’ll tell you they prefer to run Photoshop on OS X rather than WIndows.
It’s telling that OS X people will tell you “Macs are better.” While PC people tell you something akin to “It’s a matter of personal preference.”
I’m just curious…did you actually purchase a green screen for the Hawaii film?
Cam,
Sorry … I just found your question.
No, we haven’t bought a green screen. My videographer / Mac man assures me that it is no problem. We have a portable rear-projection (translucent) screen. He assures me that we can project a perfect green background from behind. The key, he insists, is correct front lighting, to avoid the “amateruish” outline around the figure on the screen.
THAT is SO COOL!! really cool.
That’s the coolest thing I heard of since go-to-webinar.
I am not nearly cool enough to go to a Mac…. Besides, I have 1000s tied up in Logos software for my PC. Yes, I know they now have Logos for Mac, but they’re still working out some bugs.
There was a time when the Mac was far ahead of the PC. However, I can do everything on my PC you can do on your mac, and now Mac has viruses. XPPro allows me to do so much it is incredible. I also have a MAC, but I don’t think it is nearly as user friendly.
Another thing about Apple Products is that it is almost totally dependent upon a personality. When Jobs passes off the scene it will revert to the same old thing it was before he came back. Apple is also placing less emphasis upon the computer these days, and more upon portable gadgets. Mac continues to copy Windows by bringing out new operating systems. What is with that?
Also nearly every Mac user has windows installed on the unit. Ever wonder why that is necessary?
Andrew wrote: “I’ve never met a Mac guy who’s gone back to the PC.” It is because it is cultish.
Seriously, Most just can admit they made a mistake. 
Joke!!!! JOKE!!!
But I do own both. Hate not being able to get work done on a Mac. Always have to send it out somewhere. And contrary to the espoused line, THEY DO CRASH.
Brother Mike,
As a Mac cult member I am compelled to respond to your rank heresy ;^)
1. Did you really say that Mac continues to copy Windows in their new operating systems?
2. My Mac crashed once. I took it to the Mac store and had a new hard drive the next day. Never got that kind of service with a PC…. any of the ones that crashed.
3. Your assertion that “nearly ever Mac user” runs parallels is not true in the circles I run in. Most of my friends, family & acquaintances who own a Mac would never think of defiling it by installing Windows (I almost vomited thinking about it). Yet only twice have I had to spend more than a couple of minutes figuring out how to get something from Mr. Gates to work on my machine or vice versa.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East