Hi! Thanks to everyone for such a rousing response! I'm not sure which system we're going to choose, but we've got a lot of really good information to ponder.
Hope to see everyone in Pasadena in November! Marty Marcia (Marty) Stein Photographic Services Manager The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston PO Box 6826 Houston, Texas 77265-6826 Phone: (713) 639-7525 Fax: (713) 639-7557 Email: mstein at mfah.org -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ross, Don Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 7:56 PM To: Museum Computer Network Listserv; Museum Computer Network Listserv Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Tricky question - is Mac "better" than PC? Hi there. We use both Mac & PC and have for many years. There had been some reticence from our IT crew in the past to support our Macs (cue: Roll of eyes when speaking of the Mac user!) but this reaction is thankfully now becoming a thing of the past as it becomes more understood that graphics professionals prefer to use Macintosh. I'm inclined to "trust the driver" rather than "trust the mechanic"-- an opposing view from many an IT professional perhaps (but with the OS Macs crash less than PC's if that is any consolation). Ultimately I'd rather trust the one who is going to be driving the machine the majority of the time, rather than someone who might have to configure it or fix it at some point for whatever reason-- a scenario that is less common these days anyway. If you're talking about graphics and comfort/usability for your creative professionals, trust what they prefer-- even if it seems like a silly preference. You will be rewarded in the end with the ease of use, and yes, the better looking interface. It does make a difference-- and may show itself in productivity. The old adage: A happy worker equals more work produced! Afterall, we ARE talking art, design and high-end photography here. My vote: If they have a preference for Macintosh, trust their experience and follow it. P.S.- For PC users who for whatever reason want to have the PC look or experience on a Macintosh platform, there is a program called "Parallels" that emulates the PC environment on a Mac. But my sense is that once they hop on a Mac and see how easy it is comparitively, they won't wanna go back! Don Ross Digital Imaging Specialist San Francisco Museum of Modern Art dross at sfmoma.org 415/ 357-4167 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] on behalf of David Marsh Sent: Fri 9/8/2006 3:33 PM To: 'Museum Computer Network Listserv' Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Tricky question - is Mac "better" than PC? >From a tech support point of view: 1) I agree with those who have stated the position that there is little difference in performance potential. 2) As a hardware nut, I personally suspect that a powerhouse PC could be built with better price/performance ratio than a MAC. Commodity economics. I wonder how many PCs are built for each MAC (10:1, 100:1 or more?) 3) Utility software: There is very little (if any) utility software that isn't available for PC. Availability for MAC is far more patchy. I use a bunch of highly useful and powerful tools like Symantec Ghost, Anti-Virus, file management any many other obscure and handy tools that are often not available for MAC. 4) PCs integrate easily into my PC support systems (AV, backup etc.) MACs require extra effort, resources and tools to accommodate. 5) Regardless of merit, having 2 classes of computer rather than 1 creates extra support workload, regardless of which may be better. VHS is technically inferior to Betamax, and certainly Philips 2000 (ever heard of that?) yet nobody would ever advocate adopting either of the latter pair. 6) While many techs respect MACs, I've never yet met a tech who actually advocated for them. Think about that. Frankly, the individuals I've encountered who most vociferously advocate for them generally have little technical background. As a techie I therefore find it hard to find their positions compelling. If I want advice on a well-engineered car I'm more likely to listen to a mechanic than a taxi driver. Let's be clear: I'm not anti-MAC. I'm just not pro-MAC, and I've not been convinced yet by anybody who is. David M =========================================== David Marsh System Administrator H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Vancouver Museum 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9 E sysadmin at hrmacmillanspacecentre.com sysadmin at vanmuseum.bc.ca T (604) 736 4431 ext. 5507 C (604) 813 9667 =========================================== -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Randy Heise Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 12:17 PM To: 'Museum Computer Network Listserv' Subject: Re: [MCN-L] Tricky question - is Mac "better" than PC? With the latest operating systems both machines co-exist on the network very well. We have Macs in the Graphics, Exhibit design and Multi-media departments. Cost is equal. It would it would initially appear that the Mac is more expensive, but by the time you've spent the money on a PC to make it an equivelent performer you could buy a Mac for the same amount. As far as the Administration portions of the Museum ... PC's are far superior simply because the majority of Museum specific software available is written for a PC. It becomes not a question of the machine itself but of the useage that dictates which is best for what job. My advice would be 'apply the best tool to the job at hand' and don't be afraid to mix when necessary. Our Macs log on to an MS Exchange server for e-mail, share calendar functions with the PCs, store data on Win2K3 servers, print to windows printers and behave on the network like any other workstation. I would not waste the power of a Mac for writing word documents nor performing accounting functions. I would also not waste the time required to make the average PC perform as well as a Mac in graphics oriented duties. Just my .02 typed on a PC while my G4 mactop is beside it monitoring traffic flow on my Win2K3 Network. Randy Heise Information Technology Manager High Desert Museum 59800 South Hwy 97 Bend, OR 97702 541.382.4754 x244 rheise at highdesertmuseum.org www.highdesertmuseum.org _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The information contained in this electronic mail message (including any attachments) is confidential information that may be covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 USC Sections 2510-2521, intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above, and may be privileged. 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