Macs, Gaming and Life

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Well folks, I have just rebooted in Mac OSX, after yet another disappointing result of trying to play games via bootcamp.

From my experience, even with my 2.8 Core 2 Extreme Processor and 4BG of RAM, my iMac fails miserably at running the games I play (Supreme Commander).

If you are even remotely interested in playing anything more demanding than a game of chess, then I would seriously consider getting another PC....or building your own.

A MAC is much better at this and that and blah de blah de blah. The truth is, if you are used with windows..then a windows machine is most likely your best bet. I have switched for several months or so now, and I still find myself in situations where I'm just sitting there thinking "Why doesn't this just work!?" Things like Spaces actually increasing the amount of time it takes to find something, to lack of important information being displayed in finder. Silly little things that you take for granted in Windows, that Steve Jobs has decided in his better wisdom that you don't need anymore.

Listening to MAC owners or television adverts would lead you into believing that moving from PC to MAC is like some kind of live changing event. Well it just isn't the case.

Both platforms have advantages and disadvantages...like anything really. Don't expect to come to the MAC world and have no problems!

In all likely hood my next computer will be a custom build PC. No more double thinking whether my favorite software is available for MAC OS X. No more wondering why apple have made it so stupidly complicated just to upgrade your own machine. Things like messenger for MAC, in all its uglyness will also no longer be missed.

Then with my new PC I can look forward to the resource hog of Vista, the constant threat of viruses and spyware, and the legendary blue screen.

MACS are different than PC's, but in my opinion they are not better. As you leave PC problems behind, you open the door to MAC problems, so do your home work before the switch people!

[All thoughts come from my own personal experience and opinion, as a switcher :) ]

Thanks.
 
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And as you say many times this is just your opinion. Just because something is different does not make it worse.. or better, many of the issues you talk about come from lack of experience. For example, the lack of info in the finder that's just not so. If you need more information all that is needed is cmd+I and a slew of information will arise. Take your time to actually learn the OS you can do everything software wize and I mean everything on a Mac (not MAC that's something totally different) with the implementation of boot camp you get the best of both worlds. And you are completely correct and most people here will agree with you that PCs are more preferable for gaming.

Neither OS or Type of computer is worse or better than the other, they are just different and some suit other people better, maybe your a PC person, or maybe you just need to get a better gras[ pf the Mac OS, it's all up to you.
 
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...For example, the lack of info in the finder that's just not so. If you need more information all that is needed is cmd+I and a slew of information will arise..

Thats true, but if your looking through 100,000 mp3's, are you going to hit CMD+I for every single one to find out what bitrate it is? If you could display the bitrate as a column for example, then this would be useful. Bitrate is of course, just an example. If you know of a way around this then shoot.


Neither OS or Type of computer is worse or better than the other, they are just different and some suit other people better.

That was the point of my post.
 
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You can adjust the Finder to show much of what you need by switching to "list" view and clicking on the cog, and changing the view to show the columns that your used to. Don't know about the bitrate though. I'm still using itunes on my PC. Have not moved the files over...

But I do agree with some of what you say. I like the MAC. I like the PC too. MAC is in ways a bit tighter package and experience. Perhaps not for gaming though. For Games I just use the 360... :)
 
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You can adjust the Finder to show much of what you need by switching to "list" view and clicking on the cog, and changing the view to show the columns that your used to...

Unfortunately there is a very low amount of possible information to be displayed...and yeah bitrate inst one of them. Neither is Artist, Title, or anything thats important to me.

But I do agree with some of what you say. I like the MAC. I like the PC too. MAC is in ways a bit tighter package and experience. Perhaps not for gaming though. For Games I just use the 360... :)

Yeah the Mac is good in many ways and so is PC. 360 is probably the best bet, but I mostly play strategy games, which are best suited to a keyboard mouse setup.
 
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Thats true, but if your looking through 100,000 mp3's, are you going to hit CMD+I for every single one to find out what bitrate it is? If you could display the bitrate as a column for example, then this would be useful. Bitrate is of course, just an example. If you know of a way around this then shoot.

Yes as a matter of fact I do know a way around this... cmd+option+I... hehehe lol hope that helps.
 

nZa


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You're doing it wrong.
 
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Yes as a matter of fact I do know a way around this... cmd+option+I... hehehe lol hope that helps.

Not too sure what your getting at there sorry.
 
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What does MAC stand for?

Media Access Control. It's a unique identifier to hardware that can be used for software to identify it as well as other things.

You're doing it wrong.

Complaining because the video card in an iMac is not up for playing newer games, even when ran natively in Windows, is not "doing it wrong"

iMacs are great all around computers. iMacs are not great gaming computers.

But then again, I own a Dell desktop for a server, a Dell notebook for a portable gaming PC and a MBP for doing studio recording and photo editing. I love my MBP, but you'll never catch me trying to play games on it as it's the x1600 MBP.
 
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Computers are multi-purpose tools. Some work better at certain things than others do. I've been using my Mac pretty hardcore for a little over a month now but it's a supplemental machine; all my primary development work continues to be on a PC.

There are many times while straddling the Mac / PC fence that I get frustrated because something doesn't work the way I am used to on one platform or the other. No big deal, it just takes getting used to.

Sounds like a Mac isn't right for you. No big deal. Good luck with switching back to Windows and if you ever get tired of the way it works you can always go out and by another Mac. I'm sure Apple would be happy to sell you one :)
 
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Yeah I think the best setup is possibly one of each! :)
 
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Not too sure what your getting at there sorry.

cmd+option+I... that's the answer to your question, that's how you look at the info of multiple files in one Info window.
 
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mac & games ...& all

I'm a switcher ..not long changed over from PC to the new macbook pro .2.4 dual core ..upgraded tp 4 GB ram ..and have to admit just find it awesome! may be its just me but compared to PC its just easier and more stable ...I'm also a gamer ( being an ROV pilot ) and set up XP with SP2 on bootcamp with 20GB of hardrive space .. and its awesome ..just banged out medal of honor :airborne, call of duty 4 ..and the complete series of F.E.A.R ..all with no problems at all ... I run nothing else on the windows side other than an AVG anti virus ... use it purely for gaming and a back up just incase I have a file or something that I can't access with MAC ( but thats not happened yet) .... :D
 
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Glad you like it! And I'm sure you'll continue to even more so as you find out all the things you can do with it ;)
 
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I agree that there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

-I prefer all the options, features and different ways of doing things with a PC, Including games and nearly every bit of software is designed for it.

-I prefer mac as it seems friendlier, less crashes, pretty GUI.

Its a toss up between then both in my eyes. one of the reasons im using a mac is because of Vista and i like mac notebooks. If i was going to get a desktop it would probably be a PC, or a mac pro if i had silly money. Im 50-50 between them both.
 
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my iMac fails miserably at running the games I play (Supreme Commander).

If you are even remotely interested in playing anything more demanding than a game of chess, then I would seriously consider getting another PC....or building your own.

Please give us some details. What drivers are you using? What settings etc?

Is this a rant, or do you want constructive help?
 

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