Mac guy here again--
I do agree that Apple has fed its improvements in conspicuously small increments. Besides the "cute factor" and improved RAM and bus speeds, the benefits tend to taper off. However, respective new teething periods for both Mac and PC's will be in progress for a while and in earnest.
The cost factor with PC's has been very tempting for me-- plus the plethora of software choices places the best that PC's have to offer a bit ahead of Apple in comparable areas. Options for surround mixing are a prime example. (Remember-- this is a Mac guy saying this.)
But in general, the grass is not *that much* greener when all is said and done. Issues abound on both sides of the farm yard fence-- as do benefits. At present, there is less reason for PC and Mac users in general to switch platforms, although electronic musicians have clear reasons to consider all of the available options for production tools, including having at least one computer of each platform.
As for notation-- no DAW cuts it in this area, and having used them all I got on the Finale bandwagon quite early on. I would never place anything printed out from a DAW in front of professional musicians. Maybe that's just me.
But back to VSL and LAPTOPS-- we ask a lot of our systems and are always asking more of them than they are prepared to handle. Whether PC or Mac, the main issue here is not to expect to get dozens of instances running smoothly. Depending upon the amount of samples loaded at once, I'd say that 10-12 instances are reasonable. In truth, regardless of platform, VI is a serious tool for serious production requiring serious horsepower. For my laptop while traveling, I'm using Miroslav Philharmonik's 7 GB library and am treading carefully (albeit on a G4 1.5Ghz 17" PB). It's not a question of which library I like better-- it's a question of being realistic with hardware and software compatibility.
It should also be noted that Paul's stress tests were just that-- 'stress' tests. I don't view them as average setups, and therefore pragmatic thinking calls for a measure of modesty in real world implementation. For example: will I be able to load 24 instances on my G5 2.5 dual tower? Probably, but I don't dare hit the space bar!!
Dunno. I'd say if you're on PC, stay with PC. If you're on a Mac, stay with Mac. The pros and cons on each abound.
I do agree that Apple has fed its improvements in conspicuously small increments. Besides the "cute factor" and improved RAM and bus speeds, the benefits tend to taper off. However, respective new teething periods for both Mac and PC's will be in progress for a while and in earnest.
The cost factor with PC's has been very tempting for me-- plus the plethora of software choices places the best that PC's have to offer a bit ahead of Apple in comparable areas. Options for surround mixing are a prime example. (Remember-- this is a Mac guy saying this.)
But in general, the grass is not *that much* greener when all is said and done. Issues abound on both sides of the farm yard fence-- as do benefits. At present, there is less reason for PC and Mac users in general to switch platforms, although electronic musicians have clear reasons to consider all of the available options for production tools, including having at least one computer of each platform.
As for notation-- no DAW cuts it in this area, and having used them all I got on the Finale bandwagon quite early on. I would never place anything printed out from a DAW in front of professional musicians. Maybe that's just me.
But back to VSL and LAPTOPS-- we ask a lot of our systems and are always asking more of them than they are prepared to handle. Whether PC or Mac, the main issue here is not to expect to get dozens of instances running smoothly. Depending upon the amount of samples loaded at once, I'd say that 10-12 instances are reasonable. In truth, regardless of platform, VI is a serious tool for serious production requiring serious horsepower. For my laptop while traveling, I'm using Miroslav Philharmonik's 7 GB library and am treading carefully (albeit on a G4 1.5Ghz 17" PB). It's not a question of which library I like better-- it's a question of being realistic with hardware and software compatibility.
It should also be noted that Paul's stress tests were just that-- 'stress' tests. I don't view them as average setups, and therefore pragmatic thinking calls for a measure of modesty in real world implementation. For example: will I be able to load 24 instances on my G5 2.5 dual tower? Probably, but I don't dare hit the space bar!!
Dunno. I'd say if you're on PC, stay with PC. If you're on a Mac, stay with Mac. The pros and cons on each abound.