Computer buying help!!!

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dj-dusty

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Mar 13, 2008
Alright guys, i really really need to get myself a decent production computer. I have been working off of a laptop on reason and it is now time for a change.

I have around 1000 to spend on a computer and wanna get the most for my money.

Was gonna switch to a mac pro with logic but when i saw the price!!! i thought i would go for a decent pc with cubase 5.

It doesnt matter if its abit more than a grand because i am going to get a loan anyways so once i find the cheapest deal i will get the loan out and buy it.

If anyone has any suggestions or any good sites to maybe get a decent package with cubase 5 than i would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.
 
dj-dusty said:
Alright guys, i really really need to get myself a decent production computer. I have been working off of a laptop on reason and it is now time for a change.

I have around 1000 to spend on a computer and wanna get the most for my money.

Was gonna switch to a mac pro with logic but when i saw the price!!! i thought i would go for a decent pc with cubase 5.

It doesnt matter if its abit more than a grand because i am going to get a loan anyways so once i find the cheapest deal i will get the loan out and buy it.

If anyone has any suggestions or any good sites to maybe get a decent package with cubase 5 than i would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.
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save up a bit more man, you wont be dissapointed!!
 
DanDnB said:
Sell your kidneys dude, you're a young and healthy buck. You good get a pretty penny for one.
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Already done that, only got a tenner for em and the experience was so traumatising i went to the pub straight after and blasted the tenner lol
 
regardless of cost, get the mac! you don't need the top of the line. i am on the entry level macbook pro ($1199) and its the best machine i ever used. also, rumor has it that new imacs and macbooks will come out in a few weeks, maybe with price drops...cannot recommend it enough.
 
dj-dusty said:
Alright guys, i really really need to get myself a decent production computer. I have been working off of a laptop on reason and it is now time for a change.

I have around 1000 to spend on a computer and wanna get the most for my money.

Was gonna switch to a mac pro with logic but when i saw the price!!! i thought i would go for a decent pc with cubase 5.

It doesnt matter if its abit more than a grand because i am going to get a loan anyways so once i find the cheapest deal i will get the loan out and buy it.

If anyone has any suggestions or any good sites to maybe get a decent package with cubase 5 than i would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.
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hello Dusty

if you want that £1000 to go a long way, bang for bucks so to speak then forget the Apple. if your determined to use a newer version of Logic then go ahead and get one of those. if you spent most of that dosh on a MAC you still just have a computer. they are nice computers yeah ( i have an old G3 myself), but still just a computer. and they are disgustingly over priced for what they are. the best MAC's will be way out of most peoples budgets anyway

if you built a high spec PC, you would have plenty of ££ left over to get other bits you gonna need like monitors, amps, mixers, sound cards, software, quality cables, mics ect

bottom line is there is no advantage to using a MAC over a PC, not at this level. its preference. the results will be the same. mutlitracking audio. the MAC purists will argue this till the cows come home but there both computers and do the same thing really. they're not musical instruments.

the only thing that matters are your ideas and creativity.

My advice is to build a PC yourself or get a techy mate to put it together for you if of course you wanna stretch that grand out bro
 
kemzino said:
they are nice computers yeah ( i have an old G3 myself), but still just a computer. and they are disgustingly over priced for what they are. the best MAC's will be way out of most peoples budgets anyway

if you built a high spec PC, you would have plenty of ££ left over to get other bits you gonna need like monitors, amps, mixers, sound cards, software, quality cables, mics ect
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Not meaning to get into the same old debate, but was reading an article recently where macworld built an 8core mac pro, then a pc built to the same spec, mac came out 2 grand cheaper.

Obviously they built silly-high spec machines so the price difference wouldnt be that much at a lower level, but a lot of people tend to say macs are more expensive without looking into it very much.

You dont need to buy new either, with the new mac pro's out, people are selling off old G5's at silly low prices, a fairly good spec G5 will still pack a fair old amount of performance. You say you've got an old G3, how many PC's of that age are still going?

Sorry to go on, I can never help it! Its all down to opinion and prefrence at the end of the day but in my eyes macs are worth every penny.
 
Good point motion - he could get a deal second hand and get a bit more out of a grand
possibly. with that much to blow hes def got alot of options. if theres a G5 going fairly cheap then why not eh. depends what your used to as well i suppose, i have friends that only ever used Macs, grew up ono them so they wouldnt even think or know how of using a PC.

''You say you've got an old G3, how many PC's of that age are still going?''

haha, yeah the old beast is still going! i suppose to apples credit they are built to very high standards.
i would like to see £1000 go a long way though, and if i had nothing and needed everything thats alot to spend on one machine.

hope you get what you need dusty with some left over for a bag of broccoli and some stellas!
 
kemzino said:
Good point motion - he could get a deal second hand and get a bit more out of a grand
possibly. with that much to blow hes def got alot of options. if theres a G5 going fairly cheap then why not eh. depends what your used to as well i suppose, i have friends that only ever used Macs, grew up ono them so they wouldnt even think or know how of using a PC.

''You say you've got an old G3, how many PC's of that age are still going?''

haha, yeah the old beast is still going! i suppose to apples credit they are built to very high standards.
i would like to see £1000 go a long way though, and if i had nothing and needed everything thats alot to spend on one machine.

hope you get what you need dusty with some left over for a bag of broccoli and some stellas!
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There is no way i am spending a grand on just a mac lol just stupid really, i will end up spending £1000 on just the computer, no screens, mouse, keyboard or any thing else.

I am researching at the mo and from what ive seen so far i can get a fucking decent PC with all the trimmings (Mouse keyboard blah blah, two screens and still have a little money spare, then i can carry on using reason and just save up £400 odd, and get cubase 5.

From what ive heard and seen with macs, the only benifit from em is that i can use logic and to be honest i prefer cubase so i would be a mug to buy an apple mac really.

Thanks for all your help though guys, i will let you know what i geat for my money, take a few pics of the finished studio and wack em up on here.
 
I'd say save your dough... get the best or you'll just be limited later Mac + Logic9 / Ableton 8
I just spent $500 + $180 for Snowleapard & Logic 9 yesterday so I know it hurts... but it WILL be worth it
Look at a good used powerbook... maybe you can find one on craigslist (do they have that in UK?) maybe you find a deal from a "grandma who only drove it to church"

Good luck.
 
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mac vs pc debate will never end,

You have to decide what YOU want and what YOU are comfortable with. In all honesty, though; I started a thread called mac vs. PC a few weeks ago and I got my answers.

if you are comfortable with a PC, then go for it.

I was a diehard PC preacher until I walked into the store and saw that fuckin' 24" iMac all up in my face. I bought the fucker, needless to say I can't wait to come home from work just to pound away at it with my keyboard and some synths.

IF you get a PC, there is no downside, just be sure you know how to use your machine well. You will make the same music either way, it's just a different path, that's all.
 
kemzino said:
bottom line is there is no advantage to using a MAC over a PC, not at this level. its preference. the results will be the same.
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pretty much this.
mac's are cool, and there are some brilliant applications that you wont get on pc , like audiofinder or metasynth. But the bottom line is that if you wanna make some rave tunes for hobby, and while you're at it play some games too, get a pc.
here's what id do with your budget:
500 on PC components.
250 on two 22" monitors.
250 on Cubase 5 from ebay.
also, dont buy a ready built machine, they're rip offs. if you dont have a mate who can built it for you, check places like aria or microdirect which charge a fee for custom machines.
 
i would bring up one other consideration: if you have a problem with your mac, hardware or software, you simply take it to the store and have your problem solved. to me, this is an invaluable resource. consider total cost of ownership. obviously, your purchase simply needs to be what you are comfortable with.
 
Yeh i think ive made my mind up and im gonna go for a PC, i got a mate that can hook me up with a shop (who he knows the owner of) and i basically tell him i have a grand to spend, i want to run these programs.... and i want this software and screens blah blah blah.

He will find the best parts and build it free of charge for me and i can sit down with him and take all my files in and he will show me how to partition my hard drive and basically get the most out of my money.

I am curently working with a laptop running windows xp and i dont think i wanna change tbh.

I use reason and ableton at the moment and i want to continue to use them but i wanna get stuck into cubase more than logic, i used logic at college for 3 years but hated every min of it, ended up calling it illogic just because i found it way to annoying.

I have used cubase before but no where near the ammount i want to be using, plus if i get a pc i only have to buy cubase, if i get a mac i will have to spend more on the mac, plus more on software because i will have to buy reason and ableton again lol

PC IS THE WAY FORWARD lol (for me anyway)

Cheers for all your help guys
 
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