Comparing Apples' with, other fruits??

[Anonymous]

Looking and reading from this forum,
the eternal question this time round, is as diverse as the array of possible options.

I too have ArchiCAD 12, and hold my self in suspense of the decision I have to make.

Move away from my PC past history - into a Mac??

This is a tough decision to call - maybe not by the opinions of some, however - but still a tough call.

12 needs a contemporary operating environment;
No more running on older PC's or Macs for that matter - Correct?

Does it really matter which system/os is used??
I am not so sure that it does.

Regardless, of which is chosen - it will be the decision time again in another two years.

So make a selection that amortises the budgeted outlay over the next two years - and be done with the decision making??

Do others agree??

[David Maudlin]

archidevo wrote:
12 needs a contemporary operating environment;
No more running on older PC's or Macs for that matter - Correct?

ArchiCAD 12 will run on older Macs (G4 & G5), but version 13 will be only Intel Mac. With multi-threading for some operations, the multi-core chips available today are good. A new machine that will take advantage of this makes sense. The Mac vs. PC discussion I leave to others, but you can search the forum for arguments.

You should add a Signature to your Profile (click the Profile button near the top of this page) with your ArchiCAD version and operating system (see mine for an example) for more accurate help in this forum.

David

[Anonymous]

What I did was buy a Mac Pro and have both for less. Even after the $144+tax for an OEM copy of XP Pro the Mac is still cheaper than an equivalent Dell or HP. Since ArchiCAD ships as dual platform there is no cost to switching between the two.

I run AC in Mac for production since it is a faster and stabler OS (besides being prettier and easier to use) and switch to Windows for things like Save as... Navis, Google Earth in ArchiCAD, and running AutoCAD, Revit etc. This is also easier for me since most of my productivity apps are on the Mac side.

Even run exclusively as a Windows machine it is a good choice. Besides being cheaper, the design and the build quality are way ahead of anything else I've seen.

[Anonymous]

Look thanks for the comment -
However, what has 'prettier' got ot do with the selection of an OS and a CPU Box??
For me its' the least relevant issue (if at all an issue )
Why buy a Mac and its OS - to run windows programs??
Thats not the issue really either, as I am not looking to run whats-its-name-by-Autodesk - on a Mac??
I use ArchiCAD - and have left the other stuff where is was....1999-ish.

Cheers for your comments again...
I appreciate it.

[Karl Ottenstein]

archidevo wrote:
However, what has 'prettier' got ot do with the selection of an OS and a CPU Box??
For me its' the least relevant issue (if at all an issue )
Why buy a Mac and its OS - to run windows programs??

Dude, you asked the questions...and the comment that seemed to push your buttons was in parentheses, not part of Matthew's main argument, right?

I've found the physical design - and by that I do not mean appearance, I mean the mechanical design of power supply, cooling, cable routing, etc - vastly superior in my Mac Pro to any PC manufacturer out there. The thing runs quieter than any comparably powered Windows box. So... yeah, if somebody really wanted to run just Windows, I'd still say they should buy a Mac.

OS X is outrageously stable, and non-intrusive compared to the pile of Windows Updates that often conflict with other software and take away from productivity. OS X is easily reinstalled compared to Windows if some 3rd party software should mess up your machine.

You cannot appreciate the daily productivity of OS X compared to Windows until you have used both. In ArchiCAD, Expose lets you instantly switch to any open view visually - nothing comparable in Windows. Also, Spotlight (instant search of almost everything) permeates almost all aspects of OS X. Within ArchiCAD (or any other app), entering a few letters of a command pops up a list of available menu commands in AC that match...and even points to the menu for you. Finding any file on your machine, or any email, contact, etc is instantaneous - nothing like Outlook search and/or Google Desktop. Spell checking (wavy red underline warning) happens everywhere - as I type this message, even in the search bar - unlike Windows which provides it inside of Office apps only. So much more... and yeah, it does look pretty. 😉

Cheers,
Karl

[March_ Bruce]

Karl,
Can you (or anyone else) qualify or quantify any benefits of using an 8 core intel mac over a 4 core? I saw Ben Frost's helpful speed tests. I'm also curious about changes in ArchiCAD RAM usage with version 'progress' - it may affect the usability of the rumoured laptops...
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

March, wrote:
Karl,
Can you (or anyone else) qualify or quantify any benefits of using an 8 core intel mac over a 4 core? I saw Ben Frost's helpful speed tests.
Thanks!

I run multiple sessions of ArchiCAD in OSX along with numerous other apps and one or two sessions of Windows without any noticeable slowdown.

[Dwight]

It's got the chops.

I've just finished a series of ginormous renderings in Artlantis and the speed is there compared to the four core i was using downtown. You can really measure the productivity while rendering.

[Chazz]

archidevo wrote:
what has 'prettier' got ot do with the selection of an OS and a CPU Box??
For me its' the least relevant issue (if at all an issue )

To me it is always strange when I hear practitioners say that the appearance (harmony, elegance, beauty, efficiency, etc) of their work environment (the OS) is not a consideration. After all, we're paid to have strong opinions about HOW SOMETHING LOOKS. Mostly this this is in the context of buildings but I find that it also affects other decisions I make: the backpack I just bought and the Pepper grinder in my kitchen. The look and feel of this stuff is really important to me and my work environment is no different (I spend so much time there). You may not like the look of OSX and that is sort of a different question (one of taste) but after using it you become aware that the folks who designed it REALLY gave a s#!t about how it looks and feels. I really appreciate that.

If the look and feel of the OS is so low on your list as to be immaterial then I would say that the switch to a Mac would be a big hassle with little payoff. But If none of this aesthetic stuff is even on the radar for you, how on earth did you get into design/architecture to begin with? That's an OT question but the first one that popped into my mind on reading your post.....

[Dwight]

Nice things make you happy.

Happy people do better work.

Having a computer that is pretty and actually works,
makes me do better art because i never go looking for a missing .dll, say.
But i like the .dll pickle.