So im thinking about making the big switch, and just kind of sceptical due to the fact that its a lot more money. but i do need a new computer. whether its a laptop or desktop.
I've been using Macs for... a little over a decade now. I simply love the OS.
Having said that, Windows 7 has made fantastic strides. I still prefer OS X, but it's definitely becoming a closer race. If you only do web development, then I would say it's not a big deal. I love using Coda which is a Mac only program, but I can't imagine that should be the determining factor.
At the firm I work for I started with a Mac, then I installed XP on the machine and ran it as a dual boot eventually I just set XP as the default OS and requested a new computer. Now I run a nice Windows 7 machine at work. This really angers a lot of designs I have come across.
I'm more efficient this way since it is vital that everything be tested in IE, newletters tested in Outlook and helps with troubleshooting issues with customers. Some designers run IE emulators on their machine but they aren't always accurate. Running Windows inside OS X is just a memory hog.
If you are a free lancer and can only have one machine get a Mac and install Windows on it, then you can test work on all the major software. Also opens up the door to iPhone development if that interests you. Otherwise if you have access to a Mac elsewhere get a PC, put the money towards CS6 or a monitor upgrade.
It comes down to what you like and what you need to do. I was a PC for many years -- started back when ms-dos was a big deal! I switched to Mac three years ago and will never, ever, ever go back -- for my particular needs, OS X is superior in every way. For Zikron's needs, Windows 7 is the superior way to go. Take a look at what capabilities you require, and that should help make the decision a bit easier. Good luck!
I was born and raised as a Windows guy, my home/freelance system is a PC running Vista, at work I have both a PC running Windows 7 and I also recently started using a Macbook mainly for editing some Flash files and working on some iphone/phonegap stuff. I wasn't really blown away by the Mac OS (snow leopard), in my experience of using it (mainly for Flash, indesign, photoshop, Xcode) I didn't see any advantages (apart from the iphone/xcode stuff) over my Windows system, I just found myself getting frustrated and confused at a lot of the differences. This might just be cos I'm so used to Windows. I'm the only guy at my office who's primary system is Windows based, I guess it's kind of the expected thing that if you're a designer then you should be using a Mac, it's just the cool thing to do! I consider me and my Windows 7 system to be pretty cool though. I agree with Zikron in that I'd much prefer to save a bunch of money by buying a Windows PC and then get a couple of kickass monitors, or buy a new software suite.
I run a Macbook Pro 17" and find that the real estate is perfect for programming. However I only got a Macbook Pro because I don't have a desk at my apartment due to limited space and needed something portable. If I did have more space, I would of gone with an iMac mainly because I felt you get a lot more for the money.
On a side note, my brother just built a hackintosh (Mac running on his own built PC) and it's sick! So you can run the Mac OS on a much cheaper computer. He saved thousands compared to a Mac Pro.
Edit: I also wanted to say that I bought my Macbook Pro refurbished and would highly recommend it if you want something more affordable. Apple's refurbished products are top notch.
I've just ordered my first mac today, an iMac in fact. I bought an iPad in the summer and got the Apple bug. I'm also learning more and more about web design and think it will replace my old XP system. I can't wait until it arrives!!!
My budget only allows for a PC at this time - but I never considered a 'hackintosh' approach (Google search has begun :-) ).
My laptop is soon to die (Sony Vaio - originally Win XP), AC adaptor socket on the machine is loose, and the battery lasts 20mins - but it is 5-6 years old! Since its birth it has had WinXP, Ubuntu, Kubuntu and (currently) Win7.
I have already built (rebuilt) a PC for future work when my laptop dies (and it's the only machine capable of running Starcraft II :-p).
I have access to my girlfriends MacBookPro, and I can see what the 'hype' is about.
So to summarise - I have tried Windows, Linux (Debian) and OSX; I like all of them, each has its own merit. Spend as much as you can on whatever you buy, only the hardware is the real selling point of the machines.
Build your own PC. I know almost every designer likes their expensive, ego-boosting mac though...
As was already said, windows 7 is great, not saying it's better than OSX, but it definitely get's the job done. Not to mention the side-by-side snapping feature is a godsend.
I love connecting with other designers, but so far most of them have followed the blind trend of thinking that Photoshop only works on a mac, and thus they are better than the rest of us, which really annoys me.
I know not all of you apple users are like this, just personal experience from my last design course.
BTW, as a quick example I am about to build a new desktop, here are the specs:
The cost of all this, including case, power supply and some better cooling is $1075. The Australian iMac (lowest-end model) starts at $1449 and has far less impressive specs than what I listed, hell even the highest end model (without adding your own configurations) doesn't match my PC build specs, and that iMac is $2399!, justified how!?
Bottom line is if the price was more competitive I would consider getting one, as for now, no way.
I just bought a new 27" iMac (an upgrade from my PowerPC 20" iMac) and I love it. I have been a Mac user for several years and I just can't go back. The OS is just far superior for my needs, and you don't have near the trouble with viruses or spyware on a Mac system. However I do have to admit I haven't had the opportunity to check out Windows 7 yet. I guess I'm an Apple fanboy, what can I say :)
Windows 7 is pretty damn good... as someone whose worked on both, I think it's kind of a toss up. I've never ever had a virus or a problem with my windows machines in the last 8 years, so honestly the computer infection argument is completely nullified for me.
But, my next machine WILL be an imac. The main reason is because the iMacs utilize IPS technology for their monitors. That's the primary reason why the mac being over priced argument doesn't really hold water when you get to the 27" models of the imacs.
It's a toss up for me on windows 7 versus osx. There are pros and cons to each, but like I said, speaking for my sake working on both platforms I'll be going with a mac as my next machine.
And honestly anyone who gets actually mad or even upset that someone is designing on a pc needs to take a step back lol.
@ChristopherBurton if you want I can ask my brother where he got all of his information from to help build it. If you like the side-by-side snapping feature of Windows 7, there is a application for Mac called Hyperdock that does this.
@Adman I'll probably want to switch between mac and windows if possible. If you would, ask what all I will need to do this. I see you need an extra hard drive for something.
I have my main laptop I am using now but I also have an old compaq laptop that I don't use. I also have a desktop but the BIOS chip is bad, hard drive is good though.
Bought my first Mac in 1985, when you had two choices: 128K or 512K. Over the years, I've gone from passionate Mac advocate to something more pragmatic. For some projects in the mid-90s I had to buy both systems, along with Director, Photoshop, etc. on both platforms, and it was a management and financial drain.
Recently I'm working for companies that have a mix of both. The Mac guys just love their Macs, and the PC guys ... well, they just don't understand the Mac guys.
Here's how I parse it out for my personal situation:
Cost. PC wins at home. With three kids, I can't afford to buy them all Macs, plus software. Just can't. They get exposed to Macs at school, but everything they work on is portable between the home PC systems on a USB key. Also, there's a much richer ecosystem of low-cost or free utilities on Windows these days.
Usability. PC wins for what I do. Little things get to me. On the Mac, you can only resize a window by grabbing the resizer on the lower right window corner. On Windows, I am far more product in the multi-window format, where the application menu stays pinned to the window. I work mostly on two monitors, and on a Mac, always having to travel up to the far left corner of the far left screen to reach a menu item is very unproductive. Yes, I know. Shortcuts keys. Use them sometimes. But I also just use menus. A lot. Just me. So day to day, working in multiple applications over multiple windows, I'm constantly fussing with the Mac and cursing their stubborness over these little things are simply not advantages. I'm much, much more productive on Windows.
Network setup. Mac is much better here. I'm still struggling to set up my wireless network printing on the Windows 7 machines.
Speed. Tossup. I work mostly on web projects, so I'm not crunching huge graphics files or doing 3D rendering. Nothing I throw at either the Mac or the PC slows it down.
Testing. Mac, slightly. By running a Windows VM on your Mac, you're better equipped to test with a single machine, and that's preferable by a hair. Trouble is, by doing initial development on a Mac in Firefox or Safari, I'm always, always having to go back and tweak when I finally view it in IE. It's much more efficient for me to code for IE's limitations, and when I finally preview on the Mac I'm either good to go or have only a few items to touch. An alternative is to have a refurb Mac mini to do occasional testing on.
BTW: Windows XP. It's old. It's going into end-of-life soon. Get off it. It was OK in its time, but you don't want to be on XP on a PC anymore than you want to be on OS 9 on a Mac. Windows 7 is just fine.
Viruses. I keep my virus protection up to date, and I haven't had any problem for years. Whenever one of the kids' computers gets infected, the forensics always show they were doing something they've been told not to do.
iPhone, iPod. Over the years I've used both Mac and PC with iTunes to sync my devices. Slight advantage I suppose on a PC during the time when I also had a Blackberry and didn't need a separate music library for both.
So bottom line, at work, I work mostly on the PC but definitely keep the Mac close for testing. At home, we use PCs and I don't see myself reinvesting in Macs to change that.
Thank you everyone for your Comments and supportive suggestions through out the course of this thread. I truly appreciate you assistance. I would like to take this time to inform you that I have bought a mac. to me more specific I have purchased a Power Mac G4 Quicksilver from Kijiji.com for $150. Im also sticking with my Laptop running Windows XP Media Centre Edition for some webdesign programs that I can not purchase for Mac just yet. I still think that Windows will be a great tool for me in the future and I will hold it tight by my side. So thank you again everyone for everything. It has been truly appreciated and will keep CSS-Tricks.com as a reference and a tool.
Nice man congrats. Personally I'm waiting to see what the next mac mini specs are. If it receives a pretty similar rollout to what the new MBP's just came out with, it'll be plenty powerful enough for design needs.
Just worked out if your lucky enough to be a student (or know someone who is) you can also get a 8gb 4th gen ipod touch free with your mac, if you add the student discount + sell the ipod touch you get a fairly nice chunk taken off the price :)
I'm actually considering buying one of the new MPB's.
I still hold true to my previous comment, it's still a lot of money compared to the alternatives, but with the discounts I might give it a shot.
As was mentioned hackintosh is also an option, I have tried it but my OCD won.
Macs themselves are a rip off. Complete social status. Just look at the specs. If you spent the same amount of money on a pc it would s..t the mac all day.
I've got both and although I prefer the os of a mac they are a money burner. Servicing, new parts, support, everything is soo expensive. As for upgrading, so difficult as most, when they are bought are juts about maxed out. If not mac will charge insane amounts to max it out compared if you were to do it yourselves.
Apple is having a good run at the moment but more viruses for macs are coming Im sure. Can anyone name me one Apple product that hasnt been faulty in some way...? Insanely overheated batteries, iphones that dont actually work, ipods that break or malfunction.. they all have faults and for that type of money they NEVER should be.
Actually, on the topic of social status and hackintosh...
During a client meeting, my colleague pulled out his hackintosh, the client seen OSX and was immediately impressed he was using a mac, the perceived professionalism of using expensive or popular equipment is very interesting and can play a part in getting yourself a good first impression. (even if your expensive mac is just a compaq with an apple sticker on the back).
As stupid as this sounds I guess it's just one of those things.. Might have to get an iPad to display their initial mockups during meetings, they might start frothing.
Sliver's last comment, I can say is true first hand.
I'd like to point out that you are a little off in your assessment that dollar for dollar windows based machines beat the specs out on Mac all day long... what makes the iMac actually fairly competitive is the IPS panels that they come with. This becomes especially true when you reach the 27" models. The 21.5" are just a little over priced. But if the type of monitor is important to you, then you quickly realize that it's not so overpriced.
Also, the mac mini is for the specific user that really wants a low profile system, don't want a laptop, and don't want a new monitor. I've tried building my own low profile system and they are definitely not hundreds less than the mini.
I don't really see how the mac laptops are over priced either. The new and upcoming competitor to the macbook air, by Samsung, is actually a good deal more expensive. Most people that have experience buying crappy $500 laptops have an idea that you really need to spend $1000 on a good quality laptop if you want it to last and enjoy it.
Some of it is the type of market they service. And I absolutely agree much of it is a status symbol. But then again, why the hell do people buy lexus, or mercedes, or bmw? Can't you just buy a ford focus or a honda civic? Why bother with the lexus? And to Ethan's point, anyone in sales understands that you are judged on a subconscious level by the car you drive. Pulling up in a bmw could actually result in higher sales volumes than an equally confident guy in an old volvo. So, like everything else: leverage it!
I totally agree with everyones points about cars etc being status symbols. I myself have fallen victim to these marketing ploys many times and probably will again.
My point is is that Apple products are overated and their social status is what helps them sell, not how technically superior they are or how they run so much better.
I live in Asia and the amount of available Japanese, Korean and Chinese gadgets similar to the ipod or ipad, which are normally half the price with better specs and bigger hardrives is copious. And Im not referring to cheap copies of which there are many of them too lol
The macbook airs as I recall dont even have a cd/dvd drive.
Like I say I have a mac and it is good but not worth the money I paid for it, no way.
Macbook air doesn't have a CD/DVD drive, you're correct. But if you really look at Apple's technology and the technology they include in their products, well, they are far superior to any stock PC in my opinion. Especially the 2011 Macbook Pro's compared to top market PC notebooks.
I agree... come back to the car analogy for a moment. Someone can easily say they buy the Jaguar for the driving experience. I know for a fact that a Mazda 6 decked out is a far superior all around ride (handling, acceleration, noise, comfort, etc) than say a Toyota Corolla.
The new Samsung SSD based laptops that are coming are REALLY freaking nice, well built, solid machines (which ALSO do not have CD/DVD drives I may point out). But as I said, they are $1200+. You can buy a mac book air for >$900 refurb.
My point is that many people just prefer the apple experience. They like the way the programs work. They like the way they function, handle, multitask, communicate, and so on. Can PC's match the same quality? Of course, but you have to pay for it! A $400 dell box is a piece of shit. End of story. A custom built $500-600 windows box is pretty decent. But then again you can buy a mac mini that will do 90% of an average user's tasks for >$600.
I might argue that Mac Pros are on the overpriced side, but can you honestly say at $1500 iMac whose 27" screen alone would cost you around $1000 is heavily over priced?
It's all preference man. Either way you will get your work done. I prefer Windows 7. I feel like it's less clunky and runs better, but that's just me. A PC is a lot cheaper and you will not be disappointed. :)
The "What does it do better" question is kind of limited to what you use it for.
In a pure design environment where you are solely working on your own projects, I'd say a mac isn't any better in terms of workflow or speed. I will say that I think the synergy between mac software is much, much better. So I suppose you could argue your workflow is smoother. But for the most part, it really is preference.
Bear in mind, I'm comparing a standard mac to a custom built pc with parts you know are good and it's only running software you put on it (not a compaq or a dell full of terrible software and hardware that slows down quickly and freezes frequently).
In an environment where you are sharing information with multiple computers and portable media, mac wins by a landslide. Everything just works together out of the box. All of your media is available and formatted properly for your iMac and mac mini in the next room, all the computers just see each other, the apple tv works with everything you download and it all just uploads right on your your shuffle and touch for car trips. My wife was able to make movies and albums right out of the box without deciphering anything (which never in 10 years happened on our PC's). When you are out of town, you can communicate via iChat without setting anything up.
I think this is where the appeal really hit me when my family grew and I wasn't worried so much about price but more about quality. I didn't want to mess with anything or have my wife get frustrated with why something wasn't working. I wasn't pirating software any more and I wasn't gaming any more; my computers were for my work. My computer is still a PC and it's the last one in the house. I'll probably still always own a PC - maybe build a much smaller profile PC with less power, but between the two I just really prefer mac.
but i do need a new computer. whether its a laptop or desktop.
i need a new one.
oh and if anyones interested,
http://stcatharines.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-computers-HP-Compaq-Presario-V6000-W0QQAdIdZ257209950
Having said that, Windows 7 has made fantastic strides. I still prefer OS X, but it's definitely becoming a closer race. If you only do web development, then I would say it's not a big deal. I love using Coda which is a Mac only program, but I can't imagine that should be the determining factor.
I'm more efficient this way since it is vital that everything be tested in IE, newletters tested in Outlook and helps with troubleshooting issues with customers. Some designers run IE emulators on their machine but they aren't always accurate. Running Windows inside OS X is just a memory hog.
If you are a free lancer and can only have one machine get a Mac and install Windows on it, then you can test work on all the major software. Also opens up the door to iPhone development if that interests you. Otherwise if you have access to a Mac elsewhere get a PC, put the money towards CS6 or a monitor upgrade.
Macbook Pro or iMac and why?
On a side note, my brother just built a hackintosh (Mac running on his own built PC) and it's sick! So you can run the Mac OS on a much cheaper computer. He saved thousands compared to a Mac Pro.
Edit: I also wanted to say that I bought my Macbook Pro refurbished and would highly recommend it if you want something more affordable. Apple's refurbished products are top notch.
My laptop is soon to die (Sony Vaio - originally Win XP), AC adaptor socket on the machine is loose, and the battery lasts 20mins - but it is 5-6 years old! Since its birth it has had WinXP, Ubuntu, Kubuntu and (currently) Win7.
I have already built (rebuilt) a PC for future work when my laptop dies (and it's the only machine capable of running Starcraft II :-p).
I have access to my girlfriends MacBookPro, and I can see what the 'hype' is about.
So to summarise - I have tried Windows, Linux (Debian) and OSX; I like all of them, each has its own merit. Spend as much as you can on whatever you buy, only the hardware is the real selling point of the machines.
As was already said, windows 7 is great, not saying it's better than OSX, but it definitely get's the job done. Not to mention the side-by-side snapping feature is a godsend.
I love connecting with other designers, but so far most of them have followed the blind trend of thinking that Photoshop only works on a mac, and thus they are better than the rest of us, which really annoys me.
I know not all of you apple users are like this, just personal experience from my last design course.
BTW, as a quick example I am about to build a new desktop, here are the specs:
CPU: Intel i7 quad - 3Ghz
GPU: Nvidia GTS250 - 1GB
HDD: 1TB
RAM: 8GB
The cost of all this, including case, power supply and some better cooling is $1075. The Australian iMac (lowest-end model) starts at $1449 and has far less impressive specs than what I listed, hell even the highest end model (without adding your own configurations) doesn't match my PC build specs, and that iMac is $2399!, justified how!?
Bottom line is if the price was more competitive I would consider getting one, as for now, no way.
@SpeedGun, I also saw that while googling but It's worth it.
But, my next machine WILL be an imac. The main reason is because the iMacs utilize IPS technology for their monitors. That's the primary reason why the mac being over priced argument doesn't really hold water when you get to the 27" models of the imacs.
It's a toss up for me on windows 7 versus osx. There are pros and cons to each, but like I said, speaking for my sake working on both platforms I'll be going with a mac as my next machine.
And honestly anyone who gets actually mad or even upset that someone is designing on a pc needs to take a step back lol.
I have my main laptop I am using now but I also have an old compaq laptop that I don't use. I also have a desktop but the BIOS chip is bad, hard drive is good though.
Recently I'm working for companies that have a mix of both. The Mac guys just love their Macs, and the PC guys ... well, they just don't understand the Mac guys.
Here's how I parse it out for my personal situation:
Cost. PC wins at home. With three kids, I can't afford to buy them all Macs, plus software. Just can't. They get exposed to Macs at school, but everything they work on is portable between the home PC systems on a USB key. Also, there's a much richer ecosystem of low-cost or free utilities on Windows these days.
Usability. PC wins for what I do. Little things get to me. On the Mac, you can only resize a window by grabbing the resizer on the lower right window corner. On Windows, I am far more product in the multi-window format, where the application menu stays pinned to the window. I work mostly on two monitors, and on a Mac, always having to travel up to the far left corner of the far left screen to reach a menu item is very unproductive. Yes, I know. Shortcuts keys. Use them sometimes. But I also just use menus. A lot. Just me. So day to day, working in multiple applications over multiple windows, I'm constantly fussing with the Mac and cursing their stubborness over these little things are simply not advantages. I'm much, much more productive on Windows.
Network setup. Mac is much better here. I'm still struggling to set up my wireless network printing on the Windows 7 machines.
Speed. Tossup. I work mostly on web projects, so I'm not crunching huge graphics files or doing 3D rendering. Nothing I throw at either the Mac or the PC slows it down.
Testing. Mac, slightly. By running a Windows VM on your Mac, you're better equipped to test with a single machine, and that's preferable by a hair. Trouble is, by doing initial development on a Mac in Firefox or Safari, I'm always, always having to go back and tweak when I finally view it in IE. It's much more efficient for me to code for IE's limitations, and when I finally preview on the Mac I'm either good to go or have only a few items to touch. An alternative is to have a refurb Mac mini to do occasional testing on.
BTW: Windows XP. It's old. It's going into end-of-life soon. Get off it. It was OK in its time, but you don't want to be on XP on a PC anymore than you want to be on OS 9 on a Mac. Windows 7 is just fine.
Viruses. I keep my virus protection up to date, and I haven't had any problem for years. Whenever one of the kids' computers gets infected, the forensics always show they were doing something they've been told not to do.
iPhone, iPod. Over the years I've used both Mac and PC with iTunes to sync my devices. Slight advantage I suppose on a PC during the time when I also had a Blackberry and didn't need a separate music library for both.
So bottom line, at work, I work mostly on the PC but definitely keep the Mac close for testing. At home, we use PCs and I don't see myself reinvesting in Macs to change that.
Fairly good write up, of course I would say Mac all the way.
BTW: I have a Mac with Mac OS 9 and a PC with XP, I guess I'm old fashioned :P
- Attila Hajzer
I'm actually considering buying one of the new MPB's.
I still hold true to my previous comment, it's still a lot of money compared to the alternatives, but with the discounts I might give it a shot.
As was mentioned hackintosh is also an option, I have tried it but my OCD won.
Macs themselves are a rip off. Complete social status. Just look at the specs. If you spent the same amount of money on a pc it would s..t the mac all day.
I've got both and although I prefer the os of a mac they are a money burner. Servicing, new parts, support, everything is soo expensive. As for upgrading, so difficult as most, when they are bought are juts about maxed out. If not mac will charge insane amounts to max it out compared if you were to do it yourselves.
Apple is having a good run at the moment but more viruses for macs are coming Im sure. Can anyone name me one Apple product that hasnt been faulty in some way...? Insanely overheated batteries, iphones that dont actually work, ipods that break or malfunction.. they all have faults and for that type of money they NEVER should be.
In the end I think Mac is more creative than PC.
During a client meeting, my colleague pulled out his hackintosh, the client seen OSX and was immediately impressed he was using a mac, the perceived professionalism of using expensive or popular equipment is very interesting and can play a part in getting yourself a good first impression. (even if your expensive mac is just a compaq with an apple sticker on the back).
As stupid as this sounds I guess it's just one of those things.. Might have to get an iPad to display their initial mockups during meetings, they might start frothing.
I'd like to point out that you are a little off in your assessment that dollar for dollar windows based machines beat the specs out on Mac all day long... what makes the iMac actually fairly competitive is the IPS panels that they come with. This becomes especially true when you reach the 27" models. The 21.5" are just a little over priced. But if the type of monitor is important to you, then you quickly realize that it's not so overpriced.
Also, the mac mini is for the specific user that really wants a low profile system, don't want a laptop, and don't want a new monitor. I've tried building my own low profile system and they are definitely not hundreds less than the mini.
I don't really see how the mac laptops are over priced either. The new and upcoming competitor to the macbook air, by Samsung, is actually a good deal more expensive. Most people that have experience buying crappy $500 laptops have an idea that you really need to spend $1000 on a good quality laptop if you want it to last and enjoy it.
Some of it is the type of market they service. And I absolutely agree much of it is a status symbol. But then again, why the hell do people buy lexus, or mercedes, or bmw? Can't you just buy a ford focus or a honda civic? Why bother with the lexus? And to Ethan's point, anyone in sales understands that you are judged on a subconscious level by the car you drive. Pulling up in a bmw could actually result in higher sales volumes than an equally confident guy in an old volvo. So, like everything else: leverage it!
My point is is that Apple products are overated and their social status is what helps them sell, not how technically superior they are or how they run so much better.
I live in Asia and the amount of available Japanese, Korean and Chinese gadgets similar to the ipod or ipad, which are normally half the price with better specs and bigger hardrives is copious. And Im not referring to cheap copies of which there are many of them too lol
The macbook airs as I recall dont even have a cd/dvd drive.
Like I say I have a mac and it is good but not worth the money I paid for it, no way.
The new Samsung SSD based laptops that are coming are REALLY freaking nice, well built, solid machines (which ALSO do not have CD/DVD drives I may point out). But as I said, they are $1200+. You can buy a mac book air for >$900 refurb.
My point is that many people just prefer the apple experience. They like the way the programs work. They like the way they function, handle, multitask, communicate, and so on. Can PC's match the same quality? Of course, but you have to pay for it! A $400 dell box is a piece of shit. End of story. A custom built $500-600 windows box is pretty decent. But then again you can buy a mac mini that will do 90% of an average user's tasks for >$600.
I might argue that Mac Pros are on the overpriced side, but can you honestly say at $1500 iMac whose 27" screen alone would cost you around $1000 is heavily over priced?
I will have to say you are completely correct about the IPS displays, it definitely brings the pricing closer than what I originally thought.
I do like OSX, my colleague uses it all the time, he along with every video tutorial I watch makes me furious I don't have coda.
As for not having a PC equivalent of the Coda editor, have you tried the XRefresh Firefox plugin?
(I actually use windows)
In a pure design environment where you are solely working on your own projects, I'd say a mac isn't any better in terms of workflow or speed. I will say that I think the synergy between mac software is much, much better. So I suppose you could argue your workflow is smoother. But for the most part, it really is preference.
Bear in mind, I'm comparing a standard mac to a custom built pc with parts you know are good and it's only running software you put on it (not a compaq or a dell full of terrible software and hardware that slows down quickly and freezes frequently).
In an environment where you are sharing information with multiple computers and portable media, mac wins by a landslide. Everything just works together out of the box. All of your media is available and formatted properly for your iMac and mac mini in the next room, all the computers just see each other, the apple tv works with everything you download and it all just uploads right on your your shuffle and touch for car trips. My wife was able to make movies and albums right out of the box without deciphering anything (which never in 10 years happened on our PC's). When you are out of town, you can communicate via iChat without setting anything up.
I think this is where the appeal really hit me when my family grew and I wasn't worried so much about price but more about quality. I didn't want to mess with anything or have my wife get frustrated with why something wasn't working. I wasn't pirating software any more and I wasn't gaming any more; my computers were for my work. My computer is still a PC and it's the last one in the house. I'll probably still always own a PC - maybe build a much smaller profile PC with less power, but between the two I just really prefer mac.