Why do professional musicians use Macs?

I have read that the processing power of Windows laptops and Mac laptops can be equal, so why is it that professional musicians and so many gigging musicians use Macs?

-You can’t upgrade them without remortgaging your house
-They cost at least twice as much as a non-Mac laptop
-If you know how to configure a Windows laptop they are no more simple to use (for me I find them more complicated because the GUI seems backwards)
-Same processing power (if you get a really good laptop)
-Both run Cubase Artist 7.5 (?)

Yep, all valid points.
Because Macs are a closed environment with fixed hardware, stability is more guaranteed, but if you know what you’re doing then Windows is in most cases a better option because of the points you make.

I think it’s mainly due the history: In early years of DAW systems (early to mid 1990s) Macs were definitely better for audio work (and even more for graphics and video), so everyone used them in A/V world. After things changed nobody wanted to shift from one platform to another because of the learning curve. Old guys then passed their experience (Macs are better) to new generations who blindly believed those who have “better knowledge”.

It’s part of the human nature: we follow authorities … take our religion/political views/preference of computer OS from our parents/teachers/mentors. In case of computer OS this kind of tribalism is extreamly silly, because operating systems of early 1990s (MacOS6&7, Windows3) have very little in common with their modern versions (MacOS10.11, Windows10).

My perspective differs from Jarno’s.

I have used Macs since 1991, and used PCs before that. I continue to use my 2011 Macbook, but my desktop and main machine is Windows 10 for purely economical reasons. The difference in price per processing power is less than it used to be however. I was running it as a Hackintosh until last year, and upgrading to a newer operating system would have required buying some components, or many hours of trouble-shooting, so I bought a copy of Windows 8.1 and have been using Windows since then.

The best thing about Mac is that they have figured out a way to get many developers to use, or appear to use, the same conventions in different programs. Things like option-clicking the close box of a window to close all windows of that program, and the fact the opt-tab cycles not through all windows of every running app, but just through each running app, are a couple examples that require more work to setup, or cannot be setup on Windows.

The uniformity and stability is worth the money if you can afford it, and the more expensive machines do last a long time. There are many people using 2008 and 2010 Mac desktop machines still. There are also some very elegant functions such as Spotlight search, this search system is fast, remembers your last search, so reduces clicking and typing. Mac has an advanced ergonomic feel compared to Windows. The command line interface on Mac is very good, shares many commands with Unix, (really is a type of Unix) using this is a pleasure, and it is easy to learn the basics.

Windows is more configurable, though less now than in the XP days. To really get the best bang for your buck on PCs you would have to build one yourself, and many folks can’t be bothered.

So for many folks Mac fits the bill better than Windows.

From my experience. Here are a few examples of things Macs can do that Windows computers can’t do… With a Mac you can have your gear turned on and disconnected from your computer. You can connect to Cubase opened and in seconds you’re good to go. You can even remove your elicense while Cubase is open without crashing the OS will simply ask to put it back in.


You can also play 24 bit masters on an iPhone. Use mobile apps like Loopmash with Cubase. Import your music into apps like iMachines, import iMachines samples in Cubase. An iPad an Mac computer can also do amazing things. Not cheap but worth it and lots of power and fun. Simply amazing computers.

All of the above is right on. I have been using Macs for about 25 years or more. Have had both desktop and laptop and still do. I would not want to relearn PC’s. Everything works so well and “no virus’s” “no bugs”. I guess, in general, it’s what you start out using and stick with it.

Absolutely, and that’s why I still play a Fender Telecaster :slight_smile: