InDesign MAC vs PC

[Guest]

I work in InDesign on a MAC.  My company wants me to switch to a PC. What are some reasons I may provide to stay on MAC?

[BobLevine]

The only thing you can say is that you want to...there are ZERO

differences in the function of the program.

I use both all day long and going back and forth is a non-event.

Bob

[HR_Ralston]

Bob - you sound very knowledgeable, hoping you might give me some insight.  I am a novice on In Design (though I love) and have just changed over from a PC to a Mac.  Couple questions:

1.) My experience with ID is on the PC, I have not yet used on Mac.  I need to order now, should I order for a Microsoft OS or Mac OS?  (I have access to both).

2.) I have a Macbook Pro and am currently running Parallels I have experienced frustrating loss of functionality with Microsoft programs that I need to use on a regular basis (primarily Excel).  For this reason I am going to install Bootcamp (split the hard drive).  Should I have concerns about doing this?  I ask b/c you mention you work with both platforms, though I am guessing it is on different computers as opposed to what I am describing which is both operating systems on one computer.  Greatly appreciate any thoughts or comments you may have.  - Thank you.

[Willi Adelberger]

As a Creative Cloud subscriber you can switch language and plattform at any point in time as you want. Non cloud versions are older versions, 3 steps behind and I would not recommend them to buy now anymore.

If you run on a Mac, Boot Camp or Parallels are foremost for applications which are not available on the Mac but you need to work with it, like FrameMaker or MS Access. But it is always combined either with a loss of comfort (Boot Camp) or performance (Parallels). If you can get the native applications for the Mac you should use those (for MS Office they are available).

[HR_Ralston]

Thank you for prompt response.  The applications for the Mac were too "dumbed down" primarily in Excel.

[Dov Isaacs]

The Windows versions of Adobe applications (including InDesign) work at least as well as the Macintosh versions with the same functionality.

The only excuses you might provide are:

(1)     You have existing InDesign documents that use MacOS Type 1, MacOS TrueType, or MacOS .dfont fonts for which there are not Windows versions that are exactly the same.

(2)     Your personal preferences are to use a Macintosh. Or alternatively, your religious beliefs either force you to use Apple products or prevent you from using Windows products.

          - Dov

[BobLevine]

I am very thankful I was not drinking coffee while reading that.

Bob

[Joel Cherney]

You shouldn't be relying on Mac-only Type 1 fonts. However, if you are (maybe you spent thousands of dollars on Adobe Font Folio back in the '90s and have hundreds of Mac-only Type 1 fonts that you use all the time?) then you'd need to re-purchase some fonts. InDesign running on Windows cannot use those fonts.

[Dov Isaacs]

Of course, the best bet for fonts if you are migrating to Windows is to use OpenType fonts that are fully cross-platform compatible!

          - Dov

[John Waller]

Sounds like you love your Mac and the company is asking you to break up a happy marriage.

If you're a lone Mac user in a PC shop you're fighting a losing battle on many levels.

Give the PC a go for a while and see how much training is required for you and how many reboots and Windows updates take hours out of your daily productivity. That's often a compelling argument for managers.

Otherwise, learn to love the PC since you'll be surrounded by them.

[BobLevine]

Sorry John, but I use both and that's just a load of rubbish.

Bob

[John Waller]

I use both too, Bob. Daily.

If you're referring to the reboots and updates, I was speaking ironically - tongue in cheek - since I think this is a losing battle in a corporate environment.

[BobLevine]

Hours of lost productivity! Total nonsense.

Look, I'm not going to let this thread turn into a platform war (as I

said, I use both on a daily basis) but I'm not going sit by and let the

OP read utterly ridiculous statements either.

The only thing I've seen that I agree with here is the fonts issue.

Beyond that, there is no issue.

Bob

[John Waller]

Bob Levine wrote:

Hours of lost productivity! Total nonsense.

I know, Bob. It's irony. Not a serious statement because it's not true. Nuances like that are lost in text-based forums. I should not have brought it up.

It's an age old - nonsensical, untrue - argument from Mac lovers. Nothing more nothing less.

I frequently encounter Mac lovers in PC environments who cannot let go.

[Dov Isaacs]

For what it is worth, understanding that I use both Windows and MacOS-based systems, my desktop Windows systems only get rebooted once a month during months in which the monthly, consolidated Microsoft OS updates require same and that is not every month. It is not at all dissimilar to the number of times I need to reboot my MacOS system to accommodate Apple updates. We certainly don't experience loss of hours out of our daily productivity. And the hardware is no less reliable, either.

Bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with liking a Macintosh better than a Windows system or feeling more comfortable with a Macintosh than a with Windows system or vice versa. This is no different that whether one likes a Honda or a Toyota or a Chevy! But please don't justify it with bogus generalized claims about productivity loss.

          - Dov

[John Waller]

Bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with liking a Macintosh better than a Windows sysem or feeling more comfortable with a Macintosh than a with Windows system or vice versa. This is no different that whether one likes a Honda or a Toyota or a Chevy!

Agreed. It's personal preference. But that often counts little in corporate environments where single platforms are common.

Dov Isaacs wrote:

But please don't justify it with bogus generalized claims about productivity loss.

Understood. Wasn't the intention.

I'll be more careful about such nuanced flippancy in text based forums in future. It's easily misunderstood.

[Jongware]

Rella1820,

You could argue that you are more familiar with the platform, and thus less prone to making file system related mistakes.

Do you use any other software than Adobe's? Not everything is available on *both* Mac and PC.

Like Bob, above, I regularly switch from Mac to PC and vice versa. We at the office know our fonts, and so we (hardly) have issues with that. Adobe's suite works the same on both platforms -- <g> they are virtually the same, way more than even the programs in the "Suite" itself! -- but I switch platform because of the *other* tools we might need. For reading and processing anything delivered from a PC installation of Office, nothing beats the Real Thing™.

I submit being able to work with *both* platforms, rather than either one, is a good thing. Limiting yourself to just one platform means you'll miss out on the worst features but also on the best.

[John Waller]

I submit being able to work with *both* platforms, rather than either one, is a good thing. Limiting yourself to just one platform means you'll miss out on the worst features but also on the best.

Agreed.

Working seamlessly between the two - and getting the job done regardless of platform - is a valuable skill to possess.

[Laubender]

@rella1820 – if you ever want to produce with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) it's more than comfortable to preview on the iPad connected directly with USB to your Mac. That's not possible on a Windows machine. Also publishing a folio as an app for the iPad is only possible with a Mac…

But that's a lame excuse, if you do not publish and test folio files in the DPS environment.

However, the font issue is worth a thougt.
Especially when it comes to buying extra licences for Windows, if you already own licences for the Mac.

Uwe

[BobLevine]

Another selling point for Creative Cloud!

Cross platform.

Bob

[John Hawkinson]

One fairly weak reason to prefer Macs over PCs is that the out-of-the-box diagnostic tools are superior in the unlikely event of a water landing.

That is, when you get a crash of InDesign on a Mac, you will have access to a full stack trace associated with the crash and to partial symbols associated with the stack trace. And it is easily available in the Console application or even the crash popup window.

When you get a crash under Windows 7, 8, or Vista, you get something that is useless for diagnostic purposes. (And under XP, you have to hunt hard to find useful data).

Now, of course, this may not matter to you if you are not a programmer. And on the other hand, if you were a programmer, you would probably have Visual Studio or WinDBG installed on your machine, each of which should be able to generate stack traces for you.

Still, I will say, it is a lot easier to remotely help people diagnose their crashes under Mac OS than it is to help people diagnose their crashes under Windows. I don't have any data on whether that means there are more crashes under Mac OS. I don't think so, but it is certainly possible.

[peter_minneapolis]

In an ideal worls, the Powers That Be (BTB) should have to give good reasons for you to switch, other than "we're the bosses." Possible "good" reasons could be that their systems folks have no Mac maintenance or hybrid-network maintenance expertise, or will have none after they downsize the Mac folks out of the company, that their system folks do have such experience, bad enough to want to drop Macs, or perhaps they can get better prices when buying large lots of identical items, and they're one machine short of the next-lower price bracket, (more likely applicable to hardware than software.) One other, chilling, one, might be that they want to replace your position with a PC person, and they want the PC workstation fully-installed and throughly troubleshot, before they move you on and bring in the replacement.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

[BobLevine]

You guys are really, really reaching here.

If a company is buying new machines they do not owe anyone an

explanation for the change any more than they would for upgrading from

Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion or Windows XP to Windows 8.

And I would feel the same way if they were switching from Windows to Mac.

Bob

[John Mensinger]

...a PC person...

Hahahahaha! I love it when comedians aren't afraid to use slurs!

[Luke_Jennings]

"The Windows versions of Adobe applications (including InDesign) work at least as well as the Macintosh versions with the same functionality."

Mostly, although I have not personally tested this on a PC, this thread suggests there could be minor differences: (you can skip down to post # 12).

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4840364#4840364