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“Apple is dead to me” – Trey Ratcliffe talks about his transition to Windows

by 51 Comments

Apple have taken a lot of criticism over the last year or so, especially from working photographers, editors and designers. Partially because of new dongle requirements, and due to the limited amount of RAM. Some blame this on Apple’s dedication to the iPhone and iPad above all else. Personally, I think they’re just turning their laptops toward the more lucrative market. General consumers.

With cameras getting higher and higher resolution with each new generation, and 4K video becoming more pervasive in our lives, many just want more power. I’ve seen a lot of people talking about making the switch, and quite a few very well known photographers have done so. One such photographer is Trey Ratcliff. Who now offers some tips and advice for those looking to make the switch.

Trey wrote a long article on his blog to accompany this pair of videos. But the essence is, as I mentioned above, he just needs more power. And I know that is. Regardless of what platform you use, as time marches on, and data demands increase, you need a system that can keep up.

Nowadays, my camera’s RAW files are bigger (I use a Hasselblad X1D, but my MacBook was still choking with my Sony A7Rii files), and I do a lot of video work as well. I simply need a workhorse. It’s too bad that Apple has chosen not to care so much about the creative professional; we were the ones that got them through the lean years. Oh well…

– Trey Ratcliff

He feels abandoned by Apple. That they’ve betrayed those who supported them through the quiet years when the only people buying Macs were designers and photographers. It almost comes across that he resents Apple for forcing him to switch back to Windows.

Trey actually switched over to a pair of Windows machines. an MST WT72 laptop and a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Understandably, if you need a powerful tablet, you want something compatible with your main computer. Trey also picked up a Samsung T3 Portable SSD, which is super fast, and allows him to quickly transfer all his data from the Mac to Windows.

Trey made his transition while travelling, and offers up a second video containing some tips on making the switch.

Trey says switching systems is like moving into a new house. It gives you a chance to clean through all your stuff, and reorganise. It’s a pain, but that it can also be fun.

Sometimes a change and a good clean out is all you need.

Trey isn’t the first I’ve seen that’s gone from Windows to Mac, and now making the move back to Windows. If Apple keep going in the direction that they seem to be, I will bet he probably won’t be the last, either.

Personally, I’ve always been a PC person (but not always a Windows person). I’ll happily work on a Mac, but my money’s always been invested in PC. Mostly because I’ve always built my own, so they’ve behaved, and I can upgrade components as often as necessary. But I have no issues with people wanting to use a Mac. Many of my friends do. But the amount of them that seem to have either made the switch already, or are about to start the process, is quite surprising.

Use whatever works best for you and keeps up with your needs. But, if you are thinking about making the switch, then you can read more about Trey’s transition on his blog.

[via SLRLounge]

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  • But what about all the bugs and blue screens that windows has over Mac? Is that an issue you are willing to deal with? My dads PC dies once a month and has to restored. He only checks his emails and Facebook and Skypes. That’s it. Imagine having all your photos and videos in a machine that constantly dies and forces you to restore to a previous. No thanks.

    • I hope you’re trolling.

    • Blue screens? We are long past 98 or XP. Win7 is as strong as system can be, installed it on vast number of machines with no problems ever and personally have it running since late 2009, not a single problem. I like to choose my hardware and change it as needed and not brake a buck.

    • Meanwhile I’ve been on one Windows laptop for over three years with zero hardware issues and never needed a restore. We can trade anecdotes all day without offering much to this discussion.

    • No trolling here , maybe not blue screens and but disc drives not booting, constantly going into the bios and having to fix. Like I said, happens to my dads year old PC

      • wayward

        Changed the tune I see..”maybe not blue screens and but disc drives not booting” from “But what about all the bugs and blue screens that windows has over Mac”
        That my friend is a HARDWARE issue, not a MS issue…MS has no control over the BIOS…sounds like you have a MB issue…seriously..if you want to place blame, at least know where the blame lies…not just the convenient target (MS)

    • I’m​ not a Microsoft fan, but I can’t recall the last BASIS I had. Very stable these days. Windows 10.

    • Garrett Jimenez: Download the AIO-SRT All in One System Repair Toolkit. You can get the full version, but the Lite version does the trick on most PCs.

    • I guess he just got a dud then.

    • That might as well be hardware issue and nothing to do with windows.
      Regarding the restore, it’s always been useless even in the darkest days of windows, it just saves you for a day, it’s the first thing to disable after installation.

    • Diagnostics – AIO-SRT

    • Got no problems with Windows 10 on both my PC and laptop.

    • A simple “no, and you’ll never convince me because i’m blind to anything not-Mac” would have been more accurate

    • Never had a blue screen since Win 7.

      • steve

        Same here, 8 years and counting. The fact that PC has more hardware issues than Mac is a myth. It may have been the case 10 years ago but things have changed since then,

      • considerphi

        Same here Win 7 box is solid, don’t even want to update to 10 because there’s just no problems. Finally I thought I was getting there, there were some slowdowns and quirky behaviour – turned out my 10 year old hard drive was dying.

    • Not really dick but thanks.

    • Michael Scrip

      There are over a billion Windows PCs out in the world.

      I don’t think you can describe them as “constantly dying”

      I’ve been using Windows for 25 years… and I can’t remember when I’ve had a computer simply die for no reason.

      People get hit with viruses and malware… but that’s usually due to user error and not the fault of the OS.

    • Sigurd Rage

      Sounds like your dad’s machine is faulty. Return it to the shop. MS haven’t had software related BSOD issues since Windows98.

    • Jax Spade

      I am a Surface Pro 4 user and no issues here… That is just hyperbole from someone resistant to change… I have a iPad and you can not say that the OS is perfect cause I have had some issues with that enough to know otherwise.

    • wayward

      Sounds like a hardware issue. I used to have one that would crash whenever I played certain videos. Finally found the issue in the Bios. 1 Simple change, no more crashes. And you are not solving the issue, you are simply treating the symptom (constant restores). Narrow it down…

  • Tyler

    …speaking as a long time Apple user ( since OS 7 ), I can say without hesitation that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the new MBP w/ touchbar other than the guts soldered to the logic board. That being said, macOS is the real problem here due to Apple trying to merge iOS and macOS. People like Radcliffe are in fact more than likely being sponsored to ‘switch’ just as many of the ‘new’ Sony users. Gone are the days when someone makes recommendation solely on personal use. Everything and everybody on the inter webs has a monetary angle, particularly with photo gear… Period. BTW the most vocal detractors of the MBP that I’ve found are the ones that have trouble affording it’s increased price and seem to find reasons as to why it’s not a ‘pro’ machine regardless of whether or not they’d actually need any increase in performance. My experience is that tethered shooting with a 70MP D810 file or editing both sail as well as editing 4K video ( Adobe is another one of these software companies that do little to optimize their spaghetti code ). I challenge anyone to build or purchase a ‘better spec’ed’ windows box and visit an Apple store, then try working with your files on either… the proof is in the doing.

    • a_eh

      Sounds more like an excuse to reason that most likely people like Radcliffe switch to things you don’t prefer as due to sponsorship. If anything, it would be sponsorship to switch to or favorably review Apple products. If you read any tech blogs at all…

      Anyhow, objectively speaking, the new MBP is just not pro enough hardware wise and that I think is the main beef. It might work for people casually editing vacation pictures and home made 4K videos, but for professional use, it’s nowhere nearly enough. 1GB plus Illustrator files? Render times for even HD videos is long, so 4K is out of the question. 3D modeling and rending would be unheard of, professionally speaking. The MBP as always, is a nice machine, it’s just not pro. For that type of money, we invested in gaming laptops and even “pro” workstation laptops (Quadro/Firepro are options) for on the road work. Don’t even start with the dongle thing for pro use.

      • Tyler

        … try doing anything you’ve said with any Windows laptop my friend…

        • a_eh

          Well, friend, that’s exactly what I just said. For performance and bang for buck, we now employ mobile workstations (previously with a couple of Alienware and Qosmio but admittedly gaming machines don’t use to look all that professional) for on the go work… actually even Mac Pros don’t cut it anymore and the only Macs we have are older servers. You should take your own challenge and try out some high end Windows machines. Once you have real speed and performance, you really can’t go back, especially with the same cost or in some cases higher.

  • I am a photographer, but I have been resisting Apple for a very long time. I finally purchased an iMac around 15 months ago.
    Fast forward 15 months, and I have been regretting this purchase ever since.
    I continue to do my work in Windows, while the iMac makes a pretty statement on my desk.
    To me, the iMac is slow, the capacity is miniscule, and it just make me grow old a lot sooner.

  • davekaplan

    Is the Surface more powerful than the top of the line MBP? Does it have more RAM or a faster hard drive?

    PS, if “Apple” is dead to him, did he dump his iPhone for a Windows phone?

    edited for typos…

    • Doug Gray

      The top of the line MBP costs $4100. The top of the line Surface Pro 4 is $2600. But neither is exactly a bargain for your buck. There are better, faster mobile laptop options when it comes to productivity. If you’re trying to do work, you’re significantly better off building a “tower”, where for $1500 you can put together a machine that will literally destroy either of those machines and then some.

      • davekaplan

        Fair enough about a tower outperforming a laptop! For some reason I thought the article was about him switching to a Surface, which I assume meant he switched from a MBP. Mine was about $3,400 and I just saw that the equivalent surface 4 is $2,600… so that is a difference of $800 (but I’m not complaining)

      • a_eh

        Agreed that a custom build would be more cost efficient (although most prebuilds from major OEMs are quite economical too), but the SP4 is probably a good comparison coming from Apple since most users hold the device premium design/aesthetics dearly. The active stylus is pretty sweet for LR/PS work too but yes, many more options out there if power and price are the main concerns, including most gaming laptops and mobile workstations.

        • Doug Gray

          Absolutely. A quality gaming laptop that runs in that $2000-2500 range (or more if you’re feeling generous with your cash) is absolutely going to crush a MBP or Surface Pro 4 when it comes to productivity. You’re giving up weight, for sure, on this compromise. And you’re giving up the pen with the SP4. But if you’re trying to get work completed, and quicker, there’s no question at all that this is the route to go for working on the go if your work is more than typing and web browsing.

    • Tim Evans

      Trey states in the article that he uses an Android phone.

  • Mark Niebauer

    As an IT tech of over 20 yrs I can tell you that once a PC is competently configured to work efficiently, It is a speed demon and does everything I need as an artist. And at a fraction of the cost of an Apple. Apple users have always been an occult like following. A lot of Liberals swear by them. lol

  • Tom O’Donovan

    I love my PC for the things that I built it for, for everything else I use a Mac. It is a lot better in most respects. I’ve been running this MacBook since 2013 and it’s not gone wrong once, everything just works. Windows…you get a hardware conflict you’re screwed. The laptops are generally pants unless you’re willing to pay the same as a MacBook Pro, in which case I may as well get a MacBook Pro as it will last longer and perform better.

    Windows Laptops are something I would never go back to. I will always build my own PC to meet my requirements, and because if something does go wrong I can replace the part and fix it or upgrade it. I have no problem with my MacBook being made more compatible with my iPhone and iPad. It makes it easier to work flexibly.

  • steve

    *sigh* I find it a real shame when great articles are put up about fantastic pieces of work, but it’s the PC vs Mac debate which attracts all the comments. What the world needs to do is stop looking at Mac through rose colored glasses. There was a time when Mac was really blowing PCs out of the water especially the PCs loaded with cheap and nasty components. However with tighter integration and Microsoft producing the hardware and software, the playing field is being leveled. Just as some of the later Macs were actually under-speced compared to earlier ones, all computers need to be judged on a system-basis rather than just on their operating system. These generalizations never get us anywhere, Nikon vs Canon… both have produced duds, both have made fantastic cameras too, it’s the system not the brand which counts.

  • Simon Forsyth

    Personally I think there is quite a bit of Apple bashing going on because people like to bash something successful.
    One of the reasons Apple hasn’t included more than 16gb ram in the latest MacBook Pros is because the processors aren’t designed to work with more than 16gb. Also there is a law of diminishing returns with ram in that beyond a certain point more ram doesn’t add much to the speed!
    As a long time Windows user I shifted to a MacBook Pro just over a year ago after countless blue screens and updates not installing etc. To say it doesn’t happen is akin to saying the earth is flat!
    I had a stock Toshiba Qosmio and had nothing but problems with Windows since 7.
    I can say that I’m more than happy with my MacBook Pro although I would like to install a bigger ssd. Fortunately I got one of the last models with replaceable ssd.
    Now I dread having to pull out my Windows laptop always wondering if it will crash after installing the updates.
    My blood pressure is down after going Mac and I wouldn’t consider going back.

    • a_eh

      If you’re talking about desktop OS and hardware, MS/Windows is much much much more successful than Apple. Apple hardly registers when it comes to the desktop platform.

      And no, more than 16GB of RAM is a necessity for pro work and the processors are just fine using them.

  • Doug Sundseth

    If that’s intended as a satirical portrayal of a grammar peevologist, it’s fairly competently done. For the reference of observers, “is” is a verb, not a preposition.

    If, as I suspect, it’s meant seriously, it’s sad in at least two ways:

    1. See above.
    2. There is no generally agreed-upon prohibition against ending a sentence with a preposition*. If you were taught differently, your teacher was (or perhaps is) incompetent. (Further evidence for this position is the writer’s apparent inability to distinguish between a preposition and a verb.)

    None of which is to say that I have much sympathy for dismissive comments about spelling or writing in articles**.

    * See, among many others: http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2011/11/grammar-myths-prepositions/

    ** Yes, I recognize the irony. 😎

    • Gen. Jack D. Ripper

      As Churchill said: “This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put.”

  • Tim Evans

    My two cents: I don’t care what computer anybody else uses, nor do I care what brand clothing they wear, car they drive, etc.

    Everyone should use the tool that allows them to easily accomplish their work. Sometimes, it’s mere familiarity that causes you to more “easily” accomplish that work. Sometimes, it really is the capability of the device.

    Last fall, my 2011 MacBook Pro was dying. It had already had the motherboard replaced once under warranty, and the same symptoms were again occuring. I had already bumped it up to the max RAM it could handle and I had upgraded to a SSD. Looking at the options available to me (and the money available), I decided to build my own PC (Note that I’m using “PC” to refer to Windows machines).

    As OS’s go, I still think MacOS is superior. I just don’t think it’s so superior as to justify the price difference.

    I think there’s a big difference between building your own PC or buying from a “niche” manufacturer such as MSI or Puget Systems and buying from a mass market manufacturer such as Dell, HP, Toshiba, etc. You can be much more selective on the quality of components in that way, and that makes a world of difference.

    Even though I’m a hobbyist, I do some freelancing for my local newspaper. So, while “time is money” doesn’t always apply to my photography, there are plenty of times when I’m against a deadline. Lightroom is as smooth as butter for me, compared to the stuttering and lagging that I had on my MacBook Pro. Some of that is, no doubt, because I was using a five-year old computer;I don’t have any experience with Lightroom on a newer Mac, so I can’t say how much.

    It was the right move FOR ME at the time. It may not be the right move for you when it’s your turn to look into a new computer.

    All of this is to say that I do find it interesting we hear more and more “pros” moving away from Apple. Honestly, this is to be expected. Computers are more of a side line for Apple now. iOS devices and the music/movie/app stores are where they make their real money. It’s only natural they would cater to that market.

    It goes back to one of the last things Steve Jobs said. He compared iOS and “real computers” to cars and trucks. Most people just need cars. Usually, only people with certain jobs need trucks. Just like it is much easier for a house painter to carry all his equipment in a work truck or a cargo van, many photographers are finding the extra processing power you can get in the PC market allows them to get more done more quickly.

    Like I said, this is my two cents. It’s just my opinion, and it may not be right for you. I don’t care if it is, because I’m not trying to force anyone to think my opinion is better; I’m just explaining my position.

  • Original VH Fan

    Sounds more like he didn’t want to spend the money on a new iMac (which is crazy fast), but that he wanted a “mobile workstation” AND he said on his blog that he was switching because of his phone, I suspect some click baiting with this article!

  • john

    Yay another platform debate, yay….

    Get rid of both options and head to the open source world. Darktable is one of the best RAW editors around with pretty unique features. If you’re into HDR that’s covered with Photomatix. Colour calibration is easy with most external solutions. The only draw back for photo work is no PS. Gimp is ok for light duties. With Adobe is pushing more and more into web apps and online server farms, this will become less of an issue.

    Linux runs on more hardware in the world than either of the two platforms (android, servers, cloud infrastructure etc eg and pcs). The Linux desktop is fast, reliable, secure and pretty slick these days….even Steam is up and running.

    There are great laptop options around that are Linux/ubunut preconfigured. PC tower building is simple with almost all hardware supported. Hell I run ubuntu on both my Macs with no problem, and it’s fast.

  • Eikuulu Sulle

    None of that makes any sense. He switches from Mac to Windows because he needs something more powerful – and ends up buying a laptop that’s all in all slower than the slowest 15″ Macbook Pro. Same CPU, much slower SSD.

    I could understand the hate about adapters – I don’t like them myself, but switching because you need power and buying a subpar laptop to replace a mac? Does not compute. I’ve got Surface Pro 4, I’m not even going to bother commenting on that.

    • a_eh

      Did you miss the part where he bought a MSI gaming laptop? It destroys any MBPs completely. The SP4 was only a companion device similar to an iPad but also destroys it productivity wise.

      • m4k3m3

        The link originally showed only one MSI WT72 model which had a CPU identical to the lowest end 15″ model. Now I see three different options. The $5k one has i7-6920. What is the top model 15″ MBP 2016 one then? Surprise, i7-6920. The SSD in the Mac is much faster while the GPU in that top model beats the shit out of Mac. Still, color me unimpressed. I would’ve expected something much better to bother to even consider a change. There ARE much faster machines out there so why settle for a bulky, mediocre MSI?

        The only thing SP4 destroys productivity wise is the user. Want to buy mine?

        • a_eh

          It’s not just about the CPU and the SSD transfer speed. Like you said, the NVIDIA *Quadro* in the MSI will beat the shit out of the Mac. It’s the difference between being able to do something and simply not having that capability. This in itself gives it the power to destroy any MBP like I said, regardless if the MBP has a slightly faster (it doesn’t) or same CPU (it also doesn’t. It’s a 6820HQ, not the 6920HQ in the MSI). I don’t know what makes you think the SSD in the Mac is faster either. The MSI has two SSDs via PCIe Gen3x4 in RAID and depending on the setup, it can either provide a significant performance boost (probably just south of 2x the speed of a single), or mirroring for security, which is a big plus for work. And if you somehow still think performance/storage is meh, you can easily upgrade the M.2 drives or throw in another SATA drive (or even upgrade the CPU later). There’s no contest here. The Newegg link in other articles is the correct one and at $4100 compared to the highest model MBP at $2800, the $1300 is getting you a Quadro card (which already covers the cost), 32GB of DDR4 (not DDR3), and a 4K 17.3″ very accurate screen. That’s significantly more pro for a fair amount of money. We’re comparing one of the current highest performance machine vs. a med-high end ultrabook. How much faster can you get “out there”, aside from going to Kaby lake? If the gigantic hardware difference here doesn’t impress you, you don’t know hardware.

          And please. Please do try and convince everyone how an iPad is better for productivity than an SP4.

  • Jenny Lens

    I started using Macs in 1988. I’ve been repeatedly dissed, insulted, threatened and worse at local Apple Store, Santa Monica Promenade. I can’t find info I need to create a new pro system.

    I taught at colleges and major Mac computer conferences (World Animation, MacWorld, MacFair, etc) in the 1990s. I was a long time loud advocate for Macs. However, the personnel in the Santa Monica Apple store are so corrupt, so mean, so nasty, so disorganized. Santa Monica! I’m treated suspiciously when I merely come in to find out info about the Power Mac. Service is impossible there as well. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

    All I wanted to do was create a system for myself. Ya’d think I dragged the trash in and set it on fire, the way those disorganized goons have repeatedly treated me. As they treat others, if ya read Yelp. I even told them I was a major person in the LA Mac Group before they ever opened that store. OUR non-profit did all they are doing. For less pay, fer sure. And they yawn when I tell them my history.

    I read about an engineer who worked on many Mac and other Apple products being dissed at that store. Over a period of years. I will NEVER buy another Apple product. Not my phone, not my table, not a laptop, not a desktop.

    Re software: I love MS Office, but it doesn’t play well w/my iMac. Pages, Numbers and Keynote are jokes. Lightroom and Photoshop are either platform. I really don’t have much software to replace. And when I do, I will have MANY more choices at less costs.

    I want and need a BIG screen. Yet Catch 22. Only a few monitors will work with it. Yet no one can tell me which monitors. I can get a custom PC for $2500-$3000, with 32 gigs of Ram, HUGE monitor (34-42), blazing fast processor, SSD, etc. I can’t even get a Power Mac for that! I’d literally pay TWICE as much for the for a computer, RAM, etc. AND be limited by monitor choice.

    So yeah, I’m getting a new computer this year. And good bye Mac! 29 years and time for a divorce!!

  • Jenny Lens

    Apple abandoned power users when they started dumbing down their software. IF you are creative, you have NO need for iPhoto, iThis or that. No manuals, no ability to think outside the box. Apple abandoned us when they dumbed down FinalCut. Apple decided the newbie and consumer software and hardware is the key to their profits. Apple abandoned us by the way they treat us, their hardware and software. I hate to say this, as a loyal Mac user and loud evangelist for TWENTY NINE YEARS.

    • Brian Menin

      Lol. I think accounting types call that “remaining profitable”.

  • G Mar

    You seriously think you can’t end a sentence with a preposition and YOU want to talk about grammar, illiterate trash? :)))))
    More to the point, you think that “is” is a preposition, you pathetic idiot? It is a verb, you ignorant ape.

  • G Mar

    “Heard of grammar”, indeed, idiot.

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