The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Nivek Krap shared with us:
> Why? PC are so much cheaper.
> Just get a P4 processor. 
> That's faster than any MAC.

What a totally uninformed and silly thing to say. The P4 is the
definite proof that clock frequency has little to do with actual
performance. An AMD Athlon at 1.2 Ghz beats a 1.5 Ghz P4 at most
benchmarks, including those who are important for digital audio.

The PowerPC processors may run at a lower clock frequency, but
they have a much better performance/clock ratio than Intels or
AMDs. And they have the AltiVec engine, which is *very* useful
for digital audio.

Moreover, Pentium 4's are bloody expensive. "PC's are so much
cheaper" is not exactly the case with the P4.

So, in total, Macs may be somewhat slower in raw computing performance,
but that's not the reason you'd buy one anyway. It's about the
ease of use, the absence of driver nightmares, and the general
hardware/software mess you get with a PC (let alone Windows, which
adds another layer of confusion).

- Peter