I've owned several Macs (including the latest iMac maxed out with a 6700k, 32GB RAM, and a real SSD for boot drive). I can see why some folks like them. Nice sleek looking machines.
For me, they're far too limiting.
The MacBooks come with a set amount of RAM. There's no upgrading it.
The machines a sleek/thin and look great. The cost for super thin laptops (Mac or PC) is performance.
The tighter the space, the more performance compromise (to keep heat in check).
With the iMac, there's zero room for internal expansion. You can upgrade the RAM to 32GB... and that's it.
No adding a dedicated (internal) audio drive.
Want to add a second or third drive? It's external USB-3 or Thunderbolts.
In my case (albeit extreme), I've got 10 internal SSDs.
Even if I cut that number in half, that would be five external drives connected to the iMac or Mac Pro.
Has anyone priced external Thunderbolt enclosures? A 1TB conventional HD is ~$200.
All those drives connected externally... and suddenly what was a sleek, clean/lean setup is now a mess of external boxes/cables.
Want to replace your iMac's stock "Fusion" drive with a real SSD?
Unless you want to peel off the entire glass display (which I've done and it's stressful), it means a trip to the Apple Store.
With Mac, you get more of a plug/play experience than you do with an off-the-shelf PC.
The downside, Mac hardware lags severely behind the performance curve.
The current $4000 Mac Pro is running *ancient* Xeon components.
It's so behind the curve that the latest iMac outperforms it.
The Cylinder case is sleek and quiet. Want to add a dedicated Audio drive? You're in the exact same situation as the iMac (zero room for internal expansion).
IMO, Apple was short-sighted with the move to cases with zero internal expansion.
Folks (rightly) complain about MS updates... and how Win10 requires some deeper tweaking to give control back to the end-user.
If you've been around Mac for a while, you've seen issues with audio software/plugins... and audio hardware with almost every major OSX release. El Capitan (when first released) caused many compatibility issues.
Apple's update process is generally easy/smooth compared to the PC.
Keep in mind that the Mac is a closed environment. There's *far* fewer options to support and maintain compatibility.
iPads and iPhones:
I've got both... and the wife and I make heavy use of the iPads.
I record my monthly vocal instruction sessions with my iPhone.
Why must I use iTunes to access the audio files?
It should be as simple as connecting the iPhone to my computer (via USB)... and drag/drop the files as I want.
With Apple... not so much. I have to install iTunes... and deal with an Apple controlled method of transferring the files. What should take seconds takes minutes.
Apple is constantly updating iOS (improvements/etc).
I use OnSong when playing live. Each and every update can potentially break compatibility with features I need in OnSong. Always have to be careful not to update iOS right before a gig. Sound familiar?
The wife and I use the iPads (vs Android tablets) because the available music related software.
If Android had the exact same offerings, I'd gladly use Android.
Transferring files with Android is as simple as connecting via USB. You have direct access to your files... and can move them freely (without installing/using) additional software.
Speaking of iOS updates, if you have an iPad-2, it's not compatible with iOS-11.
So your $600 iPad-2 lifespan is nearly up.
iPad Pro (larger version) is $950 for the 256GB version.
Unlike Android tablets, there's no expanding storage using SD cards.
Like the MacBooks, what-you-buy-is-what- you-get (WYBIWYG).
While we make good use of the iPads, I'm not super keen on spending the better part of $2000 replacing them.
The beauty of a custom PC can also be the tough part.
It can be *exactly* what you want/need.
But that leaves the variables to the one building/configuring.
Mac or PC, you need to have proper backups. That eliminates the risks involved with updates/etc.
With Win10, there are means of shutting down auto-updates and other "extraneous" (some might say annoying) bits (Cortana, OneDrive, etc). MS is trying to make things easier for less tech-savvy users... and (ironically) are making things a bit more of a pain.
It's clear that I'm not an Apple fan.
I want more control over my computer... and I want less Apple control over how I access/use my files.
That said, a computer is just a tool.
Check out what's available.
Use the tools that best suit you.
Some folks love Gibson guitars... others would rather play PRS... and yet others prefer Fender.