Mac vs HP - Revit vs ArchiCAD

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I am in the market for a new laptop.
Do I buy Mac 15" 256RAM or 512RAM (Parallels will be needed to run revit?) or do I buy HP?
Or is it simply better to get Mac with ArchiCAD where no parallels are needed?

[dgorsman]

Yes.  No.  Maybe.  Tons of factors involved:

Do you need to collaborate with others using Revit?  Or ArchiCAD?  Or other programs?

Do you require other Mac software?  Do you require other Win software?

Can you get better performance for less money with one or the other?

Do you really need the portability?  Or would it make more sense to get a more powerful desktop and tablet for limited mobile use?

And that's just off the top of my head.

[ToanDN]

If you are better at ArchiCad and no one forces you to switch then buy a
Mac and ArchiCad. Btw, is this 256 GB of RAM or hard-drive capacity? A Mac
with 256 GB of RAM can cost a ****ton, let alone 512 GB.

[Anonymous]

If you are a Revit user, don't waste your time with a Mac - it's not going to work remotely well enough considering the equivalent PC solution.

If you are an Archicad user, you can choose your OS depending on preference.

The exchanging files with other disciplines is easier with Revit, but it's not a deal-breaker. IFC is very good nowadays. There is certainly a learning curve to working with others, but there are a number of companies who manage this perfectly well with no issues at all.

Don't be frightened from using non-Revit software, we do not inhabit a Revit-only world, and even if it is largely dominated by Revit, it's perfectly possible to work alongside it using other software and IFC.

Steelwork subcontractors and many structural engineers don't use Revit. It's a similar thing with specialist subcontractors.

Revit on a Mac however is not a logical thing to do because of the compromises and limitations.

[Anonymous]

I have already purchased my Mac and Inam extremely happy with it. Will revit work if it is run on parallels on MAc?

Sent from my iPhone

[Anonymous]

Yes it will. Not sure about Parallels - I've been running Windows on bootcamp on Macbook Pro and iMac with no issues. One thing I would suggest: Get a windows keyboard such as the Logitech K810 so they windows keyboard shortcuts map to the right keys.

[Anonymous]

Do not use Parallels for Revit - it will most likely run like a dog, unless you are only working with very simple models.

Revit on a Mac doesn't make sense. You are using your hardware to run an OS then run another OS as a client application, then run probably the most demanding piece of software you can find on top of that.

It's silly. Just because it's technically feasible doesn't mean to say that it's a good or sensible thing to do.

If you want Revit, use Bootcamp, and forget about OSX multitasking while you are using it. I'm guessing all these "Will Revit run on my Mac?" questions come from students. 

If you want BIM on a Mac, it's Vectorworks or Archicad. Both of these are much better solutions for you unless you buy a Windows PC.

BIM on a laptop is not a great idea anyway. My office runs Revit on high end HP Z-Books and it's not a great experience...

[Anonymous]

I would agree with all the statements on the last posts. Revit runs much better on a properly powered desktop and most importantly, you just need the screen real-estate (unless of course - you have the new 3 screen Razer laptop :-). I run Revit on my iMac at home on Bootcamp but am not switching back and forth between Bootcamp and Mac. Revit runs with no problems on the iMac. I have a new Surface Studio at the office, and Revit runs considerably faster on that machine.

Marc

[Anonymous]

Duplicate post (?!) deleted - sorry!