SDRplay Community Forum

Got my SDRplay last week and have been really enjoying CubicSDR on my 2011 MacBook Pro. Pretty intuitive to get it up and running. I have a Dell Inspiron 3000 duo core that I use to run my old Windows software, and last night decided to put some software on it and give it a go. LOTs more gizmology and tweaking compared to CubicSDR, but did manage to pull in a station without any outside help. (Longtime SWL helps...)
Love the SDRplay - works really well and what a cool way to listen to shortwave! Posting this because I did several searches and could not find a head to head PC vs Mac review. Anyone else loaded up on both platforms?

Anyone else loaded up on both platforms?

I tried all the various toys in a Windows VM, mostly just to verify that the hardware was in working order. I then switched to OS X native software (Cubic SDR, plus some command line tools) which I now use exclusively.

I am frustrated by the lack of variety in Mac software. I know the stock response is 'everybody uses WIndows'. The great irony for me is that everyone I know in the radio biz uses a Mac - and has to run Windows in a VM to run software.

A.

After using both Console and Cubic for a short while now, I have to admit that Console is the hands down winner, mostly because of WAY more features. It is a bit easier to adjust the gain in Cubic, just grab and move vs two or three clicks in Console. My Macbook Pro handles Cubic better than the PC handles console - the Mac is a more robust machine, but it runs very hot and drains the battery quickly. Both Macbook Pro and Dell PC are duo-core with 4GB RAM. Had the MacBook Pro for 4 years and never seen it so taxed by software, even editing HD video. The PC's fan comes on low, will run for hours and hours, but more chugging and occasional lockups and a glitch or two. I have a Mac Pro tower in the basement for my Pro Audio/HD video editing studio. I'm going to install Windows on it and try to figure out how to get an antenna lead down to it. It's got a 12 core 2.66 processor and 20gb RAM so hopefully with Console it will perform better than my PC laptop. BTW - with the same antenna, SDRplay on the PC performs and sounds a bit better than my Alinco DX-R8T.

CubicSDR is good the problem I have is the glacial pace of development and new releases.

I found CubicSDR a nightmare to install on Lubuntu. Maybe half a year ago or longer; perhaps it is easier these days, I don't know.

I run a RTL-SDR V3 under linux, but I'm running GQRX. Not a bad little program, and if I remember correctly, I installed it from the standard repositories.

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Mike