Community Newsletter: Q&A: Is the Mac right for me?
- 4/5/07 11:48 AM
Please Learn Before You Post
by Bid13 - 8/10/07 8:54 PM In reply to: Don't be confused with security vs market share by PhotoManPhotoMan: A Mac's "code structure" (I'm assuming you mean how the OS works and functions) is based off of the Operating System FreeBSD. FreeBSD is essentially a Unix fork (much like the Linux falvours). With the Mac OS being based around this architecture, it means that it has security by design, unlike Windows.
What do I mean? Well, on a Linux system, for a virus to run, it must be physically run by the user on the system. On Windows, it is much easier for a virus to install itself, and run itself. As well, the Mac OS forces the user to run in a non-root account (it physically eliminates root). This means that anytime you want to modify system files, or install applications through the Mac installer (as opposed to the applications which are drag and drop installed) you must provide your password to do so. Granted, the original user is a Super-User, meaning it has high admin rights, but it is still a lot more restricted than say a Windows Administrator account.
Further, it is discouraged on Linux based system to opporate you computer as the "root" user. On Windows machines, it is essentially required by many apps that you be a Windows Administrator, and majority of home users run as Administrators (No one on my Windows home domain has an Administrative account, but I have one setup to use when necessary).
A Mac's security is quite a bit different than a Windows machine, in both the mentality of usage, design and architecture. Granted, the Mac is also currently in a time of Security by Obscurity, but their market share is growing.
About Mac market share: Their market share is quickly growing, as more and more users are realizing that Windows is not the best OS out there. Some are switching to Linux (like Ubuntu or SUSE), others are switching to Mac OS X.
About Apple Patches: At least Apple is recognizing the issues, and resolving them. Microsoft doesn't really have a great track record at resolving major security problems (may I mention the Animated Cursor. How long was this in Windows, since 98 was it? Or before. And when a fix was released, it broke many machines.) There were some security issues that Apple confronted in the latest release, many were bugs and there was even a firmware update.
If you're curious, this is my home network: 3x Windows XP machines; A Windows 2K3 Server; 2x Linux Boxes; 1 MacBook Pro.
MAC all the way!
by bee4god - 3/26/07 5:22 PM In reply to: Is the Mac right for me? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been a PC user all my life. My husband, however, is an avid MAC user. I was reluctant to use a MAC, but when my PC crashed a few years ago, I was forced to use his laptop. I am still using that same laptop and will not own a PC again. I am not the best photographer in the world, but being a Creative Memories consultant with three small children, I take thousands of photos each year. iPhoto is a great organizing program, and the new version even has more photo editing options than the one I have. Mac computers/software are way user friendly and beyond safe. I keep a backup on my external harddrive, but that's just in case, I've never had to use it, and this computer is probably 6 or 7 years old now (it belonged to my husband's friend before we acquired it).
As for slide shows, I've specifically used imovie and idvd to create a video montage burned to a DVD for a 50th Wedding Anniversary. It was easy to learn and has fun effects too. iLife has all three of these programs, plus garageband if you're into playing around with music.
One last thing... and not necessarily a plug for my business... unless you're interested. You should consider making a scrapbook of your photography not instead of slideshos, but in addition to them. Scrapbooks are easier to show, and can be left lying around for others to 'come accross' and ask about.
They're high quality and if you aren't interested in the crafty part of it all, you just do a digital book. www.mycmsite.com/scrapbookhero has more information under Storybooks if you want to research.
To Mac or not to Mac. . . !
by ambian - 3/26/07 10:02 PM In reply to: Is the Mac right for me? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Dear Chaz:
As a former PC user and a photography buff, I would have to say just two words. Do it. Switch over, especialy if you are interested in photography. Yes, the OS X is an extremely stabel operating system. I have not had a need to reboot my computer in months vs. days with my PC. The real beauty of it is how easy all my photography perepherals work with the mac. It requiers minimum effort to connect and install. Case in point. . . my ViewSonic monitor. It came with a CD containing drivers for the PC which would have to be installed b4 the monitor could be used. With the mac it was as simple as connecting cables and hitting the power switch. It took me a day to setup and customize my mac for what I like to do, which is to create paintings out of digital photos.
Another advantage I personally enjoyed about the mac was all the pre-installed software (ilife) that came with the mac. Iphoto is an excellent cataloging software, especially for begginers. Also keep in mind that though there are PCs being used for photo work, there are more macs used in post-production than PCs. The macs ease of use, availability of software and stability have been major factors when I wanted to setup a digital studio.
Mac or PC for Chaz
by angelos3 - 3/27/07 5:42 AM In reply to: Is the Mac right for me? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Good Morning Chaz,
I would like to start off by saying that I Love CNET. The community is Great.
Chaz,
I have been a Mac user now for 2 years. My concentration is with editing video. I was using AVID on my pc for a very long time. Because of the creative independence that exists using the Mac format I will never go back. I have many freinds that swear by their pc. So I guess it's all about personal preference. I have never had a problem with my Mac. I use a 17" Mac Book Pro with Final Cut Studio. The investment was sagnificant but it was definately worth it. I am now looking to purchase the desktop version so that I have more flexability with memory for my hard drive. ( Expand, Expand, Expand) I guarantee if you make the Mac your choice. You will not be sorry.
Joniii
creativity taken to a new level?
by bobzoom - 3/31/07 12:03 PM In reply to: Mac or PC for Chaz by angelos3Or just lack of a spell checker on your Mac? Honestly, how can you even think of making a post in a public forum if you don't have a basic grasp of the language used to make your post? It's a definite lack of consideration for those you are expecting to read your comments.
Sorry, can't take you seriously if you can't spell...or cheat and use a spell checker.
Spelling is less important than the message.
by MacGregory - 3/31/07 7:29 PM In reply to: creativity taken to a new level? by bobzoomI'm sorry you have to fall into that to make a point.
As for Mac or pc ...
The Mac operating system is just so much more elegant and has some characteristics that allow it to move out of your way in a way that Windows has yet to achieve. Expose' by itself is worth the switch. Also the Mac OS has been and probably will continue to have a faster upgrade cycle than Windows.
As for speed and cost, both Macs and pc's are pretty close in the range you probably will be needing.
As for the larger number of apps in the pc universe, that is true and you will probably happily never need any of them. There is truly nothing significant on the pc that isn't on the Mac right now and Apple's own free iApps and small, tight knit group of developers fill every niche that I and most of the designers I work with ever need.
Both are fine, but just use a Mac for one month and you will never go back to a pc. Many have said this and almost no one has done the reverse.
previous message from C: Forgot to say
by Conception - 3/27/07 8:04 PM In reply to: Is the Mac right for me? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Sorry my answer was not complete... If you stay with Win (PC), go for Photodex (see my previous post), you will not regret it but check the specs. BTW I make shows for photographers and it's boring only if you lack imagination (to make your show outstanding) :)) I also have a brand new 24-in iMac (intel techno.), well this baby I keep for Final Cut, iMovie, all video stuff... Ciao!
C.
Mac, the only way to go
by Flagso - 3/28/07 10:14 AM In reply to: Is the Mac right for me? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Last year I had the opportunity to sit on a panel whose task was to select new hardware and software for the Faculty of Arts at our local university. Intended uses: photography, marketing, advertising, arts reproduction etc... We looked at everything the market could offer. After weeks of research the 8 member panel handed down it's unanimous decision to the Board of Directors: Apple and Mac are the only way to good for top quality imagery and ease of use. Althought I'm doing fairly well as a part-time freelance photographer using PC based software, I must admit that Apple is years ahead of PCs in the field of imagery. I have too much invested right now in PC based hardware and software to switch to Mac, but if I had to start all over again, Mac would certainly be the way to go for me. Sure it is more expensive, but as the old saying goes "you have what you pay for".
Best of luck in your future undertaking.
mac or pc, reply.
by ramh7 - 3/31/07 1:38 PM In reply to: Mac, the only way to go by FlagsoHello there.
The Mac, unlike past years, is no longer the #1 choice for computerised arts and here is why:
1). when you buy PC today, you can choose to ways 2 go, AMD or INTEL, both implies very powerfull technology with thir dual core cpus and memory handling.
2). a vast selection of premium superb graphic cards are available for the pc today and other superb hardware to go with either of the pc platform (amd or intel).
3). I am not saying that windows XP is a super OS but its very good and if you supply your computer with a good amount of DDR2 RAM and a good ventilation system for your CPU then you'll do just fine with a PC, in fact... you could send it to NASA....
4). A vast number of art softwares in any aspect of the arts i.e. music, photography, video editing, 3d, etc, etc, is available for the pc platform, most of thouse are wonderfull softwares (like CUBASE in music, PHOTOSHOP for photography, 3DMAX for 3d, AVID for PC VIDEO).
most of these softwares can be obtained and use by the novice without further expanse (less you make money using them).
5). A great amount of free softwares to protect and manage your computer is now available, these softwares are very high in standart and thrust worthy (like AVAST and ADVANCED WINDOWS CARE2).
6). WindowsXP will give you constant and concistent updates providing you buy it leagally, as well as softwares tools to manage and protect your computer (only relevant if you choose to connect this computer to the net).
So having said all that, I think that to go for PC is the correct thing to do.
Recomanded platform for PC
--------------------------
1>MOTHERBOARD:
GA-965P-DQ6
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2295&ProductName=GA-965P-DQ6
2>CPU
Intel® Core™2 Duo E6600 (C2D) - 2.4Ghz - 4MB Cache - LGA775 - 65nm - 1066FSB
3>CPU Cooler:
ASUS Silent Square Pro
http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=16&l2=65&l3=0&model=1308&modelmenu=1
3>Memory: DDR2
2X CM2X1024-6400 Corsair
1GB DDR2 800Mhz, XMS2-6400 128Mx64, non-ECC 240 DIMM, unbuffered, 5-5-5-12, 64Mx8 DRAMs, with Heat Spreader DDR 2 -
http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair/products/specs/CM2X1024-6400.pdf
4>Graphic (Video) Card (2x for even greater computation capacity, the can be linked together).
Sapphire - SX19GT256V
ATI RADEON X1900GT - 256 mb GDDR3 - 256 bit - VIVO - Retail - Dual DVI
http://www.sapphiretech.com/us/products/products_overview.php?gpid=147&grp=3
5>Hard Disk
a> System Disk for OS & Progs only:
Seagate - ST936701SS
73GB Seagate Savvio 10K.1 36GB SAS
http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=47fd99f4fa74c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD&locale=en-US
b> For User Files [use raid 0 for higher speed if you wish and double by 2)
Seagate - ST3320620AS
320 GB 7200 RPM SATA2 16MB Cache - NCQ - Barracuda 7200.10 series
6> Rest of the system youcan go from here, make shur your P.S. is capble of supplying at least 500W.
You will find that this system is very expansive, you can go for less and still be very happy with a P.C.
Hope this helped.
Regards, Rami.
Rami's arguement for PC equally applies to the Mac
by 163man - 4/2/07 5:50 AM In reply to: mac or pc, reply. by ramh7Every single reason Rami, mentions for why you should use a PC equally applies to the Mac. With a few noted improvements:
All the major graphic cards are also available for the Mac, however Apple always includes a good one to begin with. All the music editing and recording software he mentions runs on both platforms too. The price argument is mute and old, often served up by people who do not know what they are talking about. A similarly configured PC costs about the same price a s a Mac. The Apple product may cost a little more out of the box but comes with all the upgrades installed that you have to go out and buy to bring the stock PC up to the Mac levels.
I have been a systems administrator and am comfortable on both Mac and PC, but also Sun, SGI, and various versions of Linux. If your unsure what to get go ahead and buy the Mac, and get Parallel's with it. Then you can run all your PC stuff and Mac stuff, and Linux and a bunch of other obscure OS's. It's the best of all worlds.
RE: sys admin.
by ramh7 - 4/3/07 11:59 AM In reply to: Rami's arguement for PC equally applies to the Mac by 163man"These cards" were first available for the PC and only later MAC shifted techniques and now they are usable on MAC.
You say that Apple includes the best cards and drivers on their platform.. But isn't any PC user can decide for whichever card/ board/ part he or she will use? Check the cards I have picked, I think these are excellent cards. for quarter of what you'd be paying for Mac you get a stunning machine... it will certainly not be the "same price" and as for software....this alone will triple the computation price... less you can buy a MAC for a 1000$ and get the same results with the parts I suggested for the PC, I must say I am surprised by your comment and attitude, presenting me as someone who doesn't know what he is talking about.... well... do what ever you wish with your money.
Mac or PC?
by Rumpleproofskin - 4/13/07 12:27 PM In reply to: mac or pc, reply. by ramh7No contest… Mac. I've been using Macs for 20 years in the magazine I work for and at home. The operating system is unbelievably stable and the interface sublime. I swear you do not need an instruction manual for the MAc. Just think of the Mac's desktop as your own real-world desktop (with filing cabinets, folders etc) and you'll get along fine. I could go one for days about the Mac. Although I'm familiar with my son's PC (he now uses a Macbook from for university - hooray!) there's no contest when it comes to choosing between a Mac and PC. PC's haven't evolved enough… they're still stuck in computer nerd speak. I mean, any computer that has a button called START has got to be dodgy. Ok, I clicked START, now what? That's the PC for you.
Go for the Mac – I promise you won't be disappointed
Potential winning answers.
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 3/30/07 1:42 PM
In reply to: Is the Mac right for me? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Here are the selected submissions grouped in one post. Read through them and place your votes in the newsletter poll.
Answer:
Chaz,
To be honest about this, my PCs (there are 7 of them here) lock up or crash about once a year, and I believe that the whole idea that a quality PC is less stable than a Mac is a myth. The marketing side of me loves the “Mac vs. PC” commercials ... they are great commercials, well done, funny, and they do a good job of selling Macs ... but they present one very simplified and dumbed down side of a situation that is not nearly so simple as the commercials portray.
So let me first make a comment on Mac vs. PC: Macs are made, entirely, by one company, on whom you are almost totally dependent for everything. They are of generally high quality, but they are also generally quite expensive. PCs are made by .... well, by everyone including your neighbor’s teenage son in the garage or on the kitchen table, and both the price and quality can vary all over the place. A kit of haphazardly matched surplus last-generation ultra-parts obtained for $89 (after two dozen rebates) from JungleAnimalDirect and assembled by a high school student who is doing this for the second time and thinks he now knows it all is not going to have the same quality as a $2,000 Dell XPS system, but they are both “PCs”. So when we talk about the stability of a system and how often it crashes, I come back to the point that a quality PC is as good as a Mac.
Another point that is related here is that Macs now use Intel CPUs and chipsets, they use PCI, they use AGP and USB, they can actually run ... directly ... Microsoft Windows XP instead of the Mac OS. The Mac, in other words, IS a PC, just one that can use the Mac OS, which a non-Mac PC cannot. Mac hardware is, again, no more stable than quality PC hardware. Because, in fact, they are at this point pretty much the same thing, from a hardware perspective.
So let’s talk about your primary interest, digital photography. There is nothing about any PC that is hardware specific to photography. And as to software, there are tons and tons of digital photography applications available for the PC, and tons for the Mac OS as well. Of course if you are really, really serious about doing professional level photography on a computer (Mac or PC), you are probably talking about using Adobe full-version Photoshop, which is available on both platforms (and, again, the Mac can run Windows XP if you want to go that route (although the Mac may well not be the best platform for XP)).
So the real issues with Mac vs. PC are going to come down to the following items:
• If you buy a PC, you have to select a source for the PC, and all PCs are not created equal. The issue, from a quality, reliability, stability and cost perspective is not so much Mac vs. PC as PC vs. PC
• You can run XP on a Mac, but a Mac is not the optimum Windows XP platform, and switching back and forth between different OS’, while entirely possible, is a pain (Currently, you can’t officially run Vista on a Mac as far as I know, but I am certain that this will change at some point)
• While some products (including Photoshop) are available for both the Windows and the Mac platform, for the most part the two platforms have different software offerings. There is no argument that some of the Apple software for multimedia (photography and video) is very good, and you can’t run the Apple software on a PC. So if you want to use the Apple software, your decision is pretty clear. But there is a lot more software (superb, good, bad and yes, ugly) for the PC, so determining the software that you want to use is a key element in making this decision
• Unless you plan to use this computer only for your digital photography, there are probably two orders of magnitude more software, overall, for PCs vs. Macs. So keep in mind, also, the entire universe of what you will be using this computer for. Very few computers are used for only one single application.
The problems that people have with PCs come down to the fact that a typical PC system is made up of hardware and software from dozens or even hundreds of different firms, and that even with billions of PCs on the planet, the exact combination of both all of the hardware and all of the software found in any one PC is probably completely unique. On top of that, because PCs running Windows are 90% of the installed base of personal computers, they are the preferred target for virus and malware authors. It is the abundance and variety of both hardware and software offerings that gives PCs their versatility and low cost, but, at the same time, it’s that exact combination that also causes most of the problems that people have with PCs. You can’t have the good without the bad ... they go together. If you go with a Mac, you can avoid some of the pitfalls that exist in the PC world, but at the same time you will be avoiding a lot of the benefits as well, and precluding yourself from running most of the software that is currently being written (at least without switching operating systems and converting the Mac back into what is probably a sub-optimal PC).
In the end, however, it’s an individual choice that only the person actually using the system can really make.
Sincerely,
Barry Watzman
Submitted by: Watzman
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Answer:
A slight lean towards Mac (yes, I have one)
You'll probably assume Adobe Photoshop as a necessity. Either platform for that.
Need much compatible communication with the e-world in general? A slight lean towards a PC.
Maximum flexibility? Mac provides/allows dual platform use. I use Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac (to be upgraded later this year.)
I lean towards Mac programs for stability & plug & play being the norm. I had to use MS at work for years before getting a Mac. At something like 85% market penetration, MS is the norm. I prefer a few of their features over Mac. Beyond that point of stupidity years back when the then Apple CEO signed off on the look & feel GUI in return for a measly 25 million loan during a cash crunch (whereas founders Steve & Steve politely asked Xerox for the privilege), it is obvious that now the two steal look & feel from one another.
My take on the decision? Back to the slight lean towards Mac. Yes, a lot less freezing/crashing. Minimize MS use to avoid focused exposure to the many bad guys.
I would never attempt to cram the decision on anyone. There are certainly many more MS gurus around than Mac. A recent demo swayed you? Stop back in an Apple store & let those guys earn their pay. Be politely demanding. Your time is not to be wasted on seeing what games teens like. Ask specifically for demo of iPhoto type features. They hire only relatively speaking, experts. Any should be familiar with Photoshop if not the creative suite in general. You deserve to take some of their time, not just parents with the kids (not sure who dragged whom along.)
Just encouraging an open mind. Best of luck as to both some semi-pro photo income & the platform you will us (not the mention all today's varying camera resources.)
Submitted by: NM_Bill
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Answer:
Best of all worlds with a Mac
In terms of pure hardware a mac is relatively close in price to an equally powerful PC (keep in mind that this knocks out the $500 PC's and most sub-$1000 laptops). Now that Apple has moved to Intel processors virtualization has become much easier, so if you did find a program you couldn't do without that was only available for Windows you could either install Windows on your Mac via Boot Camp (currently in beta, but will be a part of the soon to be released Mac OS 10.5) to literally turn your mac into a windows machine, or use parallels to run windows as a virtual OS (ie you run Windows or linux or whatever x86-based OS on top of Mac OS X). PCWorld has an article this month about choosing the right OS, and surprisingly Mac OSX was recommended over Windows Vista, XP, and Linux! ( http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,129284-page,1/article.html )
Most mac fanatics will say that Macs do graphics better than PC's. Speaking as a PC and Mac user, I think that at this point in time the playing field is more level than either side will admit. Photoshop works as well on a PC as it does on a Mac, although CS3 is supposed to be a big performance boost for Mac users (currently Photoshop CS2 only runs using Apple's Rosetta software on Intel Macs, sort of like running Windows on a Mac with Parallels). Both platforms have plenty of software available on the market for the semi-pro photographer. That being said, I still prefer the Mac. For Photo Software you would need to purchase there's Adobe's Lightroom, Apple's Aperature, and Foto Magico (for basic slide shows). Mac's come with iPhoto, which I like better than the Microsoft equivalent that I used before (I forget the name of the program because I only used it a few times and it was a while ago). Since there is this much software available for the Mac, I'm sure there is even more for the PC but it may be more difficult to sort out the good from the bad.
Behind the software you buy for your computer, there is the OS you have to navigate through to make things run. In my opinion there is much less of a learning curve to a Mac than there is to a PC, which is what I think is the big difference between the two these days. Apple tightly controls the hardware that it's software runs on, so things "just work." Meanwhile PC's are much more upgradable if you buy a desktop tower. However, how many users make many upgrades to their systems, other than additional ram? And if you need more hard drive space you can always get an external hard drive, which you probably should do anyways if you're seriously going to get into digital photography.
So if you want to open the innards of your computer, upgrade the motherboard, overclock the processor, etc, then get a PC.
If you just want to enjoy working on your computer to review and enhance your digital photos, then buy a Mac.
Oh, Microsoft Office is available for the Mac, and I prefer it over MS Office 2003 for PC's. When I look at the Mac version now, I see how they took ideas from that and used them in the new MS Office 2007 for PC's. A new version of MS Office that is a universal binary should be out sometime soon, which means a faster working version of Office on Macs.
Also, the last refresh of the iMac line was quite some time ago, so if you're willing to wait a month or two, there should be a new release of iMacs (faster processors, bigger hard drives, more ram standard, etc), and apple almost always keeps the same price points for their models; although the rummors I've read recently imply a major change for the current iMac form factor since there was very little change to the desktop design when Apple switched from PowerPC to Intel. Once you seriously get going with photography, definitely invest in a good RAM upgrade for whatever computer you purchase; it will make everything run more quickly.
I hope my advice has been helpful. Happy shopping.
Submitted by: URTido
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Answer:
PC or MAC
Ok, I know this question is going to start some heated debates about the pros and cons of Mac vs. PC and I think you will find that the major differences between the two platforms has disappeared over the years. And just so you know where I am coming from, I am a PC user with little to no experience with Mac. Who knows, if it were not for the iPod, maybe Mac would be gone today. Look what happened to Betamax. It is fairly common knowledge that Mac is the standard platform for the arts. Most anyone who is involved professionally with publishing, photography, video and music is probably using a Mac. Having said that, all the Mac professionals that I know, for some reason, also have a PC or two hanging around, I guess for file conversions and compatibility issues between Mac and PC. Anyway, I don’t know how old you are or how many years you have until you plan to retire, but keep in mind that regardless of which platform you decide to use, the average computer only lasts about 5 years. So you will probably be purchasing a few more new computers in the future.
You say that you have gotten very interested in photography, I don’t know at what point you are in this process, but might I suggest that you use the PC’s that you currently have to learn the process, experiment with photo editing, sorting, slide show making and whatever else you plan or want to do. There are all kinds of free or trial programs that you can experiment with before having to commit to costly software such as Adobe Photoshop. This will give you a much better idea of what features and capabilities are most important to you so that you can pick out the ideal system later on. Now if you just have money to burn, well you get the idea.
It is similar to picking out your first digital camera. I often suggest to customers to just go out and purchase any $100 camera, use it for a month, discover your likes and dislikes and then give it to one of your kids (or save as a backup or travel camera or sell it on ebay) and then go out and get the camera that you really want. Then and only then do you know what features are the most important to you. Maybe you never realized how slow some digital cameras can be, or that you really want more zoom or maybe the size of the display screen is too small or even that fact that you really want something smaller to fit in you pocket. You might never know any of this without some prior experience.
Quick Story: My 26 year old son has been using PC’s for years to create DVD photo slide shows for fun, work and occasionally for profit. He was thinking of taking it to the next level and turning it into a part time business. Everyone told him that he should be using a Mac, so he went out and bought himself a new iMac. He sold it on Craigs list a month later. Now after last weeks question about photo slide shows, he just ordered ProShow by Photodex to try on his PC.
Good Luck!
Dana
Wayland Computer
Submitted by: waytron
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Answer:
Computers for Photography - answer to Chaz
Chaz, people tend to get too involved and make a big deal out of Windows and Mac, but in the end, they are all personal computers, PCs if you will. For your particular needs, both a Windows PC and Macintosh PC would be potentially useful; however, there are a few pros and cons to consider.
Macs are great machines, powerful technology, aesthetically pleasing, and do not need too much tinkering to make it functional. There are also some great softwares written for Macs that you can use, and many of them are available right at the Apple website. And it is a fact that Macs do not crash as much, though with your intended heavy graphics use, the system specs need to optimal. Macs seem to be the machines of choice of many graphic designers and desktop publishing people all over the world. From some of my friends among them, I have heard stories of woe, but those incidents are quite infrequent.
Personally, the main problem I would have with Macs is rather different. They cost a pretty penny, everything about them. The cost to get an optimal configuration, the cost of the service contracts (essential because you don't want to mess with the insides of a Mac, the way you can with a windows PC), the cost of getting additional Mac compatible software (because the bundled softwares may not suit your needs completely), along with the relative lack of flexibility of options - everything adds up to a big dollar amount. If you feel you can afford this investment, by all means, get a Mac. If I were you, I would go with an intel-based 2+ GHz, RAMmed up MacBook Pro, or a desktop, and *not* an iMac.
Windows PCs, on the other hand, are certainly crash-prone, as experience has shown us. However, these crash events can be kept to a minimum if you take regular care of the machine, and not allow junk to come in or build up. Between my home and work, I manage about 11-12 Windows PCs, and touch wood, I have not had a major crash in a long, long time. The currently available configurations are pretty powerful, too. From several manufacturers, you can customize the machine to what you need, and if you are handy with the innards of a computer, you can build yourself one, too! It would possibly end up being less costly than a Mac, and would be quite as powerful, spec-wise. There are lots of available softwares, giving you a large breadth of options, and from the internet, you can get feature-specific tools, plugins etc. You can also find very useful softwares from the Open Source movement. The software purchases for your Windows PC would probably also end up being less costly.
The money that you save should rather be spent in procuring one costly program - essential for a photographer, comes in both Windows and Mac flavors - Adobe Photoshop CS2 (CS3 is due out soon, I think). There is none quite like it. It is a very processor-intensive program (which is why you would need a powerful machine to run it), but the output that it produces - defies description! I have used many others, commercial and free, proprietary and open-source, but as a creative tool, Photoshop is really the crčme de la crčme.
Hope this helps. I am sure you would also get great advices from other knowledgeable people in this forum.
Submitted by: suirauqa
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Answer:
iMac...is a computer?
So, you have been told that by switching over to a Mac product, you will not crash? Did they also try to tell you that they don't have viruses, malware or any security issues to worry about? If not, I am surprised! This is often told by the people selling the iMacs.
As a system designer and computer security consultant, I can tell you straight up that "ALL COMPUTERS HAVE THESE ISSUES TO CONTEND WITH, EVEN a iMac!" Apple puts out regular updates (just like Microsoft), Apple's O.S. needs regular maintenance (just like Windows), and yes, your new iMac will need security software to Lockdown the system from attack (just like Windows).
You will have all of the things to deal with, that you have with your Windows based machine. In my opinion, none of these reasons are valid for switching to a completely new operating system. If you have a computer rental store in your town, check a iMac out for a few days and see if you really like the differences. When you go to the computer stores, look at the hardware & software that you like, and see if it is offered in a version for the iMac. Talk to the companies and clients that you will be interacting with and see if they are using Mac compatible software or will they want you to convert your files over to Windows before submitting them. Consider the tasks you will be performing on a regular basis and see how they fit with the Mac. To some, a iMac is PERFECT, and to others, it simply does not fit into their lifestyle.
As for performance, price, features and company service - they both are pretty equal.
Oh, did I mention that no computer should crash...ever? This is a problem that can be avoided, MOST OF THE TIME, by regular maintenance & updates. 98% of the time, it is related to malware infections and a lack of maintenance. When these are not the 'main' cause (they still have a part in it) - registry errors, system resources (ram memory, etc.) being too low or incompatibility issue with installed software or hardware are at fault. Once you remove all of these factors, your machine SHOULD NEVER CRASH - but it can!
Research, research and more research will point 'YOU' in the right direction!
Submitted by: micaman
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Answer:
Get the Mac and don't look back
I have been an serious hobbyist in photography for over 30 years. I have shot Nikons for years and the past 7 years a Leica M6. Since I have four children I shot MOSTLY slides. I primarily am a "street photographer" so I wanted a quiet stealthy unobtrusive camera. Naturally, I get a lot of interesting people, places, and family shots.
I show my slides on a relatively large pull down screen that I own through my Leica slide projector. If you ever really wanted to see your photography POP! showing them on a slide puts you right in the picture! Needless to say I have thousands of these treasures in storage.
I have now begun the process of scanning these slides in with a Nikon 8000 (top of the line) scanner with Firewire on a MAXXED out PC. I even have Vista with 2 gigs of Rambus (very expensive).
I have owned Macs too, (but prior to the recent Intel processor versions). I ABSOLUTELY LOVED MAC's. But, like a fool I maxed out a custom PC since I need certain "Windows only" for my work. WHAT A MISTAKE. Here are the main reasons I will be buying a MAXED out Mac next.
1. One of most important issues to me is the built in ColorSync with Apple's O/S. After all you want the image on the screen to match your prints or other outputs. PC's suck at color matching without special software and a spider device to read the screen. It seems to never end with the hardware and software you need to add to get just this critical area correct.
By the way I own a 24" Sony Trinitron GDM-FW900 which is a full CRT Flat screen that is still recognized by many as the finest in it's category. So it's not the monitor. Oh, I use the SAME video card (nVidia Geforce 7300) as the Mac does.
2. Scanning slides in even with with a high end PC at high resolutions is so aweful slow that you're ready to pull your hair out after the first batch. The MAC's architecture is such that they are "geared" for multimedia. Incredibly, a Mac Pro with 1/2 the ram as mine will scan almost twice as fast. This is a form of video streaming actually and is the MOST demanding multimedia application that you can test any computer on. The MAC wins hands down.
3. BUT, what's worse is using Photoshop on the PC's. Again, SLOWWWWW, compared to a Mac. All you have to do is compare them side by side (providing the software is optimized for the Mac) and you'll see your screens fly by with a MAC but NOT on a PC. If you like stuttering and stalls you'll like a PC.
4. The elegance of the Apple O/S can't be overemphasized. It's lean mean and super fast because it's NOT reliant on some old DOS remnants from 1988 for God's sake. Even Vista still has some of this junk. The Apple O/S is the bomb because it's a true 64 bit system. Do you really want to use Vista 64 to try to get this?
Lastly, GET A QUAD XEON from Apple. I wouldn't consider anything else but APPLE'S FASTEST MAC PRO. Get at least 2 to 4 gigs of Ram and the best graphics card you can afford. This outfit should cost you around $6,200. BELIEVE ME you'll spend that and probably more to outfit a PC with Xeons etc.etc.
The biggest lie out there IMHO is that Apple cost more. I just don't buy that anymore. Go to Dell and price out a similiar PC, you'll be shocked.
The Mac was built to satisfy the MOST demanding professionals in multimedia today. Now, you and I can own that same technology. I figure that I'll just add more RAM on the MAC and add a PC emulator like Parallels or something for the few occasions that I'll need "windows only" software. The bonus is that I'll have more ram for less cost than a PC.
Good luck!
Submitted by: dslagter
time to switch
by i,Jimbot - 3/30/07 3:32 PM In reply to: Potential winning answers. by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Micaman is incorrect that Mac users have to deal with viruses. Sorry, it is not true. OS X has now been out for 5 years and there are ZERO viruses in the wild. If you find one, report it quickly because you'll make a lot of money. There are rewards out there for this type of thing.
Anyway, I've used both PCs and Macs for as long as they've been around. If you want to tinker with hardware, keep your PC. If you want to get something done, especially with photography, movies, music - get the Mac. iLife itself is something that no software on the PC at any price has been able to duplicate. It all works together - seamlessly! It's not like the various alternatives on a PC where you'll be messing with converting or opening/closing various apps. They just work together.
I use my PC every day for work. After work, I close it and don't touch it again. For enjoyable computing and easy productivity, it's Mac all the way.
BTW, in the word "Mac", only the "M" is capitalized. You'll easily find the guys that don't use them. The are the ones that spell it MAC and tell you that they are expensive, crash and have viruses!
Mac and Virus-
by meanjake - 3/30/07 4:41 PM In reply to: time to switch by i,JimbotNo viruses for the Mac?
Not so, here you go:
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2006/02/macosxleap.html
Some owners of Mac computers have held the belief that Mac OS X is incapable of harboring computer viruses, but Leap-A will leave them shellshocked, as it shows that the malware threat on Mac OS X is real," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Mac users shouldn't think it's okay to lie back and not worry about viruses."
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