buy a new computer help!

[photoswede]

Hi there~
I'm a photographer on the side of a full time job. I have been using another computer ( DELL ) for my photo editing and viewing in the past years. I just bought a Canon printer the IP5000. I would like to buy a new computer now that will run Photoshop 6, ACDC, and Roxio burner. About a 160+gig. Can anyone give me a model number to start looking at for DELL? And is a flat screen as good as a desk top? Do I need something called a Video or Graphic card installed in the drive?

Any help would be appreciated
photoswede;)

[mikesd]

If budget is not a major concern I would take a look at this upper level model http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/featured_desktop4?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs. Go for a minimum of 512 memory and a 1gig would be the best. When you customize your computer you have the oppurtunity to spec. out anything that you want including the video card. I would suggest a 128mb card at the minumum. As I mentioned before click the customize button and play around with the specs. and post back with any question you might have as there are plenty of good people here that are more than happy to help you out.

[mphoto]

I would look at a 4700 or better. Go for 1 GByte of memory. Memory is your friend and it is relatively cheap. I would look at a processor speed of approximately 3.0 GHz. Very much above that and the law of diminishing returns starts kicking in. Stay away from systems with Intel Integrated Graphics. They rob system memory for their graphics operations. A second hard drive is a nice-to-have as is a DVD burner.

You'll hear a lot of opinions about LCD flat screens vs CRTS. I personally prefer CRTs (LaCie 19" Electron Blue). But opinions vary.

Hope that helps.

mphoto

[tim]

I second the idea of 1GB of memory, and a 2nd hard drive. LCDs are nice and compact, but i've read CRTs offer more accurate colors.

[Hellashot]

Dells are expensive in part because you pay for their onsite warranty (it's not free - it's built into the cost of the computer). Their "base" models, which are very basic, can be good deals. But once you start adding anything additional, ram, video cards, they really gouge you.

[photoswede]

Thanks to everyone who responded :D

I ended up buying one yesterday to take advantage of the $250.00 rebate Dell offered. I got a Dell 4700, CRT 17" screen. 1G , 125 graphic card, XP Pro edition and 160 hard drive. There is a lot more I got with the package. I didn't want to bore anyone! I think I got a pretty good deal. Now I hope all my programs will run off XP Pro edition? I also have ACDC See and a burner program. Roxio. I really appreciate the help :cool: . It will go nicely with my new Canon PI5000 that I have not had a chance to use yet.

photoswede
Canon E0S Di30

[Hellashot]

Thanks to everyone who responded :D

Now I hope all my programs will run off XP Pro edition?

photoswede
Canon E0S Di30


Did you get XP Pro for a business network? XP Pro is for businesses that network computers. Using it on a normal standalone computer only uses up more resources (ram and swap file) then necessary. Pro is about twice the price of XP Home.

[Bodryn]

As mentioned above, I would be very wary of any LCD screen; they're good for lots of things but I doubt the technology is ready for editing photos with up to 16 million colors possible. CRTs can be calibrated for color; I don't know if LCDs can be. I also understand they have to be used at a certain pixel size setting (such as 1024x768) and you can't depart from that.

[KevC]

I would personally build my own computer. I've been doing so for ages. It's really not as difficult as many think. Save a bunch of money, and you know exactly what's going in there :)

[mphoto]

Did you get XP Pro for a business network? XP Pro is for businesses that network computers. Using it on a normal standalone computer only uses up more resources (ram and swap file) then necessary. Pro is about twice the price of XP Home. I disagree regarding XP Pro only being for businesses. I use Windows XP Pro for all of my home computers for the advanced security features that it provides. For routine use, including web browsing and email, I use a limited account that is prohibited from installing software. This exclusion prevents the damage that can occur when a user clicks on an attachment or stumbles onto a malicious website. IMO the benefit greatly outweighs the extra overhead which is negligible, especially if unnecessary services are disabled. I recommend XP Pro to all of my home customers, especially if they have children.