Mac or PC for Digi Imaging

[Mikey-2u]

I want to process and edit my 20D files in photoshop. What's it to be, Mac or PC.

Forget how nice Mac's look, forget what they cost.... give me tech advise (NOT too tech) - Ie: speed, graphics etc.

[PacAce]

I would say either will do. It just depends on which OS you think you'll be more comfortable with. I think there would be other compelling reasons for going with one over the other and usually they'll have nothing to do with image editing.

[Amstaff]

Whatever it is stuff it with ram. I use both Mac and PC and memory makes all the difference in the world.

[tim]

I don't think it matters much, either will do the job well, choose based on other things you want it to do, or price. I read Photoshop CS is pretty much the same on both, the Mac version is a bit better for multi monitor support, XP apparently can't do monitor profiles for multiple monitors in PS.

[Pelao]

I agree with the others. I suggest some questions you need to answer:
- what is your budget. Macs are not more expensive than PCs once you have equipped your machine with everything you need. So budget is more related to narrowing your choice within each OS.
- do you currently have any software, peripherals (printers, monitors etc)
- what else will you use the machine for?
- How much work do you want to do on the computer itself? Do you like upgrading yourself? Do you like delving into the OS? Or do you want a machine that just runs with little maintenance and will last 3 to 5 years?

I use both. I prefer working with Macs because I find the OS is more stable, more configurable to my needs, more intuitive and certainly more secure.

[Dante King]

I am a bit biased here being a mac man since inception of the devices. Macs have always been THE player in the graphic arts field. See PC's coming up but not quite in terms of the GUI. I dont like the PC's vulnurability to virus and othe rnasty stuff out there or the fact that many times hardware additions are truely not plug and play as is in the mac.

PC equipment is cheaper. I feel this is in $$$ and fucntionality in some small degree. Software is certainly more prevelent for the PC and less $$$.

Oh one thing I hate is the PC blue screen of death or the manner inwhich program errors are handled. Macs are rock soild OS platforms with the linux background source. Program quits do not crash the system.

I feel bottom line is PC is 99 percent of the world and products and software reflect the cost benefit of the competitive market. Macs are more $$ but find that their color management systems to be a bit better than PCs. Not to mention more user friendly. All I can say is my dual processor macs handle PSCS as designed with altivec code and breeze thru batch and single file processing.

OK I am going to go run as I am sure cinder blocks are going to be tossed in my direction. Oh let me get it going ;).....PS's are still just dos machines with windows GUI to mess it up. PC users would be better to strip windows and relearn DOS Promts. hahahha. Save the real graphics work for the mac! :lol:

[Bodog]

At one time the Mac had a definite edge over the PC in graphics editing. That is no longer true. Either will do the job just as well. Lots of memory is the key... :D

[Adam Hicks]

Yeah I'm glad too see there's not TOO many biggots. I use both and the whole Blue Screen of Death thing is from days long gone. WindowsXP, being built on the 2000 kernel handles kernel memory and application user memory much better than NT4/98 did, and programs can happily crash without bringing down the system. Typically these days if you DO get a BSOD, it's a kernel mode device driver issue (so stop using that $5 network card you got on eBay.) Most applications actually cannot bring down a system (unless they have direct file access, but I digress.)

Anyways, my advice is to build a PC or pick up a Dell. Just look for 1Gb of RAM and a good video card. No Celeron. Otherwise you're golden. Oh and don't pay much more than $60 for a DVD Burner as you can buy them all day long on NewEgg.com and others for that much and just pop it in yourself.

I'd use the Mac more, but Valve has yet to release Half Life 2 on it. So it's worthless :) And Photoshop is the same either way.

Oh and some of the noise reduction softwares (NoiseWare for example) and other image editing programs are developed only for PC at the time.

I actually recommend an Athlon64 if you have the option. It'll save you some money, contain 1mb or more of on die cache and smoke most of the Intel chips. Even if you run a 32 Bit OS you'll see performance benefits.

Adam

[Jackal]

I've used both but I will always come back to my PC. It's just so much better in my opinion. Maybe it's because I'm a game developer though....and I want to be able to play the damn games.

But, I'd say just go with a PC. Get 1gb of ram, a good CPU and you're set.

I built my system a while ago and it's a 3.2ghz P4 (prescott core), 1gb 3200 ram, 9800 Pro, Audigy 1 soundcard, Two 60gb 7200 HD's, and Windows XP Pro. Runs anything like a dream and handles huge res pictures like nothing. Rendering 3d models in 3D studio max while handling a bunch of big pictures in photoshop is no problem. I can be playing a super intensive videogame, I can alt tab, open photoshop, open a big picture, edit it, send it to someone on AIM, start burning a CD, and go back to playing meanwhile with no noticeable affect on the system.

I dont like the PC's vulnurability to virus and othe rnasty stuff out there

Oh one thing I hate is the PC blue screen of death or the manner inwhich program errors are handled. Macs are rock soild OS platforms with the linux background source. Program quits do not crash the system.


I haven't had a virus, error, or severe crash on this computer (took the harddrives from my old comp so I'm counting the years on that one too) for 3 years. Not ONE SINGLE crash (I'm not counting videogames as I'm testing code and of course that's trial and error). Not one single "bluescreen of death." Not one single virus. Not one single Spyware/Adware.

Just learn to take care of your PC and that's it.

[SnJPhoto]

We have both as well. If not limited by $$ issues, the nod goes to the Mac for us. They are pretty close in overall, but the bottomline win for us is MAC. Since its not really a tech issue, you will need to look at the small details and decide.

Neither one of us wants to build our own machines and we don't really spend much time inside computers anymore, so the benefits of the PC didn't mean anything in those areas.

As for OS, my wife makes her living off Windows and admits that it has come a long way.

All the software I care to use is available for the Mac, but I really don't do much other than business, office applications, web site development apps and photo/video editing. If you are into games etc your going to have to look for more opinions.

I recently started playing with web site publishing and found that the Mac OS X has a bunch of power in this area (preinstalled Apache server etc). Even a buddy of mine that does this as a sideline was impressed. But it is not something a PC can not do with addition of software (much of it free).

Viruses are basically on-existent. There have been 2 from my understanding, a trojan horse that was done as a proff that it could be done. But it did not auto install, you had to conciously install it to make it run. An something else, but it slips my mind. I'm told that if you run a Windows emulation layer, you are open to windows virus problems from what I understand.

I recently read where there are no know spyware/adware scripts. Thah might warrant a bit of research, but I can say from personal experience I have not had the problems on Macs like I've had on PCs. But again, you can run protection on PCs to combat this issue as well.

So for not being able to give a definitive answer, but there really isn't one that doesn't have a counter argument. One thing you will typically find (or atleast I have since switching some 5-10 years now) Mac users tend to be pretty loyal to the products. I guess I will fall in that category as well.

Why not go to a Apple store and play with the machine to see how you like them? The stores allow pretty much anything you want to do. I even had a friend author a short DVD on one of the store machines to see how it worked for him.

If you do get a Mac, like everyone else, I recommend memmory to be whatever you can afford to stuff in it. I run 2 GHz DP G5 machines with 2 GB of mem per processor and can work through the images pretty well. The only really noticeable delay is when I do a noise reduction or similar filter on a large image (1Dsmk2 large/fine).

Cheers

Scott

[tim]

I find both XP and Win2K very stable, I don't remember ever getting a BSOD on either.

[Citizensmith]

If you don't spending a lot more cash for a little more edge then get a Mac, they are easier to get along with. More stable, less concerns.

However, if you only have a certain amount to spend (say $750) you'll get a much better PC than Mac. Economies of scale, they sell more PCs so they can be cheaper. PCs are also easier to upgrade if you want to add or trade out stuff later.

Don't know if you are into computer games but if so, PC pwnz, Mac suxxors. :)

[hedphonz]

GO MAC!!!!!!!! You never have to worry about reformatting or losing data. it's amazing how much stuff you can put on it and never worry about losing things or ruining your harddrive or computer. also, with the mac, it's the industry standard.

[pierrot]

I would pay much more interest in the monitor than in the "main unit". Go for a good ole CRT and not for a creepy LCD: for image processing, they just suck.

So when I read

GO MAC!!!!!!!! with the mac, it's the industry standard.
I just can't help ROTFLing.

Their last affordable models are all built-in with a LCD.:rolleyes:
And the "industry standards" are set up on file formats, not on the CPU. ;)

[Scottes]

Go with what you know and can afford. You won't notice a difference.

As to the Blue Screen of Death and "built on DOS" that crap is just a little out of date by 7 or 8 years, so don't judge by that. As to ease of use it's easier to run something you already know. If you don't know either then it's a toss up. The programs you'll use for image editing are pretty much identical on both, but the rest of what you do is not.

But in the end, what else do you wish to do with the system? If this will do nothng but image editing it's a toss up based on cost and current knowledge. If you have desires to do "everything" then the nod goes to the PC.

Also, do you own anything now? I'd love to buy a Mac, but some $20,000 worth of software would get tossed, along with much of my last 18 years of knowledge. So until I hit the lottery I'll be running a PC of some sort.

[PacAce]

I would pay much more interest in the monitor than in the "main unit". Go for a good ole CRT and not for a creepy LCD: for image processing, they just suck.

Of course that statement (highlighted) can be said of any low-end product that you buys cheap. :rolleyes: But to make such a statement as absolute without qualification is just plain nonsense and uneducated.

[Jim_T]

What have you got now ?

Are you planning on buying a whole new computer (and purchasing a whole new set of software to go along with) it just to edit images ?

If you're running a decent PC now, stick with it.. Unless ya got lots of money :)

[Mike Panic]

coin toss... $ for $ you will prob get a better deal building yourself a system...

its also a matter of what you are most effeciant in - if you know windows, stick to it - there is a learning curve, may it be small - but def there for mac

[Adam Hicks]

If you want to look hip, only a Mac will do. A Mac says 'I don't know what's in this thing, I'm not sure if it'll do what I want, but it's white. and clear. and I paid a lot for it. Check me out!'

Otherwise go PC. :)

http://www.ambiguous.org/quinn/images/imacthing.jpg
(I'm not anti-apple, just thought this was amusing.)

[Dante King]

Yeah, there are more games for the PC, but who has time for games when you own a Canon DSLR?

[Adam Hicks]

Not sure where you live, but here in Texas it gets dark every evening. ;)

[booggerg]

Oh one thing I hate is the PC blue screen of death or the manner inwhich program errors are handled. Macs are rock soild OS platforms with the linux background source. Program quits do not crash the system.

If you want to bring up the BSOD, then it's akin to me me bringing up the single threaded MAC OS.. multi-tasking on the MAC? You can forget that!..

But oh wait, OS X is multi-threaded.. gosh finally.. and oh wait... BSOD doesn't happen on WinXP anymore! Boy times has certainly changed.

[DavidEB]

Everybody has an opinion and it's more religion than science.

I switched from PC to mac after my internet-connected PC choked. I became concerned about security, so I installed some spyware-prevention program, and it stopped working. Many hours and many phone calls later I had to re-install everything from scratch, a 2-day affair. Other users have had similar experiences with service pack 2, etc... While the PC BSOD may be bygone, incompatibility among programs & devices is not. It was a common experience for me on the PC to install a new peripheral and find the old ones no longer work, or to spend hours trying to get something to communicate with something else. My mac has been a complete pleasure. I no longer ever have to tinker with the operating system. It just works.

As to cost, the PC costs less up front but that savings will be lost with the hours you waste in maintenance and the dollars you spend on anti-virus software, spyware, utilities, and other stuff to bring it up to not quite the level of the Mac.

So you can see I'm a convert.

[griff2]

booggerg wrote:
BSOD doesn't happen on WinXP anymore!
Indeed.. Or if it doesn't BSOD on you it blacks out and re-starts, usually when you unplug a USB device - like a card reader! But, the Mac could bomb :D on you as well.

Anyway, I'd go the PC route simply because they're cheaper (Macs are overpriced) and easier to upgrade (Mac hardware is overpriced).

[PacAce]

If you want to look hip, only a Mac will do. A Mac says 'I don't know what's in this thing, I'm not sure if it'll do what I want, but it's white. and clear. and I paid a lot for it. Check me out!'

Otherwise go PC. :)

http://www.ambiguous.org/quinn/images/imacthing.jpg
(I'm not anti-apple, just thought this was amusing.)
Boy, you could have fooled me! :confused:

[SnJPhoto]

Ya...you can always tell when the thread goes from fact to emotion based. I am just not sure why people get emotional about computers. Once you get over the fact that there are no absolutes when trying to determine the best fit for all people, it seems real easy.....be loyal to the products you like. Only really fair thing to do would be to checkout both machines and decide for yourself.

Good luck.

Scott

"ownes a Mac and knows exactly what in it.......
......... little gerbils drawing pictures on my screen for me"

[booggerg]

Ya...you can always tell when the thread goes from fact to emotion based. I am just not sure why people get emotional about computers.

I don't get emotional until someone whips out some uneducated statement that would be a blatant lie if the person knew what they were talking about...

[rammy]

give me tech advise (NOT too tech) - Ie: speed, graphics etc.

For PC - You will need to consider atleast four things (maybe more) to ensure good speed and workflow;
(Probably similar for MAC?)

Available RAM - The more memory you have the less HD swapping will occur the faster the processing.

GPU Speed and type - The speed at which floating point calculations are done will speed up PS processing and reduce the strain on the CPU.

GPU cache or memory - Having additional memory on the graphic card will reduce bottlenecks on the bus, the CPU and main memory

Bus speed - How much data throughput you get. The faster the bus the greater the data throughput.

As a side, cache on the HD will help in read-ahead if you work on many images at the same time.

[Jonny]

If you want to look hip, only a Mac will do. A Mac says 'I don't know what's in this thing, I'm not sure if it'll do what I want, but it's white. and clear. and I paid a lot for it. Check me out!'

Otherwise go PC. :)


That is the biggest load of **** i have ever heard.

My mac does everything i want and more and it does it more smoothly and trouble free than my PC ever did.
I had a decent PC for years until i realized i spent more time ensuring the damn thing worked correctly than i ever did using the apps.
Everytime a flip up the lid on my Powerbook the thing just works flawlessly. No problems whatsoever, no viruses to worry about and minimal security issues.
The mac is a dream and worth every penny.

[blackviolet]

i've got way too many pc's - including a mac, sun, and linux boxes, but only because i need them in my line of work. one thing is clear - ram is king. there is now a null-tech/interface-advantage between pc and mac where software is similar.

and the mac looks cooler factor doesn't apply so much anymore - there are so many cool cases and accessories for modding. most of my boxes are modded in some way. heck, even my sun emits ultra-violet light :cool:

[Pelao]

Anyway, I'd go the PC route simply because they're cheaper (Macs are overpriced) and easier to upgrade (Mac hardware is overpriced).

Nope. Incorrect. Macs are available in a range of price/performance packages that are completely competitive with any PC.

Have a wee read:
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/4895

and

http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/01/miniapplesandoranges/index.php

As I said in my earlier posts, I use both platforms and would argue that both have merits. If I did not have a computer and wanted to edit and manage my images, video editing, surfing, e-mail and any MS Office related work, I would choose a Mac for reasons I outline earlier.

Cost is not a factor in choosing between the platforms. Personal needs and preferences are factors to be considered. Choice is good.

[booggerg]

Nope. Incorrect. Macs are available in a range of price/performance packages that are completely competitive with any PC.

Have a wee read:
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/4895

and

http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/01/miniapplesandoranges/index.php


Youre arguing on a technicality. I'm sure it's assumed that the context of this discussion is about a high-performance system that can handle grapfix processing well... when you reach that bracket, you'll see your theory and these articles fail.

[IanBMW]

Until Mac can compete with Windows in the gaming arena I won't buy one. Oh and whoever said LCD's can compete with image quality of CRT's is fooling themselves. Take the top of the line LCD and CRT and I bet judging JUST quality of image the CRT will win out hands down. I am still hoping a year down the road a LCD will be able to compete, on a price and image quality level. Oh and can't wait till LCD's run on say....4ms :)

[Pelao]

Youre arguing on a technicality. I'm sure it's assumed that the context of this discussion is about a high-performance system that can handle grapfix processing well... when you reach that bracket, you'll see your theory and these articles fail.

A technicality? Price is a technicality. In my experience, being responsible for a business running more than 50 computers between the 2 platforms, your assertion is simply incorrect. Macs at any performance level can match PCs for price. The days of Macs being more expensive are history.

My point is that price is not really an issue for this user - there are machines operating either platform that will meet a photographers needs from casual user to pro. There are many other factors to be considered and the prospective buyer can do so having a choice of platforms whatever their budget.

Oh and whoever said LCD's can compete with image quality of CRT's is fooling themselves. Take the top of the line LCD and CRT and I bet judging JUST quality of image the CRT will win out hands down

Our creative team would agree with you. They all operate dual monitors of their choice. They use LCDs for their admin and communications and CRTs for their creative stuff. Some of the latest LCDs are amazing, and while prices have come down most of them are still pricey at the top end.

[cgratti]

If you want the no hassles with drivers, viruses, spyware and the like go wth the Mac. Virtually maintenance free. But if you dont mind keeping up after that stuff get a PC, they are cheaper and almost as fast. But whatever you get make sure you get alot of RAM.

If your going Mac hold off a little bit and get the new OS coming to Macs, OSX Tiger. 1-2 months away.

[cgratti]

If you want to look hip, only a Mac will do. A Mac says 'I don't know what's in this thing, I'm not sure if it'll do what I want, but it's white. and clear. and I paid a lot for it. Check me out!'

Otherwise go PC. :)

http://www.ambiguous.org/quinn/images/imacthing.jpg
(I'm not anti-apple, just thought this was amusing.)

Thats a load of nonsense. I have an iMac G5, and I can do everything you can on your PC, and I DONT have to worry about getting a Virus. None, nadda... I Dont even run virus protection. So not only is my iMac hip and cool, it does everything your PC does and NEVER gets a virus or a blue screen. Stability on a Mac is far superior to a PC. Proven fact.

[Adam Hicks]

LOL nice one. But you cannot in fact do everything a PC can do. Not even close.

But you at least know how to post images from 1997!

[CyberDyneSystems]

Here's a pertinant point to the question,

there are a few RAW Applications out there that don't have MAC support... many times we have had threads discussing such apps and the Mac owners are left out :(

Likewise the reverse may be true of certain software.

Be sure and research what apps you wish to run before deciding on either platform.

[Adam Hicks]

LOL not to mention games.. see http://www.subvulture.com/switch.wmv

[cgratti]

LOL nice one. But you cannot in fact do everything a PC can do. Not even close.

But you at least know how to post images from 1997!

I know, the only thing I cant do on a Mac that you can on a PC is get a virus... oh and by the way....
1997 Blue Screen of Death
2005 Black Screen of Death ... Same difference.... Just restart and/or reformat...

BTW, I have both a PC and a Mac. I do prefer the Mac becuase I dont need to spend every waking hour fighting of crap like viruses, and spyware and Photoshop runs much more smoothly and efficiently on my mac.

[Quizzmo]

I look at both as tools. But when it comes to tools, I want the sharpest one. I do hours of video editing every day. Final Cut Pro is good but Sony's Vegas 5 runs circles around it. One of the most time consuming things is rendering your edited video. Sure I can send a Final Cut Pro job out over the network to render on a machne over night. In Vegas, I can send that same job out to 3 seperate machines which render as one and I'm done in 2/3 less time than Final Cut Pro.

A PC running Vegas 5 is simply a sharper tool. I'm going to be more productive on that PC and spend half the cost of getting there. Because the more video that leaves my shop means more dollars in my pocket. Apple should actually try thinking different. They used to be the sharpest tool but not any more. All they do now is sell storage in the iPod...

[faust]

I know, the only thing I cant do on a Mac that you can on a PC is get a virus... oh and by the way....
1997 Blue Screen of Death
2005 Black Screen of Death ... Same difference.... Just restart and/or reformat...

BTW, I have both a PC and a Mac. I do prefer the Mac becuase I dont need to spend every waking hour fighting of crap like viruses, and spyware and Photoshop runs much more smoothly and efficiently on my mac.

Security through obscurity is nothing to be proud of.

[Adam Hicks]

CGratti you're showing your ignorance again. Anyways, don't you think you're exaggerating just a bit? I've had my current PC for over a year and have never had a single virus. Never had any spyware problems and Photoshop actually runs FASTER on the PC. Even Adobe did tests and had an article about it. Processor speeds are faster, bus speeds are faster (1600mhz in my case) and the video card options are more expansive and higher performing.

Just do a little research next time before mouthing off about blue screens of death and viruses. If the Mac had any kind of market share, maybe virus writers would pay them some attention. You guys should be PROUD when they actually feel you have enough presence to warrant their efforts.

We're not saying the Mac is bad. Just that the PC is better. Hey let's settle this over some Half Life 2 online... whaddya say? (Well maybe in three years when it gets ported over.)

[booggerg]

I used work with AVID digital video workstations based off of macs. The scsi cable for one of the external RAID devices became loose and the system would hang during bootup.. of course, the "user friendly" nature of the MAC OS meant there was NO error messages of any sort.. the hourglass just sat there with the cute little mac icon behind it. :) A lengthy and costly tech support call to AVID finally found the problem.

Now.. on a PC, you would get a BIOS error immediately upon boot up, pointing to the precise device that has failed... I guess Apple expect the majority of their customers lack all computer skills and default to tech support for any issue that come up, no matter how little.

"Ooooh my MAC wouldn't turn on."
"Did you check the power cord?"
"What is a power cord?"
"DOH!"

[cgratti]

CGratti you're showing your ignorance again. Anyways, don't you think you're exaggerating just a bit? I've had my current PC for over a year and have never had a single virus. Never had any spyware problems and Photoshop actually runs FASTER on the PC. Even Adobe did tests and had an article about it. Processor speeds are faster, bus speeds are faster (1600mhz in my case) and the video card options are more expansive and higher performing.

Just do a little research next time before mouthing off about blue screens of death and viruses. If the Mac had any kind of market share, maybe virus writers would pay them some attention. You guys should be PROUD when they actually feel you have enough presence to warrant their efforts.

We're not saying the Mac is bad. Just that the PC is better. Hey let's settle this over some Half Life 2 online... whaddya say? (Well maybe in three years when it gets ported over.)

I dont play HL, I am a Unreal Tournament junkie, which is out on the Mac. I did do the research, I am a Graphic Design Major and...... if your not aware... Mac's were made for that purpose, Which includes Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Premiere, and GoLive. If your going to do any serious design work with these programs you MUST be able to run them on a Mac efficiently. Very few legitimate design firms run PCs. does that tell you something?

I would venture to bet if you ran ad-aware you would find spyware your not even aware of. Miscrosoft is well know to have HOLES in their operating systems. Why do you think it tookk Sooooo long to release SP2? They were in no hurry for a fix. Apple releases fixes in weeks not months. Your system specs are??

And by the way, PS does not run faster on a PC, yea if you shut down everything running in the background (which includes anti-virus software) maybe you might get close. I will take a Dual 2.0GHz G5 over a 3.0GHz any day of the week.

Do you own a Mac?

[Adam Hicks]

Yep. Macs were made for that purpose. And were best at it. 10 years ago. Times change.

[Quizzmo]

<<Very few legitimate design firms run PCs. does that tell you something?>>

It tells me loud and clear that change is most difficult especially for those whoose grasp on computing reality is so fragil. Having managed Mac networks long ago, I never understood the notion of a one button mouse... And all that dragin of the mouse cursor around the screen just to go backwards in a browser window... Please, when will Apple ever start to actually think different?

I've got 12 computers here, 3 kids, a wife and we have never had a virus and the last BSOD was over 7 years ago. I especially enjoy when my oldest daughter comes home from school complaining about her stupid iMac and how she can't wait to get on a real compter at home and get work done. BTW, she has had dual CPUs for 5 years now not to mention multi-tasking since 1995... neither one of those features were a glint in Steve's eye untill just a couple of years ago...

[Citizensmith]

Macs do break. They are just as prone to hardware failures as PCs. I know people who seem to have their Mac in the shop as much as at home. Last time I saw a Mac was at a photography class. A row of laptops sprung open to offload photos. Mostly PCs, and 1 Mac. Who was the slowest, and couldn't get photoshop to open? Weren't a PC.
Cheap Macs. Oh lets looks at the $500 Mac Mini. What a suck fest. :) Anything for $500 from Dell will out perform it, let you play games, and actually include a screen, keyboard, and mouse.
And don't lull yourself into a false sense of security about viruses. Sure 99.9% are targetted at IE and outlook using gimps who click on every attachment sent to them. However, there are even viruses out there for the Symbian OS on cell phones. Macs have a few too, if you think you are immune you are asking for a HDD wipe.

I'll stick with PCs because I want to be able to take apart and replace any component I wish, play all the latest games, and I want it all to be cheap. Wonder when Mac will catch up to the idea of a media center version as well?

[chris.bailey]

I went to an Adobe CS seminar a few months ago and the Adobe guy was asked this very question. He reckoned a high spec Mac had the edge over a similar high spec PC though he made the point that it was difficult to compare specs from a Mac to a PC especially if cost is taken into comparison. His main advice, however, was to put as much fast RAM in as possible, even though PS will only use a maximum of 2Gb of it, have a seperate and dedicated high speed swap drive and to have a dedicated Graphics machine, ie one not used for anything else and therefore cluttered. For colour rendition and stability forget gaming orientated graphics cards and go for a graphics design oriented card.

[booggerg]

And by the way, PS does not run faster on a PC, yea if you shut down everything running in the background (which includes anti-virus software) maybe you might get close. I will take a Dual 2.0GHz G5 over a 3.0GHz any day of the week.

I can't tell if you're just trying to be sarcastic or if you're simply just so very badly informed. If the latter, then by your posts, it just shows the limit of your computer skills, and the limits of your comprehension... sure, if you can get by with that in your line of work, then the power to you man! However, there's nothing wrong by being a bit more tech savvy, not being an idiot when it comes to computer use, and be able to use a PC :-p

[Pelao]

Poor Mikey-2U - ask a simple question and end up in a fight-fest.

Perhaps what you can take from all this is that both OSs have their adherents. You need to carefully think through what you will use the computer for, your budget, and the amount of tweaking you want to do yourself. Just be careful of issues that have become popular wisdom - rather search out the facts.

A good column to read is that by Walt Mossberg at the Wall Street Journal:
http://ptech.wsj.com/
He is highly respected and knowledgeable of both platforms.

[cgratti]

Yep. Macs were made for that purpose. And were best at it. 10 years ago. Times change.

Times didnt change in this department. The university I attend ONLY runs Macs in the design department, the rest of the campus s PCs.

Adam Hicks you're showing your ignorance again.

I am not going to sit here and argue with all of you guys, To each his own. If you like PC's the use a PC, I prefer Mac so I use a Mac. But its funny how the people who dont even own a Mac say how crappy they are. I own both a Mac and a PC, still use the PC for certain things. But I use the Mac much more becuase to me things are simpler and faster on a Mac.

Have a nice day guys.

[Volatile]

There are Mac viruses out there, you may want to read this: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/computer-virus/macintosh-faq/

I have a PC, I've never had a virus, but I run anti-virus software all the same. Thinking you don't need it is like saying you don't need car insurance because you drive a Volvo. Or something like that. Or just go ahead and make up your own analogy.

BTW, I switched from Mac to PC several years ago for 2 reasons: money and I wanted to be like everyone else.

[Pelao]

Dear Volatile
Have you seen the last modified date on the link you posted? January 2000. It is no longer relevant.

There are currently no listed viruses for Mac OS X.
Here is a somewhat more recent article, comparing Windows and mac security.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/41185.html

Having said that, I think a lot of the security issues with Windows is overblown for personal computer users. If you exercise caution regarding what you download, and make sure you have a good firewall and anti-virus, then your Windows machine should be secure and problem free. Just read the posts here and you will see the Windows guys have few problems in this regard. It is tougher in a corporate environment.

The advantage of the current Mac OS is that it is based on UNIX, and the core is difficult to manipulate - or put another way, it is easier to secure. This OS is a different generation than Windows.

A lot of folks attack MS regarding security. The Windows OS is by it's nature easier to penetrate and manipulate from a security standpoint. However, let's look at the big picture: when the basis of Windows was developed most of these security issues did not exist. It is hardly the fault of MS that there are malicious virus creators and downright criminals who take advantage of the inherent weakness.

The challenge I occasionally have with my Windows machines (running XP Pro) is that security updates from MS will cause some software to have problems. This may mean reloading software etc. This is annoying to say the least, but it is occasional. This does not occur with the Mac OS, again because of the UNIX base.

I am certain the next major Windows release (Longhorn) will address some of these issues. XP is already at new levels of stability and Longhorn promises to take the OS to new levels in many respects.

I really think that the differences between the OSs are overblown. I prefer the MAC OS. I find it easier to use, more reliable and less in need of tweaking and updates. I also prefer Apple hardware. But that's just me. Among my friends and colleagues we use both, and have no issues transferring files and docs between them. If you enjoy a wide range of games, and gaming is important to you, PCs are a better choice. Gaming is not a requirement for me.

For everything else, the choice is yours.

[Avalonthas]

Buy a PC, with an AMD processor, with atleast a gig of memory (2 gigs would do alot of justice), a fast harddrive (10,000RPM is nice for loading up big RAWS), and a good 2D graphics card, which is like 5 times better then a 3D graphics card for editing although useless for games/multimedia stuff. The money you save buying a PC instead of a Mac can be invested in the better harddrive and more/faster memory which will result in faster and much better image editing. Mac is good stock, but upgradability sux.

[tim]

Come on guys, don't make this personal. In the end, both PC and Mac will do a good job running photoshop. According to Scott Kelby the only advantage the Mac has is it can run photoshop on dual monitors more easily, with proper color profiles for each monitor. That's from memory, I might not have it 100% accurate, but that'st he gist of it.

As for performance, unless you're a real power user, either will do the job pretty quickly. There's a thread on fred miranda forums that benchmarks that I can't find right now, PS CS on a PC speeds up impressively when used on dual and quad processor machines. I suspect the Mac will be similar. I'm sure someone can find some real benchmarks to stop the vauge hand waving going on.

I too think that the reason designers use macs is because they always have, rather than for any good reason, but i'm not an expert. Macs are probably easier to use for designers, who aren't always techies, though of course some are.

[tim]

Here are a few benchmarks:

One (http://www.barefeats.com/macvpc.html)
Two (http://www.digital-photography.org/testing_computer_performance_benchmarking_processo r_speed_comparisons/AdobePhotoshop_Macintosh_G5dual-processor_compared_DellPrecisionWorkstation_PC.htm )

If anyone knows about a fair benchmark perhaps we could start a thread like FM did, just out of interest. It'd help me decide what to order for my new PC too :)

[Volatile]

Pelao, thanks for the link, I am further educated...

[CyberDyneSystems]

Hate to add fule to the fire,. but in 2003 and 2004 these tests seemed to indicate that MAC has lost it's lead in PS,. and these tests don't even take into account a Dual Opteron Rig which will positively punish these scores

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-4869-4882
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-6451-6410

And from MacNN;
http://www.macnn.com/articles/04/01/07/g5.tested.against.pc/
Rob Galbraith has published a report comparing Apple's new dual-2.0 GHz Power Mac G5 and its single-1.8GHz Power Mac G5 to a Dual-Xeon 3.06GHz PC, and a single-3.2GHz PC. The tests compare the machines using countless digital photography operations, with performance numbers for each. Ultimately, the Mac tied or led the PC in 19 of the 77 tests that comprise the report. "Put another way, the PC was faster in 58 of 77 benchmarks."

In either case,. it's all a matter of what your used to and what you like better. No one seems care about facts,. it's like religion :)

[Citizensmith]

There are currently no listed viruses for Mac OS X.


Not true, off hand I know of at least a trojan that was buried in the ID3 tag of MP3 files, that specifically targetted OSX. I think the real deal is there are very few OS X viruses vs. the thousands for Windows.

Those benchmarks look interesting. A G5 is good, an Opteron is better. Thing is, those are the high end processors. It would really be interesting to see benchmarks on the kind of processor you'd get if you were to spend $750 on a machine (display and all). Assuming other components are as similar as possible I'd love to see the resulting Mac, AMD, and Intel processors rated.

[booggerg]

In an effort to beat a dead horse... All you mac heads who claim faster performances,
read the benchmark numbers and weep.

http://www.digitalvideoediting.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=31193