Free software users? (and hardware)

Hi guys,
recently i have installed Ubuntu 12.04 on my PC and found it quite nice. It's light and i think it runs faster than Windows 7 64bit on my machine. I have an old desktop with E7200 CPU, and 4GB of
RAM (motherboard limit). I was unsure what i was going to do with my photos though. I shoot only raw so i was concerned.But since I installed RawTherapee 4 I'm very surprised at how good the thing
is especially when you consider that it comes free. Same goes for Gimp 2.8. It's not Photoshop but it really is good for most things you'd ever want to do. I'm quite eager to try out the workflow with
these tools after doing a photoshoot with lots of shots.

Any of you guys using ONLY free software for your photo processing needs? What's your experience with it so far?

One of the reasons I decided to try Ubuntu is I'm looking for a new PC at the moment and when I do get it I want to set it up properly from day one and commit to operating system long term. I was also curious.
Since Microsoft and Adobe products do cost money the thought of not spending it anymore or using it to squeeze extra performance out of your machine is quite tempting.

Also what would you rather get a better CPU or more RAM/Storage when upgrading your computer for photo editing?
I was thinking about mid of the line i5 processor like 3470 and 16GB of RAM.

Any feedback appreciated!

marsaz wrote in post #15527378
Also what would you rather get a better CPU or more RAM/Storage when upgrading your computer for photo editing?
I was thinking about mid of the line i5 processor like 3470 and 16GB of RAM.

Any feedback appreciated!

Take a look at something like this for CPU choice:
http://www.tomshardwar​e.com …e-comparison,3370-13.html

Your return on the extra $$ is diminishing quickly as you go up the processor food chain. Depends on your workflow if its worth it for the faster CPUs. Lots of daily batch editing I would say worth it. If you always work on a single image probably not. .

As for RAM, open a monitor while you work for awhile and see how much you really use. I rarely go over 4GB and haven't peaked over 8GB with panoramic work. Some people will say they regularly go over 8GB. This is also assuming your allowing your programs to have access to all your memory so make sure that is set up correctly.

If your not using alot of RAM I would save that cost and pick up a SSD. IMO that will be the single biggest thing that will give you a better experience. I keep my programs and OS on a 64GB SSD with only about 60% used and everything else goes on a spinning disk.

silvrr wrote in post #15527789
Take a look at something like this for CPU choice:
http://www.tomshardwar​e.com …e-comparison,3370-13.html

Your return on the extra $$ is diminishing quickly as you go up the processor food chain. Depends on your workflow if its worth it for the faster CPUs. Lots of daily batch editing I would say worth it. If you always work on a single image probably not. .

As for RAM, open a monitor while you work for awhile and see how much you really use. I rarely go over 4GB and haven't peaked over 8GB with panoramic work. Some people will say they regularly go over 8GB. This is also assuming your allowing your programs to have access to all your memory so make sure that is set up correctly.

If your not using alot of RAM I would save that cost and pick up a SSD. IMO that will be the single biggest thing that will give you a better experience. I keep my programs and OS on a 64GB SSD with only about 60% used and everything else goes on a spinning disk.

Very good advice on opening a monitor. Wondering how i did not come up with that myself I guess it'll tell me more where i should go with my upgrades. Thanks!

I really liked ubuntu, but I love LR too much that I had to run windows as my main.

I wish adobe would add linux support to it.

marsaz wrote in post #15527378
Any of you guys using ONLY free software for your photo processing needs? What's your experience with it so far?

Hi Marsaz,

Have a look at this thread: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=526570

I have listed out some of the best linux applications for photography work flow. This should give you a head up.

Personally, I use Rapid Photo Downloader, Darktable & Gimp as my workflow.

Hey cedm,
great list, thanks!

So I've taken some time and did some work with Linux and I must say working with Windows suited me better. I hope I'm not being too subjective just because I'm so used to my workflow with DPP and Photoshop. It seems DPP handles noise and color fringing better than Rawtherapee or Darktable. Also my CPU is more stressed and more slow while working on Linux 64bit compared to Win 7 64bit. I mean Ubuntu runs faster overall but when it comes to photo processing Windows has the edge. Much of this might be down to user error since I'm very new to not using Windows so I'm still thinking about pros and cons but I really want to have my DPP! While GIMP is totally fine I can't do it with other raw processors. Not yet at least.