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Author Topic: Do you use Mac or PC for your photography/creative art workflow and why  (Read 42958 times)

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« on: January 04, 2009, 14:43 »
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Hey guys,

Need to hear your thoughts on whether you use Mac or PC for your photography/creative art work and why?

My current laptop, a PC, is about to give up so time for a new one. I am debating whether to go for a Mac this time around or stay with a PC. I know just a little about Mac. I use my laptop for all my work, it is my whole life really, lol, write articles, edit my photos (use Photoshop extensively, and GIMP occasionally), plan to start using illustrator. I am also learning programming.  The question is how different are the two platforms and what should I be aware of before I make the switch (especially if I need to move my files over. (word doc's) photo stuffs will be fine I imagine). I could have both but is that really necessary? What do you use/prefer as a photographer and why?

Was going to post this in the Photography equipment section, thought it might be ok here. I apologize if this question is in the wrong place.

Thanks you in advance for your advice.
jc



avava

« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2009, 15:02 »
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 Hi Ljook,

 I'm not saying. People are very emotional about their platform of choice. This is gonna be a battle ground  ;D I use two squirrels in a cage, no not a cage a cage is to inhumane. They are free range squirrels. Thinking about stepping up to four and doubling my performance but I am worried about them all getting along. Then there is twice the clean up as well. ;)

Good Luck,
AVAVA

« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2009, 15:29 »
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I am perfectly happy with my HP laptop running Vista, with a 17" screen and the Adobe Suite.  Everything runs fine, nothing crashes, and it was cheaper than a Mac, plus I didn't need to repurchase or find all my existing software for a different system.

I would just stick with what you currently have.

« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2009, 15:38 »
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I'm on a self built Desktop PC and haven't had any problems.  You will get more processing power for your $$ if you buy PC over MAC... but you might get more status buying a mac :)

Your photoshop license is platform specific, so if you switch systems you will also have to repurchase Photoshop :( 

I bought an older mac laptop to get experience using a mac, and frankly I am just as happy (or more happy) using a PC. 

avava

« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2009, 15:42 »
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I also rely on the squirrels for my data storage. They have a uncanny ability to remember where they put stuff. ;D

Best,
AVAVA

« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2009, 15:44 »
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PC Reason:$  and far more programs for it over Mac.

If I had the bucks to spare I would have both! ;D

-Larry

« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2009, 15:55 »
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thank you for your answers :) it sounds like I should stick with PC for the value and computing power it offers. I have a desktop PC which is my "if all fails PC/backup" and that never crushes (as opposed to my laptop PC). Yes, one consideration for me is also that Mac costs 2x more for the same speed/specs/power

I guess Mac is more suitable for those who do more design/3D /flash work or music production.

It also did not sound like it is worth my while to run both platforms, will drive me nuts keeping both updated and costly for the licenses. (yes, if I have the bucks :), that would be an ideal)

Glad to hear Vista is pretty decent. I have read some complaints about it from friends. The guy whose HP 9607 (w/17th inch and Vista loaded) I am considering buying from said he was not happy with Vista and he said I should load it with XP Pro..

thanks again.

« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2009, 16:32 »
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I dont wont to start a war here! Yes you will need to have specific software for the mac! Yes you will need to adapt to the new OS that is different from the PC.

But some things are not like some people said! If you have a PC with 2.0 GHz and a MAC with the same processor, the MAC is faster more stable and safe. Evan if add a more power PC, probably the MAC is faster.

The question is, not all people like the blue. One thing i can say, if you switch to MAC you never go back.
The price is all most the same and if you thing in the price of anti-virus, crash, lost of data with virus and OS bugs, you will see that is well spend money on the MAC.

I switch for MAC about 10 years ago and im very happy. My wife as a PC and this week she saw in Media Market a promotion of the Macbook for 699 and guess what...

« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2009, 17:27 »
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Your point is well taken, Pauloresende, thanks.
can I hear more from the Mac users?

I know this sounds like the Nikon vs Canon debate all over again (I don't mean to go there, sorry  ;D)

avava

« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2009, 17:54 »
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 Since everyone is being pretty cool so far

 Okay, my squirrels are Mac certified and for me it was the only choice back when I first started working with images in computer. Beside the expensive CGI machines the Mac offered the best support for graphics and the earliest PS version support to my knowledge. I won't say a word against a PC because I have never used one but if I had the choice to get the exact same results for less money I think I would have to chose the cheaper route. If I was not so entrenched in so many years of Macs I might change, but changing my work flow at this time and point would take something pretty special. And just to add people were asking about if they need to calibrate their monitor or not the answer is yes you need to calibrate if you want the printer to know what color you want your photo to be, he will be calibrated daily.

Best,
AVAVA
« Last Edit: January 04, 2009, 17:56 by avava »

bittersweet

« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2009, 18:01 »
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There are pros and cons with both systems, and the argument against Mac by the PC people inevitably comes down to price. I could go on and on about why I love my 3 Macs but I don't feel like arguing to support my case. ;) I have never lost data because of a virus, and I have a little Apple sticker on the back of my car... if that makes me a self-important "status" person, then so be it. Mac just works and that is why I love it. When I have to use the Windows side of my Mac, it is like a different world... where I can't find anything :D  (I assume you know that the new Macs can run Windows, as well as all the Windows software you already own?)

The best people to get opinions from are those who have actually used PC for years and then switched. These folks will be able to give you the most real info about their personal experience, free from the mythos that pervades these types of discussions (on both sides).

FWIW, Adobe has a PC to Mac switch deal that can't be beat. Give them a call and discuss what you're considering. It does not involve you repurchasing all your software at full cost. I promise you will be very pleasantly surprised. But, like I said, you can just run what you already have on the Windows side of your Mac.

« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2009, 18:02 »
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I used to use a PC and a Mac at work and I preferred the PC.  Just not having a right click on the mouse was enough to put me off the Mac.  I can never remember all the keyboard shortcuts for all the different applications.  My PC is fast enough now, so speed is not an issue but I never found the Mac to be noticeably quicker.

The other option is linux but I don't have problems with windows, so I will stick with microsoft.

bittersweet

« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2009, 18:07 »
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I used to use a PC and a Mac at work and I preferred the PC.  Just not having a right click on the mouse was enough to put me off the Mac.

Yes, this is true... Mac is famous for "one button mouse". You actually have to hold down the Control key and click in order to achieve the equivalent of a "right click" on the mouse that comes with your Mac. Of course there are hundreds of other mice which you can use with the Mac that have two or three or six buttons, so maybe it's not quite a deal-breaker.

« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2009, 18:13 »
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By the way, I learned 3d with Inifi-D on a PowerMac, circa 1994.  I switched when we got a new home computer, since the rest of the family had Windows.  At Disney, we used Alias/Maya on SGI Unix stations, and then to HP Linux machines.  I know Dreamworks has a huge deal with HP as well.  We used Macs for the productions manager to run tracking software and such.

« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2009, 18:18 »
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Mac. No viruses, no threats, no registry cleaning, no overall system cleaning, no HDD defragmentation, no chance for the configuration to become obsolete in 3 yrs, no custom assembled chinese desktops.

Of course, it's up to you to choose what suits your needs.

CofkoCof

« Reply #15 on: January 04, 2009, 18:18 »
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I am perfectly happy with my HP laptop running Vista, with a 17" screen and the Adobe Suite.  Everything runs fine, nothing crashes, and it was cheaper than a Mac, plus I didn't need to repurchase or find all my existing software for a different system.

I'm also using a 17" HP laptop (I use XP though) with a 24" HP LCD connected to it.

I'm sticking to windows since I can get a lot of software for free where I work. Never had any problems with the system so I don't see why would I change it. Not to mention that many of the programs I use don't exist on other OS (I daily use linux also and my coworker uses Mac OS). Also Macs are a lot more expensive if you compare the same computing power. You pay for the make up and to feed the hype.

PS: I never had a virus on my computer and I never got a blue screen or similar (I dont use any AV software and I don't have a software FW). So I don't really know how a Mac could be more stable and safer? It's hard to compare speed, still there's a test in for PS available online:
http://www.retouchartists.com/pages/results.html

michealo

« Reply #16 on: January 04, 2009, 18:31 »
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I use both either is just fine.

My tip buy the best screen you can afford, will last longer than the computer itself (just like lenses)


helix7

« Reply #17 on: January 04, 2009, 18:59 »
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Yes, this is true... Mac is famous for "one button mouse". You actually have to hold down the Control key and click in order to achieve the equivalent of a "right click" on the mouse that comes with your Mac. Of course there are hundreds of other mice which you can use with the Mac that have two or three or six buttons, so maybe it's not quite a deal-breaker.

All macs (except the Mini) now come with the Mighty Mouse, which is a one-button design but has 2-button functionality. It looks like one button, but it functions like any 2-button mouse. It also has a scroll wheel that scrolls left and right in addition to the usual up and down.

I use it, and I personally think it is the best mouse I've ever used. I used to have other third-party mice with my macs, but this new one is easily my favorite.

« Reply #18 on: January 04, 2009, 19:50 »
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wow  :-\
Now the floodgate has opened :). It has been a very interesting discussion thus far. Now I have to think really hard. Will need to decide by this weekend so please keep the discussion going :)

hey, I really appreciate everyone's input on the subject.

jc

« Reply #19 on: January 04, 2009, 20:37 »
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The only benefit you'll get from this discussion is to face yet another OS war, so well known on the various forums around. So, my advice to you is to visit a mate who has a Mac, check it for yourself and make a decision. Simple as that.

« Reply #20 on: January 04, 2009, 21:26 »
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Use both out of necessity. As I run InDesign and Quark Xpress, life is easier with a Mac for maximum compatibility with commercial printers. If I do a catalog with Quark on a PC, there are always those little things that are just quirky with PC files when hey get to the printer.

Macs don't play well for web developers because of the need to test sites in various browsers. So if you plan any semi serious web work, stick with PC.

Helix is right about the Apple Mouse - can cut work time way down and when I go between Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark and possibly another program like a word processor, life is a breeze. Would be hellish on a PC.

Also consider your own Geek factor - if you like to play and tinker a lot, not nearly the geek offerings on Mac that there are for PC.


« Reply #21 on: January 04, 2009, 21:34 »
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Macs don't play well for web developers because of the need to test sites in various browsers. So if you plan any semi serious web work, stick with PC.

? You have the same whole variety of web browsers on both platforms. Not to mention you can run both systems regularly on Intel Mac.

« Reply #22 on: January 04, 2009, 21:40 »
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Mac. No viruses, no threats, no registry cleaning, no overall system cleaning, no HDD defragmentation, no chance for the configuration to become obsolete in 3 yrs, no custom assembled chinese desktops.

Of course, it's up to you to choose what suits your needs.

The 1 virus I have gotten using a PC was because I was greedy and tried to rip a program. It took me about 10 minutes to get rid of the virus by doing system restore and all was fine. I have no firewall and no anti-virus/spyware applications. The solution to avoiding viruses is nothing more than intelligence.

The configuration is going to become obsolete in time no matter OS you have. The difference is how easy and cost effective you can update your machine so it is not as obsolete. Microsoft wins in that category hands down.


« Reply #23 on: January 05, 2009, 00:05 »
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I have two PC desktops, a Dell Laptop running Vista with 3 gigs of ram and a Mac Pro desktop.

Guess which one I use for image editing?  ;D

« Reply #24 on: January 05, 2009, 00:20 »
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Macs don't play well for web developers because of the need to test sites in various browsers. So if you plan any semi serious web work, stick with PC.

Quote
? You have the same whole variety of web browsers on both platforms.

Yes but they handle certain code bits differently for the different platforms. Mac Safari is very cranky when reading some CMS sites, and Firefox for Mac had its own hidden quirks. And Mac abandoned support for MS Explorer long ago.

Quote
Not to mention you can run both systems regularly on Intel Mac.

Been there, done that. we tried thinking we might ditch the PCs, but not worth the hassles. When you do a 200 page catalog, things tend to choke up. What looks good in the showroom does not always work in real life. Plus we need the screen real estate here and the benefit of true multi tasking, not working via a box within a box.


 

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