I am not trying to start a PC vs Mac debate but looking some practical advice. I mainly do simple photo-editing using PS with my home PC which is 4-5 years old and some functions seems to take forever especially when I have other programs opened at the same time. On occasion the PC just hangs. Therefore, I am think of upgrading my home PC and wondered if there are any benefits in switching to a Mac instead. A related question is what are the optimal configurations for photo-editing for PC or Mac.
I own both a Mac (1.5 years old MacBook Pro) & a PC (5 years old or so), and I can't say that I see any huge advantage for one over the other. On the hardware end of things, the MacBook required a new battery ($200). The PC has never given me a problem, just needed to upgrade the RAM to speed it up. Both function well. Windows 7 is decent, better than Vista, but I still like XP the most. Mac OSX is a bit more idiot friendly, I would say.
Since there isn't much flux to Mac prices, you can get more bang for your buck if you shop around or build your own PC.
I mainly do simple photo-editing using PS with my home PC...
Then it won't make a bit of difference which platform you choose. Have you been doing routine maintenance over the years (both physically and with the OS) on your current machine? If you want to save money, consider backing up all of your files and then reinstalling Windows (or better yet, purchase Windows 7) and/or add as much RAM as your current box can handle for a big performance boost.
I agree with John. Defrag your hard drive and add as much RAM as the system can handle.
If you think you might want to go with Win 7 (and assuming you are using XP) you will need to run the MS WIN 7 compatibility tool. This will tell you which drivers and programs must be updated or upgraded (and which, if any, will work at all). Also, if you want to upgrade to Win 7 on an XP box, you'll need to back up every thing, reformat the drive and then install Win 7; there is no direct upgrade to Win 7 over XP.
If you decide to keep XP, update all your drivers including printer(s), network card, Video card, and pointing device using the manufacturer's drivers. Newer drivers for XP are much more efficient than the old ones.
One other thought: If you have lots of apps that are Windows only, you will either have to install a Win virtual machine on a Mac, or stay with a Win PC so that they will install and run.
Thanks Kenn, John and Preston.
Currently running XP. Yes I have defrag my HD without much improvement. Actually the HD is making weird scratching noises and I am worried it may crash soon. All my data is on another HD and I have an external HD backup. I don't mind getting a new system if the performance with Win7 is better.
Posted by Glenn Starr on July 22, 2010 at 11:58 AM
Gary,
I just upgraded from my old XP box to a Win 7 laptop. I5 processor, 6 gb of RAM (4gb is all you really need for PS CS5). Performance is orders of magnitude better. I upgraded for the same reasons that you are looking to now.
Glenn
Posted by conrad Rowe on July 22, 2010 at 12:57 PM
If you want the best value for your dollar, go with a Mac. You will not be sorry. Trust Me. I was using PC's and tried the Mac and I'm glad I did. I have 2 Mac's, a Mac Pro and MacBook Pro. They are very enjoyable to use. The only trouble I have had was caused by me. Support is the Best in the World. Conrad Rowe
Pc's are so good nowadays.... I think if you have the ready cash and thinking of spending it on a Mac, I would suggest you go to a good PC guy and ask him to build you a PC either to your specifications or tell him what you want and what you don't, he'll know what to build. That's what I did and I also insisted on retaining windows xp, still the best. IMHO.
Posted by Dottie Short on July 22, 2010 at 2:09 PM
There is a reason why graphic designers use a Mac. Macs are the best, and their tutorials, genius bar, one-on-one training, MobileMe, customer support, monitors, and I could go on and on are superior to the run-around I got when using a PC. When you call, you get someone in California not India. I currently use CS4, Nik and Photomatix plugins with my Mac.
Either MAC or PC works. I'm not a MAC owner but a comparable MacBook Pro was about $1,000 more than the PC Laptop I purchased. For that cost savings if I get frustrated with with my PC laptop and toss it ou the window (no pun intended) and buy a new.
The independent studies show that over the working life of the typical computer, the prices are about the same. The initial price fora PC is lower, but maintenance is higher, and malware protection adds on more charges.
There's this, too: a Mac can do a wonderful job as a Windows box. Either with the free Boot Camp on a re-boot or as an application under Parallels or one of the similar products. A PC can't effectively emulate a Mac. So you don't have to replace all your software at once.
Posted by Phillip Noll on July 22, 2010 at 5:05 PM
I have used PCs since the days of MSDOS, 5.25" floppies, monochrome monitors, and no internal hard drives . I finally got fed up with all the defragging, crashing, hanging, blue screens of death, cleaning up the registry, and all the spyware, malware, viruses, etc., etc. and bought a Mac (2 actually). My conclusion---there is not much difference between the two systems.
My Macs hang just as often as my Windows systems did. I continually have network issues with my Macs similar to all the network issues I had with the PCs. One good thing about the Mac is I haven't had to really worry about all the spyware, malware, etc. (yet). The Mac also comes with some very good software preloaded that you have to pay extra for on the PC. The Macs may have an edge in the area of operating system and integration with apps but PCs are quickly closing that gap.
I use PCs all day every day at work and my Macs at home each night. When I'm on the Mac I particularly miss many of the features of Windows relating to file management/navigation and window resizing (the Mac is archaic in this regard in my opinion). For example, you can only resize a window on a Mac by grabbing and dragging the lower right hand corner. What's up with that? I do have some apps that are windows only and I run a virtual XP machine on my Macs with no problems. Each system has its pluses and minuses. Neither has much advantage over the other in terms of Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. My advice would be to stick with what you are familiar with.
Posted by John W. Wall on July 22, 2010 at 6:04 PM
I'm with Phil on sticking to what you know. But I'm lazy that way. I'm also cheap. FWIW, I have a 2-year-old PC running Vista and have never had a problem. Defrag runs automatically, so it's always in good shape. I had to use customer service when I bought it because of a problem moving iTunes over from my old PC. I got the "dreaded" tech in India on the phone. He was able to log onto my computer remotely and fix the problem. Best customer service I ever experienced.
Dottie - I am going to disagree slightly with you on the reason why designers use Macs. It is more of historical inertia than anything else. In the early days of computer graphical design, the only color managed systems out there were Macs. Windows OS's didn't have good color management capabilities until relatively recently (XP was a huge jump forward). Once you've trained an entire generation of designers on one OS, they tended to pass down the lore of Macs being always better for graphical design. Also, at the time they came to dominate the industry, the learning resource you mention didn't (or barely) existed and certainly were no where near as findable as today. Windows has caught up to the point where the difference in graphical capabilities is a non-issue.
I'll grant you the rest of your points. Microsoft has never been good at the customer service end and I always dread my visits to thier site.
Posted by Scott Nelson on July 22, 2010 at 9:27 PM
Gary,
I would suggest, that seeing as you have a system that is 4-5 years old(That is getting old in my opinion, and I would not invest more money on a system that has hit that age). The first thing I recommend to my customers is to determine the absolute maximum you are willing to spend. Next look at the the processor, right now I really like the Intel i7 processors, again fitting your budget. In my opinion, get the maximum amount of RAM you can afford, with Windows 7, I would go with a minimum of 6 gigs, 4 gigs will work, but if you're running Photoshop, it'll love the extra RAM. I really love what MS has done with Windows 7, mainly the Libraries. I have photo libraries in multiple locations, and you can "point" the Library to each place you may be storing a photograph database, including a Home Server. Sorry got a little off topic.
For a simple build try the Dell website. I've been very happy with the 5 laptops/net-books that we have purchased from them. The prices are reasonable, and there is great versatility in what you can order. They have some fantastic desktops, with great specs, and if money isn't too much of an issue for you, they sell the high performance Alienware line.
I have heard really good things about Macs, but the down side to them is that dollar for dollar, you will get a PC that has much more horse power. As far as the functionality, when you are using Photoshop for your editing, you would see little to no difference between a PC or a Mac
I find it interesting to read the lines where folks say the Mac and PC are now so similar. That the PC has been catching up.....Well, it sure took a LONG time for that to happen! Mac's do cost more...but Mac users have had what PC users wanted for a LONG time! Ha!
Let's see, which system will be more innovative faster in the future? Use the past to decide this. So, you pay more but maybe get more!
I use both systems (reluctantly). My roots are in Mac, so PC seems really cumbersome. My wife's roots are in PC and at first she found the Mac really cumbersome. It's all in where you're coming from, and if you're used to PC, there will be an awkward learning period with Mac. Then there's all the software you have to replace!
hi Gary, I have been using Macs since 1986. Presently I use a 27" iMac coupled to a dual display, a 20" Apple Cinema Display. I also have a MacBook Air. There are several old Macs (and iPods) lying around in various parts of the house which are all still functioning. For photo editing the Mac comes (foc) with iPhoto which is very adequate. However, I use Aperture which has an excellent cataloging system for my vast number of pics. I also have several plugins for Aperture. I feel that my work flow is pretty good with the Mac
Take a look at Puget Systems. These guys build custom PC's, and from all appearances, have an excellent record in terms of build quality and customer service.
I am still in the 'drooling' stage, but these machines look really nice. (I am on a five year old Dell 8400)
Phillip, the first PC I used was a Commodore PET. It used a cassete tape to record programs written in BASIC, had no hard drive, and a whopping 64K of RAM! This was in 1977. How times have changed!
Discussion
21 repliesSince there isn't much flux to Mac prices, you can get more bang for your buck if you shop around or build your own PC.
If you think you might want to go with Win 7 (and assuming you are using XP) you will need to run the MS WIN 7 compatibility tool. This will tell you which drivers and programs must be updated or upgraded (and which, if any, will work at all). Also, if you want to upgrade to Win 7 on an XP box, you'll need to back up every thing, reformat the drive and then install Win 7; there is no direct upgrade to Win 7 over XP.
If you decide to keep XP, update all your drivers including printer(s), network card, Video card, and pointing device using the manufacturer's drivers. Newer drivers for XP are much more efficient than the old ones.
One other thought: If you have lots of apps that are Windows only, you will either have to install a Win virtual machine on a Mac, or stay with a Win PC so that they will install and run.
--P
Currently running XP. Yes I have defrag my HD without much improvement. Actually the HD is making weird scratching noises and I am worried it may crash soon. All my data is on another HD and I have an external HD backup. I don't mind getting a new system if the performance with Win7 is better.
I just upgraded from my old XP box to a Win 7 laptop. I5 processor, 6 gb of RAM (4gb is all you really need for PS CS5). Performance is orders of magnitude better. I upgraded for the same reasons that you are looking to now.
Glenn
There's this, too: a Mac can do a wonderful job as a Windows box. Either with the free Boot Camp on a re-boot or as an application under Parallels or one of the similar products. A PC can't effectively emulate a Mac. So you don't have to replace all your software at once.
My Macs hang just as often as my Windows systems did. I continually have network issues with my Macs similar to all the network issues I had with the PCs. One good thing about the Mac is I haven't had to really worry about all the spyware, malware, etc. (yet). The Mac also comes with some very good software preloaded that you have to pay extra for on the PC. The Macs may have an edge in the area of operating system and integration with apps but PCs are quickly closing that gap.
I use PCs all day every day at work and my Macs at home each night. When I'm on the Mac I particularly miss many of the features of Windows relating to file management/navigation and window resizing (the Mac is archaic in this regard in my opinion). For example, you can only resize a window on a Mac by grabbing and dragging the lower right hand corner. What's up with that?
I'll grant you the rest of your points. Microsoft has never been good at the customer service end and I always dread my visits to thier site.
I would suggest, that seeing as you have a system that is 4-5 years old(That is getting old in my opinion, and I would not invest more money on a system that has hit that age). The first thing I recommend to my customers is to determine the absolute maximum you are willing to spend. Next look at the the processor, right now I really like the Intel i7 processors, again fitting your budget. In my opinion, get the maximum amount of RAM you can afford, with Windows 7, I would go with a minimum of 6 gigs, 4 gigs will work, but if you're running Photoshop, it'll love the extra RAM. I really love what MS has done with Windows 7, mainly the Libraries. I have photo libraries in multiple locations, and you can "point" the Library to each place you may be storing a photograph database, including a Home Server. Sorry got a little off topic.
For a simple build try the Dell website. I've been very happy with the 5 laptops/net-books that we have purchased from them. The prices are reasonable, and there is great versatility in what you can order. They have some fantastic desktops, with great specs, and if money isn't too much of an issue for you, they sell the high performance Alienware line.
I have heard really good things about Macs, but the down side to them is that dollar for dollar, you will get a PC that has much more horse power. As far as the functionality, when you are using Photoshop for your editing, you would see little to no difference between a PC or a Mac
Let's see, which system will be more innovative faster in the future? Use the past to decide this. So, you pay more but maybe get more!
Fuel for the fire?
I am still in the 'drooling' stage, but these machines look really nice. (I am on a five year old Dell 8400)
Phillip, the first PC I used was a Commodore PET. It used a cassete tape to record programs written in BASIC, had no hard drive, and a whopping 64K of RAM! This was in 1977. How times have changed!
--P