I am looking into getting a laptop in the next few weeks or so before college starts up. I do not have one yet, and really have little knowledge on the benefits of Mac vs PC... so I am directing this question to all of you computer geeks out there:
As an incoming freshmen planning to major/minor in photography with an interest in graphic design, would you purchase a Mac or a PC and why?
The problem with Mac is that they are sooo expensive, but I've heard very compatible and fast.
The college I'm going to does not recommend one or the other, very unhelpful in my decision haha so I'm coming to you guys. Any information (detailed if at all possible) would be a huuge help. My dad is helping me, so even if you use computer language like "Ram" or "processor", my dad should understand it haha
THANKS SO MUCH!
(if you do not want to answer specifically for an incoming photography student... why is it you like PC or Mac better than the other?)
I would go with a vote for a PC, Windows based machine, as it's more flexible. There's more software around, and there's more options for customising. With Apple it tends to be either their way or no way.
Really, if you've no preference/experience either way as far as core user interface aspects go, then you want to be looking at battery life, weight, and physical screen size, as your main deciders. If you need it to be truly portable, then see what your budget can get from either camp that's light enough. If you need to be doing a lot of intensive processing on high-MP RAW files then you need to factor in RAM and processing speed (RAM being of greater concern, I'd probably argue, with the amount Lightroom pages to disk).
Software wise you can basically get everything for both platforms. Final Cut Pro is the only Apple-only thing I'm aware of, I think, and that's high-end video editing. All the core Adobe stuff (Photardshop, Illustrator, InDesign and of course Lightroom) are available for both.
Disclaimer: I've been a PC since Windows 95, but I'm no fanboy. I know the "open" way is more for me, but if you liked a closed experience then Macs are perfectly fine.
I would definitely recommend a Mac -- for one, a huge chunk of the creative industry uses Macs so it's a good time to get started on that platform, since that's probably what you will use if you go to work for a design house / studio, etc.
Secondly, OS X (the Mac operating system) does a better job of managing memory than Windows (although I haven't tried Windows 7, it might have improved). That means that you'll experience fewer crashes and faster speed times.
Finally, there is some great software out there for OS X that's a joy to use and not very expensive. Aperture is a wonderful photo management / editing tool (I use it every day) and costs at least half of what Lightroom costs. Pixelmator is an inexpensive alternative to Photoshop that has all the same basic features, but is much easier to use. If you ever want to dabble with video, Final Cut is a great piece of software and Apple just dropped the price from $1000 to $300 -- and people can use that software to produce entire films. There are OS X based alternatives to Illustrator as well, all significantly less expensive, and generally much easier to use. Of course, you can still use Photoshop and Illustrator on a Mac, it's just good to know for a poor student that there are cheaper alternatives!
I've used both Macs and PC's for many years but in the past six months, have moved to Mac-only and have no regrets at all.
@lauren211 My daughter is entering IU as a freshman this year and is also planning to major in graphic design. She used Macs in high school for photojournalism and photography classes and loved them so she was leaning that way anyway. At orientation most of the students said either one is fine, but one did mention that a Mac was better for certain majors, graphic design being one of them. Yesterday she went out and bought a Mac. We bought a Mac for home last Christmas and love it though there was a bit of a learning curve with the keyboard commands.
I personally like Macs... emphasis on the personally. My Macbook Pro suits my needs and runs waaaaaaaay better than my family's HP but that's not to say all PCs are as horrible as that one. ;-P I think some things for you to keep in mind are screen size, hard drive space (though it's always good to have external ones too), and speed stuff like RAM and processor.
Nice, big screens are great for photo editing. My screen is only 13 inches so I tend to do a lot of zooming in while editing. The Macs with bigger screens are a bit pricey... another option is that you could buy an external monitor but that's obviously not very potable and would take up desk space. If you do get a Mac, now is the time to do it because they always have their education discounts during the summer. You get a little bit of a discount on their computers and $100 towards iTunes/Mac Apps.
I've used both over the past few years and much prefer my macbook, I get what @eyebrows is saying though about open or closed options as I need to use my pc for work stuff, I guess my mac is the fun option that doesn't crash as often but my pc brings home the bacon
As one who learned computers by writing DOS command lines, I cut my computer teeth on PCs. However, over time I experienced the Windows environment as fraught with issues and slowdowns, not to mention worse depreciation when you buy a PC than even a car. One day, a discriminating and smart friend of mine referred to Macs as "elegant". I thought, "Hmmm. I like elegant." So, I bought a Mac and - pardon the poem - have never looked back. The beautiful thing about these machines, other than the fact that they're beautiful, is the fact that you can install Windows if you need it, and flip back and forth between your Mac environment and your virtual Windows machine. You get the best of both worlds. Macs are simply brilliant, trouble-free, and at last, somewhat of an investment. Good luck to you!
As a computer teacher, I've used both platforms. Macs tend to be more user friendly than PCs. For the most part, unless you're in love with Microsoft Office for your word processing and spreadsheet needs, then you don't have to buy any software.
My daughter has a PC which we bought when she went away to college. She hates it. My son has his Mac and he loves it.
One of the main reasons Macs cost more is they tend to have all the software you'll need, whereas with a PC, you'll need to make extra purchases to get your computer up to speed.
Use the educational discount when you purchase a Mac. Any student can use the educational discount. That will save you some money. Think about other costs. Photo editing software? Mac has iPhoto - not the best, but it's a decent program already installed. PCs don't. Since you're majoring in photography, I'd get something better no matter what.
You'll not have to worry about virus software. There's a saving with a Mac. There is a spread sheet built into a Mac. That's extra on a PC. Web authoring software is built in on a Mac. Extra on a PC.
You can tell I'm a Mac person. I've owned Macs. I've owned PCs at home for personal use. For my own personal use, I had more problems with my PC that I had for four years, than I've had with all of my Macs combined.
From a completely non-technical background...I have used windows at home all of my life and at school, so I'm used to it. However, I did do some Graphic Design work experience a couple of years ago and they used Macs. I found them absolutely impossible to use!!! I mean, yeah I've grown up with windows, but who's bright idea was it to get rid of a right click?! My granddad also has a mac and I find his difficult to use as well. At school in the graphics room we have Macs with windows installed which I must say, is great, because they're fast and because they have windows, to me it is intuative (and you can use the right click :p) but I don't know how easy that would be for you to get hold of... Basically, I think either would be as good as each other but it's up to your personal preferance. Oh, and finally, make sure you do your research before buying anything! People in computer shops frequently, in my experience, try and sell you something you don't want for twice the price of the thing you do want! Hope this helps! :] x
I moved to Mac about a year ago, and cannot see a reason to go back to PC's, I currently use the iMac and run Lightroom and Photoshop on it, and when I have saved enough dollar I will get a MacBook,
@ukdanae Seriously?! Might have to look at some Macs again... they're definitely faster and microsoft keep updating everything to make it worse. Office is just impossible to use now! The only thing is, all school computers are windows-based so compatability is an issue... but maybe in a few years... :]
i love my MAC!
My niece goes to the Herron School of Art at IUPUI and she is the one who recommended to me that I get a MAC. I have not been disappointed!
I was just last weekend talking to a friend of mine about computers and raising the same kind of questions you have. My friend is a computer specialist and owns a computer store. Here is what he says to me: "get the cheapest of them, use for 3 or 4 years and them get a new one. Nowadays it does no make a big difference to pay a fortune for a computer, also, because they are not getting better; they are actually getting worse". He explained me that a lot of computers nowadays are breaking because of severe heat, and that is independent of the brand.
I was at this store and he showed me the ridiculous numbers of macs sitting there waiting to be fixed due to overheat. He said there is nothing he can do and the companies usually don´t give you a refund for two reasons:
- overheating is due to dust, and the companies says "mal use from the owner"... "dirty place and so on".
- it would only work get a full refund if any problem with computer happens in the first two weeks after they broke (which is basically ridiculous since most problems happens within the first year).
My advice from you, which I hear from my friend specialist and my husband gadget freak... get a computer that costs no more than 500 dollars and have a great time while they last.
Ah yes. The age old war of Mac vs PC... I am neutral to both, but I will put my vote in for PC. Why? Because PC's are more flexible and work with more programs, software, and other computers than Macs do. Years ago when computers were first being made, Macs generally were more 'creative' and people liked the pretty pictures and whatnot. But these days there is absolutely zero argument that Macs are more creative than PC's. I've found that PC's let you use whatever you want under any circumstances. Apple is annoying in the way that they force you to do things there way, or no way at all..
My cousin bought a Mac for college and had so much trouble. None of the programs for her classes would work on it, and she actually went out and got a PC. But don't get me wrong I think Macs are great for many things as well.
Anyways, just keep in mind that no computer is perfect. Every computer will crash and have viruses! (including Macs!) I have the Dell Inspiron 1440 and love it. Go look at some stores and try out some computers! Good luck! :)
I'm reading this thread because my mom and dad's PC keeps locking up. They got it in 2004 so I wonder if it is time to upgrade. My youngest niece and my nephew both have Mac laptops. My second youngest niece has had big problems with two computers (hers, and then the one her boyfriend loaned her while hers was in the shop). Hers was a Dell and I know her boyfriend's is a PC but I don't know the brand-- she just purchased a Mac too. In a former job we had Mac desktops, and t hat was my first experience with the Mac operating system. One of the techs on our information technology team at work told me computer technologies in general are getting faster, smarter and smaller-- ex: ipod, iPhone, iPad, e-readers ... and I should not hesitate to buy a laptop. I have a desktop right now. So thank you, @lauren211 and everyone for helping me!
I was a pc user since my first computer... in the 90s. Last September, I got a Macbook Pro, and I'm never going to look back. I use it for work using photoshop and after effects to do animation compositing and photo editing.... it's so much more efficient on my mac than it ever was on my pc!
I've always been turned off by the very closed and specific usage of Mac's, so I've never owned one.
I currently own a Sony Vaio, and have had it for a year. I've had absolutely zero problems with it, and I love it!
Apple have already launched Lion 10.7 and comes with Filevault, AutoSave and Airdrop - a few extras or additions to what the previous version (Snow Leopard) has. Cool and sleek apps to choose from but unless you have extra bucks to spare, it cost more.
Microsoft on the other hand is preparing for Windows 8 - a tablet/pad GUI which can optimize the existing touch screen laptops (like HP Touchsmart) and boost file - or in our case - photo management.
MACs and PCs are generally the same with each "besting" one another. BUT, both are just operating systems. They rely on the present hardware installed. You may have a Mac but if it comes with Panther (version 10.3) - good luck. OR you can have Windows 7 installed with Intel Core 7 and all the super hardware installed (including 8GB RAM) in your system and you may fall in love with it. Incidentally, MACs maxes out only at 8 GB while lets say the best laptop from ASUS has room to upgrade to 16GB and this is only RAM and not graphics cards) . But again seriously, choose and study wisely what's under the hood. They are both the same and its either you pay more because of the brand or you pay wisely for the specs inside. ITs always hardware first before software.
In the end, you may end up with a MAC (Leopard or Snow Leopard) but there's always - ALWAYS - another geek kid smiling and whistling in your class with lets say a Sony VAIO SB ($300-400 less than the existing MAC)
Also important to note that it's not simply "Mac vs. PC", because there are a gazillion different PCs to choose from.
The brand you choose will greatly influence your experience with PC. I've personally owned an acer and it was terrible, so I would never suggest it. I've also had friends who have had many problems with Dells and HPs. My suggestion would be Sony or Toshiba - but that's just based on my experiences!
I'm going to go with what @eyebrows said. In my experience, studios are fairly evenly split between the two platforms, with a slight edge to PC due to lower cost. A friend of mine in the wedding industry actually switched from Mac back to PC last year because of said cost, and has no regrets (though he has said that when he feels rich he will go back to Mac).
A lot depends on what you want to run. There is some software won't run on a non-Windows Mac (Mac without a Windows install), so be aware of that if you do go Mac. I have industry-standard software for client gallery showing that does not work on Mac, but there is another "industry-standard" brand that does, so you're not stuck for choice.
PC and Mac are the same underneath - the OS is the only thing that differs. A friend of mine runs OSX on a HP laptop just fine (though Apple frowns upon that sort of thing). There is very little difference.
All that said, I just bought a new Mac. I will be running both platforms for the forseeable future. I just liked the integration of the iMac - it is very neat, and cost slightly less than what I was going to spend on a PC (due to my specific needs - it isn't usually the case).
So, don't get hung up on the "creative professionals use Mac" thing - it isn't the majority at all, and it makes no difference unless, as has been said, you want to use Final Cut Pro. And really, not many people do need to use FCP anyway. Just get what you like and can afford - the standard software all works essentially the same way on either platform.
MAC - 100%! I owned a design and print agency for over 10 years. Every printer we used was Mac based, and our Macs were absolute work horses! The design and print industry is primarily Mac based (well, here in Canada anyway). I couldn't count the PC's we went through in those years (which were used strictly for accounting). We finally bought new Macs but only because we needed to upgrade our systems. I am a firm believer in Macs and although they are a bit more expensive, I believe they are worth every penny. I would guarantee that you would not be disappointed with any Mac on the market. Sorry PC lovers, but my experience has proved Macs are the best for design, print and photography.
A lot of folks keep bringing up the compatibility and flexibility issue, saying that Macs aren't as good as PCs because of this. That argument may have been true years ago when Macs weren't as popular, but it's irrelevant now. I use my Mac for everything, even though I teach at a PC university. I've not had any problems using stuff created on my Mac on the work PC. And, frankly, with the wealth of apps for Macs, I would say they are more versatile. I love using my Mac for photography and would never go back to a PC. Aperture for Mac is very reasonably priced now that it's on the Mac App Store.
I said I work at a PC only university, but there's one department that is Mac only: art and design. I would go with a Mac so you can learn how to use one. Then, wherever you wind up working, you'll be able to use the computer, whether Mac or PC.
I know just one thing.... I'm still "running on windows" and getting fed up with it... One of my sisters owns an iMac, and I've used hers... I'm saving up for one ;-))
P.S. @lauren211 you probably already know this but @jinximages is about the most trustworthy guy here in terms of knowledge of stuff. And I'm not just saying that because we agree :P
Ive tried both originally had a pc because i didnt want to spend the money and then got so frustrated that two years later when the pc was running slow slow slow i bought a macbook. The macbook is still going strong and running fast three years on and i would never ever ever go back to a pc! Also great for photo editing etc would recommend their software aperture. Although you will prob be using photoshop also i guess if you are taking a photography course. Hope this helps and good luck with the studies :-)
I miss my Macbook. It's from 2006 and has something wrong with the screen,,,,btw should've been a recall...certain 17in models with a certain first few digits in the serial # have this problem. Am I still getting a new Mac? YES! In September. They just run better overall, and the screens (when not defective) are incredible! MAC experience in very important because if you go into design and/or photography, most work places will have Macs.
with school, i'd say pc. often schools have price breaks on software, and easier to find pc over mac software. macs are good, but it is also easier and cheaper to repair pc's. this is kinda like the canon vs nikon concerns. hehehe
I had the same question going into college as an art student. At the time Apple wasn't doing so well, so I bought a PC. Totally regretted it. Couldn't do anything for art classes on it. I had to go to the art computer lab. It closed at 10 p.m. I was constantly struggling to find the time to do my work. Before I graduated, I had a Mac. As a professional who has worked on both, in a creative field, there is absolutely no comparison. JUST SAY NO TO PC!! You WILL be using Macs for your art classes. You can get some excellent educational discounts not only on Macs, often through the school, but on the software. The educational version of Photoshop is a fraction of the price.
That's a lot of replies! If you're still reading these, then I am impressed.
I think I will have a unique stand on this debate: For me, it''s PC. For you, I recommend Mac. Why? In short, the only reason I haven't migrated is because I am so use to all the shortcuts that I can do in windows and how familiar I am with the platform. But my opinion is that Mac is the better choice for graphic applications. and if your into photobooks, Aperture was recently top rated by 'Popular Photography Magazine'.
If you do go with PC, be sure to research what brand and model you are buying. You can get an awesome PC or a piece of crap PC (even within the same brands - i.e. HP have some great laptops and some that are rather pathetic). This is not a concern when buying a Mac.
i agree with much of what's been said - it can appear to be a difficult choice, especially with some specialist photographic software being split across both platforms. But it's actually quite easy - get the best of both! How?
My solution, which I can confirm works very well Lauren, is to buy a MacBook Pro with 8gb of memory and then install Parallels for $80. This allows you create a parallel virtual environment within which you can run Windows 7 (you will need an install disk for this). You then have the choice to run both operating systems from your Mac either independently or, and this is the cool bit, together in "coherence" mode. This also allows you to drag and drop files between the two environments, so you could for example process an HDR pic in Windows Photomatix, then drag the result over to Lr or Ps running within the Mac. If you require maximum performance within the Mac at any specific time, you don't have to start or run the Parallels virtualisation.
As an added bonus, you can pick and choose between other Windows and/or Mac applications, such as Word, Outlook, iTunes etc.
A few bucks more I know, but well worth it.
Oh, and don't worry, it all sounds quite technical, but it isn't really, and I reckon you won't be lacking help from a multitude of geeks in your new college ;-)
Good luck and keep posting, Den. http://www.parallels.com/
didn't read anyone previous comments, but I switched to a MacBook Pro last year and I've never been more pleased! I love my Mac and will NEVER get a PC again. (Unless they start making them more like Macs :) )
A) what is it that you want to do with the machine? Everything you can thing of.
B) can you get the software for either machine that will do what you want?
Like buying a car, buying a little red sports car as a family car, especially if there are two adults and three children.
I worry about my photography more than what I worry about what I will edit them with. Photoshop is Photoshop regardless of what the hell it is run on. Calibrated monitor is calibrated monitor, regardless of what it's hooked up to. $400 PC that can do the job of a $2000 Mac? Yes please. More money to put towards what matters, i.e. fast lenses and tough bodies I can throw around on mountains.
I would definitely say Mac! I just switched over to a MacBook Pro last year and am in love! all of my files switched over without any issues and I never had any compatibility issues at school. Their size also makes it a lot easier to carry around campus. Also, the graphic design classes at my school use Mac as did the graphic designer at my internship.
If you do get a Mac make sure you take advantage of the student discount!
I have had both. My back ground is graphics and I'm currently doing photography. Up until a few years a go I mostly used PC's due to that was what I used at work. Now I'm all Mac. I got fed up with all the anti virus stuff. Plus MAC's are just more fun and the OS and everything is just prettier. So, both will do, but I think you would totally love the Mac. I'll never switch back to PC's.
we use Macs. I have found it to be much easier to navigate than PC's. Our only issues are when sending files to PC's, macs can run pc files but pc's are more ............. temeramental so have to remember to send as suitable file. Eldest has had some problems sending in school work done on Mac as the PC's don't recognise it...so we're having to download to a memory stick and have her take that in as back up in case the work gets lost.
many freeware / add-on programs can aide graphic designers. Unfortunately, they commonly happen to be .exe's. Sorry mac users.
Mac's are overpriced and do not include as good of hardware inside of them to preform like pc's do. You can get a pc cheaper, upgrade them, and run mac software on them if you really feel like it and it will still out preform a mac
it is a common misconception that photoshop and other adobe products are better on the mac. this was true many years ago, but not anymore
So lets say your working on a giant picture in photoshop, and need the hardware to patch it all to one save it as one giant file, you are going to need a system that can actually handle it
Anything related to Windows reminds me so much of long work hours at the office, so at home I use only mac. And using Aperture with it is great for photography.
Mac... Definitely no two ways about it. And get as close to top-of-line as your budget permits as it will serve you for many years and not become obsolete as quickly. The more RAM the better! You should have a couple of large external hard drives (500GB minimum) as well - one for keeping your main photo library and use the other one as a backup. Don't keep your main photo library on your internal disk... just a reduced collection of your already processed favorites for easy access.
I have used both Macs (home) and PCs (Home and work). There's a learning curve for each if your not familiar with them. My experience is that whichever you get first and learn on is the easiest...it's possible to change, but give yourself time and make sure that you know someone who is a Mac or PC geek for help.
I would agree that the cost for Macs is more...but I also agree that's because you won't have to upgrade your graphics card...sound card...software is built in...etc. That doesn't account for all of the money...and yes, you can get a PC laptop for $300 as opposed to $1500 for a Mac...so you have to take that into consideration.
I dont agree that PCs don't outperform Macs...it depends on what you get and what software you need to use. It's also true that some software packages only run on PC...but the main ones...word processors, spreadsheets, graphics stuff...is available for both. As far as compatibility is concerned I had more problems going from XP to Vista...and then to WIndows 7 (at home AND at work -- and at work we had the IT guys to help) than I did from going from OS7, to OS8, to OS9 and finally to OS10.
Whatever you get make sure you get plenty of RAM...no matter how much you get you'll wish you had more.
I switched to Macs over a year ago and am never going back, but my computer wizard son still swears by PCs because that's what he knows so much about. It's personal preference--Macs are more intuitive. Look into educational discounts and take into consideration all the software already installed on Macs.
On my PC, I used Lightroom and was trying unsuccessfully to master Photoshop. With the Mac, iPhoto comes installed and it's a great program. After a few months, I bought Aperture, which I love for RAW processing.
I don't have any Microsoft Office programs installed, though I have friends with Macs who do. I love Pages for word processing, but do find Excel better than Numbers--but it may be that I haven't taken the time to really learn Numbers as I don't use spreadsheets very often.
WOW!!!!! I'm taken aback by all of the replies. You guys are SO awesome!!! I am certainly reading through ALL of them. This is very interesting. I still haven't purchased a laptop but I do hope I get one soon! Thanks again you guys SO MUCH!
They do say 'once you go mac you never go back'. My hubby tried to convince me to buy a mac 3 years ago when I bought my laptop. I was in a hurry and didn't want to wait a little while longer to pay a bit more. I was so wrong and I remind him of how right he was all the time. We are planning to fully convert to Mac by the end of this year.
After many seminars on mac I am fully convinced that it is the way to go for those of us in the creative arts. I seriously hope you choose a Mac. I detest my microsoft laptop with all my breath. It was slow for the beginning... and don't even get me started on vista.
Good luck with your shopping Lauren. There are so many amazing products out there now. Have fun in college!
I'm biased toward Macs, have been using a Mac since 1988, though I've used PCs at times (and hated them). On the surface Macs seem more expensive, but when compared feature-for-feature side-by-side with a PC, they come out pretty equal in price. I like that I can focus on photography and whatever else I'm doing and I don't have to worry about viruses, constant updates that aren't always a breeze to install, crashes that I can't figure out... and the list can go on.
I'm a total Mac girl so I would push Mac however I would suggest you find out which one yll be using at school & what programs. That'll help when it comes to transferring what thou learn at school to home.
I agree with Danae. I'm a Graphic Designer and have only ever used a Mac in the industry - they're just far superior to PC when it comes to design. My university was nothing but Macs and even when I went to the UK they were on Macs :-)
I am a total Mac person! I have used PC's in my work as a tecchie at a school and they have been lots more time intensive to keep up and running. I highly recommend a MacBook Pro with as much memory as you can afford, and then some... you can not have too much memory if you are going to be in photography and graphics! At school you will not have to worry nearly as much about viruses, etc. and you will be very grateful that you will not always be having to install system patches and virus updates and can just focus on your work (and fun!). The less of a tecchie you are, the more you will appreciate your Mac. My niece has only used PCs all her life and bought a MacBook Pro for college and absolutely fell in love with it... as someone told her, "it may cost a little more, but you will be happy every time you use it."
Good luck with your decision and enjoy college... and your Mac! :)
I got a Mac and I will never go back to PC again. U forget how awesome your mac is until u go and use someone's PC. Plus I deal with editing video professionally and I like Final Cut which is for Macs.
Mac all the way, ease of use, speed, software ( OK OK some "free" plug-ins are only available for PC's, but why do you think they are free....?? ), they are designed with multimedia creation foremost in mind. I've got many mates who are multimedia artists, photographers, musicians...all use Macs..... Also as somebody said above Aperture is brilliant for photography and organising yourself.
Those who are saying "Macs are better for design." - How, exactly?
No-one has said how.
Other than Final Cut Pro for serious video work, what is better? I don't mean things like "It just works" and "You don't need anti-virus" (both of which are misleading) and other variations - I mean, specifically regarding design work. If you absolutely must have FCP, well, great, but there are alternatives that are equally as good if not also just as popular. Is there something that makes Macs better for design?
I'm not saying Macs aren't a good product (I just bought one!), but I don't understand, at all, how a Mac can possibly be "better" at doing the exact same thing with the exact same software and with the new Macs, the exact same hardware too (Intel architecture). Adobe CS5 benchmarks faster on Windows 7 than on an identical system running OS X Snow Leopard - not much, but a little, so it isn't the UNIX-based operating system that does it (though Vista, granted, was terrible).
My apologies if that offends anyone, but I am finding the repetition of "Macs are better for design" (in every thread about this topic) to be rather mysterious.
If you're only editing photos and doing graphics a mac is maybe a little nicer but nowhere near worth the price jump for that work, a decent laptop that'll run creative suite comfortably would do you well, tablet compatibility is a null point these days, same with most other peripherals and programs you'd need, though windows has some much better freeware...
If you intend to edit video then mac excels here - premiere, final cut's counterpart has all the features but just doesn't run the same, same with other video programs.
If you go the mac route, then get the smallest harddrive, stick your programs on it and get an external, rather than paying over the odds for the extra.
If you're going windows, go to the shop and see the screen first, though the screens on most are decent not all are and that'll be important for your work.
Do you own a computer of any kind at the moment? That could help be a deciding factor. I do everything on my desktop which is an old P4 with 2.5GB of RAM running windows seven and it'll handle everything need for photos, websites, graphics and even light video editing...
Avoid Vista if you go windows, seven is far superior and much more compatible
@killerjackalope - my Dad's computer has an external harddrive I believe, which is what I use to edit my photos and upload.... but because I'm going off to college, I won't be able to use it. We are looking into a laptop for me and want to get something of good quality. If that means buying a Mac, then so be it, but it's just I want to look into it more because they are so very expensive! The college I'm going to uses a lot of Macs, so does that mean I should get one just to get used to it? or do you think that it's not worth the extra money if you say that programs can run the same on PCs like @jinximages and others said?...
My dad also mentioned maybe getting a PC and then using the money I wouldnt have had if I had gotten a Mac to buy an external harddrive or a big monitor for my dorm... or a keyboard.... hmm I dont know. I mean right now I really want a Mac... they just seem so cool!!! but they are so expensive so my Dad is very hesitant. that's why I started this discussion... needed a ton of advice to see if it would sway him or I one way or another.
@lauren211 There's a lot to love about macs, I'm particularly fond of their interface, the learning curve isn't that steep but if you're working on macs in classes then a mac could be the way to go, so you have teh same workflow, file types and compatibility as the class computers.
What I meant was if you need more space than the most basic harddrive buy and external, it's much cheaper than the mac upgrade and if your mac dies in some way you'll not have lost all your files, plus you can bring them to and fro as you need, like work on them on a class computer, then hook the external up to your own computer when you're at home/dorms/bohemian coffee shop full of students
When I was in tech (college) doing media, which covered video as well as graphics, animation and photography an external harddrive was essential...
On another note CS programs support workspaces, so get a flash drive if you don't get an external, that way you can transfer your setup to each computer with a file instead of moving tool palletes all over trying to get it just right every morning
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Really, if you've no preference/experience either way as far as core user interface aspects go, then you want to be looking at battery life, weight, and physical screen size, as your main deciders. If you need it to be truly portable, then see what your budget can get from either camp that's light enough. If you need to be doing a lot of intensive processing on high-MP RAW files then you need to factor in RAM and processing speed (RAM being of greater concern, I'd probably argue, with the amount Lightroom pages to disk).
Software wise you can basically get everything for both platforms. Final Cut Pro is the only Apple-only thing I'm aware of, I think, and that's high-end video editing. All the core Adobe stuff (Photardshop, Illustrator, InDesign and of course Lightroom) are available for both.
Secondly, OS X (the Mac operating system) does a better job of managing memory than Windows (although I haven't tried Windows 7, it might have improved). That means that you'll experience fewer crashes and faster speed times.
Finally, there is some great software out there for OS X that's a joy to use and not very expensive. Aperture is a wonderful photo management / editing tool (I use it every day) and costs at least half of what Lightroom costs. Pixelmator is an inexpensive alternative to Photoshop that has all the same basic features, but is much easier to use. If you ever want to dabble with video, Final Cut is a great piece of software and Apple just dropped the price from $1000 to $300 -- and people can use that software to produce entire films. There are OS X based alternatives to Illustrator as well, all significantly less expensive, and generally much easier to use. Of course, you can still use Photoshop and Illustrator on a Mac, it's just good to know for a poor student that there are cheaper alternatives!
I've used both Macs and PC's for many years but in the past six months, have moved to Mac-only and have no regrets at all.
Have fun buying your new computer!
Nice, big screens are great for photo editing. My screen is only 13 inches so I tend to do a lot of zooming in while editing. The Macs with bigger screens are a bit pricey... another option is that you could buy an external monitor but that's obviously not very potable and would take up desk space. If you do get a Mac, now is the time to do it because they always have their education discounts during the summer. You get a little bit of a discount on their computers and $100 towards iTunes/Mac Apps.
My daughter has a PC which we bought when she went away to college. She hates it. My son has his Mac and he loves it.
One of the main reasons Macs cost more is they tend to have all the software you'll need, whereas with a PC, you'll need to make extra purchases to get your computer up to speed.
Use the educational discount when you purchase a Mac. Any student can use the educational discount. That will save you some money. Think about other costs. Photo editing software? Mac has iPhoto - not the best, but it's a decent program already installed. PCs don't. Since you're majoring in photography, I'd get something better no matter what.
You'll not have to worry about virus software. There's a saving with a Mac. There is a spread sheet built into a Mac. That's extra on a PC. Web authoring software is built in on a Mac. Extra on a PC.
You can tell I'm a Mac person. I've owned Macs. I've owned PCs at home for personal use. For my own personal use, I had more problems with my PC that I had for four years, than I've had with all of my Macs combined.
AWESOME INFORMATION. I will have my dad read through all of what you guys said when he gets home from work. Thank you all so much!
My niece goes to the Herron School of Art at IUPUI and she is the one who recommended to me that I get a MAC. I have not been disappointed!
I was just last weekend talking to a friend of mine about computers and raising the same kind of questions you have. My friend is a computer specialist and owns a computer store. Here is what he says to me: "get the cheapest of them, use for 3 or 4 years and them get a new one. Nowadays it does no make a big difference to pay a fortune for a computer, also, because they are not getting better; they are actually getting worse". He explained me that a lot of computers nowadays are breaking because of severe heat, and that is independent of the brand.
I was at this store and he showed me the ridiculous numbers of macs sitting there waiting to be fixed due to overheat. He said there is nothing he can do and the companies usually don´t give you a refund for two reasons:
- overheating is due to dust, and the companies says "mal use from the owner"... "dirty place and so on".
- it would only work get a full refund if any problem with computer happens in the first two weeks after they broke (which is basically ridiculous since most problems happens within the first year).
My advice from you, which I hear from my friend specialist and my husband gadget freak... get a computer that costs no more than 500 dollars and have a great time while they last.
Hope I could help you.
My cousin bought a Mac for college and had so much trouble. None of the programs for her classes would work on it, and she actually went out and got a PC. But don't get me wrong I think Macs are great for many things as well.
Anyways, just keep in mind that no computer is perfect. Every computer will crash and have viruses! (including Macs!) I have the Dell Inspiron 1440 and love it. Go look at some stores and try out some computers! Good luck! :)
@kchuk - no problem! in the same boat haha
Thanks again to everyone else who participated in this thread... or whoever else decides to do so. Much appreciated!
I currently own a Sony Vaio, and have had it for a year. I've had absolutely zero problems with it, and I love it!
Apple have already launched Lion 10.7 and comes with Filevault, AutoSave and Airdrop - a few extras or additions to what the previous version (Snow Leopard) has. Cool and sleek apps to choose from but unless you have extra bucks to spare, it cost more.
Microsoft on the other hand is preparing for Windows 8 - a tablet/pad GUI which can optimize the existing touch screen laptops (like HP Touchsmart) and boost file - or in our case - photo management.
MACs and PCs are generally the same with each "besting" one another. BUT, both are just operating systems. They rely on the present hardware installed. You may have a Mac but if it comes with Panther (version 10.3) - good luck. OR you can have Windows 7 installed with Intel Core 7 and all the super hardware installed (including 8GB RAM) in your system and you may fall in love with it. Incidentally, MACs maxes out only at 8 GB while lets say the best laptop from ASUS has room to upgrade to 16GB and this is only RAM and not graphics cards) . But again seriously, choose and study wisely what's under the hood. They are both the same and its either you pay more because of the brand or you pay wisely for the specs inside. ITs always hardware first before software.
In the end, you may end up with a MAC (Leopard or Snow Leopard) but there's always - ALWAYS - another geek kid smiling and whistling in your class with lets say a Sony VAIO SB ($300-400 less than the existing MAC)
or http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/precision-m6600/pd
or http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/laptops/asus-g73jh-review-49305357/
just a few links to get even with the geek kid... good luck :)
The brand you choose will greatly influence your experience with PC. I've personally owned an acer and it was terrible, so I would never suggest it. I've also had friends who have had many problems with Dells and HPs. My suggestion would be Sony or Toshiba - but that's just based on my experiences!
A lot depends on what you want to run. There is some software won't run on a non-Windows Mac (Mac without a Windows install), so be aware of that if you do go Mac. I have industry-standard software for client gallery showing that does not work on Mac, but there is another "industry-standard" brand that does, so you're not stuck for choice.
PC and Mac are the same underneath - the OS is the only thing that differs. A friend of mine runs OSX on a HP laptop just fine (though Apple frowns upon that sort of thing). There is very little difference.
All that said, I just bought a new Mac. I will be running both platforms for the forseeable future. I just liked the integration of the iMac - it is very neat, and cost slightly less than what I was going to spend on a PC (due to my specific needs - it isn't usually the case).
So, don't get hung up on the "creative professionals use Mac" thing - it isn't the majority at all, and it makes no difference unless, as has been said, you want to use Final Cut Pro. And really, not many people do need to use FCP anyway. Just get what you like and can afford - the standard software all works essentially the same way on either platform.
I said I work at a PC only university, but there's one department that is Mac only: art and design. I would go with a Mac so you can learn how to use one. Then, wherever you wind up working, you'll be able to use the computer, whether Mac or PC.
> Sorry PC lovers, but my experience has proved Macs are the best for design, print and photography.
Methinks a trip to dictionary.com and typing in "proof" might be in order :P
I think I will have a unique stand on this debate: For me, it''s PC. For you, I recommend Mac. Why? In short, the only reason I haven't migrated is because I am so use to all the shortcuts that I can do in windows and how familiar I am with the platform. But my opinion is that Mac is the better choice for graphic applications. and if your into photobooks, Aperture was recently top rated by 'Popular Photography Magazine'.
If you do go with PC, be sure to research what brand and model you are buying. You can get an awesome PC or a piece of crap PC (even within the same brands - i.e. HP have some great laptops and some that are rather pathetic). This is not a concern when buying a Mac.
My solution, which I can confirm works very well Lauren, is to buy a MacBook Pro with 8gb of memory and then install Parallels for $80. This allows you create a parallel virtual environment within which you can run Windows 7 (you will need an install disk for this). You then have the choice to run both operating systems from your Mac either independently or, and this is the cool bit, together in "coherence" mode. This also allows you to drag and drop files between the two environments, so you could for example process an HDR pic in Windows Photomatix, then drag the result over to Lr or Ps running within the Mac. If you require maximum performance within the Mac at any specific time, you don't have to start or run the Parallels virtualisation.
As an added bonus, you can pick and choose between other Windows and/or Mac applications, such as Word, Outlook, iTunes etc.
A few bucks more I know, but well worth it.
Oh, and don't worry, it all sounds quite technical, but it isn't really, and I reckon you won't be lacking help from a multitude of geeks in your new college ;-)
Good luck and keep posting, Den.
http://www.parallels.com/
B) can you get the software for either machine that will do what you want?
Like buying a car, buying a little red sports car as a family car, especially if there are two adults and three children.
If you do get a Mac make sure you take advantage of the student discount!
many freeware / add-on programs can aide graphic designers. Unfortunately, they commonly happen to be .exe's. Sorry mac users.
Mac's are overpriced and do not include as good of hardware inside of them to preform like pc's do. You can get a pc cheaper, upgrade them, and run mac software on them if you really feel like it and it will still out preform a mac
it is a common misconception that photoshop and other adobe products are better on the mac. this was true many years ago, but not anymore
So lets say your working on a giant picture in photoshop, and need the hardware to patch it all to one save it as one giant file, you are going to need a system that can actually handle it
Get a PC
So MAC.
I have used both Macs (home) and PCs (Home and work). There's a learning curve for each if your not familiar with them. My experience is that whichever you get first and learn on is the easiest...it's possible to change, but give yourself time and make sure that you know someone who is a Mac or PC geek for help.
I would agree that the cost for Macs is more...but I also agree that's because you won't have to upgrade your graphics card...sound card...software is built in...etc. That doesn't account for all of the money...and yes, you can get a PC laptop for $300 as opposed to $1500 for a Mac...so you have to take that into consideration.
I dont agree that PCs don't outperform Macs...it depends on what you get and what software you need to use. It's also true that some software packages only run on PC...but the main ones...word processors, spreadsheets, graphics stuff...is available for both. As far as compatibility is concerned I had more problems going from XP to Vista...and then to WIndows 7 (at home AND at work -- and at work we had the IT guys to help) than I did from going from OS7, to OS8, to OS9 and finally to OS10.
Whatever you get make sure you get plenty of RAM...no matter how much you get you'll wish you had more.
On my PC, I used Lightroom and was trying unsuccessfully to master Photoshop. With the Mac, iPhoto comes installed and it's a great program. After a few months, I bought Aperture, which I love for RAW processing.
I don't have any Microsoft Office programs installed, though I have friends with Macs who do. I love Pages for word processing, but do find Excel better than Numbers--but it may be that I haven't taken the time to really learn Numbers as I don't use spreadsheets very often.
Good luck with your choice and starting college!
After many seminars on mac I am fully convinced that it is the way to go for those of us in the creative arts. I seriously hope you choose a Mac. I detest my microsoft laptop with all my breath. It was slow for the beginning... and don't even get me started on vista.
Good luck with your shopping Lauren. There are so many amazing products out there now. Have fun in college!
Good luck with your decision and enjoy college... and your Mac! :)
Those who are saying "Macs are better for design." - How, exactly?
No-one has said how.
Other than Final Cut Pro for serious video work, what is better? I don't mean things like "It just works" and "You don't need anti-virus" (both of which are misleading) and other variations - I mean, specifically regarding design work. If you absolutely must have FCP, well, great, but there are alternatives that are equally as good if not also just as popular. Is there something that makes Macs better for design?
I'm not saying Macs aren't a good product (I just bought one!), but I don't understand, at all, how a Mac can possibly be "better" at doing the exact same thing with the exact same software and with the new Macs, the exact same hardware too (Intel architecture). Adobe CS5 benchmarks faster on Windows 7 than on an identical system running OS X Snow Leopard - not much, but a little, so it isn't the UNIX-based operating system that does it (though Vista, granted, was terrible).
My apologies if that offends anyone, but I am finding the repetition of "Macs are better for design" (in every thread about this topic) to be rather mysterious.
If you intend to edit video then mac excels here - premiere, final cut's counterpart has all the features but just doesn't run the same, same with other video programs.
If you go the mac route, then get the smallest harddrive, stick your programs on it and get an external, rather than paying over the odds for the extra.
If you're going windows, go to the shop and see the screen first, though the screens on most are decent not all are and that'll be important for your work.
Do you own a computer of any kind at the moment? That could help be a deciding factor. I do everything on my desktop which is an old P4 with 2.5GB of RAM running windows seven and it'll handle everything need for photos, websites, graphics and even light video editing...
Avoid Vista if you go windows, seven is far superior and much more compatible
My dad also mentioned maybe getting a PC and then using the money I wouldnt have had if I had gotten a Mac to buy an external harddrive or a big monitor for my dorm... or a keyboard.... hmm I dont know. I mean right now I really want a Mac... they just seem so cool!!! but they are so expensive so my Dad is very hesitant. that's why I started this discussion... needed a ton of advice to see if it would sway him or I one way or another.
What I meant was if you need more space than the most basic harddrive buy and external, it's much cheaper than the mac upgrade and if your mac dies in some way you'll not have lost all your files, plus you can bring them to and fro as you need, like work on them on a class computer, then hook the external up to your own computer when you're at home/dorms/bohemian coffee shop full of students
When I was in tech (college) doing media, which covered video as well as graphics, animation and photography an external harddrive was essential...
On another note CS programs support workspaces, so get a flash drive if you don't get an external, that way you can transfer your setup to each computer with a file instead of moving tool palletes all over trying to get it just right every morning