thawkins
Well-known
About to update computer. I want one that will adequately support photoshop and have enough memory to store photos . Give me suggestions as to type (PC or Mac) and other periphals. Thanks
Updating computer
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doolittle
Well-known
That's a wide spectrum!
Intel i5 or i7 processor would be a good place to start. 8Gb of memory too. Maybe modest sized SSD drive for increased speed for operating system and program installs and secondary regular Hard Drive for volume (1Tb probably).
Mac or Windows? That would be a religious question! What are you currently using and what would you prefer?
Talking Desktop or laptop? Budget? Monitor needed?
Intel i5 or i7 processor would be a good place to start. 8Gb of memory too. Maybe modest sized SSD drive for increased speed for operating system and program installs and secondary regular Hard Drive for volume (1Tb probably).
Mac or Windows? That would be a religious question! What are you currently using and what would you prefer?
Talking Desktop or laptop? Budget? Monitor needed?
thegman
Veteran
If you get a Mac, you can install Windows on it if you want, the reverse is not true if you buy a PC. Well, it is, but it's a lot of hassle.
Macs are excellent, but you have to be OK with a limited choice of hardware, i.e. if you want good specs, you might have to get a built-in screen whether you want it or not. Also new iMacs don't have optical drives built-in, many won't care, but many people need them whether Apple likes it or not.
If you're OK with the limited choice of hardware, and the somewhat higher price, Macs are well worth a look, and if you decide you prefer Windows, you can just switch over, pretty easy.
As for PCs, just a world of choice, but you do get what you pay for, you get more for your money than with Macs, but go too cheap, and you'll know about it in build quality.
Macs are excellent, but you have to be OK with a limited choice of hardware, i.e. if you want good specs, you might have to get a built-in screen whether you want it or not. Also new iMacs don't have optical drives built-in, many won't care, but many people need them whether Apple likes it or not.
If you're OK with the limited choice of hardware, and the somewhat higher price, Macs are well worth a look, and if you decide you prefer Windows, you can just switch over, pretty easy.
As for PCs, just a world of choice, but you do get what you pay for, you get more for your money than with Macs, but go too cheap, and you'll know about it in build quality.
Rogier
Rogier Willems
Get a life get a Mac ;-)
You are not expressing weather you want a desk or a laptop computer.
Desktop:
iMac if budget allows with Fusion Drive and Maxed out memory (can be done later)
I don't put much weight on processor speed.
Laptop:
15" Macbook Pro with maxed out memory. And SSD* drive if budget allows.
15" Macbook Pro Retina with maxed out memory. (comes standard with SSD)
*SSD* disk space if expensive and therewith limited. Delivers very fast user experience. Will need to store large library of images on external drive...
You are not expressing weather you want a desk or a laptop computer.
Desktop:
iMac if budget allows with Fusion Drive and Maxed out memory (can be done later)
I don't put much weight on processor speed.
Laptop:
15" Macbook Pro with maxed out memory. And SSD* drive if budget allows.
15" Macbook Pro Retina with maxed out memory. (comes standard with SSD)
*SSD* disk space if expensive and therewith limited. Delivers very fast user experience. Will need to store large library of images on external drive...
sahe69
Well-known
My suggestion for a silent PC setup, not knowing what the budget is:
- a good quality case, e.g. Fractal design R4
- a passive cooled good quality power supply unit, e.g. Seasonic. No need to go above 400-500 watts
- Any mid level graphics card from a reputable manufacturer, passive cooled
- No recommendations for the motherboard, this depends very much on your needs, e.g. physical connections, WiFi or not, Bluetooth or not etc. Plenty of tests available w/ google. I've used ASUS MoBos on 3 different PCs without problems.
- Intel i7 processor, with a silent fan
- 16 gigs RAM (not much more expensive than 8 gigs)
- SSD, minimum 128 gigs, Samsung SSD 840 (personally I would go for 256 gigs).
- 2 TB internal harddisk, SATA III Western Digital
- Win 7, 64-bit
- 2 TB external harddisk (USB 3.0 or NAS) for backups
- a good quality case, e.g. Fractal design R4
- a passive cooled good quality power supply unit, e.g. Seasonic. No need to go above 400-500 watts
- Any mid level graphics card from a reputable manufacturer, passive cooled
- No recommendations for the motherboard, this depends very much on your needs, e.g. physical connections, WiFi or not, Bluetooth or not etc. Plenty of tests available w/ google. I've used ASUS MoBos on 3 different PCs without problems.
- Intel i7 processor, with a silent fan
- 16 gigs RAM (not much more expensive than 8 gigs)
- SSD, minimum 128 gigs, Samsung SSD 840 (personally I would go for 256 gigs).
- 2 TB internal harddisk, SATA III Western Digital
- Win 7, 64-bit
- 2 TB external harddisk (USB 3.0 or NAS) for backups
ZeissFan
Veteran
If you get a Windows machine, you will need a 64-bit version of Windows in order to take advantage of the 8GB of RAM.
The 32-bit version of Windows (XP, Vista, 7 and 8) will only see 4GB of RAM.
I built a very fast desktop using parts from TigerDirect. It's easily the fastest PC that I've ever used. Total cost was about $500.
I'm using a 120GB Oz SSD (solid state drive = no disk) as the primary Windows drive. And I have a secondary 500GB drive for storing photos, videos, etc. I had bought this drive by mistake last year. I'm glad that I kept it.
I also have connected through USB interfaces a 160GB Western Digital and 160GB Seagate external drives for more storage.
The only downside is the limited number of PCI slots, so I ditched the Creative SoundBlaster card. Still have a SCSI and wireless Internet card attached.
I keep the OS stripped down and turn off nearly all customization and pretty effects. I only use "Clear Type" and "Show Thumbnails Instead of Icons" under the performance tab.
Tip: Keep your profile clean. Get a second drive and store photos, music and documents there. Store as little as possible on your desktop or in any of the "My Documents," "My Music," "My Movies" and other "My" folders.
The 32-bit version of Windows (XP, Vista, 7 and 8) will only see 4GB of RAM.
I built a very fast desktop using parts from TigerDirect. It's easily the fastest PC that I've ever used. Total cost was about $500.
I'm using a 120GB Oz SSD (solid state drive = no disk) as the primary Windows drive. And I have a secondary 500GB drive for storing photos, videos, etc. I had bought this drive by mistake last year. I'm glad that I kept it.
I also have connected through USB interfaces a 160GB Western Digital and 160GB Seagate external drives for more storage.
The only downside is the limited number of PCI slots, so I ditched the Creative SoundBlaster card. Still have a SCSI and wireless Internet card attached.
I keep the OS stripped down and turn off nearly all customization and pretty effects. I only use "Clear Type" and "Show Thumbnails Instead of Icons" under the performance tab.
Tip: Keep your profile clean. Get a second drive and store photos, music and documents there. Store as little as possible on your desktop or in any of the "My Documents," "My Music," "My Movies" and other "My" folders.
Chuck Albertson
Well-known
I got a Lenovo W530 laptop/portable workstation a couple of months ago to run Lightroom, with 16GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. You can order a RAID drive in lieu of the default DVD burner, but I didn't; they offer a lot of customization options on their Web site. Also picked up a couple of external hard drives for backups and archiving. It can design nuclear weapons in the background while you're working in Lightroom. As ZeissFan pointed out, get the 64-bit OS, I stuck with Win 7 even though 8 was available.
ZeissFan
Veteran
Windows 8 is Windows 7 with some "improvements" and other things thrown on top of it. If you have Windows 7, there probably isn't a real need to step up to Windows 8.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Here's a complete photo system:
Apple Mac mini, 16G RAM, 1T drive, 2.6Ghz i7 quad-core processor
Apple Thunderbolt 27" display, keyboard, and trackpad
External data, backup, archive hard drives as needed (USB or FireWire 800)
Xrite display calibration unit
Nikon Coolscan V film scanner
Epson flatbed scanner
Epson 3880 printer
Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
Switch Mac mini for MacBook Pro or MacBook Air if you want portability too.
CK Dexter Haven
Well-known
I just had a conversation with a Mac salesperson. I have an old MacPro tower (from '96), and an even older 23" apple monitor. I had been considering just upgrading my monitor to a 27", but recently figured i might as well just go whole hog and do the computer, as well.
So, my discussion was essentially about whether or not i need a tower or if an iMac will do the trick. I came away with the sense that the towers are now really only for people who need to install optional cards, and for post-production houses who really need the horsepower. I'm a print graphic designer and photographer who will soon be getting into video. I'm getting a i7 27" iMac. Hopefully with a fusion drive. Good lawd, those things are gorgeous. I love the new design with the super thin bezel. Jonathan Ive is a personal hero.
Forget about PCs. Please. Really. A PC is a Mustang or a Corvette. It may do everything you need it to do. It may have a huge honking engine and go super fast. But, you're an adult now. Get the Mercedes......
So, my discussion was essentially about whether or not i need a tower or if an iMac will do the trick. I came away with the sense that the towers are now really only for people who need to install optional cards, and for post-production houses who really need the horsepower. I'm a print graphic designer and photographer who will soon be getting into video. I'm getting a i7 27" iMac. Hopefully with a fusion drive. Good lawd, those things are gorgeous. I love the new design with the super thin bezel. Jonathan Ive is a personal hero.
Forget about PCs. Please. Really. A PC is a Mustang or a Corvette. It may do everything you need it to do. It may have a huge honking engine and go super fast. But, you're an adult now. Get the Mercedes......
peterm1
Veteran
These days high end image processing software tends to rely on graphics cards for some of their processing power. Graphics cards are otherwise mainly used by people who play video games on their machine. These are "plug and play" devidces that slot into a slot on your machine's motherboard (usually - many laptops and some others have them hard wired in so you have no choice but to use what came with the machine). The point though is that even if you do not play video games you will need a good graphics card in your machine as this will allow processing to occur much more quickly. Others can advise you which to get but mostly its between an Nvidea or a Raydeon card. My rule of thumb is to buy the absolute best hardware (be it graphics cards or whatever) you can afford. That will give you a better result now, and also be able to be used longer without further upgrading and hence save money in the long run. I dont think it really matters if its a Mac or Windows machine but I stuck with Windows when I upgraded recently as I had a lot of money invested in Windows based software and did not want to be forced into starting again with new software. Also there tends to be more choice with a Windows platform so a wider range of software is available.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Not all graphics cards are created equal, and not all the high end graphics cards desired by the game community, which are often optimized for fast 3D motion and animation graphics rendering, are of any real value to Photoshop, Lightroom, et al.
What comes std in the Mac mini or iMac, or any current Apple laptop, is certainly more than just good enough for photographic image processing. Really. 🙂
G
The Mac mini system I outlined above is my current system. It's very fast and responsive even with 400 Mbytes color film scans from medium format negs.
What comes std in the Mac mini or iMac, or any current Apple laptop, is certainly more than just good enough for photographic image processing. Really. 🙂
G
The Mac mini system I outlined above is my current system. It's very fast and responsive even with 400 Mbytes color film scans from medium format negs.
willie_901
Veteran
This pretty much says all there is to say if you choose Apple. Great advice.
MIkhail
Well-known
Not to hijack the topic, but it is somewhat related to original question:
---The more limited set of software choices
---Same with hardware
---More expensive (twice, actually)
Please tell me, in simple words, why would a person (in this day and age, not 10 years ago, then I would agree) would want to choose Mac over PC?
I don't mean to start a fight, and actually I am thinking of updating my old PC system (served me 6 years so far, I scan negatives, run Photoshop and LR) for new PC system. So why would I want to shell out twice more? There has to be something there that I am not getting....
---The more limited set of software choices
---Same with hardware
---More expensive (twice, actually)
Please tell me, in simple words, why would a person (in this day and age, not 10 years ago, then I would agree) would want to choose Mac over PC?
I don't mean to start a fight, and actually I am thinking of updating my old PC system (served me 6 years so far, I scan negatives, run Photoshop and LR) for new PC system. So why would I want to shell out twice more? There has to be something there that I am not getting....
Carterofmars
Well-known
And the price tag?
Godfrey
somewhat colored
LOL
Because they're not "twice more" for machines with comparable component build quality, features and performance. Because while ther is tons more junky software out there for Win, the number of quality software apps for both is about the same. And so on.
Simple. The rest of the long winded debate I'll leave to others. I use Apple systems and find they work well for me. What others choose to use is up to them. I just offer the OP my experience with an excellent configuration.
G
yossarian123
Sam I Am
assume the sky's the limit since OP hasn't responded yet?
I'm using a 27" imac (2.7GHz i5), 16GB RAM, etc. etc.
6 TB NAS, Plustek 7600 (for 35mm), Canoscan 9000f (for 120)
Total cost was probably around 2400, 2500.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I don't know what the new item retail for the total package is. You can go to Apple.com and price out all the apple bits there, add the other stuff from B&H and eBay.
I had monitor, keyboard, and the other peripherals already. The mini cpu cost me around $1100 with my discount.
My three scanners and printer cost me about four thousand dollars, I think. The computer system itself was likely about half that. The whole thing was certainly less than my M9 body, never mind the lenses or any of the other cameras.
G
GaryLH
Veteran
I have used PCs at work for as long as I can remember. With windows 7, 64 bit, Microsoft finally put together an os that is as good as apple mountain lion. That being said, the biggest issue that Microsoft has and Linux as well is too many different possible hardware combinations from old to new, vendors who claim their drivers are well tested (wink wink and are just crap) and ill behaved at that. On the other hand Apple controls their own hw Eco system, if their is a os bug related to the hw, it's their own fault for not properly testing that combination properly.
Fwiw, Apple os is a unix based os w/ a GUI UI, allows to u to do things at native level when u need to or if u prefer, otherwise te normal graphical interface is just fine.
Apple hw is only a bit more expensive when u look at the cost of equivelent components. But the sw bundle that comes w/ a Mac is pretty good compared to a pc from someone like hp or dell. If u are building your own setup from scratch, then the cost difference can be a lot more.
To the op..
For my personal use, I have been using Apple products from about 7 years now. My photo setup is a iMac i5 w/ 3.6ghz, 8gb of ram, 2tb of HD. I use Aperture and LR. The photo library is not on the HD of the iMac. It is connect via FireWire to a external HD. One day I plan to upgrade to a raid setup. This is about 2-3 years old.
If I were to do it today, either a iMac or Mac mini w/ fusion drive. Start w/ 8gb.. If u do video, depending on your sw, may consider going to i7 and 16gb (not all video sw can truly take advantage of all the cores). If u are a heavy photoshop user and do some complex stuff w/ a lot of layers then u should think about 16gb. If u tend to run a lot of task and have a lot of stuff spread across virtual desktops, 8gb may not e enough as well..
Hope that helps
Gary
ampguy
Veteran
I'd consider this route: Chromebook Pixel, linux distro of choice, Gimp, Pixlr
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