I want a new computer for photography- preferably Mac?
I’m very interested in photography, and I need a new computer. I’d like it to be a desktop computer since I already have a laptop.
Could anyone tell me the advantages of having a Mac when you need a computer to help with photos?
I was thinking about the iMac- can you tell me the advantages and disadvantages of this computer?
The only advantage to a Mac is the operating system which is much more stable and handles resources such as memory better. Other than that it downhill all the way.
They are much more expensive performance for performance than a PC. The proliferation of PC’s has meant that many companies supply key components independently which means much lower price. With a Mac your tied into one manufacturer, good quality, but charges the earth.
I do have a Leopard system and I hate it, I hate things that think they know best and work the way they want to rather than the way you want to work.
iPhoto is a classic case of terrible software, you can think you’ve deleted something then find months later the same picture turning up all over the place, because it assumes you didn’t really want to delete it.
There’s the classic case of the CD/DVD reader writer that fits beautifully in the screen, if it needs replacing it £300.00 (£20.00 for an equivalent one for the PC) on top of that it can’t play mini-discs. You keep coming across this design over function time and time again. The single button mouse which makes using them a two handed job. I ask you!!!
When using Photoshop the background remains transparent which can be very confusing when you find you’ve been working on the picture behind and not the one you thought you had. Yes you can change that, but within a week the Operating System will change it back as it’s sure you didn’t really mean to change it – yes I did, that’s why I did it !!!!!
There is loads of free software for the PC, very little for a Mac, want an AV program for making slide shows with animation and zooming into the picture? Your spoilt for choice on a PC. All good, all around £50.00, With a Mac you have the choice of one, not very good, costs a few £100′s, or buy the full Photoshop Suite about £1500.00 if you want a better one. There are things you can do on a PC such as program PIC chips and other electronic stuff that is impossible on a Mac the software just isn’t there.
As you’ve gathered I don’t like Macs. Save alot of money get a better specced PC for half the price, yes you will need Anti Virus (free from AVG) Yes it will fall over from time to time, but so will Macs except when they do they freeze and the only way to get working again is to re-start. At least XP just closes the program the Operating System keeps running.
One final point don’t get Vista insist on XP. XP hasn’t got the ‘bells and whistles’ that take up so much of the computers resources, but it is the most stable system Microsoft ever produced, it isn’t perfect, but it is the best that we have got to work with.
Sorry for the rant.
Chris
Lenovo IdeaPad Z Series laptop: Parkour and Photography
