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Computer salespeople are giving digital photography a bad—and expensive—rep. Don’t believe me? Just go into a computer megastore and tell the salesperson you want a computer that’s optimized for manipulating or retouching photographs. Invariably, you’ll get a big smile, and be led to the most costly computer in the store.
But a photo-friendly computer doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. For many photographers, an $800 computer (monitor included!) may be enough, and superb systems can be had for under $2,000. To beat the high pressure and the high prices, know the facts when you’re ready to buy your first digital darkroom system or upgrade the one you have.
Mac or PC? Who cares?
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The Mac Solution
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| Cool iMac: Apple’s iMac wins an award for its design, but it’s also an affordable imaging powerhouse. The 1.25GHz G4 model above ($1,800 street) features a 17-inch LCD monitor, a 4x DVD-R SuperDrive, 256MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and iLife software bundle. |
I admit it: For many years, I was an Apple Macintosh believer who thought PCs were second-rate when it came to digital imaging. The Mac operating system was easier to learn, rarely crashed, and its advanced color-management support made it the stuff of religion. But thanks to steady progress in the Microsoft camp in all three areas, a typical PC running Microsoft’s Windows XP (Home or Pro edition) is now as good a digital darkroom system as a Mac. That said, there are still enough differences between models and brands that might influence your buying decision, and some programs are only available for either Mac or PC. But don’t be fooled by a salesperson who starts comparing the gigahertz (GHz) processing speeds of a PC with a Mac. Due to the way these chips process data, a 3GHz Intel Pentium 4 PC may not run Adobe Photoshop any faster than a 1.25GHz G4 Mac, so GHz rating should not be the deciding factor when choosing between a PC or Mac.
Resist the latest models
There’s a great lie circulating in the computer world: As soon as you buy your computer, it’ll be made obsolete by the next model. This statement is meant to steer you toward buying the fastest, most expensive system so that it takes at least a month before your new computer is outclassed by a newer one. You’ll hear that you should buy a top-of-the line system because it can handle your hi-res digital-camera files without slowing down, especially when you apply complex digital filters in programs such as Photoshop. You might even hear (as I’ve heard) that the faster the computer, the faster your printer will work. They’re all lies!
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