For Designers?

[evil_danger]

More design places use mac's, its more of a media standard, but now-a-days they're really isn't that much difference, everything is so compatible.

Mac's are more money, you'll get a "better" spec pc for less than a Mac.

If you've not got much money get a PC there will always be someone who knows how to fix it if you're not computer minded, Mac's users tend to be few and far between.

 

[Paws]

What evil_danger wrote.

Some Adobe software nowadays runs even better on Windows than on MacOS, even though Apple and Adobe were like siblings growing up together...

And PC just means personal computer. A Mac is a PC too.

 

[evil_danger]

*nods* yep a mac used to be a brand of PC really

But now you can run a Mac OS on a PC and Windows OS on a Mac the lines are getting more blurred all the time!

 

[GhostPhoenix]

Hardware wise you will almost always get more PC (which used be called IBM compatible) per dollar, then you will with a MAC.

However, the key thing you need to use to make your decision is whether or not you are going into the media field (where PC's are used less from what I've read and heard). If you are then I would recommend a MAC, if your not then I would stick with a PC since Windows 7 works fairly well (been running it since before it came out, and haven't had a single crash).

You mention a LECTURER, is this for school use to become a designer or something in the media field? I'm curious as to what the context was for the quote that PC's lag behind MAC's.

Phx

 

[andysayshi]

You brother is correct that you can buy a more powerful PC for the equivalent value Mac. There are more important things to consider, however.

You mention a lecturer, so I assume you're studying. If the school favours Mac, does it offer you access to Mac-only software? Do your teachers all use Macs, making it easier to follow along with the same OS? Do your fellow students use Macs, making it easier to exchange software/plugins/peripherals?

In the print design world, there are plenty of professionals using both OS's. Personally, I find Macs to behave better and have less configuration issues with printers/networks/peripherals, simply because their hardware is more controlled/less variables. If your school uses all Macs, it may be much easier to do stuff at the school with a Mac. If your school uses all Windows, you might be better of with a Windows machine.

You have the option of installing Windows as well, on a Mac - best of both worlds.

If you plan on working in the video/motion graphics world, then you need to know Final Cut Pro, which means you need a Mac. If you plan on working in web design, having easy access to both Mac and Windows on one machines means you can test web content in both, which is very important.

 

[GhostPhoenix]

Andy - I love your avatar.

 

[GamerBear]

It seems Macs were built to run Adobe programs. An example is I had a 3 year PC computer with 2GB of RAM a fast processor. I tried to make a GIF file through Quicktime, and then through Adobe Photoshop CS3, it struggled on my computer.

So even though people say Adobe programs run better on PC it does not when performing because you need the fastest PC in the world to make the programs function on a PC. Yesterday I was working on the same GIF file on a Mac, probably an older iMac with 2GB of RAM so I run Adobe Photoshop CS4 and try to make the same GIF the speed was extremely fast, it processed fine even played better than my computer.

So if I was to use a computer for designing it would definitely be Mac.

 

[andysayshi]

Andy - I love your avatar.

Thanks! I always worry nobody gets what it is - but I guess you do!

 

[GhostPhoenix]

Para:

Given the new info MAC is your best option, you could even use bootcamp to load windows on it as well.

Andy:

Of course I get it, did you see my avatar? I wonder if you get what it is?

Phx