There is nothing different about the performance of a Mac vs. PC for the money you put into either. Macs are "better" because they are only built using premium hardware. And Apple gears the hardware they select toward image and video editing. You can get the same performance from a PC by purchasing the premium hardware that serves your needs on a PC platform. If you needed a great image editing machine you can create it as a PC. Mac's do have a more stable operating system when it comes to virus protection and the system not failing. But performance-wise when it comes to image converstion, manipulation and editing there is nothing that one can do over the other. Another point Id like to make about Mac vs. PC users is, if you have been using Macs your whole life and then switch to a PC (or vice versa) you might have some initial adjustments to make with keyboard shortcuts and minor layout issues with software. But in a couple days, weeks, months, (based on your tech savvy) you'll be past it. And this is where I think the current issue with PC versus Mac comes from. It has nothing to do with performance. But rather understanding how the two operating systems function. One last thing, keep using the current premium photo editing software. Photoshop CS2 is still the best image editing software you can buy. Phase One's Capture One Pro and Adobe' Raw Converter are the best raw converters you can buy. If you buy a new Intel-based Mac remember Adobe will not be pushing out software for this new processor til Q1 '07. So when running current versions of Photshop you'll have some lag time if you use the current version of Photoshop CS2 emulated through Apple's Rosetta software. Adobe Lightroom and Apple's Aperture software does not offer the variety of options as Photoshop CS2, and Id steer clear of them for professional use until they fully mature as an application. Networking is a bit beyond me so I will not go into it. We have Macs that are connected to our network. On a personal note, if I had a choice between getting a PC or a Mac, I fall for the coolness factor of a Mac (the stability of the operating system helps a bit). In school I used Macs then used PCs at work. We have PCs in our office and a Mac in the studio. Mike Rippy IMA Photographer mrippy at ima.museum (317)920-2662 ext.191 IMA 4000 Michigan Road Indianapolis, IN, USA 46208-3326 www.ima.museum
>>> psully at magnes.org 9/8/2006 12:10 PM >>> Hi Marty: I think that the Mac vs. PC issue stems from the fact that Macs, in the past, have been inherently better at solving graphics logarithms and have been more stable overall, due to the entire package being created by one company, rather than the mishmash of parts that one gets with PCs, which don't always work so well together. However, that being said, today's Macs can still be graphics powerhorses, but the proper PC package (video card, RAM, processor, heatsinks, etc) will blow any Mac out of the water. I second the opinion already expressed that if your graphics department prefers one type over another, go for that one. I don't know a whole lot about networking, but it seems that many of the Mac vs. PC file sharing and networking issues of 5-10 years ago is not so much a problem today. If you do decide to go PC, there are a multitude of computer geeking websites which can guide you on how to get the most uber l33t smokin graphics machine. I recommend http://www.tomshardware.com/ Perian Sully Collection Database and Records Administrator Judah L. Magnes Museum Berkeley, CA Stein, Marty wrote: > Hello, > > We are hoping that the wonderful members of mcn-l can help us with a > question we are debating here in Houston. I hope this isn't a question > that has been posed recently to the list and I've just missed it. > > We are currently involved in a project to convert out photo studio from > film to digital. It's a very exciting project, but it has brought up an > old question that I had hoped to avoid - the dreaded "Is Mac better for > graphic applications than PC?" question. > > The MFAH is predominantly PC-based, with only a few Macs in our Graphics > department. Our IT department would like to keep it this way, but a > consultant has recommended that our new photo studio and imaging lab use > Macs. Our current digital equipment is running on PCs and it seems to > work just fine. Since we're making decisions about pretty expensive new > equipment we want to make sure that we're not overlooking anything. > > Can anyone explain why Macs are better for graphics and digital imaging > than PCs? Not just that graphic designers and photographers prefer > Macs, but why they're different and better? This would be a great help > and I would really appreciate it. > > Thanks! > > Marty > > Marcia (Marty) Stein > Photographic Services Manager > The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston > PO Box 6826 > Houston, Texas 77265-6826 > > Phone: (713) 639-7525 > Fax: (713) 639-7557 > Email: mstein at mfah.org > > _______________________________________________ > _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l
