computer advice

sheltonp

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Can others edit my Photos
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okay im new to this forum! im looking for some advice on computers!!!! as of now i work on a home comuter (PC) just a gateway. i've heard photographers need to work with MAC!? is this correct? so if i switch to mac do i spend money on a laptop?? i dont have tons to spend so probally looking at a used computer! please give me any advice. i do have photoshop elements although i must say alot of the time i just use picnik if i have a few photos to do! thanks,
 
Photographers don't need to work on a MAC, or even a Mac. It's a myth. You can get pretty much the same software for either platform. There is no reason you would need an Apple computer over a standard wintel machine.

Notebooks are not ideal for photo editing. They're slow and have small screens. If you seriously get into photography, then you'll want a desktop.
 
You can edit photos on just about any computer these days. The platform makes no difference. Mac used to have an edge (years and years ago), but now the playing field is pretty much level. Laptops are not ideal, but if you want one, you can totally make it work. High performance laptops are quite cheap these days (still more than desktops though), and if you connect an external monitor, it's nearly the same as using a desktop. The monitor is going to be the most significant variable in any setup I think. Pretty much every modern computer is plenty fast, but good monitors still cost money...

Are you dissatisfied with your gateway's performance? if so what are it's specs?

There's also a lot of different software around which may allow you to do things differently/more easily/more effectively. The GIMP is free, and runs on pretty much every platform available.
 
I started editing with my HP laptop and Photoshop Elements; I now also have an iMac (desktop) with Photoshop CS4. Depending on what you want to do either setup can work well. Computers and software, though more reasonable than they used to be, still aren't cheap, so I'd recommend buying a new computer based on your overall needs, not just your photography desires. Is your Gateway functional? If so, don't bother buying anything at this point. If it is frustratingly slow and you want to replace it, decide whether your priority is the portability of a laptop or the relatively cheaper power of a desktop. (Choosing Mac vs PC is a personal choice and these days is pretty independent on photo editing software available.)
 
I use mac because I have mac software. I already invested in the adobe master collection on Mac. Buying it again for PC just didn't make sense. Mac v PC is really a personal preference. A laptop is mobile but you will want a good large external monitor for heavy editing. When I replaced my laptop I purchased a 13" macbook pro because I have a much larger, quality monitor to edit with. The small size of the laptop makes it more mobile for me and with an external monitor, mouse, keyboard and wacum tablet in my office, I have the best of both worlds. You can do the same with a PC laptop.
 
Computers are extremely fast and inexpensive these days. Even a $800 laptop would outperform the best desktop you could buy 5 years ago, so a laptop is an option.
 
Its not the power that is the issue, djacobox. It is the small size and low quality of a laptop screen. That is why I have an external monitor.
 
You may want to look at why your computer is slow. Sometimes just adding some RAM or defragmenting the HD can really help the PC to run faster.
 

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