Graphic Design on a PC vs Mac
Just wanted to get some opinions my current situation. I went from designing on a PC for 4 1/2 years to a new job which has an iMac. My concerns are that I'm off the network, am the only one on an Apple, have less functionality than people have with a PC (outlook meetings, lync, internal docs manager access, etc.) and don't have a dedicated Mac specialist in IT.
If I switched to a pc, would the Apple InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop files open on the PC with minimal issues?
I do use a Font Manager now, so that may be the biggest problem with a transition. Open Type is the only "universal font" that will move over without any issues correct?
Any obvious benefits to working on a Mac vs. PC? Time Machine is the biggest one I can think of.
Thanks!
Let me see if I can address each one of your concerns...
"My concerns are that I'm off the network, am the only one on an Apple, have less functionality than people have with a PC (outlook meetings, lync, internal docs manager access, etc.) and don't have a dedicated Mac specialist in IT."
As far as I know, you can connect to the network if you have the IP address: Go menu > Network.
If I switched to a pc, would the Apple InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop files open on the PC with minimal issues?
No, but you might get a migrate deal from Adobe for a PC version of what you have now.
I do use a Font Manager now, so that may be the biggest problem with a transition. Open Type is the only "universal font" that will move over without any issues correct?
Yes. Open type fonts work on both PC and Mac. I prefer to still use legacy Mac fonts that are Open Type.
Any obvious benefits to working on a Mac vs. PC? Time Machine is the biggest one I can think of.
Just productivity. There are more operations to doing a basic command on a PC, whereas a Mac can do 2 things at once and is a much more streamlined interface, more intuitive and faster. This is my personal opnion having worked on both the Mac and PC and still do.
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It would be brilliant if Apple could make picture folders behave like events in iPhoto. You could see a photo on the folder, and also mouse over it to change pictures.
But no, there's not an application I'm aware of that does this. You can manually make a picture the folder icon, but it's a tedious process.
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But you'd probably need a Finder alternative. I use Leap, which displays any type of document. It also does tagging, which is another huge omission in the Finder. More like Windows Explorer (although still no photo on folder icons).
Another very stylish Finder alternative, especially useful for pictures, is FileBrowse. I don't know why it hasn't gotten more attention. It DOES put photo previews on the folders it shows. And allows one-click expansion to show the photo enlarged. It's super fast, and even allow you to group/sort by camera or flash! It really has to be seen to be appreciated. It works in Lion, although it doesn't seem to be have been updated lately. http://www.filebrowse.com/index.html
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Hi, so next year I'm going to study graphic design and I'm going to use lots of programs like illustrator, indesign, photoshop... I've been in trouble all these years trying to fin the best computer for me. I don´t want to spend a lot of money in a laptop, i think I'ts better to invest more money in a desktop. I'll choose windows because of their prices (they are really cheap and with lots of memory..) and mac because every designer has a mac and i dont really know how to use it.
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Hope you can help
thanksHi, so next year I'm going to study graphic design and I'm going to use lots of programs like illustrator, indesign, photoshop... I've been in trouble all these years trying to fin the best computer for me. I don´t want to spend a lot of money in a laptop, i think I'ts better to invest more money in a desktop. I'll choose windows because of their prices (they are really cheap and with lots of memory..) and mac because every designer has a mac and i dont really know how to use it.
These are my 2 options :
1) Vaio fit 15" A - Flip pc Vaio tap 21" portable all-in-one desktop
core i5 core i7
8GB memory + 8GB memory
1TB hard drive 1 TB hard drive
NVIDIA gt 735M (2gb) intel hd graphics 4400
$1,250.00 $ 1,300.00
2) 13"Retina 21.5" imac 27"imac
8GB memory + 8GB memory OR 8GB memory
256GB flash storage 1TB hard drive 1TB hard drive
Intel Iris Graphics NVIDIA GT 750M (1GB) NVIDIA GT 755M
$1,499.00 $ 1,500.00 $1,800.00
IN the second option maybe it will be or the retina macbook pro or the macbook air.
I Don't really have a lot of money but if i have to invest in a good computer i will do it.
Hope you can help
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I have a Mac 10.4.11. I would like to create a website and logo design though I have no background in graphic design. Which programs are free/best for this Mac?
Hi Josie,
Get GraphicConverter for all graphic things...
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/263
For other things, not free but...
http://www.realmacsoftware.com/
Or for Free, Seamonkey...
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/ -
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I am about to start Graphic Design school and the Mac Pro that they issue seems a little 'small' for a graphic design program. Can I get some opinions. Especially from GD users. I will be using the following software:
Software:
· Adobe Master Collection
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The Mac Book Pro OS/X details:
Processor
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I do however, suggest you do the following if you want speed.
Upgrading the RAM to 16GB will work for Adobe.....
When you upgrade your RAM - your video RAM also get's upgraded to 512MB which will help a little with FCP.
Swapping the drive to a 240GB or 256GB SSD will give you a nice performance boost with FCP.
Expect to spend around $300 to $350 depending on the brand of RAM and SSD you install.
Basically somewhat of a similar Macbook but I have the i5 processor instead of the i7 - the i7 being faster.
I spent $125 for the 16GB (8GBX2) Patriot Mac Series DDR3-1333MHz and spent another $225 for a Kingston HyperX 3K SSD.
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If this is left over and not an open box, it probably represents the best value in that respect. I would establish if it is really new and what CPU it has before committing any funds. I note it has Snow Leopard as the OS which has been supplanted by Lion and Mt. Lion. You might think that this is a negative, but it really is not. You may always install Mt. Lion at a later date ($20) if you feel you have to. I have a late 2011 17" MBP which came with Lion and I have also installed Snow Leopard on it. Snow Leopard is the most efficient OS that Apple has offered and I do not consider obsolete by any means.
Though Apple says that 8 GB RAM is the maximum, all 2011 MBPs will accommodate 16 GB. I have that in my MBP.
There is one point that you should seriously consider. That Is the Glossy vs. the Anti-glare display. It would be best that you go to an Apple store and look at them side by side in order to make an informed decision. I have a MBP with the Glossy display, my first one, which I like but the second one I got has the Anti-glare and that in my opinion is the more practical. The newest one is also Anti-glare. I have heard it said by serious photographers that the colors are more accurate on the Ant-glare displays. It may be worth the price differential, but you have to decide. (That is another item that should be determined with the Best Buy option)
If you have any additional questions, just ask!
Ciao. -
What should my next mac be? Graphic Design Student.
Right now I am still rocking the 2.26 Ghz Intel core 2 duo macbook pro 13". I upgraded the memory to 8 gig and it still runs fairly well.
I am still in college, and have recently adopted a minor in graphic design so I have been using heaving software on my mac which I can tell has slowed it down a lot. I have mostly been using Adobe products (Photoshop, illustrator ect..) and it seems to be doing alright. However I have also been starting to use Maya for 3D animation and well it hasn't been holding up too well. Also the 13" screen isn't exactly ideal for design aspects.
So right now, I'm trying to figure out what I should do. My options are the following,
Option 1:
Keep my 13" macbook pro to take to and from school- and purchase a 21.5 in Imac for use at home.
Option 2:
Or sell my 13" macbook and upgrade to a 15" macbook pro.
If I got with option 2, my next question is:
Should I go with the 15 in 2.6 ghz processor, or should I go with the 15in 2.3 ghz processor with a retina display?
Storage isn't too big of a deal because I use an external hard drive to store most of my files.And with the student pricing they are both the same price.
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Once you get home, you can do the rest with your new Imac.
If you go with option 2, you're stuck with 1 machine. That's why I went with option 1. -
Mac Pro buying advice for Graphic Design
I am going to be purchasing a Mac Pro and was hoping I could get some advice on the right set-up for what I do. I use CS4 heavily on the Mac for graphic design spending a good amount of time in Photoshop working with files that can easily go over a few gigs (when working on convention booth displays, etc.). I also use my Mac for casual video editing in iMovie, and use Apple's other great offerings like iWeb, iPhoto, etc.
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I hope these questions aren't ones that have been asked a thousand times. It's a lot of money to spend (especially right now) and I want to make sure I configure it correctly for what I do.
Thank you in advance for your input.Hi hatter,
Thank you again for your responses. That really helps clear up the RAM situation. I think that is part of what swayed me towards the 8-Core as opposed to the Quad. Please correct me if I am wrong, but looking at prices of RAM on Crucial I see that if I wanted today to put 16 Gigs of RAM in a Quad-Core it would cost me $1200 (for 4 4-Gig chips using all slots). However if I was going to put 16 in the 8-Core I could do it for $400 (8 2-Gig chips using all slots. Actually it would only be $200 more since I configured my Mac with 4 2-Gig chips from Apple for an extra $100). Seems like having more slots open will save me money when I want to upgrade ram since I don't have to go for the 4-Gig chips. That coupled with the theory that Snow Leopard is around the corner and will take advantage of the 8-Core it seems like opting for a low end 8-Core vs a high end Quad is worth the $300 difference.
Side note: Are there any reports that say running more 2GB chips is worse than running fewer 4GB chips? Just curious.
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Thank you all again! -
Graphic Designer here, need to convince my company i need a mac (not a pc) !
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I'm looking for the ultimate guru's for a Mac vs. PC debate in a corporate office/firm setting. Basically, trying to convince CEO and IT why I need a mac. I'm a graphic designer for a land development firm. Work close with Landscape Architects and Civil Engineers.
I'll take concept sketches and/or AutoCAD files (that are converted for me) and pretty them up in photoshop or illustrator, do planned development books in InDesign. Web services are offered, but it's not the primary vs. print.
I'm currently working on a Dual-Core Xeon Dell workstation windows XP. Years ago up until 04' I was all about PC, but now have been accustomed to my mac.
At home, I've got a Dual Dual-Core Xeon 2.66 that I love dearly, multitasks very well.
I need to write up a report how this will communicate how I do my job better if i had a mac in the workplace instead of PC. I know that's a far-fetched statement, but trying to sell them on having me use a mac for my services while the entire office can cope with their PC network. I would appreciate any elaborate feedback and insight.Welcome to the Apple Community Frank.
If you aren't using iCloud Keychain, it may be asking for your admin password. Where exactly are you looking. -
What is the best free app for graphic design for mac
what is the best free app for graphic design for mac
Good place to look for software:
http://www.macupdate.com/
And for free alternatives to some popular software packages:
http://alternativeto.net/
(If you see an ad there for something called MacKeeper, ignore it and on no account install it - it is malware.)
And there is of course also the App Store! -
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I have the new 27-inch iMac at home, which serves as my main machine. 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz, 32GB RAM (8GB at the moment - upgrading soon), 1TB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX with 1GB. I love it!
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If I were to get the MacBook Air, I would definite upgrade to these specs;
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Thanks in advance!Welcome to Apple Support Communities
The problem of the MacBook Air is the GPU, and Adobe apps don't support the GPU of your MacBook officially because it's an integrated GPU.
Sincerely, if you want to use that type of applications, the only valid Mac is the 15-inch MacBook Pro. It includes a quad-core processor, 4 GB of RAM (with the possibility to add up to 16 GB), a 500 GB HDD (with possibilities for bigger HDDs and SSDs) and a NVIDIA GPU which will work with your applications without any problem. Also, you can modify the RAM and hard drive without voiding the warranty.
If you want to give the MacBook Air a try, buy it and see if your applications work properly. You have 14 days to return it if it doesn't work as you expected, but to be sure, go for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air is designed for home tasks -
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In addition to pixel density, you are up against the translation driver card in the TV.
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