[lruizm]

Hey I'm doing a kind of survey here... so please answer

for the university... studying digital art... the notebook to own is mac or any other can compete?

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Its all to do with your software, mac has alot of good stuff but so does windows, find out what software you get taught with and they recommend. Macs have there advatages the software is cheaper the computers are pricey but it balances out they are half decent and things like photoshop cost a small fortune, but if you need it you need it, contact your uni find out what they reccomend.

If you need a powerful PC though i wouldn't recommend a laptop at all unless you will be constantly on the move, if you will only be using it in a computer lab or a library pretty pointless as their should already be pcs there for you to use usually better than any laptop you would have, so all you need is something for when you are at home a pc is a better choice more power better kit, smaller price.

[warriorscot]

Its all to do with your software, mac has alot of good stuff but so does windows, find out what software you get taught with and they recommend. Macs have there advatages the software is cheaper the computers are pricey but it balances out they are half decent and things like photoshop cost a small fortune, but if you need it you need it, contact your uni find out what they reccomend.

If you need a powerful PC though i wouldn't recommend a laptop at all unless you will be constantly on the move, if you will only be using it in a computer lab or a library pretty pointless as their should already be pcs there for you to use usually better than any laptop you would have, so all you need is something for when you are at home a pc is a better choice more power better kit, smaller price.

[lruizm]

and how about the programs, there's a cliché... apple design programs are better than pc design programs?.. in case of a pc, any brands recommended? dell...toshiba? heard they were better than hp and compaq for this sort of things

[admin]

Chances are if you plan to make a career out of graphic design, and/or digital graphics you'll be supplied with an Apple by your employer. The majority of serious designers use Apple. You might as well start using one now. <joke> Plus, the other students may point and laugh at you if you carry an IBM. </joke>

I would guess your university will supply you with the required software. Adobe Creative Suite is likely to be on that list.

[lruizm]

haha ok then probably i should now get going for an IBM (i like attention...) thanks a lot!

[dsenette]

as a general rule....most of the industry involving photo/video editing resides on a mac base....and anyone who doesn't have a mac...that tries to enter the field (even if your work is better than theirs...or maybe ESPECIALLY if your work is better than theirs) will be shunned as an outcast...a pariah if you will....

with the right software...you can do the same things on a non mac as you can with a mac...but macs tend to be the accepted "gold standard" for photo/video editing

[warriorscot]

lol, totally opposite in the engineering student world, Mac users get the snickers, all the rest of us are windows and nixers. To be honest mac has lost some of its plus points in my opinion for video/photo editing the power PC chips were always really good at that sort of thing, and intels are good at it but not like the power PCs are.

If you can get the software and its all down to hardware i would just get the best i could for the least i could whatever it is brand wise since apple switched to intel the macs are just the same as anyother new PC now and have to compete much more directly with companies using intel hardware much longer than they have.

If you want a desktop, i would build it; for a laptop, usual suspects, Dell, Alienware, Toshiba, Acer, Apple ... the list goes on just find the best in your budget would be my advice.

IBM are actually quite good, better quality than most other companies ive seen thinkpads take knocks that would KO most other laptops.

Edited by warriorscot, 13 November 2006 - 11:10 AM.

[Kurenai]

I'm very pro-PC, anti-Mac, but even I will admit that, when it comes down to graphical design, video editing, and music creation/editing, Macs are the way to go. The hardware is physically optimized for it, and their software suites absolutely smoke the pc based competition.

[dsenette]

software suites absolutely smoke the pc based competition.

from my own personally limited experience here...there is a very note-able difference even between software of the same type....mac photoshop is nothing like windows photoshop...almost no comparrison

[warriorscot]

The hardware is just the same now there isnt any difference between a new mac and a new PC of the same spec, they used to use a whole different architecture they dont anymore its just a normal PC with a apples OSX, im with dsenette i dont use it but when ive looked at them and others using them they are totally different, personally i dont think you can really determine whats better. I think it would come down to what you learned with i would be very surprised if there was anything either could do the other couldnt. These days it all down to the software.