# Which computer do you use?



## Tyguy35 (Dec 8, 2013)

Hey, right now I'm looking into computer for Photoshop and Lightroom. I am very poor and can't afford much since I spent it on my last lens. I was wondering if anyone uses a cheap computer for Photoshop or should I just get a Mac.


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## Tiller (Dec 8, 2013)

If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period! 

If you have technical know-how, building your own desktop will probably be your cheapest option, while still allowing you to choose quality components.

If you provide your budget, I'm sure people can be of more help to you.


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## pixmedic (Dec 8, 2013)

I use my computer. 
sometimes my wifes.


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## TCampbell (Dec 8, 2013)

I use a Mac.  I use Aperture ($79... about half the price of Lightroom) and ... honestly I don't recommend Photoshop (especially not now that they're trying to force everyone into that ludicrously over-priced "creative cloud" licensing model.)

Do you not currently own a computer?

The biggest problem I see with photographer friends'  computers is that they're always running out of disk space.  But external hard drives are really cheap these days.


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## Josh66 (Dec 8, 2013)

I've been pretty happy with Asus computers.  Right now I have two - an ET2400I all-in-one ... and a little 1001PX netbook, both running Debian.  The netbook is maybe 4 years old (?), and the all-in-one I think I've had for maybe 2 years...?  Never had a problem with either.

I've had a few HP and Gateway desktops and laptops that didn't last very long...

Actually, I think these are the only two computers I've ever owned that I haven't had to replace parts on.


Really, there are only two things I don't like about the all-in-one - it uses laptop RAM, and it has a touchscreen.  The touchscreen, I really don't like just because I never use that function (though it has proven useful once or twice).



For my next computer, it's definitely going to be a desktop.  I'd like to build it myself, but I haven't done that since the 90's, lol!


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## wyogirl (Dec 8, 2013)

I personally use an Alienware from Dell, but I wouldn't recommend one.  It had to be repaired right out of the box... now its great but I think in general Dell has quality control issues.  My husband's dell is a total piece of crap and so is my moms Dell.

I have always loved Toshiba and have had them last forever... to me they are the tank of PCs.


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## weepete (Dec 8, 2013)

I recently built my own for the first time, it's mainly a budget gaming rig but it runs lightroom an PS fine.

My build was a:
AMD A10-6800k APU (Stock cooler but plans to upgrade later to a Gelid Tranquillo to o/c)
Asus F2A85-M Mobo
8 GB Corsair vengence DDR3 1600MHz 9-9-9-24 latency RAM (if I could afford it I would have gone with 2100MHz)
Corsair CX500M PSU
Samsung 24x DVD writer
Segate 1TB HDD
2x 120mm Fans 

and I re used and modded my case a wee bit so the fans would fit (got 3 now) and I've got plans to upgrade it (more HDDs, more cooling etc) but that will take time. Total cost was £420 but could have shaved that a bit if I was careful. It still runs PS and lightroom fine and allows me to run my games and way cheaper than a mac. If it was just to run PS and lightroom I think I could have saved a lot on processor and say got an A6 and 16GB of low latency RAM. If you currently have a desktop then perhaps you can replace parts but you need to be carefull the connections to your MOBO are the same.


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## weepete (Dec 8, 2013)

if in doubt ask here The UK's leading source for Hardware and Games reviews | bit-tech.net the guys on there are brilliant with tech stuff


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## Tyguy35 (Dec 8, 2013)

I have not owned a computer in a long time. I have one but came home to the screen smashed. No idea how. My gf currently uses a Mac and it is really nice fast and seems reliable. What is it that Photoshop is doing?
does aperture do the same thing?
ill be honest I have never really used a photo altering program I kinda just snapped away and fixed contrast.


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## TCampbell (Dec 8, 2013)

Tiller said:


> If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period!
> 
> If you have technical know-how, building your own desktop will probably be your cheapest option, while still allowing you to choose quality components.
> 
> If you provide your budget, I'm sure people can be of more help to you.



You can build a PC for less than the cost of a new Mac -- but the Mac has much lower TCO (total cost of ownership).  This is a common misconception that Windows users have... you guys don't realize how much you have to pay for that we Mac users do not have to pay for.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro -- which still isn't nearly as good as Mavericks -- is $200.  Mavericks... is free.
Microsoft Office is now on a subscription model... $100/year.  Apple, on the other hand, gives you a copy of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with a new Mac (and if you have an old Mac you can buy just the component you need for $20, you don't have to buy a "suite") -- upgrades are free (including major version upgrades.)  Also identical functionality is provided on the iPad... so I can create a presentation in Keynote on the Mac and give the presentation using the iPad and _all_ features and effects will be identical.
Apple includes other useful software... iPhoto, iMovie (want to shoot videos with your camera and be able to edit them? -- it's included), and Garageband are all free as are the upgrades.
You'll need anti-malware software subscription for a PC -- not for a Mac.  

All of that adds up pretty quickly and suddenly the PC isn't so inexpensive anymore.  And of course Apple has much better support and odds are if you live anywhere close to a large city there is probably an Apple store near you if you actually need to take the computer in for help.


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## Tiller (Dec 8, 2013)

TCampbell said:


> Tiller said:
> 
> 
> > If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period!
> ...



Operating sytem: Linux - FREE

Office Suite: OpenOffice - FREE

anti-malware: Not needed with Linux

:mrgreen:


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## Josh66 (Dec 8, 2013)

Tiller said:


> TCampbell said:
> 
> 
> > Tiller said:
> ...


First thing I do when I get a new computer is download Debian.



I was using open source/free software long before I switched to Linux too, so the transition was pretty painless.


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## 480sparky (Dec 8, 2013)

TCampbell said:


> Tiller said:
> 
> 
> > If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period!
> ...




Office 2003: Free.

MovieMaker: Free.

GIMP: Free.

MalwareBytes: Free.



Hmmmm.  All this free stuff sure costs a lot of money.

Oh, and Windows isn't even close to $200 when you buy it on a new machine.


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## Josh66 (Dec 8, 2013)

480sparky said:


> Oh, and Windows isn't even close to $200 when you buy it on a new machine.


I heard that starting with Windows 8 (I think) that they weren't going to charge the OEM for it anymore.  So, it shouldn't cost _anything_ with a new machine now.


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## Smokeyr67 (Dec 8, 2013)

TCampbell said:


> Tiller said:
> 
> 
> > If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period!
> ...



Windows 7 - 64 bit pro $120 or get it thrown in with a Mobo or CPU for free. (Some will give it to you with a HDD or even GPU if you ask nicely)
MS Office  (2013 full version - corporatelicence) $15 (and extra $10 if I want it on disk).  Open office is in my opinion a better product and it's free.
Kaspersky AV - Free with my Mobo.

I build my own desktops with cutting (not bleeding) edge components and can have it wrapped up for a couple of grand. 

PC's can be a cheap as you like, or you can spend 10's of thousands, a bit like photography


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## Stevepwns (Dec 8, 2013)

TCampbell said:


> Tiller said:
> 
> 
> > If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period!
> ...




You are assuming that everyone with a PC uses Microsoft Software.  You can get retail software that is better than Microsofts over priced crap. Aside from the Operating system, the only Software I purchase are games, Lightroom and Photoshop.  I also built my computer, with hardware that no Apple can touch.  My PC will smoke any Apple sold in a retail store fully upgraded. AND it cost less. Those of us that have computer knowledge benefit from power, speed, graphics, and cost.  Aside form that, you can buy a PC for less than half of a Mac and buy all the software you need and still be under a thousand dollars. The ONLY benefit to buying a Mac is that you dont have to know anything about computers, they  provides software.  With a PC you actually have to decide on which software you want, because there are that many companies writing software for Windows.  Apple has created an environment where you dont have to know anything about software or computers.  

Aside from that,  OP, if you have computer knowledge, build one and save money.  Since you are working with a limited budget, Apple is out of the question, everything they have to offer is twice as much as a comparable PC.  My mother has had 3 HP's and my brother in law has had at least 4 Dells in the last 6 years.  Neither of them have had any problems.


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## KmH (Dec 8, 2013)

Lightroom Help - Optimize performance
Photoshop computer - System requirements | Photoshop


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## table1349 (Dec 8, 2013)

TCampbell said:


> Tiller said:
> 
> 
> > If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period!
> ...


Let us not forget, Office for Mac is not a subscription program.


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## JClishe (Dec 9, 2013)

TCampbell said:


> Microsoft Office is now on a subscription model... $100/year.



Sure, if that's how you choose to purchase it. Or, you can still buy a perpetual license for Office if you prefer. Your choice.



TCampbell said:


> Apple includes other useful software... iPhoto, iMovie (want to shoot videos with your camera and be able to edit them? -- it's included)



Windows Live Photo Gallery and Movie Maker are also free and quite good. I prefer Movie Maker to edit my GoPro clips over the GoPro Studio software.


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## JClishe (Dec 9, 2013)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Let us not forget, Office for Mac is not a subscription program.



You have the same Office purchase options regardless of which platform you're on. You can buy the media, which is licensed perpetually, or you can buy an Office 365 subscription which supports both platforms.


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## GDHLEWIS (Dec 9, 2013)

I have been using various Acer computers and laptops for a few years, I bought my laptop based on my works Acer experience and have loved it. Not overly priced decent specs and solidly build quality, I have been trying to break my old work comp so I can get the new shiny ones in the IT storage and the damn thing wont die!


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## runnah (Dec 9, 2013)

I have a Dell at home and at work. Both have lot of RAM lot of gigahertz and some windows. I have some older Macbook that overheats.


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## manaheim (Dec 9, 2013)

What people have and what people use is variable and has absolutely no effect on what you need and what you should buy.
Any PC will do the job you need to do- it's entirely a matter of personal preferences and costs.

Go down to a BestBuy and play with some macs and then windows based products.
Decide which you like best.
Try some demos of the various pieces of software available for each that meet your needs.
Now evaluate costs and make your decision.


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## Smokeyr67 (Dec 9, 2013)

manaheim said:


> What people have and what people use is variable and has absolutely no effect on what you need and what you should buy.
> Any PC will do the job you need to do- it's entirely a matter of personal preferences and costs.
> 
> Go down to a BestBuy and play with some macs and then windows based products.
> ...



I more of a "do an adult education course about building PC's and then save yourself a fortune over the next twenty years by building and upgrading your PC's." type of guy


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## SnappingShark (Dec 9, 2013)

Macbook Pro 13 inch (non retina) 2.9GHz, i7, 16GB Ram. 2 x 500GB SSD

Connected to a 24" Dell LED Monitor.

I run OSX 10.8.5, with Aperture. That's all you need to know


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## manaheim (Dec 9, 2013)

Smokeyr67 said:


> manaheim said:
> 
> 
> > What people have and what people use is variable and has absolutely no effect on what you need and what you should buy.
> ...



Depends on your level of interest. Speccing out and building a system is something that can be handled (for the most part) by any qualified technical person. Once you understand the core ecosystem that you want to live in, the rest is really about what few features you may be able to choose from and what your budget is. In the end, almost any system will "work just fine" for almost all of the most common end user requirements.

In my experience the only people who REALLY benefit from getting down and dirty in these kinds of details are intense gamers. (I have been one). These guys want to get every frame they can out of their machine.  And to be honest... these days, even that is silly. Spend $300+ on a video card and be sure you check to see what the upcoming chipsets are and make sure you're not on the tail end of the last generation, and that's enough to get you almost all of what you need.

Scientists and the like need some processing muscle... but that's again most easily resolved by price. In this case... spend MORE money on your CPU and just make sure you buy a motherboard that can accept it. Again, watch to be sure that you're not on the tail end of a chipset.

Even the most hard-core developers... (and I have been one)... can work on absolute utter crap and get some work done. Would they be more productive on a higher end machine? Sure, but that just gets to the budget question again... how much do you want to spend?

Is this oversimplifying things? Of course it is.  That's the point.


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## DanielLewis76 (Dec 9, 2013)

I tend to use a Macbook Pro Retina but thats because I do a lot of software development and its the best laptop out there at the moment for my needs. I have built hundreds of custom PC's over the years (having worked for custom gaming PC company for a good few years when I was younger) and I agree you will definitely get more for your money custom building. However, if your not talking much video editing a fairly standard PC will do what you want though without too much cost.


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## nomiko (Dec 9, 2013)

This RIG
Intel Core i5 2500k overclocked
Around 3TB of hdd
MSI Z77A-G43 motherboard
Corsair 8GB 1600Mhz CL9 Vengeance RAM
Gigabyte GTx 660 2GB DDR5 Windforce GPU
Cooler  Master GX550 PSU
Xigmatic Asgard Pro Casing
And 27" Acer 1080p 3D led 

This is mostly used for gaming and entertainment purposes a little bit of Lightroom work too...

Sent from my HUAWEI MT1-U06 using Tapatalk


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## DanielLewis76 (Dec 9, 2013)

Stevepwns, as a matter of interest what is the spec of your bad boy pc


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## JustJazzie (Dec 9, 2013)

We've switched over to Mac in our house. I upgraded to an IMAC 2 Christmases ago and I'm very happy. I've used aperture since 2008 and I LOVE it. Never found a real need for photoshop (although I'm finding that fancy liquify tool would be handy lately! I can't justify the price for one tool though)

My MacBook from 2008, although slow from 15,000 pictures and videos, still runs, has never crashed, and has never caused me any trouble at all.
While my DHS windows computer, bought in 2009- has crashed 3 times, and is now a dead piece of junk that he won't even bother to fix, and he used his computer a fraction of the amount that I use mine,

We bought our IMAC Christmas of 2011 and it's been running like a champ ever since. Never had to buy anything for it since we picked it up. The display is fantastic for editing pictures. And while I am probably lucky here, I am terrible at backing up my files so the "peace of mind" that my files are less likely to crash on my iMac than any windows I've ever owned, is nice to have.

Do you need a Mac? No. Would you be glad you bought one? Absolutely!


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## manaheim (Dec 9, 2013)

^ and now that gauntlet has been thrown down.

In the 32 years I have been immersed in computers, I have made one statement over and over again in discussions like this. It totally summarizes the whole thing, but nobody ever really reads it.  That doesn't matter though, because no one pays attention to this discussion unless it's statements like "Buy a mac! They just WORK!".

So...

Again...

_*Amiga rulz.*_


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## Stevepwns (Dec 9, 2013)

DanielLewis76 said:


> Stevepwns, as a matter of interest what is the spec of your bad boy pc



G45 MSI Gigabyte Motherboard
3770k overclocked to 4.8 CPU with Corsair Watercooling
dual ASUS GTX670's overclocked to 1200 each
Intel 530 120gig SSD 
Western Digital Balck 1TB storage
16 gigs Corsair Ram
Dual 27" ASUS IPS Panels 
HX Corsair 850 PSU

Here is the video I did for my Youtube Channel about a year ago.  When I made the video I was using 3 23" Samsung with a 24" Samsung for 3 x 1 set up


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## SnappingShark (Dec 9, 2013)

I've never had issues with a Windows machine because a) I don't install crap on them b) I don't surf crap from them c) I install all my updates on time d) I don't use illegal copies of stuff.
oh and e) I use common sense when opening email - saving me from your friend's email which contains this year's Christmas card virus.


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## Stevepwns (Dec 9, 2013)

manaheim said:


> ^ and now that gauntlet has been thrown down.
> 
> In the 32 years I have been immersed in computers, I have made one statement over and over again in discussions like this. It totally summarizes the whole thing, but nobody ever really reads it.  That doesn't matter though, because no one pays attention to this discussion unless it's statements like "Buy a mac! They just WORK!".
> 
> ...




Ive been building custom computers for more than 15 years, and maintaining the majority of the computers I build, I don't have any issues with them crashing. Apple has the same problem PC tend to have, because they use the same hardware. The difference is that Apple loads 'on top' of the Kernel and Windows loads 'into' the kernel. Thats why you get the BSD with Windows. Apples are nice, and thats coming from a PC guy.  They just charge way more than they should.  The price is not justified. There is nothing special about Apple, there is nothing special about PC. The only difference is price.


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## shovenose (Dec 9, 2013)

Funny thread 
My full time job involves computer repair and sales. My second to-the-side job involves custom build PCs for home and business users.

For desktops you're always going to be better off getting a custom built PC or building your own. It's the only way you can be assured you'll get the quality and expandability you want. The only bummer is that Windows 7 (or 8) costs $100 per copy. If you can get by with Linux (Ubuntu, Elementary OS, Linux Mint, or Fedora would be my recommendations - the first three are Debian-based with Fedora is RHEL-based), that's a great way to save.

For laptops, the brands to really avoid are Acer/Gateway/eMachines (all the same company) as well as HP/Compaq and Toshiba.

For laptops you're going to be best off with Asus, Lenovo, Dell, or MSI, in no particular order. My current laptop is an Asus and my previous laptop was a Lenovo. There's no easy and/or cost effective way to build your own custom laptop so you're going to be better off choosing one of those brands.

Of course, you could get a Mac, but Apple's OS sucks (in my opinion, I grew up on a Mac and switched to Windows a while ago and never looked back)... and their hardware, while being similar to Asus and Lenovo in quality, is usually very overpriced. The only place their higher end laptops stand out are the displays. They use really nice, high resolution panels. But my currently laptop, Asus Q501LA from Best Buy (yeah, yeah, don't laugh, still the best place to buy a laptop if you know what you're doing and don't listen to their salespeople), has a great IPS 1920x1080 15.6" FHD display. Oh, and did I mention, Apple products are overpriced??

If you do want a Mac, get a Mac Mini and a good quality IPS display from a reputable brand like Samsung, LG, or Dell (in no particular order)...

If you custom build your own Desktop PC here are some brands I would recommend:
CPUs: AMD is great for HTPC's but for everything else an Intel 3rd or 4th Gen Core i-series CPU is going to be the best.
Motherboards: All mobo makes have some good and not-so-good boards. Personally I try to use MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock, and ASUS whenever possible (in that order). Avoid Foxconn branded, ECS/Elitegroup, PCChips, and/or Biostar motherboards.
Hard Drives: WD all the way. Best disks right now are WD10EZEX and WD1003FZEX. AVOID the older WD Black drives like WD1002FAEX, they're hot, slow, noisy, and power hungry. 1TB is the best bang for buck in disks right now especially those two aforementioned models. If you can afford an SSD go for Samsung or Intel, or go home.
Disc drives: LiteOn iHAS124-04 is what I've used in absolutely every PC build up until now. 0 Failures or DOA drives. However they now have a new revision that's problematic so unless you get old stock don't use this model anymore. Sad 
Power supplies: if you can spend more go for a Seasonic, preferably an 80Plus Gold or Platinum unit. Most people go overkill on wattage - it's pointless to get a 1000W power supply for a single-GPU system. Yes, even with a GTX Titan or Radeon R9 290X. On he more budget end, FSP (also known as SPI) makes some decent units. HEC's Cougar brand has recently made some decent units as well. In Win is another good budget brand. Antec, Corsair, and Cooler Master have quality control problems and are overhyped and overpriced.
RAM: Mushkin, G.Skill, Kingston, or Crucial. Avoid Corsair.
Cases: I personally prefer Silverstone's designs, but this is mostly opinion. Fractal Design makes some sweet stuff too. Again, I find Antec and Cooler Master overpriced and overhyped in this category.
Graphics: Intel HD onboard graphics are making great headways, but still can't compete with dedicated graphics from AMD or nVidia. Both companies make some great cards and some cards that are bad buys. For any computing like Folding@Home or Bitcoin mining get an AMD GPU. For gaming, get an nVidia GeForce GTX series card, or an AMD Radeon R9 290 or 290X (the only AMD GPUs that don't suck, IMO)... Make sure to get a card with a wide memory bus - this is usually more important than video memory amount. 256-bit 1GB is better than 128-bit 2GB. Unless you do multi-monitor gaming 1 or 2GB is usually sufficient.

That's all I have to say for now. I should really get back to work  Hope I helped somebody! Here are the specs on my main desktop:
-Intel i7-4770K CPU
-MSI Z87M-G43 Motherboard
-16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-1600 Mushkin Blackline Enhanced RAM
-1TB WD Black HDD
-In Win 800W Power Supply (overkill but I got a good deal LOL)
-Silverstone PS07B Case
-Geforce GTX670 2GB Graphics
-LiteOn iHAS124-04 DVDRW
-3x 23" Samsung 1080P LCD monitors


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## JClishe (Dec 9, 2013)

Stevepwns said:


> The difference is that Apple loads 'on top' of the Kernel and Windows loads 'into' the kernel. Thats why you get the BSD with Windows.



That's a little misleading. A BSOD is a result of Windows deliberately halting itself when it detects unexpected behavior in a component or subsystem (usually a 3rd party driver), in order to protect the system from malicious activity or data loss that could potentially result from said unexpected behavior. It's basically Windows saying "I don't know what you're doing, but whatever it is, you shouldn't be doing it so I'm outta here." It has nothing to do with loading 'on top of' or 'into' the kernel, as you put it; it's something behaving in a way that it shouldn't be.

Although to be fair I'm not completely sure what you're trying to say so I could be misinterpreting it. The Windows kernel is highly protected and nothing loads "into" it, whether your're talking about it's active address space, dll's, or something else.


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## Smokeyr67 (Dec 10, 2013)

Stevepwns said:


> DanielLewis76 said:
> 
> 
> > Stevepwns, as a matter of interest what is the spec of your bad boy pc
> ...



Danb bear the same as mine except I have an ASUS  Rampage IV extreme motherboard, 32Gb Ram, thermaltake water cooling and only one 27inch monitor


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## Jad (Dec 22, 2013)

My suggestion is buy the best you can afford and work with it. I prefer the Mac mini for all of my PS and Lightroom work. It is small is size and very fast.


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## robbins.photo (Dec 22, 2013)

manaheim said:


> ^ and now that gauntlet has been thrown down.
> 
> In the 32 years I have been immersed in computers, I have made one statement over and over again in discussions like this. It totally summarizes the whole thing, but nobody ever really reads it.  That doesn't matter though, because no one pays attention to this discussion unless it's statements like "Buy a mac! They just WORK!".
> 
> ...



Umm.. sorry, could you go over that middle part again?  I sort of nodded off there for a bit...


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## nomiko (Dec 23, 2013)

shovenose said:


> Funny thread
> My full time job involves computer repair and sales. My second to-the-side job involves custom build PCs for home and business users.
> 
> For desktops you're always going to be better off getting a custom built PC or building your own. It's the only way you can be assured you'll get the quality and expandability you want. The only bummer is that Windows 7 (or 8) costs $100 per copy. If you can get by with Linux (Ubuntu, Elementary OS, Linux Mint, or Fedora would be my recommendations - the first three are Debian-based with Fedora is RHEL-based), that's a great way to save.
> ...



There are some really useful advise in your post, for the noobs 
And that's a great built system you have

Sent from my HUAWEI MT1-U06 using Tapatalk


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## Newtricks (Dec 23, 2013)

8086... no wait, these days it's an HP 550 desktop, not that expensive and works great. Shop around for an inexpensive desktop and spend your money on a top rate monitor.


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## astroNikon (Dec 23, 2013)

Newtricks said:


> 8086... no wait, these days it's an HP 550 desktop, not that expensive and works great. Shop around for an inexpensive desktop and spend your money on a top rate monitor.


My Nec V20 processor computer with turbo is laying around somewhere.

I loved my mac mini when I first got it about 5 years ago.  Then I tried to upgrade the OS (had to pay for it) and while I was updating the builtin software it stated I needed to pay for more software updates - not everything was a free upgrade as part of the OS.  I uninstalled the OS upgrade as the $$ kept adding up.  I don't recall the specifics anymore. Now it's mostly for browsing and netflix (though only an older version of Firefox works for netflix).  So I'm a bit disappointed and I've been an apple person since my Apple //e.  I have a iMac G4 too which is on the old processor platform and that is only good for playing DVDs and a cute-looking conversation piece. 

So I stick to Windows PCs which I've been using since version 2.1.  8.1 is "okay" though I just got a touchscreen and it is better than on a non-touchscreen when certain things just seem easier.

To me the Mac is a luxury workhorse and a PC is a daily low cost workhorse.  I'm using my Office 2003 on my 8.1.  I wonder if my office 1997 still works too?  And there's always OpenOffice (free).

But for a "one off" computer, I recommend to just buy one as you may end up spending more money than you initially planned if you haven't done it before and are only thinking of one computer.

I just picked up a Dell laptop for $448 with a touchscreen.  It's not top of the line, gaming system but it just works and gets the job done. I have all of my Lightroom work on an external 3tb drive and it all works better than my photography.


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## weeds2nicaragua (Dec 25, 2013)

Mac mini (with 16gb of ram).  All photo / video work, as well as finances are done on the mac. 
All communication, orders, etc. Are on ipad.  I don't have a use for a laptop anymore. 
On a budget?  Build a PC install UBUNTU OS with Gimp 2.8 for your photography needs. 
A friend of mine does more with Gimp than I could ever dream about doing on PS.

Sent from my iPad using PhotoForum


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## runnah (Dec 25, 2013)

A dell of some sort at home and at work and a old MacBook for the road.


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