Which Computer For Graphic Design?

Recently the topic came up, over Mac vs Windows.It’s the “six million dollar question” of which computer is best if you are going into a specialized industry, like graphic design?

Best computer for graphic design 

For those of you who don’t know me real well yet, I am a user of the latter. But I have also been a user of the former, in the case of my studies back in the day. All of the Adobe programs were handled with aplomb, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Quark.

My neighbor owns a Mac and prepared to wow me on its superb capabilities. He had me at never having needed to install an antivirus program of any type. Which I naturally found shocking; as we are living in the real world, and I always thought the antivirus program of choice was non-negotiable. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of a cure. Knowing that I work in graphic design he proceeded to tell me that I would have an easier time making things flow better.

Now I have supposedly inherited a Mac computer (when it came out the operating system was that of some wildcat LOL) so I am seriously considering this upgrade; of course, that would also mean upgrading in the software department, as certain design programs are generally designated for Mac OS or Windows. This puts me in a dilly of a pickle, as I have not had an easy time of locating Corel Draw in the Mac version.

Now the lists below were not made on a bias; they are a compilation of some of the most commonly discussed issues and benefits.

Some Disadvantages of Windows:

1.Higher incidents of virus attacks, including malware, adware, etc.

2.Slower processing speeds

3.Higher resource requirements; such things as add-on tools, upgrades, and hardware.

4.File formats that are not “backwards compatible”- for example, someone cannot read a file created in the most current date in an older version.

Advantages:

1.Cost: significantly less; including repair costs

2.Online gaming: Perhaps not a factor in doing artwork. Nothing wrong with this as a hobby, but it’s a whole other ball game.

3.Touchscreen capabilities: Also, not a factor, as you need elbow grease to be skilled here.

4.Wider variety of programs available for use

What characteristics the Mac has on Windows?

1.Much less virus, malware, adware, etc. susceptibility.

2.Installed drivers are strictly made by the Apple company, whereareas Windows use a myriad of different manufacturer drivers

3.Quicker bootup times, smoother performance

4.Aluminum components over plastic

Desktops are preferable when working with graphics!

Yes, nothing beats having a portable computer that can go anywhere you can, but you may find yourself limited when it comes to serious graphic work, due to smaller screen sizes, smaller hard drives and lower amounts of memory. When I was first doodling around with a program or two, I found the integrated mouse a real hindrance (although you can plug in a more traditional optical one into the USB port, or use one of those wireless mice) You may want to branch out into drawing tablets before too long and not want to be limited by such things as the slower processing speed. Bottom line: notebooks are great for travel, browsing, studying, reading, or managing spreadsheets, but not so great for the labor intensive skills of drawing detailed graphic illustrations.

In Conclusion

The differences between Macs and Windows PC listed above can help you to reach a conclusion to which you want to spring for; but most importantly you are going to need the greater performance, memory, and greater screen resolution. In a creative industry you want a computer that works as hard as you do, regardless of the brand name.