New Computer advice

[CEK40]

Good Morning,

I am in need of a new desktop PC and was wondering if anyone out there can give me some advice on "best brands".

I only use my computer for general at home emails, home documents, family history and photography.

Any personal experience advice would be helpful.

Thanks so much,
CK in VA

 

[karen l]

Hi CK. After having a Gateway, Dell & Compaq, we went with a Mac. We love it! I don't know what you plan on spending - I know macs tend to be more expensive but we found the quality & customer support on the regular pcs underwhelming. My children all have MacBooks & I have an iPad for commuting.
We've been very happy with macs - oldest DS spilled Guinness on his laptop keyboard & it still worked. Good luck deciding.

 

[cjstarr]

From someone in the IT field who works on computers more then I like the two I see the least of are Dell and Toshiba. Asus, compaq, Hp's or the likes doesn't matter if it is a desktop or laptop I see more then any other for problems. I use a Toshiba A-665 laptop and have used Dell also in the past and reconmend these to all that ask for my opinion. The one thing you don't want to do is buy a cheap computer! Make sure that you can expand the memory to at least 8gb.
I can not speak for A Mac as I have never had one and at the price will never buy one.
If you have any more questions please feel free to ask.

Charles

 

[photo_chick]

What are you going to be doing on it? Brand wise, I think most every brand has good models and bad models.

We have home built (yes, I built them), Dell, Gateway, HP and Apple in use in our house. They all have pros and cons. I'd suggest NOT going Mac if you use photoshop. CS6 runs much faster on a comparably spec'd Windows 7 machine (though I have not compared on 8). Mac's used to be all that for graphics but they're just average now unless you get into the high end towers. My favorite of the desktop PC's we have so far has been the Gateway. I was leery of the brand but it was so much cheaper than the other brands for the same specs andI figured I could fix anything that went out. It's been 3 years with that one and no major problems.

Unlike the previous poster I didn't have such luck with my wireless Mac keyboard... I baptized mine in Dr. Pepper when it was about a month old. It wasn't pretty. The spacebar and a few other keys never recovered. I need to pull it apart and fix it at some point.

 

[cjstarr]

Photo Chick, not disagreeing with you, but if you have a Gateway that is still running after 3 years you are very lucky imho. I saw more of them then any other desktop on the market when they came out even the PB was a better desktop and we know how bad they were, just saying. You're right about the ones you build yourself the reason being you know whats in them from the MB on down and I have built my share of those. The last one was in 2006 still running strong as are the other two. As far as most computers goes we both know that after the design phase the parts are then put up for bid. Some like Dell and Toshiba will have quailty controls in place to make sure that the parts meet the design of the computer while other companies will accept the cheapest parts to save money.
I agree not all computers are created equal or models of all brands. The things I tell people to look for is CPU speed, the amount of memory that can be installed, and the speed of the bus.

Starr Computers
1998 to

 

[PythonFan888]

Mac's used to be all that for graphics but they're just average now unless you get into the high end towers.

I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one photo_chick.

Since I switched from CS5 on a PC to CS6 on a Mac Book Pro with Retina Display, my "eyes have been opened" so to speak. If you're into heavy photo editing on a PC you'll have to invest in a pretty high end IPS monitor.

I've started re-processing some of my shots on the retina display.

Processed with Photoshop CS5 on a core i7 Dell PC and "low end" monitor:

Moon Over China by Allen Castillo, on Flickr

Processed with Photoshop CS6 on a core i7 MacBook Pro with retina display:

Temple of Heaven by Allen Castillo, on Flickr

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

We have an ongoing battle in our family over PC vs Mac! While we have experienced excellent customer service from Apple, I personally like PC's from the simple standpoint is that I can work on them. If something is wrong, I can normally fix it. With the Mac's its a trip to the Apple store. I would concur with cjstarr's recommendation and add that it can be upgradable with a little computer knowledge. In our house we four Dell's, one Toshiba, one Gateway (that I'm currently working to upgrade) and two Ipads. I won't go near the Ipads.

 

[cjstarr]

PythonFan888 I'm sure that the Mac picture could be reproduced on a PC using a highend graphic card and monitor, would you not agree?
If not way!

Oh by the way thats a beautiful picture, what dslr and lens were you using and at what settings?

 

[PythonFan888]

PythonFan888 I'm sure that the Mac picture could be reproduced on a PC using a highend graphic card and monitor, would you not agree?
If not way!

Yes you could. But the easier upgrade path for me was CS6 on the retina display. The core i7 PC was hijacked by the kids.

In the end they're just tools to do a job. Use whatever feels better for you. Some of my workflow steps have somehow felt "smoother" on the Mac.

Oh by the way thats a beautiful picture, what dslr and lens were you using and at what settings?

Thanks! It's a 3 exposure bracket taken with a Nikon D7000 and a Tokina 11-16 UWA. 13mm, ISO 100, f/11. Tone mapped in Photomatix and finished in CS5/CS6 with Nik Color Efex Pro filters.

 

[photo_chick]

I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one photo_chick.

Since I switched from CS5 on a PC to CS6 on a Mac Book Pro with Retina Display, my "eyes have been opened" so to speak. If you're into heavy photo editing on a PC you'll have to invest in a pretty high end IPS monitor.

I've started re-processing some of my shots on the retina display.

I'm not talking about display. I'm talking about running Photoshop. Since Macs went intel they are PC's running a different OS. And it's not a change that was for the better IMO. Side by side my Mac chugs on Photoshop compared to my PC with nearly identical specs. And as you pointed out you can buy a quality display for a PC to match the Mac.... comparing comparably spec'd systems.

And on my Mac that first image that was processed on the Dell looks better. But I strongly suspect monitor calibration weighs heavily there.




cjstarr... I agree on the Gateway. I'm truly surprised from what I know of the brand. But it's running well. A friend I have at the local geek's r us here said they've had far fewer returns on Gateway's in general the last few years. Maybe the company changed how they do things? time will tell there.

 

[cjstarr]

I'm not talking about display. I'm talking about running Photoshop. Since Macs went intel they are PC's running a different OS. And it's not a change that was for the better IMO. Side by side my Mac chugs on Photoshop compared to my PC with nearly identical specs. And as you pointed out you can buy a quality display for a PC to match the Mac.... comparing comparably spec'd systems.

And on my Mac that first image that was processed on the Dell looks better. But I strongly suspect monitor calibration weighs heavily there.




cjstarr... I agree on the Gateway. I'm truly surprised from what I know of the brand. But it's running well. A friend I have at the local geek's r us here said they've had far fewer returns on Gateway's in general the last few years. Maybe the company changed how they do things? time will tell there.

I'm sure this came about when HP took over Gateway. They begin to have fewer problems after this happen, just not enough to gain my trust.

 

[PythonFan888]

I'm not talking about display. I'm talking about running Photoshop. Since Macs went intel they are PC's running a different OS. And it's not a change that was for the better IMO. Side by side my Mac chugs on Photoshop compared to my PC with nearly identical specs. And as you pointed out you can buy a quality display for a PC to match the Mac.... comparing comparably spec'd systems.

I haven't tried CS6 on a PC but my overall experience on the MBP/retina has been a positive one. My current workflow has been smoother, faster, and much more satisfying compared to my previous experience with CS5 on the PC. Your workflow is probably much different from mine so that could explain the difference in opinion.

Like I said, in the end these are just tools and we use whatever feels comfortable to us and gets the job done.

And on my Mac that first image that was processed on the Dell looks better. But I strongly suspect monitor calibration weighs heavily there.

Really? I felt the highlights were handled poorly on the PC version.

 

[photo_chick]

I haven't tried CS6 on a PC but my overall experience on the MBP/retina has been a positive one. My current workflow has been smoother, faster, and much more satisfying compared to my previous experience with CS5 on the PC. Your workflow is probably much different from mine so that could explain the difference in opinion.

Like I said, in the end these are just tools and we use whatever feels comfortable to us and gets the job done.



Really? I felt the highlights were handled poorly on the PC version.

Absolutely. And I do think what your working with comes into play. I often work with really large image files, some that are 200+ MB with 100 or more layers. So a little more extreme than most people are doing. The Mac just creeps with those compared to the PC. I had the same issues with CS5, and they're even more drastic in CS6.

On the images... on my display the highlights do look a little blown on the first one, but the second one is so dark over most of the image that even more details are lost. And on the second one the mid tones are running together. They both look like they have clipped blacks. Again though, how I have my display calibrated is coming into play here a lot I'm sure.

 

[wbeem]

I have to use Windows all day at work, but I switched away from it and went to a Mac back when Windows XP Service Pack 2 came out. Never looked back, never once regretted it.

At home, I have a 27" iMac with 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD drive from OWC. I also had OWC install an eSATA port to connect to my RAID enclosure, but would just use Thunderbolt now as it's twice the eSATA connection rate.

At work, I run Windows on a 13" Macbook Pro with Retina display. It really is stunning and wonderful and glorious.

As for performance, I've had far more lag on Windows systems than on my Mac. Even with equivalent system specs, Windows is just more of a RAM hog, also requiring anti-virus software and other things to patch holes in the OS. I don't have any issues or lag running Photoshop on my iMac or even on my old 2009 Macbook Pro with 8 GB RAM.

Keep in mind that you're looking at an overall experience, not just how the OS runs with one application. Some people will genuinely prefer one or the other, so I can't tell you which one works best for you. All I can say is that I've never regretted switching to a Mac.

 

[wiigirl]

I personally use an Apple but my DH loves his Windows laptop (which isn't bad).

My best advice when looking Apple vs Mac (or any hardware) is make sure they are matched in harware/performance. Most Macs are on the higher end and will blow away those $400 laptops you see advertised just by the fact their computer hardware and monitor are better.

 

[PythonFan888]

At home, I have a 27" iMac with 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD drive from OWC. I also had OWC install an eSATA port to connect to my RAID enclosure, but would just use Thunderbolt now as it's twice the eSATA connection rate.

At work, I run Windows on a 13" Macbook Pro with Retina display. It really is stunning and wonderful and glorious..

I have my ACR cache on the SSD and everything else on a Thunderbolt drive. Everything seems to run smoother and faster with this configuration.

+1 on that Retina display.

 

[photo_chick]

I do have to give a +1 for Thunderbolt. And for the fact that Apple still supports Firewire, unlike many Windows machines. Those of us who are still grabbing video from older camcorders still need Firewire connectivity.

 

[clarkshel]

I have to respectfully disagree with you on this one photo_chick.

Since I switched from CS5 on a PC to CS6 on a Mac Book Pro with Retina Display, my "eyes have been opened" so to speak. If you're into heavy photo editing on a PC you'll have to invest in a pretty high end IPS monitor.

I've started re-processing some of my shots on the retina display.

Processed with Photoshop CS5 on a core i7 Dell PC and "low end" monitor:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allen_castillo/7850377132/
Moon Over China by Allen Castillo, on Flickr

Processed with Photoshop CS6 on a core i7 MacBook Pro with retina display:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allen_castillo/8427085070/
Temple of Heaven by Allen Castillo, on Flickr

I agree with you. I use photoshop CS6 on my 2007 iMac with 16gb RAM and it is faster than my windows 7 machine with 16gb ram.

My iMac is going on 6 years old and it is still an excellent machine. I can't tell you how many times I have had PC's during this same time period. They just don't seem to last as long as iMacs do. They might cost a bit more, but you get what you pay for, IMO anyway.

 

[wbeem]

I do have to give a +1 for Thunderbolt. And for the fact that Apple still supports Firewire, unlike many Windows machines. Those of us who are still grabbing video from older camcorders still need Firewire connectivity.

It's there on my iMac, but not on the MacBook Pro with Retina. They switched to a pair of USB 3.0 ports. If this were my photo machine, I'd have to get a new card reader.

There are some adapters to use the Thunderbolt port, such as one I have for an Ethernet cable. I think there's one for FireWire to Thunderbolt, but I'm not positive.

 

[wbeem]

I have my ACR cache on the SSD and everything else on a Thunderbolt drive. Everything seems to run smoother and faster with this configuration.

+1 on that Retina display.

Separating the OS and data drives really does make things faster. Not just because of the SSD (though that is a tremendous help), but also because you can have multiple paths to read/write instead of queuing up everything on a single disk.