I need help, I need an operating system for editing photos. What are some good computer systems that I could look into, that are good for editing large amounts of photos.
Thanks
Joel
p.s. my budget is $1500 US dollars
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I need help, I need an operating system for editing photos. What are some good computer systems that I could look into, that are good for editing large amounts of photos.
Thanks
Joel
p.s. my budget is $1500 US dollars
Hey Joel
With a budget of $1500, I would get the best. I think a Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2.0 combo would be best for you.
Photoshop will deal with advanced editing - Masking, compositing, Panoramas, HDR, etc., while Lightroom will help you organize all of the photos and make adjustments like colour temperature, exposure, contrast, saturation, to name a few.
My description of both pieces of software really just scratch the surface - There is a lot more to discover:
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/family/?promoid=BPDEK
I wish you best of luck in finding your software. [:)]
You can get a good computer (dual core CPU with a big hard drive and a few gigs of memory and Vista or XP) for about 500-600 bucks. Get Adobe Photoshop CS3 or CS4 and you're set. You can use bridge to go through your images and learn / use photoshop to process them.
Sorry left out a part, Im planning on using either CS3 or CS4. What "dual core" systems are out there and what does "dual core" mean? Sry my photography knowledge if fare greater then my computer knowledge'
Thanks
Joel
As far as processors go, I upgraded to the Intel Core 2 Quad running Windows Vista 64 recently. With 6 gig of ram I no longer even know CS4 has a status bar. I open 30 or 40 pictures at a time and create collages than run 700M in PSD format with absolutely no issues. I got my machine through Costco as the model DX4710 for what seemed like a steal of a deal.
I hate to be the voice of dissent, but if I were you I'd use the money to get a Mac for the computer and then Aperture II for photo editing and Photomatix in the event that you feel like doing HDR stuff. If you feel you really need the Adobe stuff you can always spend the bucks on the Creative Suite later on. however, I find that the Aperture/Photmatix combo does everything I need and the added peace-of-mind that comes with using a Mac is very much worth the extra money up front.
Then again, if you really want to go for the hard-core route, it is possible to make Adobe programs play nicely with Linux, but you're in for some late nights and lots of swearing if you go that route.
It sounds like a good option....but sounds a tad out of my price range , I may be wrong if I am great, if not please everyone keep suggestions within $1500-$2000 (us).
Thanks
Joel
Oh forgot the "good option" is for Dallas, but the mac holds good favor as well.
thanks
joel
Joel,
I'm running Windows XP on an Intel Dual Core system that I built myself (I've never bought a pre-built packaged system, but that's another story). Dual Core means 2 Processors and Intel also manufactures 4 Processor chips. Anyway, my rig is an Intel Dual Core (2.66Ghz), 4GB memory, ~2TB of disk, and I'm running Photoshop CS4 with no problems whatsoever. I do some video editing too. If I were building (or buying) a new rig today, I'd go with Intel's newest processor the I7 Quad Core, 4-6GB of Memory, lots of Disk space, etc. I say that because I'm the kind of person that likes to wring out as much use of a system as possible before having to buy something new.
The Intel Dual Core processor systems will get the job done because I'm using one and I stress it pretty well (lots of multitasking and applications that eat PC's for fun). But if buying today, I'd certainly take advantage of Intel's latest Quad Core Processors and you will find that many PC's are already configured with them anyway. Also don't skimp on Disk space, especially with Disk pricing being so low these days. I don't know your needs for space, but I'd say avoid the default 500GB that comes standard on many packages these days. I'd also suggest that you have 2 individual disks (one for your applications, files, etc and a second one that is used for backups). There is nothing worse than losing data because you lose the main hard drive and had no plans for backups of your data.
It appears that you are looking for someone to suggest a given packaged PC and in reality if you follow the suggestions folks have given you about what that PC should contain, it's really only a matter of going to HP, Dell, Apple, whatever and picking a package that contains those suggested components/configs. $1500 is plenty to get a nice system, so you should be able to find something pretty easily. Just avoid the low cost $500 budget price PC's because they will have minimal configurations and will not be suited for your needs. If you go to HP's site for instance, you can pick a starting package and then add/upgrade the components of your choosing.
Happy shopping!
Rick
The low end imac will do just about anything you need to, except edit HD videos smoothly. You also get a nice size screen with it, which is great for photos. They run about 1100 i think.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim
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Any iMac running Aperture is nice. You will still need Photoshop for advanced editing. Despite what I have seen on a few threads on here, Aperture and Photoshop play very well together.
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iMac 24" with DUAL CORE Pentium, 4 GIG RAM and 400++ gig hard drive.[:D]
Thanks Rick for the info, weather it be a packaged PC or a "custom" built one as long as it meets my needs of editing a large amount of photos it works. The main reason I havent gotten away from Adobe and went to Aperture is that I do alot of graphic layer work on the photos as well, and as far as I know Aperture is sorta like lightroom in that regards.
Thanks Again
Joel
Im finding alot of systems out there for "gaming" are they also good for photoshop work as well?
Thanks
joel
Joel....I haven't seen this specifically mentioned; get 2 hard drives but w/a C drive 10K spin rate....makes CS3 (all programs) work so much faster and as much memory as you can afford while adding 2nd HD w/a "normal" 7200 spin and again as much memory as affordable.
E.G. My C HD 150 GB and E HD 750 GB
I've been using this (custom built) config for over a year now (so you can probably get more memory for cheaper and stay w/in budget) w/out issues and that's w/Vista.
Have fun
Bill
Bill would that be 2 HD at 10K and 1 at 7200 or 1 of each?
Thanks
Joel
Ok so my budget just went up alittle its now $2500 US dollers. Let me know if this changes anything.
Thanks
Joel
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joel Bookhammer
Joel,
A "gaming system" will actually contain some of the same things that would be good for your system. A decent gaming rig will have decent Memory (performance & capacity), Disk Drives with good performance/capacity, higher end video cards and a powerful processor that is Quad Core, etc. There can be a few areas of over-kill too for what you need. Things like SLI Video cards which means you are running two video cards that are communicating with each other and driving higher frame rates for video is one example. A Gaming rig may also come with a case that is over-the-top for you, but there too can be some goodness. These higher-end rigs can also produce a fair amount of heat, so a case that does a good job of dissipating heat is a good thing.
When I was at HP's website yesterday, I saw a very nice deal on their Voodoo Blackbird system with some significant savings that would fit your budget. Most PC Manufacturers will have systems that are a next notch below Gaming rigs and will be identified as high-end Media Systems or some such description. That is probably the target spot for you if you go with a PC.
I have never owned a Mac, but can tell you that most of the graphic designers I've encountered in business run Macs. Some of that has to do with the software they use in their profession and I think some of it is also related to having really good Monitors for color control, etc.
Rick
Thanks Rick I will have to look up that system (VooDoo).
Sense my budget has increased now is the time for all the Mac lovers out there. How is the Macbook Pros Screen? Another big concern of mine with the operating system is the screen. A laptop would be nice, but correct color is a big concern.
Thanks
Joel
Yeah the iMac is still your best bet. Not only is it great for handling photos, but its an overall great machine that will last you a while. If you get the 2.66GHz 24 inch one, you get a huge HD, 4 gigs of ram, a huge screen. its only 1500. Then PS CS4 which is 700 on apple's site. then an extra HD, probably external, would run you about 125 for 1TB. Thats about 2500 dollars and a pretty sweet setup.
Hey Tim do you have one? If so how easy is it to calibrate the screen to a print? Thanks for all the help.
Thanks
Joel
One othert thought Joel with regard to your budget. I don't know how much you own and how much you need to buy for this project, but as a NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) member, you can glean enough discounts on stuff to more than pay for the $99 membership fee and have money left over in your pocket.
For example NAPP members (through May 31st) get 20% off products from the Adobe store (like Photoshop, Lightroom, etc). There are lots of companies that participate with NAPP to provide discounts to their members on Hardware, Software, Training, etc. MacMall for example has NAPP member prices on MAC products. I joined NAPP last year when I wanted to upgrade to CS4 and have more than paid for my membership with their member discounts on things. The magazine is very well done with lots of learning help and their website has tons of tutorials that also very well done (free for members).
Just some food for thought and here's NAPP's website:
NAPP
Rick
Joel....total of 2 HDs, 1 w/a 10k spin rate and the 2nd w/a 7200 spin rate.
I use the 10k HD to run my programs and to develop my pics (CS3 operates very fast). I use the 2nd 7200 HD to store my photographs and keep the 10k 150GB HD clean of big memory users, i.e. RAW photos. I normally have 60% memory available at any one time on my 10k HD.
Also, I'm not a gamer.
Yes folks, I use EHDs & CDs for back up as well.
Hope this clarifies it for you Joel
Bill
Macbook Pro has a decent screen... but it's still a laptop. If you go that route you'll probably end up want a regular desktop monitor (I ended up shelling out for one after about six months anyway). Your best bet is the iMac, since you can get all the toys you want and the configuration you want and still stay within budget. If you go with the Macbook Pro and just a 20 inch monitor you're pretty close to your limit already. Laptops are great, but it'll end up costing you more in the end. The only reason I have a laptop with desktop accesories instead of a regular iMac is that I have to take my laptop to my lab every day (much easier than having two separate systems to work on).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joel Bookhammer
I don't have one, I have a macbook, but thats because I'm a student and laptop makes more sense right now. I plan on getting an iMac as my next system though. I have never calibrated my monitor, but the sRGB and adobe RGB seem to be accurate enough for me not to notice any difference.
Tim, since you already have the laptop, it might make more sense to just buy the desktop accessories to go with it rather than a new iMac... the 20" cinema screen is a fantastic display.
Joel, the Mac monitors are incredibly easy to calibrate for printing. Very user-friendly.
The problem with that is that the macbook graphics card is poor. Besides, by the time I buy an iMac my macbook will be about 4-5 years old.
Would this be a good setup for editing large amounts of pictures, via photoshop?
Intel Core 2 Quad 9400 Processor (2.66GHz) • Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition with SP1 • 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 memory • Dual SLI NVIDIA GeForce 9800S with 512MB GDDR3 • 500GB 5400 rpm hard drive (2 x 250GB) • Factory-sealed liquid cooling system (CPU, chipset, GPUs)
Joel;
I'm not a computer tekkie by any means, but I think you would be much better off w/at least 1 7200 spin rate.
When I was researching my current box (specifically for photography) I found many people recommending the 10k, they found the 7200 sufficient and didn't recommend the 5400 spin.
When I went to a shop to have mine built, there was young (college) lady there who was into photography, majoring in computer sciences. She lamented how slow her 5400 HD (don't remember memory size....mine's minimal [:)] ) using CS3. She thought my HD setup was spot on.
All I'm saying is that I think you'll be disappointed in the 5400 s/r for PP and the 250/7200 s/r HDs are pretty inexpensive.
Cooling system; liquid was exponentially more expensive at the time, so I put a larger cooling fan in a quieter box....I'm not having any issues w/heat.
Sorry, as I stated, I'm not computer tekkie, so I can't speak on your other components w/my experience being over a year old.
BTW....my cost; $1500
Good luck
Bill
Hey Bill thanks again for the info, I tried looking around for a 10K but havent found one yet, I will make sure though that it is atleast 7200....I've got alot to learn [:)]
Thanks
Joel
Hi Joel,
If that configuration is the HP Voodoo Firebird system, most of that system will be more than enough for you with exception of their choices for the Hard Drives. It appears they are using (2) 250GB 5400RPM Disks to achieve the 500GB which is one thing that concerns me. Usually HP provides you the ability to hit a "configure" button and upgrade components, but I don't see that option with that system. I agree with the other folks that have suggested having a hard drive that spins at least at 7200RPM. Drives that spin at 10KRPM are typically SCSI drives, quite expensive and rarely seen on a packaged PC offering. With today's improvements in Hard drives, larger buffers and other improvements, there are 7200RPM drives that perform very well and will suit your needs with no problems.
Back to the HP Voodoo system (if that's the one you referenced) there are a couple of things that jump out that are not needed for what you want to do (especially because you are not a gamer). The dual SLI video cards and the liquid cooling system are not required for what you want to do. I love that kind of stuff and for me I wouldn't mind having a system with it, but I do game. From what I've read about liquid cooling, it is not "maintenance free" and will require replacement of the coolant over time. If that is true of this system, then you may want to think about whether you're up for it and ask HP about that ongoing maintenance. If you love that system, then I would definitely request a Hard Drive upgrade to (2) 500GB Drives spinning at 7200RPM (but [2] 1TB Disk size would be my preference).
Rick
Thanks Rick, I also noticed that the Voodoo had 2 5400RPM disks, which was mentioned to stay clear from and try to get a 7200.
I have been checking out the Dell website and they have a nice option where you can select a system and make custom changes to it, but also with that I havent noticed any 10K drives yet.
So Im still "shopping" around.
Thanks
Joel
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<td><span style="color: #003366;"]How does this sound?</td>
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<td><span style="color: #003366;"]Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-940 processor (2.93GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache with QPI Technology)</td>
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<td><span style="color: #003366;"]8GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [4x2048]</td>
<td></td>
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<tr class="colorFFFFFFbg"]
<td valign="top"]</td>
<td><span style="color: #003366;"]1TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive</td>
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<td valign="top"]</td>
<td><span style="color: #003366;"]1GB NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT [2 DVI, HDMI and VGA adapters</td>
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joel Bookhammer
Joel,
Looks better to me. I very much like the Intel i7 940 CPU and it gets very good reviews amongst people that are using it. That would be my choice of CPU if I were building a new system today. I like anything over 4GB in memory and DDR3 plays well with the new i7 processor. They could have used the faster DDR3 memory that runs at 1333mhz, but that may be a factor of packaged cost target and choice of motherboard. The GeForce 9800GT (especially with 1GB onboard memory is sweet). I'm running an older GeForce 7900GTX with 512K and it has no problem with Photoshop CS4 and getting creative with all of PS's capability.
Rick
PS: Don't get too concerned with finding a system that includes Disk
that runs at 10KRPM. Yes it's very nice to have and if I went that
route, I'd primarily want it installed as my main hard drive (where
Windows and my apps are installed). But is is not a necessity for what you want to do. Just make sure the 7200RPM Disk(s) they are selling you are the newer generation with 32MB of Cache and avoid the so-called "Green technology disks". They are "Green", use less power, more quiet, but also typically at the expense of performance (speed).
Thanks Rick I think I am getting closer to my goal.
Thanks
Joel