Message-Id: <mailto:199511011549.JAA19428@library.wustl.edu> Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 09:25:50 -0500 From: Joel Wolfson <mailto:DigiWolf@AOL.COM> Subject: Re: Mac vs. PC for imaging To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB
As a digital imaging consultant I get the Mac vs. PC questions routinely. I personally work on both platforms. There is no question that the Mac platform is much better suited for imaging, both from an OS standpoint and the QUALITY of software available. Some of the best packages don't even exist on the PC side (yet). There is also a much longer history of experience with imaging on the Mac making support easier. The Mac is also PC friendly. It's very easy to use PC files on the Mac as well as even run PC programs on the Mac if there are some specific ones you need within your organization. Otherwise, of course, it makes no sense to buy a Mac to run PC programs.Many of our clients are in large organizations with a PC standard. Often they are told by their MIS dept. that if they buy Mac, they will be an island. Usually this is just a fear based reaction on the support staff's part. They don't want to support or learn a new platform. In many cases they do have to do their own support. So far, none of them that I know of have regretted it.
Cost of equipment is not a realistic factor. The cheapest clones are a little cheaper than Macs but if you compare the same level of quality- such as Compaq or IBM with Apple there is little difference. There are also several Mac clones on the market. In the end the box is the cheapest part of imaging systems. Monitors, RAM, storage, etc. are the same for both platforms and can end up costing much more than the CPU itself. Also we've found much greater productivity on Macintosh vs. PC which will over ride any "savings" in buying PC. (This long term thinking may be lost on the purchasing dept.).
As you can tell I have a Mac bias for imaging purposes. However, all is not lost if you have to go PC. We do have clients (and by default, us too) getting along doing imaging with them. They just have to wait longer for the best products and software to reach their platform and they do live with more down time. If you're just using mainstream stuff like Photoshop, a PC may work just fine. (Although Windows 95 does not have any built in color management as does the Mac).
Thats my two cents- Good luck with your decision.
Joel Wolfson DPI Manager Digital Photographics & Imaging a division of West Photo (612) 379-2321 Main (612) 699-2533 Direct E-mail: mailto:digiwolf@aol.com