What computer would you recommend?

[holbgshutterbug]

New post from new member. I have a Nikon D50 and I am currently running windows 98.
Can't download Nikon D50 to windows 98. Requesting information as to what new computer I should buy and what upgrades should I get for digital photography. I will be using it as a hobby at home. What do you think of Windows Vista? Thanks!

[WsW-WYATT-EARP]

First welcome to the boards !!! great group of people here ... :thumbsup:

i don't know why you wouldn't be able to upload your files to your computer even with it being win 98 ...

the thing for a new computer is alot of hard drive space (for storage especially when shooting RAW) at least 1gb of ram i would suggest 2gb if you have photoshop (will help keep things running faster and smoother) then you would need a nice video card ( i am not sure which is better for photo editing / viewing someone else can chime in about that)

i wouldn't worry too much about processor speed .. if your buying new it shouldn't be an issue ...

and i would suggest the ability to burn to dvd for backup storage of your photos ... nothing worse than losing all your photos ... remember your data / files are only as safe as your backups

from what i have read vista is the future ... more security mainly ...

[livin4lax09]

1 gb of ram will usually do well, even for running PS. WHat I have heard about vista which impresses me a lot is the fact that you can use flash drives to boost computer performance, essentially using them as external RAM. I hope mac implements this in OS X Leopard. Hard drive space isn't a MUST have, as externals are getting pretty cheap nowadays, so you can get about 200 gigs for less than 100. I would recommend a mac if you're going to be doing a lot of heavy image editing, as the technology is already there for photos and videos on the mac. But there are a lot of people here who will recommend windows over os x. Go play around with both as far as OSs go and see which one you like.

[Franglais]

New post from new member. I have a Nikon D50 and I am currently running windows 98.
Can't download Nikon D50 to windows 98. Requesting information as to what new computer I should buy and what upgrades should I get for digital photography. I will be using it as a hobby at home. What do you think of Windows Vista? Thanks!

I bought an ACER Aspire 5100 laptop portable this week, primarily to use as a testbed for my work (so-called computer expert) and secondly as a mobile darkroom. Installation was no problem, it seems to be well made and it was fairly inexpensive. Here are my reasons for buying it:

1. Dual Core processor: Nikon Capture (and NX I guess) is really slow when you're reading and writing images to disk because the CPU is saturated. The image comes up but the histogram and stuff only comes up when it's finished reading or writing. I hope that with the dual core, only one core will be saturated with reading/writing and I can carry on working with the other one.

2. 2048MB of RAM (2 Gigabytes). This is a lot, which I need to run virtual machines for work. On my desktops running Windows XP I found that 512MB was enough, even with Photoshop and Nikon Capture. For Vista you should have at least 1024 MB (1 GB)

3. My system is installed with Windows XP and I have a free upgrade to Vista. Windows XP is fine for my current needs. My first impression of Vista is that it does not add a lot but it takes a lot of memory. I shall upgrade to Vista in six months or so when it's been debugged and I start to see it on my clients systems.

4. 120GB hard drive. I need a lot of disk space for my virtual system images. For my photos I have several external 300GB USB drives.

5. 15.4 inch screen. This is actually enough for my needs. The ACER does not have a very high-grade video chip but I never play games with it anyway.

5. DVD+RW burner. Essential to make backups and to make CD-R's for my photography clients. I have been working on a poster for my local gym. On Monday I will go in and show them different ideas, make the definitive version with Photoshop, convert to JPG and give them the CD on the spot to take to the printer.

Charles

[masdog]

Hi Holbgshutterbug. Welcome to PR.

I'm not going to assume that you have an unlimited budget to buy or build a dream computer, so ultimately, what you get will depend greatly on your budget.

Second, what you get will depend on what you're comfortable using. Some will tell you to buy Macs, others will tell you to buy Windows. Someone might even try to convince you to use Linux. Before you just blindly buy a computer that has a specific operating system, make sure you try it out to see if you like the interface and find someone who can support it in case you have problems.

Most computers now days come with Windows. You'll have a choice of Windows XP or Windows Vista right now - if you go with a Windows machine, I would strongly recommend that you purchase one with Windows XP as Vista is still too new to really be useful.

If you're interested in getting a Mac, find an Apple Store and try out a Mac. Macs are very different than Windows machines, and since you're familiar with Windows, there will be a learning curve, and you don't want to invest in a computer that you're not happy with.

I would personally stay away from anything you can buy at a box retailer like Best Buy or Staples. Yes, they may offer cheaper systems, but they are also of lower quality. I would especially stay away from eMachines computers as they are built with poor quality power supplies that usually die after a year and take the motherboards with them.

Personally, I am a fan of Thinkpads (built by Lenovo) and Dell. They both build quality systems to your specifications.

Here are some things to look are:

In laptops, a Core 2 Duo is essential. It has the best combination of power usage and processing power for portable computers. If you buy a desktop, get one that has an AMD dual core processor as AMD provides the best combination of cost, power usage, and processing power.

Your system should have at least 1 gig of RAM. A lot of photo programs run more smoothly with additional RAM, especially if you plan to have multiple programs open.

If you buy a windows machine, get one that comes with Windows XP professional pre-installed.

I wouldn't worry too much about hard drive space. Most laptops come with at least 40 gb and desktops twice that. Brent already stated that the price of external drives are falling, and if you purchase a desktop system, internal drives are easy to add as well.

And finally....unless you buy a laptop, don't get a computer with integrated graphics on the motherboard. This will make it harder to upgrade later on if you need a better graphics chipset (for gaming or Windows Vista).

[Mr Yuck]

I noticed in the Vista beta that file transfer seems sluggish.

Laptops are nice, simple, portable, good for travel

budget for a photo editor like fireworks or photoshop

[MarcusK]

Welcome to the forum...

Budget here is the key! RAM is always..and i mean always a good investmetn, although PS would work just fine for the basics, and even the more demanding tasks, 1GB is good... but rule of thumb is more RAM faster performance...

As fo the OS, well i am biased here... I dislike, and borderline loath Windows... from the day i made the switch to the Mac OS I have been a happy man... I am graphic desiger (soon to be full time freelance photographer) I work graphics.... and ever since the Mac conversion I had no issues whatsoever....

As for whatever advice i am willing to share, well, Switching to the Mac OS will be annoying at first, since many of the old habits will have to change so the switch might not be advisable if you do not have the patience for it...

For the Photo editing software (you definitely need one if your a serious amateur) Photoshop is the best but Fireworks and others are not so bad either specially that you are not going pro on this, Photoshop Elements is also good in that it gathers and groups the options for fixing your images.....

Hard Disks (external) are quite useful, but do not replace DVDs... I would suggest you buy a DVD burner (which has become somehwhat of a default option) and an External Hard Disk which you want to have the option of FireWire 800 for best speed or FireWire 400 (the most common) for faster than USB tranfers... This would mean you need a FireWire Port on your computer...

The nice thing about laptops is that nowadays you are getting an equal (and sometimes better) performance to the Desktops... Plus you get the versatility of movement... The only downside i personally have with laptops (although i own one) is the limited upgrade possibilities....

Hope this helps, and again welcome aboard!
Marc

[Rocket_Scientist]

I'll add my two cents... most of the replies have hit the nail on the head: RAM, HD space, and good video, are at the top of the list. I used to have a laptop that ran Windows 98, and it was so old I could not upgrade the OS. I used it only for downloading from my camera while travelling, but it only had a 2 GB drive, so I was looking for an external drive solution. Amazingly, even with downloading new USB drivers (Win 98 didn't come with what was necessary), I still could not address more than about 30 GB. Then Dell had a sale... It is so much nicer to have things work off the shelf.

One thing about flash drives, though. Someone said Vista could use them as "external RAM". I don't know if that's true, but it doesn't sound very promising, anyway. I have heard that booting from flash drives, and even carrying around installed applications, that is, something that can be run directly from the flash drive without installing it on the PC, is a thing of the future. But even the fastest hard drive is a weak substitute for RAM, and flash drives can be thought of as very SLOW hard drives, at least when it comes to writing. This is principally because flash technology requires "erasing" sectors before the contents can be altered. Better to use flash drives how they were meant: as large, convenient, portable storage.

[mwfanelli]

New post from new member. I have a Nikon D50 and I am currently running windows 98.
Can't download Nikon D50 to windows 98. Requesting information as to what new computer I should buy and what upgrades should I get for digital photography. I will be using it as a hobby at home. What do you think of Windows Vista? Thanks!

First, if you use a card reader, which you should, Windows 98 should have no problems.

I would recommend XP rather than Vista. Vista is new, never a good thing to be a first adopter. Let others debug it. Also, Vista, just like MacOS, really requires 2 Gig of RAM to run well because of an overabundance of eye candy that eats up the resources. My XP destop runs extremely well with 512 Meg of memory.

MacOS is another choice. However, let me indicate some caution here. So may people are using products that allow Vista and XP to run on Mac hardware. Why? Because MacOS just isn't complete enough. Please people, no ranting and raving! There would be no need for Parallels or Bootcamp or whatever if MacOS had the proper coverage. In any case, the learning curve for MacOS is not all that big as an OS functions pretty much the same way regardless. If you are interested in Macs, don't hestitate because of the learning curve. Be aware, the Apple ads are terriblymisleading. Macs get hit with the same ailments and have lots of teh same problems as Windows machines.

Linux is a nice OS but is severely lacking in graphical arts software, mostlly because of license problems. I would not recommend it for you.

[Ronnoco]

I like the Media Edition Windows XP that I bought last month. Slots for camera cards, several USB ports, Raid, video, audio, cable, and even programmable jacks, surround sound, 1 DVD recorder, 1 CD DVD player, 500 gig hard drive, dual core 3.2 Gigahertz and 2 gig of RAM. Keyboard and mouse are wireless. It runs so quietly, I have to check the light to see if it is on. It is a Gateway.

Ronnoco

[MarcusK]

First, if you use a card reader, which you should, Windows 98 should have no problems.

MacOS is another choice. However, let me indicate some caution here. So may people are using products that allow Vista and XP to run on Mac hardware. Why? Because MacOS just isn't complete enough. Please people, no ranting and raving! There would be no need for Parallels or Bootcamp or whatever if MacOS had the proper coverage. In any case, the learning curve for MacOS is not all that big as an OS functions pretty much the same way regardless. If you are interested in Macs, don't hestitate because of the learning curve. Be aware, the Apple ads are terriblymisleading. Macs get hit with the same ailments and have lots of teh same problems as Windows machines.

I would mostly say yes, you're right, and specially when it comes to the ailments, forgot who said it, but "The biggest and most dangerous computer virus is the user".... so yes, anyone having problems with windows will have the same ones with MacOs...But also, as misleading as the ads are, MacOs does offer better reliability than windows, and this has nothing to do with bias....
Regarding bootcamp, i completely agree, and take it further and make it the other way around too.... this is getting ridiculous, and i just hate the fact that this type works here this does not bla bla bla....just like the DVD players and zones...pfffffff.....

Again, You need a machine that performs well under stress, regardless of OS, and be sure to maintain it properly....RAM will chip into your budget, but don't go less than 2GB and you're fine...

That's all i got to say about that!
Marc

[livin4lax09]

One thing about flash drives, though. Someone said Vista could use them as "external RAM". I don't know if that's true, but it doesn't sound very promising, anyway. I have heard that booting from flash drives, and even carrying around installed applications, that is, something that can be run directly from the flash drive without installing it on the PC, is a thing of the future. But even the fastest hard drive is a weak substitute for RAM, and flash drives can be thought of as very SLOW hard drives, at least when it comes to writing. This is principally because flash technology requires "erasing" sectors before the contents can be altered. Better to use flash drives how they were meant: as large, convenient, portable storage.

http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=20100

whether it will work well or not is a whole different story. But it will work.

[mwfanelli]

I should have been clearer. MacOS is fine as long as you keep up with the updates and use a virus scanner. I've not heard of spyware on Macs yet but that will come.

FWIW, there is no evidence at all that "MacOS is more secure than Windows." In the short time MacIntel has been out, the viruses have been numerous. As MS pretty much has the entire market, that's what hackers concentrate on. MacOS would be no more secure under that level of attack. In fact, it might be worse as so many Mac users are complacent about security.

[MarcusK]

Hahaha....true dat Michael....true dat

I was not trying to defend the Mac and I have not converted to the inel Mac because of the many bugs in it....

As for the viruses.... well that's exactly why i like the Mac...it aint got that many attackers and has one known virus (maybe they released a couple more, but in general, its pretty good no??)

[another view]

I'm a little conservative when it comes to this stuff... Vista is brand new and I don't think anyone will debate that there will be some bugs that need to be worked out. Sure, that will probably always be the case but there's a good chance that there are a lot of them and some fairly serious ones that will come up while it's still so new. If you're looking for a Windows based computer I'd hold off for a couple months if at all possible. I'd rather let everyone else figure out the bugs...!

And I think it may be possible. Use a USB (or hopefully USB2) card reader, and copy your images from your memory card using My Computer > E: USB Mass Storage Device. That last bit might show up a little differently, but should be something like that. Copy the image files to a place on your hard drive. From there, even if Nikon's included software doesn't work on Win98 chances are Adobe Photoshop Elements or any of several other similar programs will work with it.

It sounds like you're just getting started with digital so shooting jpeg files will be an easier way to get going. Nothing wrong with jpegs, but a lot of people like the extra options you get with RAW (.NEF) files but that takes more time and computing power. Once Vista settles down a bit, go for it and try .NEF files.

[Medley]

I will add two more bits of info in the Mac vs. PC debate, but I will prelude these by admitting that I am a devoted Mac user. These are just a few things I have noticed:

The Apple Store aside, it is harder to find software for a Mac than it is for a PC. Go to most stores, and you will find that usually their software is exclusively PC based. Something to consider if you're using the computer for broad-based home applications. This problem has gotten better in recent years, and buying software from the internet is always an option.

Also, speaking in general terms, it's easier to find a PC that fits within a specific budget than it is to find a Mac that will do so. Still, I have always filed this bit of info under "you get what you pay for".

I would also echo the advice to try both systems out before buying. In actuality, I converted to the Mac for its ease of use. After trying one in the store, I took a huge chance and bought one, completely blowing my budget in the process. I've never been sorry, and I've never looked back since.

Food for thought.

-Joe U.

[Lionheart]

Just my two cents.
any computer,mac or pc, as long as you avoid vista.

[Rocket_Scientist]

http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=20100

whether it will work well or not is a whole different story. But it will work.

Ah.. yes... Well, the article talks about "pre-fetching", presumably at boot-up? So, there would not be a lot of "swapping" in and out of the flash dirve, hence mostly reading from it, and little writing to it. I have no doubt the technology is possible, but I still don't see how this would be an improvement over a normal hard drive. Maybe Vista is slower than the flash drive anyway, so you won't notice it?

[freygr]

New post from new member. I have a Nikon D50 and I am currently running windows 98.
Can't download Nikon D50 to windows 98. Requesting information as to what new computer I should buy and what upgrades should I get for digital photography. I will be using it as a hobby at home. What do you think of Windows Vista? Thanks!

Just get a card reader, and make sure it comes with Win98 drivers. Just remember that iif you wish to edit you will need more ram. Just about any new computer will work but DON'T buy one with VISTA please wait until 2008 as it has too many problems.....