Which is better to use Photoshop on, Mac vs PC?

[michaelc35741989]

I have been an avid Mac user since college, it was what I was trained on. But I am looking into learning how to use Photoshop and the Adobe Suite at a professional level. I already have a Mac (White Macbook from 2009), but several things are starting to go wrong with it: some of the keys have stopped working as well as the CD burner.

Which is best to run and learn Photoshop, Illustrator on? I do not have it in the budget for a new Mac (Macbook Pro at  $1200). I could get a very nice PC for $350.

Do PCs run Photoshop well? Are there any drawbacks for using a PC for Photoshop?

[JJMack]

I would venture to guess that would depends on which OS your most comfortable using.  Your personal preference. If you want to do some video editing get a desktop workstation for either OS. A laptop is ok for image editing if the laptop has a good display.

A $350 maching will not be good for the whole Adobe suite. A professional would not use a $350 machine.

Read this http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/files/2012/07/CS6_hardware_recommendations.pdf

[sarsaxen]

Hi michaelc35741989,

Photoshop works great on both Windows and Mac system depending upon the the system configuration.

Here is the list of minimum system requirements for it:

System requirements | Photoshop

Regards

Sarika

[Guest]

No, it doesn't.

[Nancy OShea]

I use PCs, no problems providing you have sufficient computer resources.

You need a fast microprocessor, a high quality graphics card and as much memory (physical and RAM) that you can afford.  A $350 Windows PC might be fine for word processing and email but I think you will be unhappy with the performance in a graphics intensive app like Photoshop & Illustrator.

Nancy O.

[Terri_Stevens]

At the moment there are many problems associated with Photoshop CC2015 on the Mac. Some are due to Adobe releasing 2015 with bugs , but more seem to be associated with the Yosemite OS itself. There are people still having to cripple their graphics subsystem to run Photoshop after 6  months which is pretty poor I would say. Adobe blame Apple and Apple blame Adobe. What is more worrying is their next OS El Capitan is in beta and older Adobe products don't run at all because of a Java revamp making CS6 at least for now broken. I like Apple hardware because it looks nice, but if you take it apart its no better than good PC hardware. If your budget extends to a good games machine from a well reviewed system builder go for a PC. It will run Photoshop brilliantly -you'll save money and Windows these days is a pretty impressive operating system. In addition if you want to upgrade the hardware in a few years you can, whereas with a Mac you need to buy a new computer. Its not for nothing that Apple Inc is so profitable. Just my take though-others will undoubtedly differ

Terri

[kotaostler748]

Granted you may not be able to run photoshop efficiently on a $350 PC but for the same price as a $1200 macbook, you can get a PC setup that works much better. Thats where the disconnect is. And most people in the design industry when you go to a design job, you are more than likely working in an office that uses Mac OS machines in their office

[postrophe]

Hi

If you read all the threads on this forum, you will realize that the majority of OP's having problems use PC's Windows.

My 2¢

[D Fosse]

postrophe wrote:

Hi

If you read all the threads on this forum, you will realize that the majority of OP's having problems use PC's Windows.

My 2¢

You're kidding, right?

This is the sort of thing you could see ten years ago, but I thought we were past that now.

Why are we even having this discussion? The answer, the correct answer, to the OP is "there is no difference".

[Terri_Stevens]

There speaks a true Mac addict Five years ago the company I'm with were 100% committed to the Mac, today its 75% PC, 25% Mac. The processing power to cost ratio is so much higher for the PC over Apple now and we can fix them and upgrade them ourselves or at least employ a service company who can. Because Windows is usually designed with reverse compatibility in mind, it tends to be less trouble with upgrades, whereas Apple just expect you to have the very latest of everything and it shows on this forum. 

[Trevor.Dennis]

I don't know very much about Macs.  Do they use the same modular construction as Windows boxes that you can mix and match and build the best box for you, or do you have to have what Apple puts in the box?  What about upgrading?  Is it easy to add memory and drives?  Do Macs have uber powerful GPU options for fast video rendering? Just wondering.

[D Fosse]

Those are rhetorical questions, Trevor, and you know it

Anyway, this takes me back to when we had separate Mac and Windows forums. There was a Mac user who felt entitled to crash the Windows forum with stuff like that, all the time. We all hated him, of course, and said so, but he just wouldn't stop. He thought he was educating us, honest to god...

[postrophe]

Hi

There speaks a true Mac addict

I would say that's my profile. The 25% is for office management.

(Trevor) Do they use the same modular construction as Windows boxes that you can mix and match and build the best box for you

A Mac Pro is modular.

If you are more familiar (addict) on PC's and need a Power House machine (rendering & else) check : BOXX

That said, when I have to render heavy stuff or TV ad's, I can always rely on my friends at Hybride.

Did I said that my father (after retirement) built custom PC's for 35 years, and managed to blow them all up. (he asked me, after recovering for a long sickness "coma" at the hospital for a Mac) I bought him a Mac Pro. 2 years ago, he died happy at 93 years old.

Terri, My great grandfather + grandfather + father, were telegraphist ( station chief) of major railroad company, I’v spent many time in my father office and seen the evolution of communication and "technology". Most of my education was in Art, I'v spent 5 years in university studding with Claude Cossette and working for Cossette (for a while) in early 80'.

Do PCs run Photoshop well? Are there any drawbacks for using a PC for Photoshop?

Yes/no. but understanding/use a different OS, has a learning curve.

Pierre

[gener7]

Well if you can't get a new Mac, Amazon does sell used Macs for about $300-$400. That's where I got my mid 2009 Macbook.

[postrophe]

Hi

Me, I would only trust Apple Store products ( with warranty ).

Refurbished Mac and/or Clearance Items

http://www.apple.com/ca/shop/browse/home/specialdeals

Note, that Apple don't offer any assistance to products aged 5+ years old.

Pierre

[timothyl85839792]

It doesn't matter, whatever you're used to. I've used Photoshop CC on both platforms and the differences are negligible.

(Edited By Mod to remove personal info and link)

[Lumigraphics]

Not to wade into the platform wars or be a fanboi but I use Photoshop every day on both platforms (Windows 7 and 10, Mac High Sierra and Mojave currently) and the Mac has fewer problems and (for me, anyway) is just a lot easier to use.

The Windows machines are actually better hardware spec'd than my Macs but I still see a substantial difference.

If you are in a business environment with IT staff, its less of a gap.

[marliton]

More important than the Operating System, is the configuration aspects like ram, processor, etc.