The Best Computer For Graphic Design
Since Desktop Publishing (DTP) came out in the eighties, graphic designers have been utilizing computer technology. This has pushed all graphic designers to become competent with computer hardware at the very least.
What is Desktop Publishing (DTP)? In the 1980s, it was a common term applied to digital publishing systems. These systems were developed to replace large, pre-press, specialist design and compositing systems.
Graphic designers rely heavily on computers whether these are Windows PCs or Apple Macs. Whichever computer a graphic designer chooses to use, he/she will opt for the best computer that he/she can purchase. Graphic designers will rarely choose cheap computer hardware.
Back in the eighties, Macs were the only choice for designing and printing. Almost all design layout and graphics software was developed for Macs only or even if the software could be used in Microsoft Windows PC, it was much more reliable on a Mac. Additionally, at that time, Macs were associated with the different technologies used in the prepress and Windows PC was just not a practical choice. Today, modern versions of Mac OS X and Windows allow graphics designers to use design software either in a Mac or PC – they are no longer forced to choose one over the other.
Many graphic designers are not IT experts and making a decision on which computer to buy can be quite daunting. Of course, if money is not a problem, the decision would simply be to buy the most expensive Apple Mac or Windows PC. But most designers cannot afford to do that. In fact, some creative professionals have budgets for second hand equipment only. What really matters to these graphic designers are issues that regular computer users do not even have to think about. These are printer color accuracy, monitor calibration, hard disk speed and external storage devices for gigabytes of data.
Recent studies show that the top 5 computers for graphic design are a mix of Macs and PCs and both laptop and desktop computers fall in this category. But just like any product that a consumer buys, it really is the personal preference of the designer whether he/she will use a desktop computer or a laptop. The important thing is that the user/graphic designer has the appropriate software for the type of computer that he/she wants to purchase.
The Top 5 computers for graphic design are:
Mac Pro Desktop
The Mac line of computers is still widely preferred by most graphic designers. According to Apple, the latest Mac Pro features the all new quad-core Intel Xeon “Nehalen” processor which makes the job of a graphic designer much easier. Apple states further that the new Mac Pro is up to 1.9 times faster than its predecessor. Each processor has an integrated memory controller that allows the processors to have faster access to stored data in the computer’s memory, with memory latency decreased by up to 40 percent. This feature will save a lot of time for designers when they do their work.
MacBook Pro Laptop
The MacBook Pro Laptop comes in 13, 15 and 17 inch sizes. It has high-performance NVDIA graphics and LED backlit display which makes editing graphics easier and clearer. This latest model has battery power that lasts up to 8 hours (on 17-inch version). It is powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
Dell Studio XPS Desktop
The Dell Studio XPS Desktop features the Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. If you plan on working with intensive video or 3D editing, you can have an upgrade to the 16GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM. But its base 3GB memory will enable you to edit photos, create vector or raster designs with ease. Its high-definition ATI graphics card creates clear, precise and flawless graphics – just what a graphic designer needs.
Toshiba Qosmio Laptop
The Toshiba Qosimo is an affordable solution to your graphic design needs. It is powered by either the Intel Core i7 or i5 processor making it easier to create flawless graphics. It has a high-end NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, which ensures that you can clearly see every pixel and frame that you edit. It has a 6GB DDR3 1066MHz memory and a 1GB GDDR5 discrete graphics memory.
HP Pavilion Elite Desktop
The HP Pavilion Elite Desktop is an affordable computer. It is powered by either an AMD Athlon or an Intel Core processor that ranges from an X4 630 quad-core (Athlon) to an i7-980X six-core Extreme Edition (Intel). All HP Pavilion Elite Desktop computers come with genuine 64-bit Windows 7 for the latest technology. Memory ranges from 4GB up to 9GB which guarantees smooth and effortless run of the high-end graphics that you use.
History Of Apple Computers
The Macintosh computer began life as the Apple I in 1976 when two friends, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs with the aid of some friends built the first of fifty computers for the Byte Shop for $500 each. This first Apple computer came equipped with a display screen (a rarity at the time), and was the first computer with a fully assembled circuit board. Eventually, the little group made and sold two hundred Apple I for $666.66 each. With loan of $250,000 Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs and Armas Clifford ‘Mike’ Markkula joined forces to form Apple Computer on April 1, 1976. By mid-1977, they had improved upon the design of the Apple I and the Apple II was made available to the public.
Ever wondered why the Company was named, Apple Computer? Simply because the trio realized that “Apple” would come before the most famous name in computers at the time, Atari. Over the years, Apple Computers continued to improve, becoming cheaper thereby making it easier for many homes to have a personal computer. Apple was the first computer company to use GUI (Graphical User Interface) in their machines; a concept that was to revolutionize the computer industry. After many trials and errors, Apple came out with a true home computer, the Apple Macintosh or Mac in 1984.
The Apple Computer was the beginning of desktop publishing era. Apple revolutionized publishing with its magic combination of a PC, it’s LaserWriter printer and specialized software, Aldus PageMaker and MacPublisher. Aldus is now Adobe PageMaker. These components allowed the designing and printing of documents complete with text and graphics. It is for this reason that the Macintosh is still a favorite among the graphic design crowd.
Apple faced stiff competition from Microsoft, especially in relation to the cost of PC-clones. Apple’s popularity waned and the home PC market was taken over by Bill Gates’ Microsoft. However, there are still many different lines of Macs on the market today: the iMac and Power Mac being two of the most popular.
How to Choose the Best Widescreen Computer Monitor – A Consumer’s Best Choice in Computer Monitors
Ironically, the most overlooked computer component is the monitor. Most power users will spend a lot of money on expensive CPU and fill their main board with tons of RAM, and never give a second thought to the component looking them in the face. Undoubtedly the computer monitor is the most visible component of a computer system, yet many people will suffer along with a small screen when they would get much better performance from a widescreen computer monitor.
If you are a graphics designer or a hard-core gamer, then computer performance is of course very important. However, one of the core elements of each is the visual experience which must be gained. Widescreen monitors give you much more surface area to work in graphic design, and a much clearer and crisp image for gamers. Both gamers and graphics designers suffer from eyestrain from time to time, which could be alleviated by the use of a widescreen monitor.
Gaming companies have begun to build their gaming experiences around high resolution widescreen monitors. In many instances the wider screen is the only way a game can be played to its fullest capacity, so regular screen users will not get the experience intended by the game designers.
Multi-tasking users are another group which can benefit greatly by getting a wider monitor screen. People who work online, such as day traders will have several browser windows open at one time. With the added work area, they will be able to keep an eye on stock trends from several different online brokerages to make the best decision on when to buy and sell. Businesses use several types of built-in programs such as e-mail and spreadsheet utilities which use a lot of monitor real estate. Having a wider screen means being able to use more programs at one time.
If you tried to use several different programs on a regular sized monitor, you would have to resize them to fit. In many instances this means that you would have each one of them so small you could not see them easily, which could result in eyestrain and a sore neck from leaning into the screen. A widescreen monitor takes care of this problem by giving you more space to spread out programs and make them larger so you can see them.
There are those users who like to have the latest and the greatest, and for those of us who have this claim to fame, a widescreen computer monitor is an absolute must. So if you are still stuck with a standard sized monitor, it is time to upgrade and get one which will allow you to get the most from your work and gaming experience.