Changing computer platform - a photographers perspective
 

Switching a computer can be daunting enough especially when its how the operator wants it but switching to a completely unknown computer platform with possible incompatibly with hardware and software is a big step, almost a leap!

The journey to completely switch from PC to Mac took six weeks with some trouble along the way. Initially everything was fine, started new Mac a few questions about myself and the system was running. No reboots, no driver installation just software to install, namely Nikon Capture NX and Adobe Photoshop. Nikon Capture was a breeze with the same product key working for the Mac as PC, Photoshop took a while to download the 800MB 30day trail but when it was complete all was good but needed to transfer licence to Mac which is done under a licence transfer scheme by Adobe. I initiated the transfer of Photoshop by e-mailling Adobe which was ignored so I telephone some days later who asked for another e-mail proving original receipt for photoshop and of not photographic evidence of ownership such as boxes and CD's etc.

Photographic evidence was sent as no original receipt but Photoshop was genuine and purchased through Amazon U.K.. some days later a response from Adobe along the lines of no transfer without original receipt, so I checked all e-mails and paper receipts to no avail even telephoned Amazon who were most helpful but could not find my original purchase. I was stuck – new computer ideal for speedy image processing but no photoshop even though being legal. Photoshop was fast running out of its 30 day trial period and I had a brain wave – I purchased Photoshop using my card but my lady's account from Amazon. I called Amazon again who found details of original purchase and agreed to send paper receipt in the post. When arrived I sent to Adobe who processed things – very slowly. I was made to feel like a criminal and even though I had all documentation Adobe asked for it was apparently down to 'acceptance' of the transfer order before I could receive a licence transfer. A week passed (now five weeks into processing) and I put the pressure on and that day someone called me back to take my credit card details for an upgrade to take me from CS2 (windows) to CS3 (Mac) although a full copy of CS3 arrived. The whole saga took six weeks!

The third essential piece of software every photographer needs is Neatimage. I tried my licence number to download for Mac which failed, After e-mailling Neatimage mac support I received advice in minutes – yes minutes, suggesting a licence transfer would cost $10 (£5) and I ordered immediately then minutes later a new mac licence agreement number was available and I simple downloaded and installed. The process took less than one hour.

All previous hardware is compatible with Mac such as CF card readers, printers, cameras but an aged scanner would not work which was hardly used. A Linksys router was not down to be Mac OS X compatible but does work fine both wired and wireless. Sometime hardware is Mac compatible but the manufacturer does not state it. When plugging my also aged printer nothing happened – absolutely nothing – no new hardware found message. I only new it worked when I went to print and there it was in the dialogue box!

All photos and e-mails can be transferred as Mac OS X can read Microsoft's NTFS drive format but cannot write to a NTFS drive, no problem as all drives were IDE now SATA so simply copied from one to another and the IDE drives now used a backup devices in a USB IDE external case.

Its not been easy but we are there now!

The crucial question, then - from a photographer's perspective - is there any difference to your photos ;)

I figured I may encounter that question and ..... yes!

I used Nikon Capture NX is a conservative manner on the PC. Control points that can bring out certain parts of an image were although possible, too much for the PC. Noise reduction was another feature that made the PC pant, I can now use 'Better Quality' rather than 'Faster' in NX.

Pleasure, its now a joy to process again so a positive mental attitude releases more creativity into the photos.

I know all of this could be achieved using a fast PC but I use a Windows PC in my working life and to come home to a Mac is a refreshing change and a distance between work and pleasure.

Hmm, yes, I hadn't thought of that. I can see the benefits.

Yes, this point is worth stressing. Anything that you enjoy using rather than 'having' to use must be worth its weight in gold!

not surprised at the Adobe hassle. More interested in knowing whether expensive CS version any more 'really' mac than PSE is. The PSE is just an obvious 'quick port' that doesn't make proper use of the OS and clogs up memory and runs down battery on powerbook, very few keyboard shortcuts; also takes about 5 minutes from starting to run till when one has a usable interface free of all the useless monitor clogging windows.

I understand CS3 is a completely rewritten version of Photoshop, its also a universal binary but that does not suggest it's written really for OS X. It is the largest of all applications I have and therefore takes the longest to load but certainly not 5 mins!. Its just as quick and easy to use as the PC version of CS2 I once used. It certainly does hog memory as default memory usage claims 2/3rds of total memory which I restricted to 512MB which is fine as I dont use CS3 for any complex procedures. It is full of windows but these can be tidily put to the side and opened using arrows keeping the desktop clean and clear for a large version of the photo being worked on.

So you would not say that the Mac is more user friendly?

I ask because I bought a Creative Zen music player and it was awful. I got a refund, bought an iPod, and wow, it is so user friendly. Apple really have paid attention to little things, to make the 'user experience' so much better.

The file search structure is identical to an iPod and searches along a line, if you understand.

Everything has been thought out and it's very easy to switch from one application to another or see what's open or not. There is an emphasis on short cut key presses which can perform actions instantly. As a computer user from the DOS days I find key shortcuts much easier than hand eye co-ordination required when operating a mouse.

I dare say that actions can be performed with half the mouse clicks of a Windows PC which I now find fatiguing to use.

I did not mean 5 minutes to load, but including separating layers window from the rest, opening first file, pressing tab which gets rid of everything but the photo, then reopening main tools and layers. Actually i just timed it and its only 1min 35secs, just seems like 5 minutes compared to everything else!

PSE5 version of CS3 does not yet seem available for mac and will probably only be for core-duo chip and/or OS10.4, so I think I just go on with 4 and curse Adobe regularly!

And Leif: Mac has a tradition of user-friendliness, but for last few years their market has moved to the iPod generation and the operating system is progressively becoming unecessarily complex (unless you really need to edit your own films and soundtracks at the same time as listening to something else and monitoring a chat room); at the same time forms of customisation that we took for granted are being phased out. However the graphic design of the interface is still fortunately as good as ever.

Proper OS10 progs aren't meant to have a memory allocation, the system sorts the memory according to what is required (the fixed allocation was an OS 9/Classic thing now 8 years past). The thing about PSE is that once it has grabbed the memory it needs, it holds on to it even though you have closed all the files you were working on, expect CS is the same. Its nice if you go back to a file you finished with and find you can still do 'undos' but otherwise a bore.

Having had a play with your Powerbook i was impressed, opening and rendering D50 files on it was so fast where on this pc it takes 3 times as long.
The only problem i had was the keyboard, but that would be easy to get used to if i was using a mac enough. It did take me a while to get used to the slightly different keys and the single mouse button but i got there in the end. I never did get my head (or should that be fingers) around right clicking but i guess that would come with time.
If i had not got a new Windows laptop for free recantly and had the money i would have seriously considerd a Powerbook.

I always recommend mac users to get a Kensington mouse which has 2 buttons & scroll wheel and can operate on the 4x3 flat surface to right of touch pad which it disables. Of course not all progs make use of right key, but the scroll is there and you program the key combs for favourite short-cuts (pocket mouse pro with either retractable cord or cordless but that loses a USB port)

The laptop I have is a 2GHz Core2Duo Intel MacBook, probably as powerful as the mid range PC's of the moment but slowest of the current MacBooks. It does run NX very well perhaps 50% of the speed of the Macpro. The keyboard is a new design with flat tile-like keys, probably designed not to trap any dust or debris in between the keys and is easilly cleaned.

I use a mighty mouse (Apples latest mouse) with a scroll button that allows scrolling around an active window which works in NX.

Previously using a PC I would have to choose the 'grab/hand' tool to move around a 100% view photograph, using a Mac with a mighty mouse I simply move around with the scroll button leaving NX with the cursor.

The mighty mouse can be used on a PC see link -> http://www.apple.com/mightymouse/gallery/wired_480.html

Photoshop is one of those programs that runs faster on a PC or on top of Windows. When looking at performance benchmarks between PC and Mac photoshop always run twice as fast on a PC. The primary use of a Mac for me is converting and editting RAW files in Capture NX, something it excels. I guess photoshop with its memory allocation is not good for OS X and if anyone shoots JPEG only and prefers photoshop that a PC is best for you.

Strange - I run Photoshop on both platforms - and for me the Mac is a LOT faster. I run a Mac Pro quad core at work, but even on my Macbook Pro with 2Gb RAM, CS3 beats the pants out of my P4 3.4Ghz PC with 4Gb RAM.

You are right, I must have been looking at comparisons using CS2 or via some virtual machine. The CS3 test below shows Mac beating PC on all tests except for initial opening -> http://hansv.com/cs3/

The problem with CS2 on Intel based Macs was that, not being a true binary application, it has to run in emulation mode via Rosetta.

CS3 is a whole different kettle of mackerel! :)