We ran this poll well over a year ago now and it’ll be interesting to see if there’s been any change.
Of course these classifications don’t fit with everyone (Linux users… feel free to have you say in comments below) but lets see what we end up with. Feel free to share why you use what you use in comments.
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133 Responses to “Do you Use a Mac or PC for Post Production?” - Add Yours
May 7th, 2009 at 10:56 am
It depends. At work, it’s a PC. At home, it can be Mac or Linux, depending on how much production I need to do and how complex the production is.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I have a Mac, and a PC running Fedora 10. I use linux 99.999% of the time with bibble pro, gimp, and blender. Bibble Pro is the only piece of software I buy. (including the os, obviously) I do donate to several open source projects that I love and use all of the time.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:04 am
PCs right now, for a system with RAID and a lot of disk space the price differential is a killer.
Would love a Mac, though.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Linux. Hugin. qtpfsgui. GIMP. 2TB RAID5. Nuff Said.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Work is a PC (.net web dev environment) and home is a PC (Lightroom and basic web). Truth is, power and applications are the same if not better on a PC. Like Joe said, storage options are a ton better on a PC for the $$.
I do have a MAC Mini hookedup to the TV for Media Center. Sweet little system.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:24 am
PC. I tried doing some post work on a friend’s MacBook Pro and found it infuriating. Probably just because I’m so used to working on a PC, but regardless, I’m more productive on a PC.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:25 am
I use Macs everywhere :)
It’s hard for me to go to windows based computers.
I have a Drobo, time capsule, and extra hd hooked up to my Mac so storage isn’t an issue.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I use a Mac for post production. Adobe Bridge, Adobe Camera RAW, Photoshop CS4, and for HDR images I use Photomatix Pro. But all that software is all available on PCs too.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I use a Mac, due to long habit and preference for the interface. My post-production software of choice is Gimp, too! One thing I love about using a Mac is the access — when I want it to a command line. For example, I just used a combination of a shell script and gphoto2 (on the command line) to get this time lapse of the Portage Lake lift bridge. I find it very handy, for both “it just works” and “I want FULL control” situations.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Neither PC nor Mac. Ubuntu and GIMP all the time!
May 7th, 2009 at 11:59 am
mac for post production!, I also have a photo that will go perfect with this post :D
Are you mac o pc?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/raypg/3496154802/
May 7th, 2009 at 11:59 am
I always like these Mac vs. PC polls – think it should have been Mac or Windows, because those that use Linux are still technically using a Mac or a PC ;)
Still, I think things have progressed enough in the software world that either platform works equally well…
May 7th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Mac.
I want to start off by saying its all preference. Mine so happens to be mac. Since Leopard came out, it has become so much easier to use the network. My wife and I have a photography business and everything seems to just work with the mac. Putting folders of pictures onto my wifes computer is incredibly simple and fast. Workflow has been way more productive since leopard and cuts down on time spent between several computers.
What I own:
24″ iMac Aluminum 2.8GHz, 500GB, 2GB RAM, Mac OS X Leopard
20″ iMac Aluminum 2.6GHz, 250GB, 2GB RAM, Mac OS X Leopard
13″ Macbook Aluminum 2GHz, 160GB, 2GB RAM, Mac OS X Leopard
14″ iBook G4 1.33GHz, 60GB, 2GB RAM, Mac OS X Leopard
15″ Powerbook Titanium 867MHz, 40GB, 512MB RAM, Mac OS X Panther
Amazing computers all still running perfectly. Faithful since 2002. I don’t think people wanted this much “detail” but I thought I would share!
Thank you for doing a post like this. I have always wondered. It would be nice to see who shoots with what. Which this topic was somewhat covered a bit ago and it seemed like Canon overtook the market on here. I am with Nikon all the way. Nikon feels like a Mac to me.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
PC…. had a mac once…. meh… a computer is a computer. I like having a machine that I can rip the guts out of and upgrade.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Technically a PC could be Windows or Linux, but I’m assuming you’re using the term in to mean Windows…
Linux here by the way.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I use a laptop PC. My wife has a Mac which I also used before I bought a laptop PC.
We have Photoshop CS3, Adobe Bridge and Lightroom on both. I’ve learned to use these software for post production on both systems.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Been Mac free for 3 years now having used PC’s since the Tandy TRS-80 ( I know I am dating myself here). I couldn’t be happier with the switch. My family liked mine so much they have all switched over. Wish Apple gave commissions LOL.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Mac 4 me! Find them to be much more reliable and dependable than my past PC boxes.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I own a PC, and a laptop and been pretty happy with that. run photoshop and lightroom just fine :)
even though i would love to try using mac for a change, just need to save some money for it.
Regards,
Victor Augusteo
May 7th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Recently switch to linux (ubuntu) and gimp. It’s taking some getting used to, but overall I like it. I do however need to find a good cataloging solution for linux, currently using picasa. I’m not really into F-Spot.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
PC. I feel a little inadequate, as I have a 17″ HP laptop and… that’s it. HP laptop, wacom graphire tablet and (for Seth :P) a Canon EOS 40D. Hope to upgrade soon-ish. And I don’t really desire a Mac; I know how to use one, just… don’t like it so very much. Aside from being colorful and charming, it’s not for me.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Mac? PC? I use Linux (Ubuntu). Runs twice as fast as windows xp did.
I use GIMP for most post processing, though I have tried bibble, photoshop thru wine.
I have a windows virtual machine installed on linux (which interestingly runs faster than my booted windows), and from this I could run PS (but I dont).
May 7th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I chose “other” for I use (Ubuntu) Linux :)
I use:
GIMP
UFRaw
F-Spot (though I am looking into other image organizers)
qtpfsgui (Its for HDR… and yeah, the name makes no sense)
I love F/OSS :D
May 7th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Both… When it comes down to it these days, its just personal preferance. A Mac and a PC are generally the same thing. the only real difference is the OS. when you purchase a mac however, i feel that you are paying more for the name and the OS than you are paying for the hardware. You can get the same performance out of a PC as you would get with a mac.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
100% Linux here! For an organizer/basic editing, I use the non-open-source program Picasa from Google, but do most of my processing in RawTherapee.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Hi, I am a Linux user. I run Ubuntu on my HP laptop. My applications are gimp 2.6, f-spot, inkscape.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Joe Decker:
I’m confused by your statement “for a system with RAID and a lot of disk space the price differential is a killer.”
Macs use the same commodity hard drives as every Windows PC, so the drive prices are identical. Did you mean you would need a Mac Pro to do an internal RAID?
There are two-drive Firewire 800 RAID boxes for around $100, which are very fast and will work with anything but a non-Pro Macbook.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I worked at a newspaper for a couple of years that was a Linux shop. I used the Gimp there. Hated it, but the Gimp did a good enough job. I worked at a design firm that ran Windows. When the system stayed up it was fine. I was just happy to get back to Photoshop.
I’m not a system customizer or hardware geek and prefer something that just works with the least effort, so I’ve always had a Mac at home. However, all systems have pluses and minuses; so I can see why others would chose differently. Honestly what difference does is make? Must have been a slow day for poll ideas.
People say that it’s not the camera but the photographer. That’s even more true of operating systems.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Rob Speed: You’re right, I was attempting to come up with a system with about 2TB (effective) in a RAID 1 mirror, organized as 2 mirrors, hopefully internally. You’re right that external drives might’ve solved it, if I’m not actually losing performance in moving the drives out, I’d assumed I would, correct me if I’m mistaken.
A lot of my analysis was based on “I’ll spec it, but I’m not goinna build it.” That may or may not have been a mistake.
(I came out, sans monitor, with a couple 300G 10K drives and a couple 1.5TB 7.5K drives internal, 6G RAM and a next-to-fastest i7 proc and an “pkay but not ubergamer video card” for about $2200 out the door, and I didn’t need to lift a screwdriver.) And it’s still got room for extra drives, more RAM, etc., good chance I can keep this box alive for some years.
As for price, a $1K here or there in some ways isn’t that much money, either, even if my numbers were right, but money is pretty tight for me right now.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I recently got at 24″ iMac within the last few months, but still like to work on my 17″ Toshiba laptop as well. I’ve been multi-platforming for much of my life and I don’t see any clear difference with either as far as functionality… I use Adobe CS4 and Bridge on both of them and the process isn’t any different.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Mac always, originally based on peer ‘pressure’ and happy too.
WinPC at work (same software).
No comparison: no problems at home.
Even my old machines still run well: good colours, no shit.
Working at home is just so much more fun ;-)
May 7th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I use a Mac at home and a Mac at work. I used to use a PC at work and I liked using ACDSee for Windows for cataloguing, renaming, printing catalogue sheets and resizing of images. I cannot find anything that works quite as well in Mac. Anybody got any ideas?
May 7th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I’m a die-hard Apple user! I do my post production in Aperture/Photoshop CS3.
Steve
May 7th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I use pc for pp. In windows I use Photoshop and lightroom. I had tried Gimp also, a photoshop clone with multiple platform support. Works great for my needs.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Big fan of my Imac right now. I was using a very cheap pc laptop. Wanted to shoot myself in the head. Not sure if it was because it was a PC or CHEAP? ill let you decide
May 7th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I use openSUSE/GIMP on PC;
After reading couple posts a pattern emerges: people using PC or Linux on either Mac or PC just say what they use, probably in details. But people using Mac and OsX explain themselves as to why the prefer OsX over some other operating system <- which is pathetic :)
And no, I don’t hate Macs, just their narrow minded hypocritical uneducated users :)
Enjoy replying to my post
May 7th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I’m a Mac, but that’s purely because that’s what I’ve always used. I also use Aperture for most of my production workflow, having outgrown Canon’s supplied RAW processing software.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Unfortunately, a PC! Hope I will own a Mac soon!
May 7th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
PC, because I own one. It is more versatile for all the work I do and a bit more compatible with what most of people have (PC’s), so I never considered getting me a MAC. Though I hear they are good for post processing and are widely used by pros. Who knows, maybe someday soon I’m gonna get me one as well.
I use Bibble most of the time for RAW conversion and development and sometimes CS4 (rarely). Works on my PC as charm.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Joe Decker:
While FW800 (1394b) outperforms USB, USB2 and its predecessor, but eSATA clearly has it beat. The benchmarks I’ve seen have identical numbers for average read and write, but eSATA’s maximum read is about 25% faster while maximum write is 50% faster. I get the feeling that the read performance on a 2 disk RAID 1 would completely saturate a FW800 bus.
So yeah, eSATA is probably the only choice for an external RAID. Right now it’s an option for the Mac Pro and Macbook Pro, but only via expansion cards.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Linux.
I use Digikam, Gimp and Rawtherapee.
I tried other solutions, but these software fit perfectly my needs.
May 7th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I’m using an old PC. and saving for 24? iMac.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
A PC with Linux on it and use Lightzone to do basic editing and RAW conversion. Lightzone has revolutionized my workflow, it is a truly amazing program that has allowed me to process photos in half the time as in photoshop and obtain even better results. It also works on Windows and Mac as well.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Well, I use PC with Fedora 10. I use The Gimp and Raw Therapee. :)
May 7th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
The vote is a little confusing. PC, technically is a Personal Computer, which most of us have. Mac is not Linux, rather it is certified Unix. A better poll would be which OS do you use for post production: Mac, Windows, Linux, Unix, BeOS, Commodore64, Vic20, Amiga, Atari, Timex Sinclair, other.
Mac here, though I have used Windows in the past. Never tried post production on a Linux machine, which is a bit sad really.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
I am a network administrator by day, so I am around computers of all types every day, but when I go home, it’s Mac all the way. I spend a disproportionate amount of time fixing Windows problems to ever consider voluntarily using one for personal use. Linux is fine if you like tinkering, but Macs just work better. Trust me, I’m a professional :-)
May 7th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
I use a PC, but if I have a choice I would buy a MAC
May 7th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
WinXP computer I built myself. Use Lightroom and Photoshop CS 2. (Hope to get CS 4 sometime in the near future)
Macs are too expensive for me. I use a Linux computer for all non-photography stuff.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
I’m new to most post-production and just getting into it. At home I own a PC and at school they have MACs. I am saving to get a MAC at home because I love them so, but for me both get the job done I suppose.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I was a windows guy since back in the DOS 3.1 days as a kid in the early 80s. From DOS to Windows 3.0, 3.1, Win95, WindowsME, XP and finally 2 years ago, I felt computing heaven when I finally bought my Mac Pro. 2 years of worry free, blissful computing and crash free, non freezing, smooth computing action. I’ll never, ever, ever go back to Windows.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
wow – when I saw this article I was SURE this would break out into another one of those annoying arguments about which is better, but to my surprise and delight, posters here are carrying it like real adults. awesome!
May 7th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
At work I use Mac’s and PC’s, mainly PC’s.
At home is all PC’s, and I’m more than happy with that. Why? Well, I don’t have to re-boot my PC all the time, it’s stable, fast and I upgrade it every year for less than £500.’ It just works’ with the other PC’s in the house, as well as the Xbox 360 with no fuss or headaches. I guess so would a network of Mac’s, but would have cost me 4 times as much, which it why I’m happy with PC’s :)
Oh, and the software I use for photography is cross platform (the usual Adobe stuff), though I do run some PC only stuff regularly as well.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
PC user but Ubuntu Linux rather than Windows. (Heavens. Did I really have to clarify that using a PC these days doesn’t automatically mean I use products from Lord Gates of Redmond and his minions??) Be that as it may, I use gimp for the grunt work tarted up with a few useful scripts, hugin to manage pano work, and ufraw/raw studio for… well, if I need to explain those two… Surely their name gives away what they’re used for.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
I have both, but prefer Mac for photo stuffs.
Thanks.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
I use Ubuntu Linux, with GIMP for photos, Inkscape for vector art and Cinelerra for video editing.
I turned my back on Windows 2 years ago (for all of our home computers) and am not looking back!
May 7th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
full-time Ubuntu user. Gimp, Hugin, UFRaw, Enfuse, and some scripting.
I guess in your survey, the choices should be the names of the OSes: OSX, Windows, or Linux (since Window and Linux can run on Mac as well).
May 7th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
I recently switched from PC to Mac. I love the Mac. I process with Photoshop cs4, Lightroom, Aperture, PhotoToos and PhotoMask.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
I’d rather spend the same amount on better hardware.
I have a couple of PC’s running, including a normal laptop and an eee-pc for on the road.
Furthermore, all PC’s run both Windows (photoshop) and Linux (everything else).
As soon as Adobe starts to become Linux-minded I’ll be saying goodbye to Windows.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
I would never let a PC touch any of my photos. And I would never ever trust one with storing my original files (even if they were backed up).
May 7th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
I use a computer I built myself which cost much less than a Mac but I run OS X on it. So far I haven’t read anyone else using this combo. OS X is a much better operating system for many reasons but Macs are pricey. If anyone is interested, the project is called .
May 7th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I’ve always been pretty cross-platform. I had a PC at home since junior high or so, but started using Macs when I majored in graphic design in college. And I hated them for a while, because it’s different, and everything took me longer because I was used to doing things a certain way. Now, I switch back and forth very easily.
I did have a desktop PC (home built) and a refurbished iMac G4. They both started crashing and becoming unpredictable at about the same time, and I picked up a Macbook Pro. I haven’t bothered to replace the PC (my husband has one, in case I need Windows only software or anything), and it’s all I’ve been using since.
Since the weather’s been nice, I spend a lot of my time editing photos out on the porch :)
May 8th, 2009 at 12:17 am
I honestly like both PCs and Macs, but I’ve always been a PC person. I did however use CS3 on a Mac for two of my previous photo classes in college. I wouldn’t mind buying a Mac but they are too expensive for me to afford.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Right now, I use a desktop PC running Windows XP. It runs well and does the job, but I am looking to upgrade to a Mac Book Pro in the near future. I just do not have the extra cash for it at the moment.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:50 am
PC – because I do so many things, some of which requires specialized hardware. I don’t dislike Mac, but it certainly isn’t as customizable for my needs. One day, I’ll have a PC server, PC Desktop and a Macbook. Best of all worlds.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:50 am
I am using PC. Frankly I would prefer a Mac even if it is a 15-year-old machine. But it is damn expensive. PC is no where near Mac in terms of performance and quality. However, I can only afford a PC. It is all about the money.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:33 am
PC here, though hoping to go Mac very soon. Need better quality!!!!! :P
I don’t have photoshop, oddly enough. I use GIMP and it works decently well for me.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:40 am
I’m one of this people who have answered “Other”,as I’m running OS X on my PC ( Hackintosh) ;). Why that ? I love the idea to run professionnal software like Adobe CS on an Unix-based OS. But a Mac Pro is way too much expensive for my student budget. So … I didn”t want to choose ;).
May 8th, 2009 at 1:52 am
PC – have always used it .. and will continue doing it ..
though this might be biased as I haven’t used Mac much .. but will give it a shot when i get my hands on one..
May 8th, 2009 at 2:07 am
I love PC. I’m not a fan of MAC. I don’t like following the hype; I like buying what actually works for me.
May 8th, 2009 at 2:13 am
A Mac with Nikon stuff for quick fix and Pixelmator for deeper work…
Phil
May 8th, 2009 at 2:15 am
PC. Macs look charming, but the interface bugs the crap out of me — and I have not found them to be significantly more reliable than the PCs I’ve owned (and now own). So either I’ve had extremely bad luck with Macs, or their reputation isn’t entirely deserved. Hmmmmm!
May 8th, 2009 at 2:28 am
I have a dell PC with lightroom 2.3. No PS yet.
For the one who asked, I’m a canon guy. Currently shoot with an S5 but will upgrade to thhe digital rebel when incomes covers it.
May 8th, 2009 at 2:30 am
I wonder how many of those poor Windows users are using it simply because they’ve never given Mac or Linux a fair try? Whenever a choice is the default, you know most people using it are using it because they’ve never tried anything else. It’s like Internet Explorer. Most of the IE users I talk to FireFox about don’t even know what a browser is.
“Open up IE? What’s that? Oh! You want me to open up Yahoo. Ok!”
Shame.
May 8th, 2009 at 2:37 am
I use Rawtherapee and occasionally Gimp on Linux.
May 8th, 2009 at 3:20 am
Die hard Mac user. I started with the 512k Mac and have used just about every Mac built since. Currently I use an iMac and a MacBook Pro. [I have quite a few older Macs, but that is for another post.]
I have a couple of Window’s boxes that I tried with PhotoShop. Not worth the time it takes to overcome the different OS. [Both my Intel Macs have Windows XP on them, but I don't use it that often.] I have to say that the ability to change parts in and out seems highly overrated. I’ve tried that and it is just a pain.
I, also, have a SGI Indy that I use for 3D rendering in Lightwave and PhotoShop. I really regret that SGI went out of business, other than how difficult Irix is to use, they are absolutely great machines. Underneath my SGI machine, I have a Sun SparcStation when I really want to torture myself on a CLI unix box, otherwise it is a monitor stand for my Indy… LOL
May 8th, 2009 at 3:20 am
PC.
Macs are waaaaaaaay better but there just too expensize for a thirtenn year old photograpger sitting on £2.50 a week :)
May 8th, 2009 at 3:56 am
I use Linux. Digikam and sometimes ufraw, krita and gimp, but mainly just Digikam.
May 8th, 2009 at 4:17 am
I use Aperture on Mac OS X Leopard. My main machine is a Mac Pro with two quad-core Nehalem processors @ 2.26 GHz. 6GB RAM. Dual Intel X25-M SSDs as boot/photo storage drive. 24 inch Dell LCD.
May 8th, 2009 at 4:50 am
I personally use PC because it is cheaper for me. I own the whole Adobe suite for windows and don’t want to pay more money to switch over. I build my own computers but for a young guy with lots of free time I can afford to build a 2500 dollar machine and save the money that I could have used for a mac pro on my new 35mm f/1.4 L and 135mm f/2.0 L with filters and nice cases instead. I use a nice dual quad core mac pro with 12gb of ram for protools recording and the machine is sweet… and over $5500 with the 2 24″ Mac monitors. The only real advantage that I feel that mac has over PC is the reliability, not needing to ever restart and networking issues. Although iPhoto 2009 is pretty cool for uploading to facebook because it recognizes and tags faces for you.
Yes, I’m aware that 2500 dollars can buy you a 17″ iMac with a extra monitor or a base line Mac Pro or a midrange Macbook pro. but here is why my machine cost that much to make it.
2-24″ Dell Ultrasharp 2408wfps (that was a bit over $1k right there)
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 that is overclocked to 3.5 GHz (FSB 1800MHz) which is faster than any Mac Pro in existance
8 GB of DDR2-1066 MHz ram (DDR3 really isn’t any faster than DDR2 unless you’re doing video encoding or something long process)
2-500GB WD Caviar Blacks in RAID 0 for boot
4-1TB WD Caviar Blacks for pictures
a ATI Radeon 4970 also overclocked for playing Team Fortress 2 lolololol
and then whatever else is in my case.
*** as a side note I have a linux box with fedora that runs my server and hosts my website. There is the 500GB boot disk plus 4-2TB WD Green HD’s for backup and storage.
The truth is that Adobe barely makes use of multicore processors, lightroom and aperture do more so but for most photographers there isnt much difference. I did find however that running photoshop, lightroom, dreamweaver, music, etc that having a quadcore does help (my previous machine was a AMD dualcore 4400+)
May 8th, 2009 at 6:56 am
I us a Mac and Aperture. There is very little online sites or blogs that support Aperture which is a bit disappointing. I see no reason to spend for Photoshop and Lightroom didn’t fit my style like Aperture does.
Oh, well, a rebel again. LOL
May 8th, 2009 at 7:11 am
I use a Mac, in fact it’s an imac 400 one of the first slot loading machines that I bought back in 1999! She’s slowing up a bit these days but still going strong.
Maybe one of these days I’ll have enough money for a Macbook Pro and I’ll be able to retire the old girl…
May 8th, 2009 at 7:35 am
I’m currently stuck with a PC running Vista that is giving me grief. Wish I was using a Mac – they seem to run faster and be much better for graphical work as well as having a more reliable operating system.
Pat Bloomfield
PatB Wedding Photography Suffolk
May 8th, 2009 at 7:48 am
I’ve never quite understood the term “post production”. It’s not post [i.e., after] the production. It’s the production itself. If it’s post anything, it’s post the photo-taking. Maybe the meaning is “post [photo-taking (implied)] production”. Any thoughts?
May 8th, 2009 at 8:09 am
Scott Thomas, I’ve been writing up an article for DPS on my Aperture workflow (it’s still coming, Darren!) If I started an Aperture blog, would you contribute to it?
May 8th, 2009 at 8:11 am
I am a pc user simply for economic reasons, I have all the software I need, buying a Mac, would mean reinvesting in the same software, and making the companies even more Richer. For me if it’s not broken don’t fix it. Ernie
May 8th, 2009 at 8:42 am
I have a PC running Win Vista Hope Premium, I have Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 which I’m still learning to play with, I have only very recently gone from 35mm to Digital
Linux (in its various forms is an Operating System, like Windows
May 8th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I always used Windows (still have a Windows laptop) because that was what was available to me, and what I was used to. Hubby switched to Mac a year or two ago, so I now use that for all of my post production & business stuff. I mainly use Aperture (glad to see there are at least a couple of others here who use it), and I use Photoshop for things that are more complicated than Aperture can do (like selective coloring).
May 8th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Put me down as another happy Linux user – Ubuntu 9.10, GIMP 2.6, F-Spot. It’s all running on PC hardware, but I think your question meant “MS Windows”, not “PC” versus Mac.
May 8th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I use both Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux and do work in both.
May 8th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Linux (Fedora 10) on AMD x64 X2 PC style hardware. RawTherapee for post processing.
May 8th, 2009 at 10:54 am
I am a proud PC, with Photoshop CS3 at home and at work. I may be one of the few, but I love windows. Where I work, we have 98’s, XP’s and Vista machines all running on the same network. At home, strictly Vista.
May 8th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Do You Use a Mac or a PC for Post Production?
If you are using the term “PC” to mean personal computer, then yes, I use a PC. If you are using the term “PC” as meaning Microsoft Windows then no I do not. The term PC really means personal computer and not all PC users use Windows. Many of us use Linux, Unix, various flavors of BSD or other “NIX” type O/S’s. You must have fell for Microsoft’s attempt to make Windows synonymous with PC. It is like calling all facial tissues Kleenex or all soft drinks a Coke. There are a lot of very useful post-production tools for these other operating systems like GIMP, KRITA, RAWTHERAPEE, DIGICAM, UFRAW, JHEAD, and many more. Best of all they are FREE!!!! Free as in beer! I also get online with my Linux machine and doo not worry about viruses, worms and other exploits. I do not have to pay for virus scanners, system repair tools and other crap that Windows users pay for so they can be “protected” (as well as eat up system resources). I am not anti-windows or anti microsoft. I have been using Linux since the days of floppy installs. Today it is much easier for a “noob”. Ubuntu is easier to install and run than XP or Vista. I hope this cleared up the issue of PC vs. Mac. I also hope this will encourage others to get off the Virus Wagon. By the way, a Mac is really running a flavor of BSD which is a NIX O/S like Linux.
May 8th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I posted my comments above before reading all the other comments about PC an NIX O/S’s. Viva Linux!
May 8th, 2009 at 11:27 am
i use a windows machine and a linux machine, at school i use macs and hate them, therefore i do not use macs, however if i have to i will
May 8th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I worked in printing for years when the computer age came in, and I learned typesetting and design on a MAC. My husband had a video store, and we bought a PC to run it. When I got out of the printing business, and started doing desktop publishing I went with a PC because by then I had learned how to ‘fix’ one if it broke, and if the MAC went down at work, all we knew to do was “restart” and pray. I much prefer a PC. I can build one from the MB up and MAC’s are harder to tech and cost much more.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I’m a Mac girl! I’ve had a Mac since the 512K… ha ha…
May 8th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I started out on PC. Went Mac for a few years but got tired of the bloated hardware costs and went back to PC.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
This is the stupidest QUESTION!! Photoshop is the most used program and it doesn’t make a difference if you’re on a mac or pc!! Besides, I bet almost all of those macs are lap tops. And I bet that less than %10 actually own a copy of photoshop!
The poll should be about software. What you use and if you have a legal copy. lol
May 8th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I use a Linux-based computer and run GIMP for post-production work.
When I can afford it I will probably switch over to a Mac.
May 8th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Mac or PC, who really cares? I’ve been using a Macintosh since the 512k and currently use a MacBook Pro, G5, G4, iMac, and a couple of MacMinis, but every once in a while I’ll need to fire up Windows or Linux, which the newer Macs run quite handily either natively or in virtualization.
After spending decades working with/on computers, I love the reliability of the Mac, the networking, and the fact that it generally works without having to fiddle around with it. Any time not spent futzing with computers is time I have to do something interesting, like taking photographs or building a guitar. A computer is a tool, and since I’m more familiar with Macintosh, I use that system to be productive.
The old saw about Mac hardware being so much more expensive than PC’s is out of date. If I were to build a comparable PC system I’d be spending as much or more than a current Mac system and a lot more time, but the software library is where the big investment lies. Who wants to replace all that software? Live and let live!
May 8th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I agree with the above comments, especially with “michael #50112″, that OS has little impact on photography. Great tools exist for each. Technically speaking, PC includes Mac as the first refers more to hardware while latter to a specific OS. Nowadays you might have Intel based Mac therefore the hardware differences basically disappeared. However, I would be interested how many of us have optimized computer for his/her work and use it most of the time (Sparc/Intel/AMD Workstation, Top level PC, Office PC, Laptop, other)? I do not know if you had already such poll.
May 8th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
PC Desktop, love AMD and heavy graphics acceleration. Cant do either on a mac…
I also run a Fedora 10 Box to host VMware server 2 for labbing.
I always get frustrated with mac’s but i’ve had 24 years of PC exposure to contend with.
May 8th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
The difference between Mac and PC users is that Mac users have all worked on PC’s and trusted them for years. They then took a couple days to learn the Mac interface, loved it and never went back. PC users vote PC because they don’t know the power of the Mac, since they’ve never taken the time to really get to know one. All I know is, even if there are software/hardware packages that are only available for PC, Mac people are Mac people, and once you become one, no software on the planet would turn you against the beloved Apple.
May 8th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Pc with Ubuntu
May 8th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
If I might say…. PC’s run not only Microsoft Windows Whatever The Latest Version Is.
A PC is a personal computer (of which even Macs are part) and linux surely must be included?
My 2c.
May 8th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
@ Jess “PC users vote PC because they don’t know the power of the Mac, since they’ve never taken the time to really get to know one. ”
This such ridiculous statement. I would really stick to the question “Do you Use a Mac or PC for Post Production? … Why? because that’s the topic. The mac/pc debate is ongoing and will never end.. just like is canon / nikon debate of which one is better.. ultimately it’s personal preference as they all do the job..
most products we use are now adobe same sofwate same company delivered on 2 different operation systems / platforms and even then are cross platformed! we can use the same files on each machine! …
i’ve used macs but i’ll stick with pc thanks… mainly due to pricing.. it’s a lot cheaper.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Ubuntu 64 on AMD64 w/ 2TB software RAID0 and a good backup strategy.
The software for imaging for Linux is more than capable for the average Joe, Bill, Mac, or Buddy, and with the Gnome interface is far easier than Mac and Windows IMHO. Unfortunately, as Jess pointed out, most people don’t take the time, and I guess this is fair, having invested years in getting to know Windows and Mac you, as I, probably wonder why change. My system is equivalent to the Mac desktop Pro series, but about $5K less, plus I get a new release of the OS every 6 months! Now if the photo software is missing that one little feature its not the end of the world, there are heaps of alternatives.
I also run a MacBook Pro with OSX 10.6 which is a lovely piece of work, but for the price, in retrospect, it was not worth it. The thing about all these expensive shiny toys is that they date very rapidly and can still fail to meet your expectations; and that’s just what Apple wants to happen. Fortunately we now have a free option. This is the end of the line for me with Windows and Mac.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
I m Adobe user.
MY first suite I have buy was been for Mac! (long time ago) for some specific use. Also the materials that I have received from licensor was been prepared for MAC. I sitll have this MAC, but I use it rarely. (read never!)
From those yers since I was always been also forced to work on PC I have done several upgrade or I have buy new systems. I m sure I have already change my stationary PC 4 times and portable two! And I have to also change the Adobe suite! For example one of the program which I use on a daily basis was been Premiere and the program has returned to MAC only recently. However I have learn that both MAC and PC can perform the same things. It is not a matter of having one or other that you can do more things or differently. Some says that is a matter of status having one or other. I was been happy with one and other but at the end you have to do the same work! MY design and photo looks perfectly the same on both systems! Probably the similiar question is what is better Canon or Nikon?! I guess you can do pictures with both! At least I have done the pictures with both. And believe it or not, even with Olympus I have managed to do nice pictures! :)
So the conclusion is that sometimes you have to do decisions (economic reason mostly ) and live with them. I have buy now the suite for PC, I have buy all others programs for PC so like it or not I have to stick with PC. (Like I have to stick with Nikon since I have buy so many Nikon Lenses over the years! )
May 8th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Iam a human being using a MAC
May 8th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Ubuntu + Gimp + RawTherapee (sometimes Digikam) on aging AMD64
May 8th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Mac. Had to use one when my company switched from Windows a few years ago due to the high cost of maintaining Windows machines. Now I use one all the time.
May 9th, 2009 at 12:00 am
PC, but not by choice. It would cost too much in software for me to make the switch….
May 9th, 2009 at 12:36 am
I mostly use a MAC but being a recent convert, I am still learning the tools. Sometimes when I need something in a hurry, I just pull out Windows to git ‘er done. My goal is to be 100% MAC by the end of this year.
May 9th, 2009 at 3:07 am
MAC!! (iMac)
I love being able to leave applications up and running, I could never have left applications running for days on my HP.
And I love not having to deal with viruses. If that’s not a massive plus I don’t know what is.
Also, the visual quality of the monitor is far superior to most PCs that I see. I’m not saying all, I’m just saying you get what you pay for.
May 9th, 2009 at 3:07 am
We only run Linux and GIMP. I would note that I’ve seen surveys of Linux users that say the most missed application is Photoshop.
May 9th, 2009 at 4:53 am
I’m currently on Windows for all post processing (Lightroom 2 & Photoshop CS4). I’ve tried Linux before but all the RAW editing tools that I tried did not handle my CR2 files correctly. I have tried UFRaw, Rawtherapee, RAW Studio. All of them showed my pictures with an odd shade of pink. I tried ICC color profiles and those didn’t help either. I haven’t tried Bibble Pro because, to me, paying for software on Linux defeats the whole purpose of it.
So until someone confirms that CR2 files are handled correctly in Linux, I will stick with Windows.
May 9th, 2009 at 4:56 am
Up until 4 years ago, all of my experience was with Windows. As I became heavily involved in photography, I switched to a desktop Mac. Great decision. Now my whole family is running on Macs. I like the previous comment about how nice it would be to get a commission. Use Photoshop, Lightroom (most use), Photomatix Pro. And of course, several Nikons.
May 9th, 2009 at 5:52 am
@Matthew “This is the stupidest QUESTION!! Photoshop is the most used program and it doesn’t make a difference if you’re on a mac or pc!! Besides, I bet almost all of those macs are lap tops. And I bet that less than %10 actually own a copy of photoshop!”
That question has already been posted
http://digital-photography-school.com/which-post-production-software-do-you-use
May 9th, 2009 at 5:58 am
I had done recent post processing on my Mac, but since I found out how easy it is to get great results using LightBox or PhotoScape, I may be using those more often on Windows XP via Boot Camp.
May 9th, 2009 at 8:30 am
As a student, I did a lot of my post-production work in the photojournalism lab on Macs but now I do everything in Linux, mostly with GIMP.
May 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
PC, PC, PC, PC & finally…you guessed it, PC.
All five computers that I use on a regular basis are PC’s…that is to say, Windows based.
I used a Mac for a while that belonged to a friend… Nothing wrong with it…other than it was completely different. So for that reason it was much slower to work on. Clearly that was an operator issue and not hardware/software related. That said, I LOVE my PC’s…serious bang for the buck! Every hundred or so that I can save on a PC I get to spend on somethihg that’s actually camera related.
On a side note…
Laszlo…good question! My “main” PC has indeed been optimized for photo work and runs no other software. No games, no spreadsheets…just photo stuff and graphics (Adobe Illustator, InDesign, et al & Corel Draw…only because I’ve used that one for years and know it back to front.) I have another PC that is geared for music…and music only. I also have a “general purpose” PC…that I’m using right now and two laptops: one used strictly for photo gigs and another general-purpose-anyone-in-the-house-can-grab unit.
May 9th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
MacBook Pro with Aperture and (occasionally) Gimp, external RAID array.
@ Joe Decker: strangely enough, the RAID array didn’t have separate prices depending on whether it was being bought for a Mac or PC…
May 9th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
It’s “Mac” — not “MAC.”
“MAC” means something else in the computer world.
May 9th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
I use Mac mainly because I purchased it specifically for my photography….Hard to get used to since I have been a PC user for other things, but as I learn I find it more user friendly!
May 9th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
i recently bought macbook to replace my aging ibm thinkpad, im happy with mac. i am starting to edit in mac but i usually do my editing in PC. Macs are great! Just love it.
May 10th, 2009 at 8:07 am
PC all the way, I hate Macs.
May 10th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Linux x86_64, and while I do try to stay native, I do take advantage of running some x86 windows apps under wine.
May 10th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
What do you mean by “Of course these classifications don’t fit with everyone (Linux users…”? Many Linux users use it on PC hardware. PC isn’t synonym for Windows!
May 10th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
I have G4 tower old but still able to run leopard-a macbook–running CS3
May 10th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Kubuntu Linux all the way. I use Bibble Pro, Noise Ninja in my daily workflow, and The Gimp for some pixel tweaks.
Oh, and I agree with Simo. PC is an abbreviation for “Personal Computer”, which can be anything like a Mac, Windows, Linux, SunOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, etc. computer.
May 11th, 2009 at 6:19 am
My new iMac arrives tomorrow. :)
May 11th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Oh, and P.S. that makes 5 working Macs in the house alone.
May 11th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
A bit of a shame that “PC”, from “IBM compatible Personal Computer”, to just “Personal Computer” now came to mean “computer running Windows” when Apple now sells PCs and you can install so many operating systems on them.
What kind of machine are us Unix users supposed to run then ?
(and I also have a Mac with Mac OS and I really don’t like it)
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