Digital Prints

Platforms, Operating Systems, and CPUs
Like fanatical sports team fans, photographers and artists are usually die-hard defenders
of either the PC/Windows or Macintosh platform. The fact is, it doesn’t make much difference
which you go with. Most image-editing programs (but not all) and virtually all
high-quality desktop printers run just as well with both. PCs tend to be cheaper and easier
to find, and Macs are still preferred in an almost cult-like way by certain groups such
as high-end photographers. (I also find it interesting that art galleries invariably use Macs
as their office computers; must be something about the cool design!)
Each operating system’s (OS) software also has its band of adherents. Microsoft Windows
reigns supreme on the PC with its many incarnations, and although XP is the latest as of
this writing, I know artists who still happily use Windows 95, 98, and 2000 (Windows
2000 is legendary for being rock-solid stable). On the Mac side, most Macophiles are shifting
to OS X, although some are still holding on to OS 9.x for as long as they can. Once
the image-editing or printer software you’re running can no longer work with your old
OS, it’s time to upgrade it. At that point, many Windows users just opt for a whole new
computer, with the latest OS built in.
CPUs and Processing Speed
The central processing unit (CPU) is the heart of your computer. Intel Pentium (3 or 4)
and AMD Athlon are two obvious choices for the PC. PowerPC processors (currently G4s
and G5s) on the Mac are the only realistic options.
CPUs come in different “clock speeds,” which have a big impact on how fast your work
gets done as the computer processes all those binary numbers. Get the fastest CPU you
can afford unless you like staring at the monitor watching little hourglasses or spinning
clocks while your files are processed. Note that megahertz or gigahertz ratings should only
be used for comparing CPUs in the same family; it doesn’t work to compare Pentium
speeds with PowerPCs.
The best performance will come from using dual processors, and both PCs and Macs support
that option. The only problem is that not all software will run on multiprocessors, and
conflicts with critical software or drivers can more than offset the speed advantages of a dual
processor system. Macs have the advantage here since OS X offers better system-level usage
of dual processors than previous systems and shows far fewer compatibility issues.
RAM
The other big key to processing large image files is Random Access Memory (RAM). These
days, RAM is cheap so buy all you can. Photoshop, especially, is a RAM hog, so load up
on it. If you can get and utilize more than 1GB (1,000MB) of RAM, get it. You’ll be smiling
when your work flies off the screen.
An interesting point that digital artist Ileana makes about RAM and her art: Every time she
increases the RAM in her computer, she immediately begins to compose larger pieces to
take advantage of the improvement. So her work actually changes because of the equipment.
Chapter 8 ■ Making a Great Inkjet Print 251