Digital Photography 101 – The Windows Vs Mac Debate

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Digital Photography 101 – The Windows Vs Mac Debate

One of the most hotly contested concepts in the world of digital photography is that of operating system superiority. Mac users claim that due to OS X’s ease of use and Apple’s eye for design, their systems are the best in the world for storing and editing digital photos. On the other side of the discussion, Windows users have long bandied about the assertion that PCs are more compatible, more universal, and thus more qualified to handle the workload of the digital arts community. So let’s take a look at the differences between these two industry giants.

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows has been the long time standard for business software like Outlook, Word and Excel. The majority of offices use PC’s with windows as this is mainly due to the lower cost of PC equipment and the compatibility of different systems working with windows. However when it comes to digital photography, using Windows gives you no clear advantage over any other operating system.

Software like Adobe Photoshop run almost the same on Windows as a Mac and since Apple switched to using Intel processors now the hardware is almost the same as well. What are the advantages of using Windows? For starters, PCs are cheap, especially when compared to Macs. Much of the software available for OS X is also available for Windows and you can get a good PC that works well with photos for a lot less than an Mac with similar software. If cost is your bottom line, you should probably look into a Windows system.

Apple Mac

It’s hard to believe that just ten years ago, many industry analysts declared Apple “dead in the water.”. Thanks to innovative design and easy to use software, Apple managed to stage an incredible comeback to become one of the leaders in the world of computers. OS X was designed and built with multi-media in mind and is often praised for its intuitive interface and seamless meshing.

Apple computers are sometimes viewed as less advanced as PCs hardware-wise, and often cost an good chunk of money. The top of the line PowerMac could run you over ,000, and when you consider that the easiest way to upgrade a Mac is to buy a new one, taking the financial plunge can be quite difficult. But one of the biggest advantages is that OS X is a super stable operating system and rarely crashes or suffers from virus threats. You’ll also find interfacing through several programs at once (Photoshop, iPhoto, web sites) is much easier on a Mac than a PC, and can dramatically increase the speed at which you can work.

Most people will naturally select their preferences so the real answer to which operating system is better lies in what ultimately works best for you. There is no difference between the file formats that Photoshop or Lightroom create on either operating system, and having one or the other will not have a negative impact on your ability to work with digital photographs. Your best solution is to visit the Apple store and then visit a computer store and play around with both operating systems. Whichever one makes the most sense to you is probably going to be the best one to invest in, unless you’re looking for something specific your normal OS doesn’t have.

Mac and Windows each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and one or the other could reasonably be declared a victor in certain battles. However when it comes to photography, either one is a good solution for helping take your pictures to the next level. In the end, you really have to choose a system that works for you so you can continually expand and improve your photography skills.

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