Curious to know if a good number of you viewers use both PC & MAC daily, perhaps PC for typical home/family usage while doing MAC for photo related work?

I ask because I might be in that near situation in the very near future.
Raymond

Your life will be simpler if you can avoid it.

Raymond, you realize you just opened the can of worms - again!

I use both. PC & 24 iMac. Both for personal & photo related work. CS3 is only on PC. Personally there is much ado @ nothing, just tools.

I use both on a regular basis and can say that they are not that different. I use a PC laptop for my personal photography, business, email, etc. I use and teach Photoshop on a Mac at school. The only Photoshop differences between them are actually OS differences. And those are getting fewer and fewer.

The only differences will be between the two actual machines you use. There is no difference of quality between PC and Mac (boy, I'm gonna get it for that one). I have had bad Macs and PCs and good Macs and PCs so I know what I am talking about.

In spite of what will follow on this forum from the Mac apostles, there is no real difference. Just anecdotal examples.

If you can use one of the platforms well, you will be able to make the switch in no time.

Best,
Randy

I use a Windows XP laptop for work, because that's what they gave me. It works fine, especially since I haven't upgraded it to IE7 or Vista.

I use a Mac Mini at home which has Parallels installed on it. I can access my work email and network just fine through Parallels, including accessing Outlook and Microsoft Exchange. I could even access the Novell servers before they took them offline.

I have a Windows XP desktop at home that I use for computer games. My Mini doesn't have a fast enough video card for really good games (nor for video editing if I wanted to do that, really. It's fine for Lightroom and CS3 stills work.)

If I just wanted one machine I'd use a Mac with Parallels. If I wanted to do PC gaming on it I'd get one with a higher end video card and I might use BootCamp for maximum performance.

M

The OP is vague but gives the impression they will be the owner of both machines. W/o a real compelling reason it would be dumb to maintain two platforms on two machines, tools, let alone more costly. It's like getting one Canon and one Nikon...

I use both- it's not a big deal at all...

I do prefer to Photoshop on the mac because there is no background and I can work between bridge and PS easier, but other than that not much preference.

I use both too for a variety of tasks, but my personal machines are all PC's. I agree with the comments that they're just tools, and are more or less equally capable of ruining your whole day.

I think OSX is much better than XP overall but there are some things I prefer about XP...probably out of habit than anything else though. Vista is an improvement when it works properly, but I haven't used a PC yet that it works properly on.

I also prefer using Photoshop on a PC -because- it blanks out the desktop. Switching between PS and Bridge is a simple matter of alt+tab, a feature that's been in Windows for a decade.

There are two main reasons I stick with Windows:

It would cost me thousands of dollars to replace all of my software with Mac versions.

Apple laptops are pretty jewels but they are way too fragile and poorly sealed for the way I treat my gear on the road. They're also way overpriced. I need my laptop to be as rugged as my cameras and Apple doesn't make one, they're too focused on form vs. function.

The desktops though - awesome, and very inexpensive for what you get. I can't even build one from parts to the same spec as the base model for $2500. I've talked to people who buy them just to run Windows on them because they're a lot cheaper than comparably equipped, brand-name, Xeon workstations.

I also use both, a company issued (2005) XP running Dell laptop and the rest Mac laptops and desktops.

Zero problems with the XP machine but the only time it is connected online is when FTP'ing image files and logging on the company webmail.
Might check the weather service site but other than that it is strictly limited to working up and transmitting images.
Have yet to be infected, etc. and I hear so much about folks having problems. Knock on wood.

I agree with Kevin's note on Apple laptops.
Just got a 15" C2D 2.4 ghz and there is something to be said for the gray (plastic?) cases used on PC laptops, which are far more practical.

quote:

Originally posted by KWSmith:
[qb]I also prefer using Photoshop on a PC -because- it blanks out the desktop. Switching between PS and Bridge is a simple matter of alt+tab, a feature that's been in Windows for a decade.[/qb]

I'm not debating, but I thought I'd point out how this can be done on a Mac.

#1 - Switching Apps: Hold the Command (Apple) key and tap the Tab key. That will quickly scroll thru open Apps.

#2 - Blanking desktop: If you need to do that press only F on your keyboard. Press up to 3X on CS2 and 4X on CS3. This will cycle screen views. If you don't like the Full Screen mode background (BG) colors, press just G or Shift G for the Paint Bucket, select the foreground color of your choice in the Tool Palette and then hold the Shift key and click on the PS BG. This way you can get a black BG while keeping your menu for example.

.......And one of the coolest Apple tricks that not many know about:

When minimizing an open window by clicking on the yellow button in the top left corner, hold down the shift key to witness the amazing slomo minimizer! Your amazement level is directly dependent on the current THC levels in your body.

Scotti

That is cool, I think I just had a flashback.

Far out, man!

Scotti

quote:

Your amazement level is directly dependent on the current THC levels in your body.

OK, what is THC?

I am *really* getting behind! But I learn so much hanging out here with you pro's ....

No answers please.