Computer for Photo Processing

[Manfred M]

I don't fully agree that laptops do not have the grunt I use a laptop with i7, 8GB memory and a Radeon HD 6770M etc and it handles the (very resource hungry) Cyberlink Power Director 11 video editing software OK.

Ron - for video editing / video compositing, especially for HD, I would never consider a laptop and would look at highly customized hardware. Whether you use Avid Media Composer (Mac and Windows), Final Cut Pro (Mac only) or Adobe Premiere Pro / After Effects (Mac and PC), these all take a lot of processor power. A higher end Nvidia CUDA enabled video card certainly speeds up the editing in the Adobe product line. Physical swap drives (rather than different volumes on the same physical drive), multi-threaded processors (I use 8-threaded machines) and lots of RAM are necessary for this type of work. I find I prefer doing this on a two-monitor setup and if I can I like having a third HD TV monitor for playback.

Yes, I have used a laptop to do this, but it is really limiting, but then it has very little to do with photo editing. The two processes are different as night and day.

The only real downside that I have found with laptops for photo editing is their small screen size and relatively poor colour reproduction quality. If you use an external monitor (using the laptop screen as your second monitor), they tend to use relatively ancient analogue (VGA) output, rather than DVI or DisplayPort (digital) outputs,

[RonH]

If you use an external monitor (using the laptop screen as your second monitor), they tend to use relatively ancient analogue (VGA) output, rather than DVI or DisplayPort (digital) outputs,

Laptop with ext monitor connected HDMI isn't ancient ...is it?
I need to move my pc around. I thought of a desktop 'trolley' but a bit inconvenient. So I will just have to dream and make the best of what I have until 'the boss' agrees to me also having a desktop ... but I don't want to hog this thread of Daniel's

[Manfred M]

Ron - I looked at the three relatively new laptops in the house, the only port that they have for connecting to the monitor is the VGA.

HDMI is a essentially video connection and supports YCbCr colour space, not RGB, so colour precision is an issue. It is there so that you can output content protected to a TV from your computer's BluRay player, not so you get accurate colours in photo editing.

[RonH]

Oops ... my eyes arn't all that great so whatever colour it is, it is
For us, the pics that we get printed or the dvd video's I produce look OK and much the same as what is on Nikon DSLR, Sony camcorder or smartphone.
I have learnt something today though ... thanks. Got to keep the grey matter oiled
(I connect my HDMI laptop output to the monitor HDMI ...seems OK)

[rpcrowe]

My wife's and my Windows based systems have been driving us crazy lately. Both of us are running Windows 7 on relatively new machines with plenty of memory and fast processors.

The problem we have been experiencing is with Windows Updates - primarily the security updates. If we try to shut sown either computer we receive a message: Important Updates to be downloaded, do not shut off the computer. The downloading will take fifteen minutes to a half hour. Then when we turn on the computer we receive a message: Updates to be installed, do not shut off the computer. This can take 15 minutes to a half hour and the final result is this message: Installation of updates failed reverting back to original configuration.

This loup keeps going round and round.

I had my computer tech come over and he tried downloading a Microsoft Update Fixit which didn't work and then tried downloading a much larger and time consumng program which didn't work either! BTW: I have been assisted by this technician for years and he is usually able to fix any problem that I have.

Browsing through the Internet, I find that the Update Loup is a fairly common problem with no solution suggested.

My only option is to go into the control panel and stop the auto updating of Windows. Since this is a security mater, I need to get a secondary security program..

BTW: The reason that Macs don't seem to have the virus problems of the PC world is not because they are inherently protected from virus but, rather because virus developers don't try for Mac viruses since Mac is a very small portion of the computer world...

[GrahamH]

BTW: The reason that Macs don't seem to have the virus problems of the PC world is not because they are inherently protected from virus but, rather because virus developers don't try for Mac viruses since Mac is a very small portion of the computer world...

I seem to recall a recent Mac attack where the response time from Apple was rather slow (out of my expertise, so I may very well be wrong). They don't have the infra-structure to respond to a threat as fast as PC's (vast experience). Can anyone comment, confirm or correct with respect to Mac virus protection/response?
Graham
(As to user friendly Mac's, I'm trying to help a friend use a Mac and i am totally lost on it. I don't find it user friendly at all - but I have a lot more experience in PC's and find them okay).

[Colin Southern]

However if you want to be serious about graphics editing don't think a laptop is the answer, they just don't have the graphics power.

Depends on the model -- higher-end laptops have far greater graphics power than entry-level PCs. But it's a bit of a moot point because post processing doesn't require graphics power anyway. Biggest issue with laptops is the variations experienced when viewing the screen at different angles.

[Colin Southern]

My wife's and my Windows based systems have been driving us crazy lately. Both of us are running Windows 7 on relatively new machines with plenty of memory and fast processors.

The problem we have been experiencing is with Windows Updates - primarily the security updates. If we try to shut sown either computer we receive a message: Important Updates to be downloaded, do not shut off the computer. The downloading will take fifteen minutes to a half hour. Then when we turn on the computer we receive a message: Updates to be installed, do not shut off the computer. This can take 15 minutes to a half hour and the final result is this message: Installation of updates failed reverting back to original configuration.

This loup keeps going round and round.

I had my computer tech come over and he tried downloading a Microsoft Update Fixit which didn't work and then tried downloading a much larger and time consumng program which didn't work either! BTW: I have been assisted by this technician for years and he is usually able to fix any problem that I have.

Browsing through the Internet, I find that the Update Loup is a fairly common problem with no solution suggested.

My only option is to go into the control panel and stop the auto updating of Windows. Since this is a security mater, I need to get a secondary security program..

BTW: The reason that Macs don't seem to have the virus problems of the PC world is not because they are inherently protected from virus but, rather because virus developers don't try for Mac viruses since Mac is a very small portion of the computer world...

Richard,

A "Quick and Dirty" thing to try is to delete the contents of the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder. To be able to do it you need to right-click on "computer" - choose "manage" - expand the "services" section and then right-click/choose stop on the "Automatic Updates" and "BITS" services - then reboot.

[Colin Southern]

I seem to recall a recent Mac attack where the response time from Apple was rather slow (out of my expertise, so I may very well be wrong). They don't have the infra-structure to respond to a threat as fast as PC's (vast experience). Can anyone comment, confirm or correct with respect to Mac virus protection/response?
Graham
(As to user friendly Mac's, I'm trying to help a friend use a Mac and i am totally lost on it. I don't find it user friendly at all - but I have a lot more experience in PC's and find them okay).

Reports I've seen show that Macs and Linux actually had a lot MORE security vulnerabilities than Windows (it was a few years ago now - Vista era I think) -- and on average it took Apple about 3 times longer to patch them (I could probably find the link somewhere)**. PCs certainly were targeted more by virus writers (better bang for their buck), but the tide apparently is turning in that respect. Essentially, what Mac have historically had is what we call "security by obscurity" ... a bit like saying "no need to lock my front door when I go out because I live in the country" ... not a philosophy I feel is best practice.

A friend of mind (and husband to an internationally accomplished singer) had their Mac compromised by a Facebook tag from close friends vulnerability; crooks got control of the Mac - got all his passwords - and started sending out eMails to friends saying she needed money and please deposit into this bank account. First hand, and very very real.

** before the Mac brigade leap up and deny everything, it was an independent report and it simply tallied up officially published vulnerabilities for each OS / browser and noted the difference between "date reported" and "date patched".

In my opinion it's all over-rated anyway though ... like anything in life there are best practice strategies that minimise risk -- in the case of any computer it's as sensible as ...

- Keep the machine patched and up to date

- Use an anti-virus package

- Stay away from "sites of ill repute"

- Backup regularly.

[RonH]

... Biggest issue with laptops is the variations experienced when viewing the screen at different angles ...

Its not such an issue with led laptop screens from what I understand. With regards the ext monitor I now use I find that IPS LED screens are excellent at very wide angle viewing.

I have no MAC experience (always been a pc man) but I do think now that its a bit like today's iPhone frenzy continuing. As mentioned above, it comes down to what one is familiar with ... on one of my trips down to Oz I drove around a lot in a hire car. Upon return to Norway I parked at the local shopping centre and when I got back to the car, jumped in and in a flash of a second my brain said "Who stole the xxxx steering wheel". Got in the passenger side, didn't I Our steering wheels are on the other side.

[Clactonian]

Surely the answer to this question is the same as with other items such as cameras, cars etc. It is what suits you best, having taken a good look at the market, and the features available at any given price point that suits your budget. Beyond that, and apart from bad luck with component failure, it's down to good housekeeping. Keep your machine lean and mean by clearing out unwanted rubbish, use a firewall and anti-virus program. PC, Mac, whatever should then serve you well. I have always favoured more ram than other bells and whistles.