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/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/td-p/13695558 Mar 31, 2023 Mar 31, 2023
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Hey
I have a little question
I want know which computer you would recommend for doing graphics design.
The best regards Julie ❤️
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Draw and design , Tools
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/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13695775#M362061 Mar 31, 2023 Mar 31, 2023
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In the professional world most graphic design has been traditionally done on Macintosh. I personally have found Macs excellent for designing and illustrating. If you are planning to work professionally for a company its almost certain that they will be doing design on Macs. The Creative Cloud programs are available for PC but since there are so many companies manufacturing PCs it may be more difficult to find one with the speed and appropriate video card that it is necessary for doing graphics.
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Julie291838385zuo AUTHOR
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/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13695806#M362065 Mar 31, 2023 Mar 31, 2023
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Thanke you so much for answering my questions one more question Which Mac computer Will you recommend iMac or Mac studio ?
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Community Expert ,
/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13697553#M362120 Apr 01, 2023 Apr 01, 2023
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I can only speak from my own experience on this one. I have been using iMacs since 2008 and have found them to be fast and reliable. When I had to switch to work from home during the pandemic my home iMac proved to be as fast and dependable as the Mac Pro (the one that looked like a trash can) that my company had provided in the office. At the time the Mac Pro was supposed to be the fastest machine out there and, as I said, my iMac kept up to the needs of my job. I have not used the Mac Studio so, hopefully, someone who has can comment here.
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Community Expert ,
/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13697735#M362129 Apr 01, 2023 Apr 01, 2023
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Which field of graphic design are you considering? There are lots of niche fields that use a lot of graphics work (print publishing, print advertising, digital illustration, typeface design, point-of-purchase advertising, package design, motion graphics for video, signs/environmental design, outdoor advertising, game design, user interface design, etc). Some of these fields need more powerful systems than others. A computer system that's intended to do video production or 3D modeling/rendering work will probably cost more than a computer that's only going to be used for print page layout.
Like Bill said, you'll probably be playing it the most safe by buying an Apple Mac-based system. The Mac platform is dominant in more of the design fields I mentioned than Windows-based PCs. But there are some niche fields where companies are using mostly or only Windows-based PCs due to industry specific software and hardware in use (the sign industry and outdoor advertising industry are examples). I would still recommend getting a Mac if you don't know for sure where you could end up working -or just working for yourself as a freelancer.
The other advantage of buying a Mac is Apple is the only company making them. They're usually going to be very dependable and have very good build quality. There are some very good Windows-based PCs out there and a lot of PCs that are not so good. You generally have to do a lot more research on various Windows-based systems before buying. It's especially tricky when considering a notebook computer purchase.
If you are already an experienced computer user you can probably ignore this next part. Lots of computer users, even many doing graphic design work, don't really know basic tasks like properly managing files. Typically they'll memorize a series of steps how to complete certain tasks in the applications they use, but the overall computer system remains a mystery. I think it's pretty easy for a person to use a Mac or a Windows PC if they're already adept at using the computer's file system. The Finder in a Mac or File Explorer in a PC are both visual-based tools that are easy to use. It's not like going back in time to the early 1980's where computers had no graphical user interface and ran off commands typed into a command line on a black monochrome screen. Some computer users these days just don't know how good they have it. Anyway, the point of all that is a person who is really computer literate isn't going to have a problem finding his/her way around on a Mac or PC. That should be the metric employers use when looking at potential employees rather than just seeing if they say they "know" Mac or PC on their resume.
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Julie291838385zuo AUTHOR
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/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13697982#M362135 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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So Will you recommend Mac Studio or i Mac to do graphic design?
I am really thankful for your help ☺️
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/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13698581#M362165 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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The computer choice really depends on your specific use case (not to mention your budget). The first question is does the computer need to be portable? I use a traditional desktop PC all day at my workplace, but at home I use a notebook system because I don't want my leg chained to yet another computer desk in one of my bedrooms. I'd like to be able to work in different rooms or even leave the house.
If you do choose a desktop based system and stick with the Apple Mac product line then you have to consider a desired price range and how much expandability you want. A Mac Pro tower is very expandable, but also very expensive. The iMac line is very popular; most of the older models had upgradeable memory and you can attach a second monitor to an iMac. The latest 24" M1-based iMac has the RAM baked onto the motherboard and it maxes out at only 16GB of "unified" memory shared with the graphics accelerator chip. I don't like that. It might be fine as a casual consumer product, but it's not so great for heavy graphics tasks. For instance I'm using systems with 64GB of removable RAM. The Mac Studio is like a Mac Mini on steroids. You can attach up to four (or even more) monitors to a Mac Studio box; one downside is the RAM is baked on the motherboard and not upgradeable. So just like all the Mac notebooks you have to order the system with the RAM amount permanently set. The Mac Studio is kind of pricey (it starts at $1999 and can go way up from there).
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Julie291838385zuo AUTHOR
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/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13697986#M362136 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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I have thought of using Adobe's program to make the graphics design because have talk to many others and they do all recommended adobes programs.☺️
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Julie291838385zuo AUTHOR
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/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13697996#M362138 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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Sorry have writing something wrong I meant the the Mac mini sorry that's my fault.🫣
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Community Expert ,
/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13698043#M362142 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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I have thought of using Adobe's program to make the graphics design because have talk to many others and they do all recommended adobes programs.☺️
By @Julie291838385zuo
It's all called graphic design. So what are you planning to do? What kind of artworks are you going to create? There are system requirements for all of the Adobe applications. I would recommend reading all of them for the applications you want to use. Even the computers you are considering come in different settings. When considering a setup, don't go below 16 GB of RAM. Rather more.
I have owned quite a number of Macs in my career. Apart from the notebooks I never had a computer that included the monitor, because I don't like that kind of system. I want to be able to exchange the parts. But that might just be my personal spleen, so you might want to consider the pricetag when buying the machine.
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LEGEND ,
/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13698179#M362144 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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It's not enough to just recommend a type of computer. Some Mac minis would be useless, others would be OK. You need to read the system requirements for EACH app, and know how to check the machine. RAM, storage, GPU - these are all things you need to understand and compare. Buy higher, because the system requirements increase each year!
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Community Expert ,
/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13698626#M362170 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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Adobe's applications are far more dominant in the fields of graphic design than the MacOS. Proficiency in applications like Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign will be more valuable items on a resume than a computer's operating system.
I work in the sign industry and Windows-based systems are widely used due to a lot of industry specific software being available only for that platform. But Adobe's software is popular here, thanks mostly to large format digital printing. That's a big field covering vehicle wraps, banners, billboards, trade show displays and all sorts of other stuff. Illustrator and Photoshop get used heavily for such projects. Our large format digital printing RIP applications are Windows-only things, but they have Adobe certified PDF "engines" and can handle anything I throw at them from Illustrator or InDesign. We also have to handle a lot of corporate branding assets. Most files we receive from professional-level users are generated with Adobe applications. Those assets behave their best when kept in their native application environment.
LED-based variable message signs are growing in their popularity and capability. The control software for those systems is almost always Windows-based. But you can create graphics for those displays using a Mac. The key thing is using the right motion graphics application. After Effects is a very popular choice for creating motion graphics for LED displays. One reason is its superior integration with Illustrator and Photoshop. There are other pro-level motion graphics applications out there, such as Fusion in DaVinci Resolve Studio or Motion in Final Cut Pro Studio. They have their strengths but can't handle Adobe-flavored branding assets as accurately as After Effects.
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Community Expert ,
/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13698599#M362168 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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The platform could be either Mac or Windows. Macs have not dominated graphic design for decades, especially when including corporate design departments. It does tend to be preferred among freelance designers, however.(I own and use both platforms equally well. Lest anything I don't like Macs, I have been a Mac user since 1985, and an Apple Authorized Consultant from 1990-2011.)
You need to ask your self a couple of questions...
Desktop or laptop?
What is your budget?
Find the system you like and spec it out to the best the company allows. Then cut back to meet your budget. (Obviously, you will go to Apple for Macs; I prefer Dell for my laptops; I like to build my own Windows towers.)
David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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Community Expert ,
/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13698656#M362173 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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On the Windows side, I typically recommend Dell systems over those from other vendors. We mostly have Dell desktops at my workplace, along with a couple of kit-built PCs. I use an Alienware X17 notebook at home; that replaced a Dell XPS-15 notebook I used for 10 years (and it still works btw). I would only recommend for someone to custom build their own PC tower if they really knew what they were doing. So many companies make parts and components for Windows-based PCs. There's lots of good choices and lots of bad choices. Not everything is compatible either. Some people consider going the kit-building route, thinking they're going to save a lot of money. They can save money by buying a lot of odd, off-brand components with sketchy quality and end up with a cheaper system that doesn't run so well. Otherwise the effort ends up being a wash or even costing more. I would only custom build a PC by building a higher end system that had exactly what I wanted in each hardware component category. That might mean spending considerably more than what a pre-built system from Dell would cost.
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Julie291838385zuo AUTHOR
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/t5/illustrator-discussions/which-computer-do-recommended/m-p/13698661#M362174 Apr 02, 2023 Apr 02, 2023
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Thanke you ❤️❤️
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