I have a question…what is best computer…desktop and notebook for web design. Mac and PC versions.
I’ve been on the range for 14 hrs…I’m tired and dirty and the commander wants me to have options for him tomorrow. I have a doctors appointment first thing so I need to come up with options now…and I’m spo tired I can barely think.
ZOMG! Is this your first day? Just pick something plausible for each one of the four. Then if your boss says, “Well, I thought such-and-so was the best kind,” say, “Oh, I didn’t know you had already decided on what you were going to get.”
This will happen 99.5% of the time. In the 0.5% case where it doesn’t, say a couple Hail Marys or do a mitzvah or whatever and absolve yourself of any blame.
You’re welcome!
Wow, that was easily the most unhelpful answer I’ve seen this month. Go you.
Anyway, it’s not the machine which matters, it’s the design software. And “best” is entirely relative. You need to ask–and answer-- a lot of questions to even begin to narrow down your choice of tools. What sort of website will this be? What is your primary market? Do you need flash? Javascript? SQL access? You need to figure out what the website is going to do, who the target market is and what sort of information it needs to serve up. Without knowing that, you might as well just use Frontpage and create a site as bad as any on Geocities.
Since it seems that Jolly Roger has put in a full’s day work and got this question sprung on him/her at the last minute, I’m going to venture that my “pull something out of your ass and see if he notices” is a helluva lot more helpful than your “conduct a rigorous examination of current and anticipated technology needs to address a whim that your boss might not even care about in a week’s time.”
Thinking outside the box. You’re welcome (again)!
Jolly Roger, FWIW, I agree with Q.E.D. for the big picture, but you don’t have the time for big picture thinking. Here are some actual reviews.
http://computershopper.com/desktops/reviews
http://computershopper.com/laptops/reviews
Don’t sweat this. Pick two of each for PCs, then go to www.apple.com and pick two mid-range Mac Pros and two mid-range MacBook Pros. Your c.o. will never know the difference.
There are only two Mac Pros to begin with, and neither of them are “mid range.” You would be fine with a Mac Mini, unless you plan on doing any intensive video or graphic work.
The Mac Book Pros only differ by screen size, HD size, and memory amount (which you should upgrade from a third party to save money, so pick the cheapest of the 3 ($2000). Or pick a Mac Book, which is essentially a Mac Mini in a laptop’s body.
Thanks. And yes, this was sprung on me at the last…and I mean last minute. When I thought I had tomorrow off. Unfortunately at our closeout formation this was dumped on me. I’m just looking for some advice so I can get this breifing over with. I have a lot on my plate right now and it keeps getting fuller.
I hope this isn’t too unhelpful, but pretty much any modern PC or Mac will do fine for web design. One advantage to the Mac is that it comes with simple web design software built-in in its iLife suite of programs with a program called iWeb. If you know about web design, iWeb can be extremely limiting and frustrating. If you just want something that’s simple and easy to use and get online, iWeb is pretty good. Personally, even though I’m a Mac user, I don’t like iWeb and I don’t like iPhoto (another piece of built-in software that deals with image management and basic correction, a bit like, say, Picasa.) For somebody coming from no web design experience, I think they’re a pretty decent to get started quickly.
That said, I’m sure the PC folks will be around to say what the PC versions of these sorts of programs are, and I’m sure they’ll be plenty easy to use, as well.
For me, the important things for any graphical/design application are a big, sharp screen (I’m partial to 15" with about 1400 pixels across on the longside on notebooks for a balance of portability and resolution; with desktops I like 23" minimum with at least 1600 pixel horizontal resolution). I’d also look for a minimum of 2GB RAM if you’re going to be doing a lot of image editing and keeping lots of windows open. My laptop is 2GB (and I wish it were 4GB) and my desktop is 9GB (and is perfectly fine).
As for Mac vs. PC, it really doesn’t matter. Speaking from the Mac side, the basic models of the MacBook Pro and MacPro should be enough. I’d just upgrade the memory (but buy it from Crucial.com, and not the ridiculous prices Apple charges.) PC users will have to chime in with their own recommendations, but, in my personal opinion, neither is a better platform for web development, it’s just what you like to work on. The appropriate software for web design will be available for both (Dreamweaver/Flash/Photoshop/etc.)
The thing is our higher HQ has expressed that they’ll spend the cash to get us the best equipment. They also want us to use “industry standard” software. I’m leaning towards Adobe Creative Suite software. For fixed computers (desktops) we’ll need fast machines with oodles of memory, and compatible laptop machines so if they have to used out of the area we can pick them up and go.
Before you start looking at equipment, you need to ascertain the requirements. Once you’ve got that, you need to check corporate / DOD / whoever policy. Then you should find out if anyone else in your vicinity has had the same issue. Then you can make recommendations.
And if you’re an officer, you delegate the whole task to one of your NCOs.
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium would be to software package to get. You got Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, and Photoshop, in there, pretty much all the high octane stuff you’d need.
If money is no object, just get the best Mac Pros and Macbook Pros you can and add some Applecare. Expensive as all get-out, but they have powerful, industry-standard (and Windows-capable) hardware, oodles of memory, and no virus/malware problems.
This will be overkill for simple web design, but would be moderately helpful in Photoshop and will certainly be great if you ever decide to add video to your site. It should also let you keep up with increasing software demands for a while.
Is your office going to be supporting these computers itself, or depending on some other IT group? If the latter, you may wish to consult.
Also, will the computers have to run any other standardized DOD software, besides the design suite?
Well, again I’ve been given a task with not quite clear instructions and not being let in on the big picture. Yes, I was supposed to show up with one of my team leaders to brief the battalion commander and CSM on what we needed for Web/ Animation/ Graphics…only to find out that they had already pretty much decided on Macs and other items for the Video teams. /we just had to hash out details. This after I spent a lot of time, printer ink and paper at home putting my brief together.
Ho ho ho. Who could have predicted that? The Gibb! That’s who!!
in yo’ face! In yo’ face!
I don’t normally do this, Kimmy, but you’ve really left me no choice.
:rolleyes:
Well, he was right. I thought it was kinda funny.
Classy? No. Cynically awesome? You betcha, Gibbs.