graphic artist work
ROBERT SIDMAN
A friend who is avery experienced advertising agency artist wants to do
free-lance graphic design/artwork for the Web. She wonders what computer
she should use (she is leaning towards a new IMac), the software needed, and
if there is a demand for such services.
Off-line replies are acceptable.
Thanks in advance,
Bob
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Robert R. Sidman e-mail: scr...@ezonline.com
Member: Society for Technical Communication / HTML Writers Guild /
Internet Developers Association
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Todd Sutherland
I've worked with, and own, both platforms. It's easy to get bogged
down in a war here. What I can tell you from my experience is that there
are advantages to both, but I have to come down in favour of Windows. There
was a time when using a Mac had very real qualitative advantages, but in my
experience, most of them eroded by about 1995. Today, both platforms use
easy-to-configure USB devices; both have access to the Adobe suite and PS
printing. But there are two things your friend will need to consider.
First, there are still a lot a lot a lot of people in the graphics
industry who do not just favour the Mac, they treat it as a virtual
religion. She will be facing these people and their prejudices. If getting
along with these people is her biggest concern, tell her to get an iMac.
But, again, in my experience, Windows is the better choice simply because
the prices are lower, there is more software, you can get it everywhere, you
can get servicing anywhere, the peripherals tend to be less expensive and of
a wider variety; more people use them so there aren't so many file issues...
it's got nothing to do with Windows or ISA being intrinsically "superior" to
the Mac; just simple facts of life. It's not impossible to get software,
buy parts, get servicing, or surf the web with a Mac, but, it is harder.
*************************************************
Todd G. Sutherland 100-65 Allstate Parkway
Technical Writer Markham, Ontario L3R 9X1
tsuth...@derivion.com 905-947-9730 ext. 382
http://www.derivion.com 905-947-9744 fax
*************************************************
"Be a scribe! Your body will be sleek, your hand will be soft....You are one
who sits grandly in your house; your servants answer speedily; beer is
poured copiously; all who see you rejoice in good cheer. Happy is the heart
of him who writes; he is young each day." -- Ptahotpe, c. 2350 B.C.
Glen Warner
Todd Sutherland <TSuth...@DERIVION.com> wrote:
| Hello, Robert,
(*snip*)
| But there are two things your friend will need to consider.
| First, there are still a lot a lot a lot of people in the graphics
| industry who do not just favour the Mac, they treat it as a virtual
| religion. She will be facing these people and their prejudices. If
getting
| along with these people is her biggest concern, tell her to get an
iMac.
First, let me say I also use both systems. Done tech support for
both, too. At work, I do Windows. At home, I have a Mac -- an iMac
DV SE, to be exact.
That said, I'd recommend a G4 -- but no matter what you decide to get
(Mac-wise), I strongly suggest waiting until MacWorld New York's
hardware announcements have come and gone. There are rumors of faster
iMacs -- with 17" monitors. Not sure about faster G4s.
A good compromise: a refurbished iMac and a new PC; should be about
the same price, depending on where you shop.
| But, again, in my experience, Windows is the better choice simply
because
| the prices are lower, there is more software, you can get it
everywhere, you
| can get servicing anywhere, the peripherals tend to be less
expensive and of
| a wider variety; more people use them so there aren't so many file
issues...
| it's got nothing to do with Windows or ISA being intrinsically
"superior" to
| the Mac; just simple facts of life. It's not impossible to get
software,
| buy parts, get servicing, or surf the web with a Mac, but, it is
harder.
True, the prices are lower for PCs. Apple *alone* makes the Mac --
hardware and software. Lots of different companies make PCs. They're
all competing with each other; this drives prices lower.
There are also a lot of programs written for the PC. Fortunately, the
programs your friend will need are on both platforms.
While it is also true that you may not see Mac software in stores,
there are a lot of catalogs. Look through any of the Mac magazines,
and you'll see ads for MacWarehouse, Mac Connect, Club Mac, and
several other new companies. You can also find hybrid CDs mixed in
with the Windows CDs.
As for file issues, keep the Windows "8-dot-3" format in mind when
you're naming and sharing files, and there should be no problem.
Need file compression? DropStuff, Stuffit Expander, DropZip. All
cross-platform. http://www.aladdinsys.com
Don't know how anyone could think it is difficult to surf the web on a
Mac -- especially after Microsoft made that big deal with Apple to
bundle IE and OL with every Mac sold ... not to mention the recent
deal Apple made with EarthLink.
If you really want to see the difference between a Mac and a PC, drag
the Fonts folder from each system to the desktop. Reboot. Which one
works? That's the one you should buy.
--gdw
|
|
| Todd G. Sutherland
Obligatory .sig:
"I love you!"
--several thousand PCs, very recently
Todd Sutherland
From: Glen Warner [mailto:gdwa...@ricochet.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 10:42 AM
Subject: RE: graphic artist work
True, the prices are lower for PCs. Apple *alone* makes the Mac --
hardware and software. Lots of different companies make PCs. They're
all competing with each other; this drives prices lower.
Yeah, I think that was the most short-sighted move Apple ever made.
If they had licensed the Mac for cloning in 1984, before Windows really took
hold, and accepted a little less profit, they would have cornered the market
and Bill Gates would just be making Word and Excel today. But they bought
into their own press that some computer anyone could build off the shelf
couldn't possibly compete with theirs, and sadly for them, they were wrong.
What really puzzles me, though, is how they persist in this attitude. If
they opened up the clone market, they'd probably really nudge Windows over
some... well, maybe. The day for that might have passed.
There are also a lot of programs written for the PC. Fortunately, the
programs your friend will need are on both platforms.
Yeah, that's true. In this case, availability of the programs isn't
really an issue.
As for file issues, keep the Windows "8-dot-3" format in mind when
you're naming and sharing files, and there should be no problem.
Yes, if your primary consideration is sending your files back in
time to your late Uncle Festus in 1994, sure. In 2000 I don't think it's of
much significance.
If you really want to see the difference between a Mac and a PC, drag
the Fonts folder from each system to the desktop. Reboot. Which one
works? That's the one you should buy.
I'm glad to see we're limiting the discussion to practical
considerations here... don't we all like to drag our fonts to the desktop to
try to confuse our operating systems? I know that's MY idea of a fun
Saturday...
As far as I know, Windows still doesn't automatically update file
locations, but Win98 does when there's a system call for a particular file.
Still, why not discuss more _everyday_ little irritations, then, like not
being able to get disks out of the machine without getting the machine's
permission, not being able to defrag FROM the HD, or while doing other
things, and so on? Apple has the sort of "spam in the can" attitude about
their users that I thought went out with the Mercury Program astronauts.
There were things about the Mac I liked better, but Apple makes it hard to
love -- for most people.
And there was a time, not that long ago, when I would have had to
say, yes, a Mac was a definite advantage for an artist -- Adobe skipped
Windows for Illustrator after version 4, and 5.x is when the plug-ins
started, so Windows missed out on those, too. Finally Adobe released
version 7 for Windows, but even so, it took till last year for Metacreations
to release Vector Effects for Windows.
Bottom line, for graphics people, is this: anything you can do with
a Mac in 2000, you can do with a PC in 2000 (and vice-versa). But probably
for less money.
*************************************************
Todd G. Sutherland 100-65 Allstate Parkway
Technical Writer Markham, Ontario L3R 9X1
tsuth...@derivion.com 905-947-9730 ext. 382
http://www.derivion.com 905-947-9744 fax
*************************************************
"Be a scribe! Your body will be sleek, your hand will be soft....You are one
who sits grandly in your house; your servants answer speedily; beer is
poured copiously; all who see you rejoice in good cheer. Happy is the heart
of him who writes; he is young each day." -- Ptahotpe, c. 2350 B.C.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Humbird, LenX
|
| Apple ever made.
| If they had licensed the Mac for cloning in 1984, before
| Windows really took
| hold, and accepted a little less profit, they would have
| cornered the market
| and Bill Gates would just be making Word and Excel today.
Actually Apple did license it's technology to other manufacturers in the mid
90's. After a few years they found out that it resulted in the same Mac
market share trend, but a smaller slice of the Mac market. The clone makers
hadn't grown the market at all!
| If you really want to see the difference between a Mac and a PC, drag
| the Fonts folder from each system to the desktop. Reboot. Which one
| works? That's the one you should buy.
I have no idea why someone would want to do that. How about we take both
machines and delete anything that ends with ".DLL", and buy the one that
still boots up?!
| Bottom line, for graphics people, is this: anything you
| can do with
| a Mac in 2000, you can do with a PC in 2000 (and vice-versa).
| But probably for less money.
If I were a graphic artist, I would first find out what my market looks
like, in terms of tools and platforms, and be versatile in whatever the
market demands the most. In my case, it's BOTH Mac and Win. If the market
prefers one over the other, then I'd adjust my talents accordingly.
Strangely, this also applies to tech writers. It doesn't matter if Microsoft
makes, or I prefer Frame over Word or blueberry over beige. If a company has
Macs for me to work on, well hell, it's certainly handy that I already have
Mac experience. Otherwise I'd try to delete all my fonts and show my boss
which is better. It's what the market wants me to use.
I've written about these decision scenarios before. If you're a freelancer,
go with the tool that gets the job done most efficiently. Those tools will
often dictate which platform you need to specialize in. And if you're an
employee or a client-site contractor, then be sure you know how to use their
dumb-ass tools too!
Glen Warner
Todd Sutherland <TSuth...@DERIVION.com> wrote:
(*snip*)
| Yeah, I think that was the most short-sighted move Apple ever made.
| If they had licensed the Mac for cloning in 1984, before Windows
really took
| hold, and accepted a little less profit, they would have cornered
the market
| and Bill Gates would just be making Word and Excel today.
This is true, some sort of cloning deal should've been struck sooner.
The first attempt cost Apple some $$$ as people would buy the clones
(faster, cheaper, etc.) instead of Apple's systems. Rumor has it that
Motorola, who also made their own brand of clones, is still steamed at
SJ for killing the clone licenses ... and moved their systems from
Macs to NT machines.
(*snip*)
| Yes, if your primary consideration is sending your files back in
| time to your late Uncle Festus in 1994, sure. In 2000 I don't think
it's of
| much significance.
Does the long filename persist if the file is placed on a floppy
and transferred? .... and doesn't the file depend on the three letter
extension to allow it to be opened by the proper program?
|> If you really want to see the difference between a Mac and a PC,
drag
|> the Fonts folder from each system to the desktop. Reboot. Which
one
|> works? That's the one you should buy.
|
| I'm glad to see we're limiting the discussion to practical
| considerations here... don't we all like to drag our fonts to the
desktop to
| try to confuse our operating systems? I know that's MY idea of a fun
| Saturday...
Okay, I should have been more clear here.
During my short stint doing PageMaker tech support, the common Windows
issue was the error "Unable to load ICON.DLL." This was usually
caused because the user had Corel Draw installed, and the installer
used a font utility called FontMaster and installed far too many fonts.
In the fix (http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/48fe.htm), one of
the easier steps was Solution 2: "temporarily remove TrueType fonts
in the Fonts folder until you have a minimal set (e.g., 100 or fewer),
then restart your computer."
Typically, my customers had read that incorrectly (Adobe Tech Support
points the customer to the on-line docs and lets the customer apply
the fix), and missed the note right below that step which says "Do not
remove Windows 95 or Windows 98 standard fonts, which Windows 95,
Windows 98 and other applications require....", and would simply drag
these fonts to either their Desktop, a folder on their Desktop, or the
Recycle Bin ... which results in a "no boot" situation, and another
call to Tech Support because they didn't read the directions.
So, you're right: this is not a great way to spend a Saturday (or any
other day of the week, for that matter). On the Mac, if the customer
messes up and removes the Fonts folder and reboots, the system still
works. On the PC, you're stuck.
Note that I haven't played with Windows 2000, so this small problem
may have been fixed.
| As far as I know, Windows still doesn't automatically update file
| locations, but Win98 does when there's a system call for a
particular file.
| Still, why not discuss more _everyday_ little irritations, then,
like not
| being able to get disks out of the machine without getting the
machine's
| permission,
On the Mac, you can't eject a floppy/CD/Zip disk that has open
applications. Not sure how that works on the PC, as I've never tried
to run an app from a floppy ....
| not being able to defrag FROM the HD, or while doing other
| things, and so on?
True, the defrag issue is a bit of a problem; bought a small external
hard drive (80MB) just for this situation for my ex-wife (the
technical term for this is "Glen-imony").
(*snip*)
| There were things about the Mac I liked better, but Apple makes it
hard to
| love -- for most people.
.... until they play with one for more than a minute, usually.
| And there was a time, not that long ago, when I would have had to
| say, yes, a Mac was a definite advantage for an artist -- Adobe
skipped
| Windows for Illustrator after version 4, and 5.x is when the plug-ins
| started, so Windows missed out on those, too. Finally Adobe released
| version 7 for Windows, but even so, it took till last year for
Metacreations
| to release Vector Effects for Windows.
MetaCreations is gone, now, alas ... another victim of shortsighted
management-types.
| Bottom line, for graphics people, is this: anything you can do with
| a Mac in 2000, you can do with a PC in 2000 (and vice-versa). But
probably
| for less money.
Okay, I'll agree with that -- to a certain extent. Just be sure that
if you're buying a PC, you try to avoid the "Two-Guys-in-a-Garage"
type companies. Sure, the price is low ... but will they be around
when your system has problems?
When buying a computer the words "bigger" and "more" are good to keep
in mind -- as in "bigger" hard drive. "More" RAM. "More" speed.
On the Mac side of things, that means a 500MHz G4 with all the RAM you
can throw into it, and the largest hard drive -- excuse me, the
"biggest" hard drive -- you can throw into it.
On the PC side of things, 1GHz Athelon CPU, Big hard drive, More RAM.
Try to get a motherboard with USB and FireWire (iLink on Sony
systems), and you should be all set.
Don't forget that antivirus software ... and don't forget to factor in
the next version of "I Love You" on your lost productivity.
--gdw
| Todd G. Sutherland
Obligatory .sig:
"Power corrupts. Absolute power ... is kinda neat!"
-- J. Lehman, Secretary of the Navy, 81 - 87