Ten Reasons Why Graphics Professionals need to use Macintosh by Scott Kelby (online at http://www.mactoday.com/janfeb00/maclane.html)
About once a week, I get an email from a professional graphic designer who's in an absolute panic because someone in their corporate IT department wants to replace their design department's Macs with PCs. Not because it will make the designer's life easier, but because the IT person mistakenly thinks it will make his/her own life easier because they already maintain a bunch of PCs for the rest of the company. Now, I'm not even going to go into the whole "why are people in the IT Department, which couldn't be more removed from the creative process, deciding which tools the creative staff should use" issue - that's a whole editorial unto itself. So instead, I'm going to give the IT departments ten solid reasons why professional graphics designers absolutely need to use Macintosh.
#1. Macintosh computers are faster for graphics Apple has proved this time and time again in front of thousands, using head-to-head tests putting both G3s and G4s against the fastest Intel Pentium IIIs made. Because of this, some PC magazines conducted their own speed tests, showing that under certain conditions a 600MHz Pentium III PC can play the video game "Doom" faster than a Power Macintosh. But you don't ever see a PC magazine running a test that shows a PC, no matter what the megahertz, beating a Macintosh G4 at Photoshop, Quark, Illustrator, or any other graphics application. In fact, Apple bases all of its speed tests on real-world Adobe Photoshop tests for two reasons: (1) This is typical of the type of application used by people who use Macintosh. That's why PC magazines do their tests using games, because that's typical of what PC users run on their machines. (2) It's easy for Macs to win these types of tests because the Macintosh was designed to be a graphics machine - plain and simple - and it's going to easily beat any machine designed for business or for playing video games without breaking a sweat.
But don't just take our word for it. John Warnock, CEO of Adobe Systems, recently commented about the speed of Apple's new G4 systems. He said, "Currently, the G4 is significantly faster than any platform we've seen running Photoshop 5.5." Significantly faster. Bottom line: Graphics pros need the fastest machine possible to be as productive as possible; and for graphics, it's clearly Macintosh.
#2. There's more graphics software for Macintosh Although you'll find vastly more game titles on the PC, you'll find vastly more graphics applications, plug-ins, and XTensions on the Macintosh platform. In fact, many of the high-end QuarkXPress XTensions, dedicated trapping software, and Photoshop plug-ins aren't available to the PC platform at all. And when it comes to color calibration (one of the hottest topics for graphics professionals), the options for any PC are very limited, and for Windows NT, it's virtually non-existent. What will the IT people say when their graphic designers put in a requisition for a specific plug-in or Xtension they need, and the IT learns it's only available for the Mac? Bottom line: It would be a huge mistake to limit the tools for creative professionals, and switching to PCs simply takes many of these tools away.
#3. Windows NT lost the graphics war Earlier this year, the independent graphics marketing analysis group TrendWatch released their 1999 Creative Atlas Guide. According to TrendWatch, this annual guide is "a comprehensive market and product development resource used to identify market and revenue opportunities in the U.S. creative markets." The results of this nationwide survey showed that out of 17,000 creative firms, only 1,600 were planning on buying Windows NT machines in the coming year, and Apple will outsell not only Windows NT but all Windows and Windows NT machines combined by a margin of three to one. In the report, TrendWatch said it better than we can, "Apple continues to dominate the creative markets." Bottom line: More creative firms choose Macintosh than all the others combined. There must be a reason.
#4. It's a creative machine by design I'll never forget something that Apple V.P. Clent Richardson told me when I relayed to him how we receive these letters from readers complaining that their IT departments are forcing them into switching to PCs. He pointed to the fact that the Macintosh is a computer designed from the ground up to be a graphics machine, and he said "I have to wonder why anyone would risk their business on a platform that is not optimized, architectured, and engineered for graphics professionals." Bottom line: Graphics is a very competitive business. Why chance it using a non-standard tool?
#5. Cutting-edge graphics applications appear on Macintosh first Did you know that Adobe Photoshop wasn't even available on the PC platform until it was version 3.0? It's true. And look at Adobe PageMill; it's the number one selling Web-design app on the Macintosh platform and number two bestseller on the PC, but the PC version wasn't available for nearly a year after the Macintosh version. Adobe Illustrator wasn't available for the PC until it hit version 7.0. There are still applications like Final Cut Pro that haven't made their way to the PC at all, and some never will simply because there's not enough demand. Plus, look at QuickTime, the Web and digital video standard for motion graphics, another Apple technology that appeared on the Macintosh years before Windows. Bottom line: Most graphics applications appear on Macintosh first because it's the computer that graphics people use most.
#6. The Macintosh graphics legacy Walk up to anyone in your office and ask them, "What are Macintosh computers best at?" Even if they're a PC user (in fact, especially if they're a PC user) they'll tell you, "Oh, they're just used for graphics." They're right - Macintosh has the worldwide reputation as a computer for graphics, because that's what it is - a graphics computer. Regardless of what has happened to Apple during the past few years, the one segment that always boomed (and kept Apple in business during all those rough years when they were trying to capture some of the business market) was the graphics segment. Bottom line: Even PC users know that Macintosh is the platform for graphics.
#7. Industry wide support by service bureaus Try this test: On a PC, create a graphic (using Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), and take it around to the local prepress bureaus in your area, and ask them to output color separations to film negatives. You'll find that (a) some won't be able to take your PC file at all, (b) some will actually charge you a surcharge for working with PC files because they are considered "non-standard" and are harder to work with, or (c) they'll take your file, but you'll see them wince as you're handing over your disk. That's because the prepress industry was built around Macintosh. At Mac Today, we use three different prepress houses. All three are packed with Macs. Two have only one PC and the other doesn't have a PC at all - they insist on having the client create PostScript files on their PC and then converting them to Mac files before imaging them. One of the biggest problems prepress houses have with PC files is font compatibility with their systems. The TrueType font technology (which was, ironically, created by Apple) is the standard on the PC platform, but it's NOT the standard for professional design. Adobe Type 1 fonts are the standard; so many service bureaus have to convert all TrueType PC fonts to Type 1 just to get them to print properly on their high-end imagesetters. Bottom line: If you don't use Macintosh, your design staff may encounter more problems, delays, and extra charges every time they output film or do color separations.
#8. New graphics technology is designed at apple, not microsoft The hottest thing in digital video and graphics right now is FireWire. It lets you transfer digital video directly from a digital video camcorder in real time - like a simple file transfer - at speeds that blow SCSI and USB away, and since it treats it as a file transfer, it requires no rendering time. It comes standard on every Power Macintosh. FireWire is changing the entire industry and taking high-end graphics to a new level. It's no big surprise that Apple invented this new technology, because they're the graphics innovator. Quick, name one graphics innovation or technology that Microsoft, Compaq, Dell, or Gateway created that's used by graphics professionals. Gotcha. Luckily, you can buy an extra FireWire add-on card for certain models of Compaq, Dell, and Gateway computers, so they can use FireWire, too, but you have to spend more money and get someone to install the card that comes standard on Macs. Bottom line: If you really want your graphics department to stay on the cutting edge, they'll have to use the platform where cutting-edge graphic technologies are developed - Macintosh.
#9. Macs are easier to maintain I man a Photoshop Help Desk, and I answer hundreds of Photoshop questions from Mac and PC users every week. Nearly every single question I get from Macintosh designers is on how to create a particular effect or for an easier way to accomplish a Photoshop task. However, most of the questions I get from PC users using Photoshop are for help with a technical issue. Either their copy of Photoshop is crashing or locking up or they can't get it to launch at all. The most common problem is when they've installed a new version of Photoshop on their PC. Literally, all hell breaks loose, and often they tell me they've gotten so frustrated that they go back and reinstall the old version because (in their words) "at least the old version worked." I so rarely get a Mac tech question that I honestly can't remember the last one I answered. Ironically, most people I answer questions for are Macintosh users. I could mention the numerous studies that show Macs are easier to maintain and dramatically more trouble free than PCs. I could quote editors from PC magazines complaining about constant crashes and PC problems attributed (mostly) to Windows and Windows bugs; but honestly, my own personal experience answering these Photoshop help desk questions speaks volumes. Bottom line: Designers will spend more time creating and less time troubleshooting on Macintosh.
#10. It's the tool the pros use worldwide Last issue, we showed the results of Print magazine's "Digital Design and Illustration Annual" (Print is "America's Graphic Design Magazine") where they chose winners from a variety of design categories. Not only did Macintosh dominate every category but 100% of the winners in the Photography, Illustration, Package Design, Architectural and Environmental (signage), and Print graphics were designed on a Macintosh. This contest was open to, and entered by, designers using just about every computer platform on earth (including UNIX, SGI, Flint Workstations, Quantel Harry Paintboxes, etc.), but Macintosh blew every other platform away in every category. I felt this was one of the best burdens of proof that high-end award-winning professionals use Macintosh. But this proved not only that these professionals use Macintosh but it also proved that they use Macintosh almost exclusively. Bottom line: If the best in the business are all using Macintosh, what would you have to gain by forcing your design staff to use something else?
This is what it comes down to: professional designers not only want to use Macintosh, they need to use Macintosh. They're going to be happier because you're giving them the tool they want to use, the tool that won't tie their hands and limit their creative options, and the tool they need to stay on top in a highly competitive market. If you really want to help your graphics department, don't force them to use a non-standard tool that they clearly don't want. Instead, continue your support for both platforms, and I promise you - that will be doing something to really help your company's bottom line.
Bob Nunn - Director of Customer Service & Web Content ihomedecor.com - At These Prices Everyone is a Decorator President, Operator Headgap Systems President, AppleCore of Memphis, Inc. E-mail: headgap@headgap.com
*=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* |Marketing, Sales and Technical Support for TeleFinder Internet BBS| | http://www.tfbbs.com or call 901-759-1541 for info | *=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* | Operator Headgap Web BBS | V.34 Modem : (901) 759-1542 | | Supporting Mac, 64&128, Amiga | 33.6k Support: (901) 759-1543 | *=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* | Visit our WWW Site at: http://www.headgap.com | | Visit our TeleFinder Site at: bbs.headgap.com - port 1474 | | Visit our Telnet Site at: telnet://bbs.headgap.com:1474 | | IP Address: 208.246.252.34 Fast Web Access! | | New AppleCore Web BBS Page http://www.headgap.com/applecore.spml | *=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* | Best Memphis Web Sites http://www.portalmemphis.com | *=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* | Visit http://www.ihomedecor.com Home Decor, Value Pricing | *=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-* Ask about Headgap's Cash Back Deal - Free Web Mail - Free Web Space
