GalaxyCat wrote:
I'm debating getting the 27 Inch Apple computer: iMac, or a possible (too expensive ?) high-pixel display PC.
Which one is best, and what do people do for a mouse: the track pad, mouse, or a drawing tablet?
Thanks.
I've used both platforms for decades. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Windows 10 is pretty nicely evolved. Win 8 and Vista were sewage, by comparison. Apple tends to rearrange the deck chairs by switching storage media, ports, processors, drive technologies, and so forth, every so often. You sometimes might have to rely on third party companies to make devices that convert your old connections to Apple's new ones. (OWC — Macsales.com — is a good example. They're a priceless resource for upgrades and add-ons to Mac systems.)
There is a HUGE myth about PC systems saving money. Yes, they can be less expensive as an *initial* purchase, but support costs will quickly erase the price difference and begin to make the Windows box MORE expensive over the long haul. Add the "costs" of frustration, opportunity costs from lost time, and they can drive you crazy.
I run PCs for FileMaker Pro database software (an Apple product!) and Microsoft Office. Those apps are a bit better on Windows boxes. But I run ALL my photo, audio, and video software on a 21.5" iMac.
I do wish I had the 27", but not for the screen size... The 27" products generally have better resources (RAM, processor cores, drives, and graphics cards).
I use mice, and APPLE trackpads, and have used Wacom tablets in the past. You really don't need the tablet unless you're doing pixel-level work in Photoshop, where the tablet makes retouching a LOT easier. PC trackpads are almost universally garbage, but I've actually retouched photos with Apple trackpads on MacBook Pros. Most any good mouse will do... System settings in MacOS and Windows control the feel of the mouse, and the button functions, so be sure to find and use them on either platform.
The MOST IMPORTANT part of your system, aside from your knowledge and skills, is a good monitor calibration kit. X-RITE and DataColor make them. So don't scrimp on, or omit that. A proper custom profile and accurate profile will keep the monitor accurate and keep your color and tonality "out of the weeds". DO NOT rely on the OS tools to "calibrate" a monitor. They can get you off the highway and into the swamp VERY quickly. I've had to prove that to too many newbies to count.
If you buy a Windows box, be sure the monitor isn't cheap. You need at least 100% of the sRGB color gamut capability, and as much of the Adobe RGB color space as you can get... at least 80%, preferably 99%.