[X4U] (POT) Graphic Artist Question

[Linda]

On 8/3/07 10:08 PM, nk wrote:

> I respect your experience, and I know what I've seen. if OS X and a
> page layout application gobble up 2 gigs of ram, you have other issues.
> 
> I have 2 G4 minis and I do this kind of work all the time, plus 3D and
> video. The minis each have 1gb RAM each and they handle the work I
> throw at them.

My personal experience with a dual 2.0GHz G5 with 2.5 GB RAM is that
InDesignCS2 (no extra plugins) crawls, beachballs, and takes forever to open
and update links. QuarkXPress 6 and 7 are okay, performance-wise.

On a typical day, on this Mac, I usually have both XPress and InD open, plus
Photoshop, Mail, Entourage, Thunderbird (yes, three mail apps), Safari,
Firefox, Linotype FontExplorer, Acrobat 7 Pro (can't stand v8), Fetch, and
Word.

It would be fine for a beginning graphics person. With each software
upgrade, it's become a little slower for me.

I've got an original 6-year-old Cinema Display (22 inches, was it?) for
layout, and a 17" LCD Studio Display next to it for my email and palettes. I
have a Dr Botts ACD box so that I can hook up both ACD connectors to the
stock video on my G5.

I did install a second internal hard disk, 200 GB, to complement the 180
that the Mac came with.

For a graphics workstation, I'd also recommend a trackball (I use an Orbit
optical) and a pen/tablet/mouse combo (I have the smallest size Wacom
Graphire, and it really is too small even for "just learning" when paired
with the ginormous monitor -- yes, ginormous is a word, just added to the
dictionary this summer).

I'd also recommend the best chair money can buy. I have a Steelcase Leap®
and haven't regretted spending the money on it five or six years ago. I'm in
that chair more hours a day than I sleep, and not scrimping is SO worth it,
comparing it to the $200 Office Depot chair it replaced...

A pair of desk lamps with "daylight" bulbs will also help offset the flicker
and false color of the overhead office fluorescents. When I quit working at
a studio and started freelancing for myself, I took this habit home with me
too, and find it's much easier on my eyes -- less fatigue and less heat,
using daylight CFLs rather than overhead lighting in my room.

~LindaW