8/9     What would be a nice and affordable computer system for mainly
        doing digital photography for home use?  Any URL will be appreciated.
        \_ iMac http://www.apple.com
        \_ the imac screen size is unacceptable for photoshop/gimp work.
        \_ macs rule!
           \_ Having been a long time Mac owner (got my SE in 1987 and have
              owned +8 mac since) I find that Macs far from rule. I like them
              as they are acceptible machines for certain tasks such as word
              processing, web browsing, telnet/ssh, terminal emulation and
              mp3 playing. I would venture that windows (all flavors) is
              useful for the about the same + perhaps gaming (if you want
              to waste your time) except that windows is a much less user
              friendly environment that hurts your procductivity rather than
              friendly environment that hurts your productivity rather than
              helps it. For the use the poster specified, digital photography
              at home, a mac is ideal as it comes completely equipped with all
              the features you would need for this task. If you doing any real
              work, for heavens sake get yourself a real computer or at least
              run Linux/*BSD on your PC/Mac.
              \_ The windows gui has nothing to do with productivity.  He'll
                 be spending his time in an app.  And what *nix app is
                 available that will do all the digital photo features as well
                 as a mac/windows box without spending professional level
                 prices?  Time to RIDE BIKE!
          \_ a real computer being a sun or sgi workstation....?  *sigh*
              \_ if you're doing anything creative, like drawing or playing
                 with photoshop, or editing movies, then you really, really
                 NEED a mac.  All the software handling these things runs at
                 least twice as fast on the mac and crashes (a little) less
                 often than on windows.  Try the same version of Photoshop on
                 both a Mac and a PC and you'll see what I mean.
                 \_ Sorry I was thinking about coding/number crunching.
                    You are right, a Mac is still the best at graphics and
                    publishing. In fact my publishers take the word docs that
                    I send them for my books and convert them into frame or
                    pagemaker on a mac in order to proof the layouts. They
                    only used Word because its easy for the editors to read
                    from a pc.
        \_ Though I am just getting into it, I plan to have a "digital"
           streach of the imagination. Its a decent program but photoshop
           darkroom instead the traditional ones.  I still own a mac but
           I am afraid that with 603e processor it will not be good enough,
           and I don't have enough money to burn.  Is GIMP really a viable
                 might be able to sell it and buy a refurb imac or b&w g3
                 though. I'm looking at a $899 b&w (http://www.smalldog.com
                 You might be able to get $300 to $400 for your pb.
           replacement for photoshop for this purpose?
           \_ Get a G3 upgrade its ~ $200 and will increase your performance
              several fold. You can even run LinuxPPC with GIMP if you so
              desire. GIMP is not a good alternative to photoshop by any
              strech of the imagination. Its a decent program but photoshop
              its not.
              \_ Thanks for the advice.  However, I have a Powerbook 3400.
                 \_ Sorry. I don't think that you can upgrade a 3400. You
                    might be able to sell it and buy a refurb imac or b&w
                    g3 though. I'm looking at a $899 b&w (http://www.smalldog.com
                    You might be able to get $300 to $400 for your pb so it
                    wouldn't be too much more and it would be well equiped
                    to handle digital photography as compared to a PC.
                 \_ I also would not recommend running LinuxPPC on a pb
                    3400 or any machine with a 603e. The 603e is a really
                    slow processor.
                 \_ An alternative to upgrading to a new mac is to get a
                    used mac such as a 120 MHz 7600 or a 100 MHz 7500 and
                    buy a G3 upgrade card for it. The 7600 might be about
                    $300 to $400 with the 7500 being about $200 to $300.
                    These are PCI boxes so you can get a good video card
                    (voodoo 3), a USB/FireWire card, and a 100MB ethernet
                    which makes it as powerful as most g3's.  You'll save
                    a couple of hundred dollars over a refurb new mac. If
                    you do get an older mac, make sure you don't get a
                    [89][56]00, their mb/case design makes them hard to
                    upgrade.  The 7[56]00 has a really nice mb/case that's
                    easy to access and upgrade.
              \_  anybody here employed in the graphic design/photography
                  industry or know anyone in it?  How do they/you like
                  it?