Next message: KR: "Re: [WinMac] To convert Mac->Windows, should I bother?"
I agree with Mike that multiplatform issues are almost non-existent...
Especially if you're using Windows NT or 2000, as opposed to the slop that
MICROS~1 passes off as windoze 95/98/Me.
When crossing platforms - Or version upgrading - with PageMaker, you can only
go one step at a time, i.e. you can go from 6.0 to 6.5 while staying inside
either Mac or PC; or you can "cross the bridge" while staying on the same
version, i.e. 6.5/Mac to 6.5/PC. What you cannot do is open a PageMaker 6.0/Mac
document in PM6.5/PC directly: You need to update then cross the bridge; or
cross the bridge in 6.0 then update to 6.5.
BTW, the file extensions are *.PM6 for PageMaker 6.0, and *.P65 for PM 6.5...
Photoshop seems to be a bit better when crossing platforms, since the file
format is either v2.0, v2.5, & v3.0 & up. Or, you can always use a
cross-platform file format such as TIFF (Tagged Image File Format); or if you
need to use lossy compression (for space constraints) you can use JPEG.
Now, down to the bottom line: Price vs Performance. Yes, a G4 dual CPU machine
is fast for photo editing... Of extremely large (200 megabyte) images. However,
the single largest factor that determines Photoshop speed is the amount of RAM.
Period. Regardless of platform. You need to have at least 2.5x the uncompressed
image size in free RAM, i.e. RAM that's not in use by other apps & the
operating system; or the image editing & filter application will slow down to a
crawl.
-> Here's a rough rule of thumb: An 8x10 inch 300 pixel per inch RGB scan is 21
megabytes; 28 megabytes when you convert it to a CMYK image. Even using the 28
megabyte figure, that's 84 megabytes of free RAM (installed RAM minus operating
system minus Photoshop); which puts what you need somewhere between 128 and 192
MB of installed RAM.
That being said, you now need to choose what delivers *reasonable* performance
at a good price. If you wait a few weeks, the G4 Cubes should be down to $999 -
Especially if they don't have that worthless DVD-ROM player. [Even Steve
Himself admitted as much.]
What SHOULD enter into your calculations when buying new Mac hardware is
whether you're going to commit to Mac OS X. We all can pretty much agree that
System 9 is an out-of-control mess (unlike the tidy System 7.1). You have,
essentially, 3 choices for an advanced operating system, i.e. one that fully
supports 2 or more CPU's:
1) Windows NT/2000/Whistler (NT 5.1). You're limited to x86 hardware, though;
2) Mac OS X. You're limited to Apple's PowerPC hardware, though;
3) Linux. It runs on anything; but is still rough around the edges (like you
need the 2.4 kernel for IP stack multithreading; thank you Mindcraft for
raising this issue 18 months ago!). Plus, if you run it on a Mac you've already
bought one OS license, which will not be used (but CAN be transferred).
Personally, I really like the price/performance of the Athlon Thunderbird,
especially now that 256 MB DIMMs are under $90. You can easily pick up a 1
gigahertz Athlon, motherboard, and 256 MB DIMM for under $400... Important if
you have to deploy ten or more machines. Add $25 for an AGP video card, $95 for
a 20 gig hard drive, $15 each for an ethernet adapter & keyboard/mouse combo,
and $35 each for a CD deck and case/power supply (no floppy, iMac style); and
you have a decent workstation for *under* $700 apiece. Multiply that by 10 and
you can quickly see the savings, especially if you use student labor to do the
assembly... I'm QUITE sure you have kids in your high school who can throw
together these boxen! :)
If you use open source stuff for your operating system, that's it: Download
and install. If you use NT4, then figure about $40 - $45 per OS license (per
PriceWatch). For Windows 2000, figure about $95 per workstation license.
Hope this helps... And you don't work for Montgomery Wards (They're shutting
down).
Cheers!
Dan
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Perbix Michael [mailto:PERBIX@lmsd.org]
>Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 1:29 PM
>Subject: RE: [WinMac] To convert Mac->Windows, should I bother?
>
>
>Multi-platform issues are by far NOT unstable. It takes a little
>forethought and some consideration of what you want to do, but it is not
>impossible (matter of fact it IS rather easy).
>
>The PageMaker and PhotoShop files I believe ARE crossplatform, however make
>sure on the Macintosh you put the file extension on the end to make it a
>little easier to open the file on the PC side. For instance word.doc, the
>.doc is needed on the end for Windows to know what program created it.
>
>Also you should know that in real world applications PhotoShop on a G4 MP
>machine (multi-processor) even at 500 MHz, blows the pants off of Windows
>running a PIII at a much higher MHz rating. So consider the options, why
>bother having to learn windows and re-configure and re-think what you are
>doing, when you have something that works and if you are buying new
>hardware, consider the 500 MHz MP machine.
>
> -Mike
>
>> ----------
>> From: H. Knight
>> Reply To: winmac@iffy.com
>> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 12:53 PM
>> Subject: [WinMac] To convert Mac->Windows, should I bother?
>>
>> I am in charge of my high school's newspaper computer systems. We are
>> currently are running 6 imacs and 2 other older computers that we are
>> planning on replacing. These are linked to a G4 Server through a
>> AppleTalk ethernet connection.
>>
>> I'd like to eventually switch our systems over to Windows--am I crazy
>> for wanting to try this? In order to do this, I'd have to replace the
>> two older computers with PCs and the other Macs will be replaced later
>> on. I've heard that Mac/Windows networking is most unstable...is it
>> really, or is there a "good" way to do it?
>>
>> We mostly use Adobe Pagemaker and Photoshop. Would there be any problems
>> switching between Mac and PC Pagemaker files?
>>
>> Please let me know problems I'd be looking at if I add 2 PCs to the
>> network.
>>
>> Thanks!
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