Just checking to see if our assumption is true that “most designers use a Mac” is the case on typophile. Yes, I realize this is not scientific. No, I do not want any platform flame wars. Thanks for participating :^D

It will be interesting to see the breakdown among typophile poll-takers.

so far it’s neck and neck. i’m a bit afraid this will get lost as the poll results no longer show up on the “FORUMS” page, so please excuse me if i keep bumping this thread, folks.

I think that mac computers are more suitable for graphic design, they are faster and more resistant. But macs are not so appropriated for other creative domains as for 3D or motion design, where PCs are much more recommanded. Personally I’m using a mac.

I use them both regularly but not equally, so what do I say to you?

>>I think that mac computers are more suitable for graphic design

True, at least back when you could pull this off with an iBook. Mine was pretty sick for a while too. Till it died a hard, hard death.

so what do I say to you?
I guess I’m trying to get at which do you use to do the brunt of your work. I realize that you most likely perform certain operations on certain platforms, and both are critical in your workflow, but which do you spend most of your time “designing” on?

While I voted Mac, I do use a Fujitsu Stylistic quite a bit, ’cause I got _very_ tired of having to haul around a graphics tablet to use with my ThinkPad ages ago, and am not willing to do that w/ my wife’s PowerBook.

Interface and usage-wise, Mac OS X has some nice advantages (Services, Sidebar, Miller-column filebrowser) which I miss when using my Stylistic, but the enhanced portability and ease of drawing make up for it. I really wish that Apple would make a pen computer so that one wouldn’t have to resort to third-party hacks like the Axion ModBook.

If the question comes down to doing actual “design”, then the big winner would be graph paper and a #2 pencil or my fountain pens (I usually carry either a Sheaffer Agio w/ 0.8mm italic nib ground for me by the nib meister of www.pendemonium.com or an Esterbrook LJ w/ a 9312 medium italic nib) —- it’s production which gets done on the computer, though I have done roughs and tight comps on pen computers ranging from my Newton MessagePad through an NCR-3125 up to my Stylistic (I usually use ArtRage for that, though sometimes I’ll use FutureWave’s SmartSketch).

William

At home I have a PC (that is where I do most my work), but I use Mac regularly as well at school and other workplaces. I don’t really mind what platform I’m on, as long as it gets the work done. Though I’m thinking about buying both a 24” iMac and a new PC in a while.
I want a PC for video editing, music (making) and some gaming every now and then. So thats why I chose to do everything on PC at the moment.

Interestingly, there are actually slightly more hits on the Typophile server from Windows machines. For the last million or so hits, excluding the bots:

Windows: 52%
Mac: 46%
Linux: 2%

very interesting stats, Christian. thanks for enlightening me with that!

Oh, and .1 percent of the hits come from an iPhone.

Imagine, those iPhone guys are already hip to the site,

ChrisL

Of the Mac users:

62% come from OS X on PPC machines
34% come from OS X on Intel machines
3% come from 0S 9 machines (Or just super old versions of Mozilla)

Note that these metrics are a bunch of quick grep + line count commands on the access_log file from the last four days. They could be way off, and certainly don’t reflect the number of users on each platform, just hits assuming that the user agents (browsers) are honest about who they really are.

What, my Motorola Hollywood didn’t show up? I was surprised at how easy it is to peek in on tracked threads with it, though it’s a long way from usable for input to the sight.

My preferred platform is that one I can install apps on, with a woring TCP/IP stack, browser and drivers for a keyboard and mouse. I guess that puts my Dreamcast ahead of my Moto and the iPhone.

On a tanget, does Apple have anything that does this:
http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/index.cfm

I would find that very interesting.

I used to work at a job where I had a Mac and a PC... they shared the same monitor! We had clients that brought us stuff that could be on either platform... but that is because it was a localization firm; not purely graphic arts-oriented. Now I am back to all Mac all the time.

Choz, while Apple doesn’t make a system like the Cintiq, the Cintiq is compatible with, and works quite well with a Mac. While Wacom doesn’t make this clear, one can infer this from the privileges page:

http://www.wacom.com/privileges/cintiq.cfm

The thing which Apple doesn’t have is anything like a Tablet PC:

http://www.wacom.com/tabletpc/index.cfm

(’cept for the Axion Modbook which hasn’t been released yet)

BTW, is the question about OS’s or Hardware? What would you choose if you use an Intel Mac, but boot in Windows most of the time?

(I know, the answer is probably “a lot of unnecesary pain”, right? ;)

Jason c

I still have the old Mac processor but the next time I buy a Mac, it will have the Intel chip. I would only use Windows to test fonts though.

ChrisL

“On a tanget, does Apple have anything that does this:
http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/index.cfm
I would find that very interesting.”

a few years ago a geek pal and I fantasized about a miraculous touch-surface video desktop that is like a virtual physical desk, with tools and applications you can move around physically and resize. Well it’s all happening, and along with the multi-touch display that MS and Apple are using, this Cintiq item completes the puzzle. All I need is for it to be sized about 40” wide and 30” high and set at a slight angle on legs. Most of this is now built into the shipping iPhone, so it’s just a matter of scale, processing power, and display technology.

Short answer: Wait a few months and they will, is my prediction.

The interface concepts of a Tablet PC always seemed a much more “mac-thing” than a PC thing. I am honestly surprised that Apple hadn’t responded to the idea with something similar, but perhaps they were waiting for the opportunity to leapfrog to the next level. From owners demonstrations of their iPhones, just days after getting them, perhaps something tablety/iPhoney would fit the bill. That would be a nice cool toy to drool over.

I do have to say, people wih iPhones, who have never touched a PDA phone before, are remarkabley swift with them. But, I’ve seen no one really manage email on one yet.

Mac all the way I have an old G4. I’ve just acquired a new 17” Powerbook as well.

Interesting. More traffic from PCs, but more votes from Mac users. Is this like the classroom scenario where the most outspoken (not necessarily the smartest) people raise their hands?

Now I’m going to log in again and vote from my iPhone. =)

I voted Mac, but use Linux about equally. Not terribly surprised to see it weighing in at around 2%, although my guess is that you’re going to start seeing that rise especially in countries that like cheap PC hardware but are unwilling to pay the increasing Microsoft tax just to get whizzy new features like Aero. (and the new ClearType font collection, of course :)

I use a Mac (actually, several). I can get everything I need done on them. My kids have PCs. I sometimes sit down at their computers and scratch my head for a few minutes before I can even open a file. It’s frustrating.

I use and prefer a Mac. I have used both but I am sorry, I just can’t stand Windows.

Graham

I have used a PC all my computer life. But I got enough exposure in a one semester Photoshop class a few years ago that I am not afraid of Macs. My next computer will be a Mac. Just not sure which one yet. I was thinking until I saw one that the Mac Pro might be the way to go, but it is pretty huge. So now I am back to thinking iMac 24”, but am a little disappointed it only takes 3 Gb of RAM. If I ever decide to use Windows at the same time (with that program made for running both-I forget the name), I am thinking that will slow it down. If I dawdle long enough maybe they will bump up the iMac’s RAM max?

“I think that mac computers are more suitable for graphic design, they are faster and more resistant. But macs are not so appropriated for other creative domains as for 3D or motion design, where PCs are much more recommanded.”

so why is “faster and more resistent” especially important for graphics design, whereas it dos not seem to be important for 3D or motion design?

I don’t see much difference in the two platforms. I’m using a mac (osX 10.3) at work, a pc (winXP) for freelancing, and the same pc for personal use. Both are okay, both have flaws. It’s exchangable.

The poll is mac v. PC, not Mac OS v. Windows. If I used a Mac and an open-architecture PC-Compatible system approximately half and half, I think I would vote “Both Equally”.

The poll is mac v. PC, not Mac OS v. Windows.

me and my lazy explanations. i’ll try to be more explicit next time.

“so why is “faster and more resistent” especially important for graphics design, whereas it dos not seem to be important for 3D or motion design?”

The macs are “faster” for using RAM memory (because Vista is already sucking the half of it!) and slower for the video card needing tasks (3D & motion), “resistant” is just a plus because a PC laptop is just an all-built-in-plastic crap lol

Thanks for this explanation lol