or is it a Mac?
Hi all! There is a very important topic that I wanted to talk about... actually, not very important... a little important... Okay, just a topic: what to choose: Mac or Windows?
Why do we even need these Macs or Windows?
If fate played a cruel joke on you and you began to make a living doing graphic design, then in the realities of the market you will hardly be able to get good money by drawing posters on sheets of whatman paper for a children's dance school in Smolensk.
Therefore, the obvious solution would be to strive to work in modern areas of the industry. And, of course, if you decide to offer your design services on the market digital technologies, you need a tool with which you will make this design of yours, God forbid.
This brings us to the topic of this article. In it I want to talk about what tool, namely a computer, you need to take (buy) for work. And at the same time about the realities of a designer’s work (but, in general, it’s better to change your mind before it’s too late).
It must be said that this article does not pretend to be an expert in technical aspects question and reveals only my user experience. And even then only in terms of working with raster and vector graphics when creating website layouts, identity and printing.
And also, since this is an argumentative article, it is written in my characteristic sarcastic-cynical manner, sorry.
Price for Windows computers
Let's consider a standard situation. If you come from an ordinary middle or working class family, then you have to work hard to eat. And if, despite all my warnings, you still decide to make money by design... Although, if you are an elite, then why should you torture yourself with design or work at all, logically? - Logical.
For starters, you most likely have a PC. Well, after all, almost every family now has some kind of computer. Fulfilling first orders, dumping, comprehending the secrets of the Universe, you upgrade, gain knowledge and experience, and at some point you realize that you want to improve your technical equipment. Why? Yes, because this bucket lags and freezes, taking up your time.
And you come to the store to buy yourself a new PC. Due to the crisis and sanctions, prices for computers and components have increased (but the cheese is now ours, tasty and not expensive (no)) ... some more, some a little less. For example, in 2011 portable HDD for 500 GB you could buy it for 600-1,000 rubles. Now it will cost at least 2,700 rubles. Only 4 times... because they can, but you still buy it.
A laptop will cost more than a desktop PC with similar performance, but if you round it up, it will be about 40-50k. Still, this is an average situation, since assembling a computer is a very individual story and is designed to understand your goals.
I think that this is, in principle, an adequate price, given the average salary of a designer (there is a lot to be said about the average salary of a designer; it would be better to write a separate article about this).
In any case, having bought a PC for 50k, you will feel comfortable solving problems that can be assigned to a graphic designer. And, yes, it will be a PC running the Windows operating system.
About versatility
Well, what about the cries that the poppy is better for design? Designers love to work on Macs, and if you read the vacancies of top companies, one of the bonuses will definitely be “a workplace with a powerful iMac.”
And if you look at the situation without the emotions that arise when contemplating them appearance? After all, in essence, I need this thing so that I can solve problems with its help.
Having realized this, you begin to understand that in many ways the choice is highly dependent subjectively on the individual and his goals. For example, I work with 2d graphics and do not feel inconvenienced by the fact that the same 3d Max does not work on the Mac. And for some this would be a decisive factor in choosing equipment. By the way, not on Mac core draw- which, without a doubt, is a huge plus)))
In this sense, a computer with an operating system Windows system It seems to me a more universal solution. All the products that I personally use on macOS, no matter how cool they are, have a replacement for Windows.
Mac pricing
To prove that Mac is better PC on Windows, there are always a lot of emotional arguments in the spirit of: “Mac is better because it is better.”
But let's look at the price: at least 80k. Including very reasonable statutory fees of approximately RUB 12,729. Thanks to the government for the fact that I have to pay an extra 12k rubles in order to work without stonewalling.
Yes, on the one hand you get a completely finished machine with a very cool screen, turn it on - and go ahead, create masterpieces, but on the other hand - 80 for the minimum configuration! And, I don’t want to offend anyone, it’s pretty miserable.
In 2k18 - operating system on your hard drive, seriously? I’m not a hardware specialist, but I still want 16 GB of RAM simply because when 8 and these two AI + PS are running, there are lags.
Therefore, ok, we take it for 110k, and we simply pay 2 times more than for a PC, which will be even more powerful.
With laptops the prices are even tougher. If you want to get a nice mobility bonus (which is actually really cool), you will have to spend at least 150k rubles.
By the way, Apple management recently had to apologize for problems that users of the new (top-end) Macbook Pro had with the laptop overheating. The corporation explained that disturbances in the cooling system appeared due to flaws in the software.
It's okay... Apple, it's only 400k money, a trifle, forget it and let's move on with our lives.
A short digression about SSD drives
By the way, at a certain stage SSD drives began to appear on the market. I first got one of these for myself 5 years ago and it feels like I got rid of a curse (or a long-term runny nose). In short, it was really cool, and if in 2018 your operating system is not installed on an SSD, you know how to help yourself fix everything.
A little about design prices
I consider this issue with computers not flying in a vacuum, but closely related to the financial situation common man who must earn money to buy food, pay for housing, etc.
In this article, I tried to be objective and take into account the experience of developing myself as a specialist from the bottom stage to the current level... well, let's call it a kind of middle stage.
After graduating from university, I looked at job advertisements in my city and rarely saw salaries exceeding 20k rubles. This was the maximum and, of course, such positions required a person with experience. While tracking vacancies, I only once came across an absolute record of 30k.
There may be many objections and options in terms of finding remote work, which was a worthy alternative for me. But still, in most cases, companies are looking for remote employees to save money, and the salaries there are not too high. They are reluctant to give raises and do not carry out indexation.
On the other hand, if you are handsome and sensed in time where the wind of change in the design services market was blowing, were able to learn the necessary skills of the same UX / UI designer, live in the capital or in a large city, then your financial situation will be different, for the better .
You criticized Mac, but what kind of designer are you?
For six months of rather merciless use of my MacBook, it never gave an error or froze, as happened on the PC. It's quite nice when in the morning you don't have to redo all the work you did all night.
Speed of work. It's really fast, but this may be due not only to hardware manufacturers, but also to software.
Well, it creates an amazing user experience, all these transitions, animations and transparency seem to push you to create something beautiful. Perhaps this is why many designers give their preference to computers running macOS.
The Mac doesn't bother you with the hassle of reinstalling the system, drivers and software; it all happens very conveniently.
Probably in half a year I couldn’t find fault with anything. Some issues associated, for example, with a different keyboard layout, can be justified by habit, and not by the fact that it is worse or less convenient.
So I would say that for me there are no downsides to working with a MacBook.
About the mouse
By the way, if you are going to make layouts, and not sit on social networks, relaxingly scrolling through your news feed and drinking coffee, then you don’t need this thing.
Buy a mouse with a normal wheel or a larger one; working with a magic mouse is a pain.
conclusions
The choice in principle, like the choice of equipment for work, is a very cool thing. Unfortunately, due to the widespread undervaluation of design prices, there is often no such choice, and you have to be content with what you can afford, limiting yourself in some way.
If you are new to design, have just received your education, are limited in finances, then there is no point in trying to buy yourself a “cool computer on MacOS”, terrorizing your mother or taking out a loan, so that you can then eat only instant noodles.
Magic will not happen, and, in any case, the determining influence on the quality of your design and your level of income will not be your technical equipment, but your experience and skills, plus the ability to sell them profitably. And this can be developed on a Windows PC.
If you feel like your technology is slowing you down on things you can do faster and better, then maybe you should just upgrade your car. There is no point in stupidly following the brand, since Apple is in many ways an image company and by buying their products, you are overpaying for the brand. In any case, it’s definitely not worth tolerating lags, 100% info.
I would advise you to try working on a Mac, ask fellow designers for their opinions and have them describe their experience.
Still, many people switch from a PC to a Mac for a reason, perhaps stability in work, confidence that in important point technology will not let you down, it plays important in the choice of equipment. Exclusive design software for Mac works better than its Windows counterparts.
Well, in conclusion, it must be said that the choice of equipment is a very subjective matter. The reasons that guided me will not be so decisive for another person, simply because everyone has their own goals, objectives and plans.
Hello everyone, today we will find out whether it is worth purchasing a macbook air 13 2017 as a work tool. Let's consider its use in areas such as
- programming
- design
- video editing
Let me clarify right away that programming will include all stages of web development and development mobile applications.
By design we mean web design, creation of interfaces and other graphic activities aimed at the web.
To give a specific answer, I will clearly show the launch speed and operation of the following programs:
- Sublime Text 3
- Koala
- Xcode
- Photoshop CC
- Illustrator CC
- Sketch
- Final Cut Pro
Accordingly, in the field of programming, we will look at the Sublime Text 3 code editor, the Koala and Xcode CSS preprocessor compiler for developing mobile applications.
For design - Photoshop, Illustrator and Sketch, and for video editing, a popular program on Mac OS - Final Cut Pro.
Before we start the analysis, I’ll tell you about the characteristics of my laptop. This Macbook Air 2017 release and he has:
- Core i5 processor
- Processor frequency 1.8
- RAM 8GB
- SSD disk 256GB
- Diagonal 13.3 inches
- Resolution 1440x900
I chose the 256 GB SSD consciously. I understood that 128GB would not be enough, given the programs I planned to use. For example, there was a high probability that in order to edit a video clip, I would need to make cuts from 4K videos, which I would download from my iPhone. This video was no exception. However, if you plan to do only web development or design, then 128GB will definitely be enough for you. You can store all work materials on your laptop, and the rest of the content, for example, photos on an external hard drive.
Perhaps someone will ask why I didn’t choose the retina screen, which is in the pro versions, then I have a simple explanation for this. I have external peripherals in case I display a picture on a larger screen. A 23-inch monitor with a resolution of 1920×1080 copes with its task perfectly. This is more than enough for my work.
Moreover, the macbook air characteristics The screen is superior even to my old laptop, which has a 15-inch screen and a resolution of 1366x768.
For comparison, I am attaching a photo that shows that on the Wikipedia website we see more information on a 13-inch laptop due to the higher resolution.
I would also like to add a few words about the touchpad. Of course, its response is many times better than that of other laptop manufacturers, but I do not count myself in the group of people who claim that a mouse is not needed at all.
When it comes to serious work, where it is extremely important to concentrate 200%, then you cannot do without a mouse. However, if I'm relaxing, browsing through social networks or doing simple work, then yes, I can get by with just a touchpad.
Go ahead. Why did you choose an Apple laptop? There are several reasons.
First of all, I didn't want to put additional system hackintosh into a laptop with Windows, but it was necessary to start learning how to use XCode and Sketch, because... In addition to website development, I do drawing mobile interfaces, and the illustrator in this regard is many times inferior to Sketch.
Secondly, I was looking for something portable and at the same time powerful laptop, because I often leave the city, and the work must be done remotely. I'm pretty tired of constantly carrying a 4-kilogram laptop with me.
Thirdly, it was really time to replace my Windows laptop with a new one because of its endless lag. But that's a completely different story.
That’s how the idea of buying a MacBook came up. The only thing I doubted was the processor frequency. Let me remind you that the processor frequency in the Macbook Air is 1.8, while in my old laptop this value reached 2.7. Perhaps you also doubt that the macbook air is capable of handling serious work. That is why the purpose of this video is to show how well or poorly this laptop copes with the tasks that are relevant to me in my work.
Laptop autonomy
The autonomy of the laptop is the first thing I want to talk about. The laptop discharges in about 8-9 hours in quiet operation mode, without opening heavy programs, at low brightness. If you use it to watch movies or work hard, running several heavy programs, then it will work less - somewhere around 5-6 hours.
For the test, I decided to find out how much percent it would discharge if I taught a lesson. By the way, you can learn more about courses for layout designers by following this link. I will also duplicate the link in the description of the video. So, the lesson lasted 1.5 hours and from 100% it was discharged to 30. The following programs were active:
— Skype with video broadcast and screen sharing
— Quick Time, who recorded this lesson
—Photoshop
— Illustrator.
The last two programs are especially resource-intensive, so the result, in my opinion, is more than good.
For comparison, my old laptop discharged from 100 percent to 0 under such a load after 30-40 minutes. It was impossible to conduct a lesson without recharging. Therefore, draw conclusions whether this indicator is good or bad.
Macbook Air for programming
This section will be of interest to web developers, as well as those involved in application development. I’ll say right away that this laptop will be more than enough for you. Especially if you are involved in website layout. You will need a code editor, the Koala compiler, possibly programs for Git systems, as well as work with Photoshop, which can be partially replaced by the Avocode program.
But if you are a mobile application developer, then everything is not so simple here. In general, the work will also be comfortable, but there is one caveat. When you start the smartphone simulator, the smartphone itself on its native screen will be cropped for all models with a screen larger than 4.7 inches. Those. You can only work comfortably with iPhone 5, 5s, se. It will look something like this. I will demonstrate running the iPhone X in Xcode.
If you have an external monitor, then this problem will disappear by itself. You must evaluate whether this fact will prevent you from working comfortably with the program or not. If you don't have external monitor, That the right decision will look closely at the Pro versions, because the difference in cost between air and pro is precisely the cost good monitor. And the screen resolution in the pro version will just allow you to work on a laptop without connecting extra devices.
Macbook Air for design
This section will be of interest to web designers and interface designers. Let's look at working in Photoshop, Illustrator and Sketch. To begin with, I will demonstrate the speed of launching these programs.
As we can see, Photoshop launches the fastest, but when working in Illustrator and Photoshop at the same time, I don’t notice any delays. Everything works much faster than on Windows. The only thing is that the programs begin to freeze a little when sharing the screen on Skype during lessons, because at this moment there is a serious load on the video card, which, by the way, is integrated. However, I don't think most of you are planning to work in graphics programs by starting screen sharing, right?
Just like in programming, there is a nuance here. If you are professionally involved in graphics, especially 3D graphics or work with photography, then for you the best choice- this is about the version. Air most likely will not suit you due to the weak characteristics of the video card and screen. For working with web interfaces and website design, Air will be a good helper, especially if you are just studying and want to learn the basics of this specialization. I can say with confidence, as a person who constantly opens several layouts and works with interfaces, that working in these programs takes place in a comfortable mode, without any brakes.
Macbook Air for video editing
The last section will be of particular interest to those who want to use this laptop for video editing. It’s difficult for me to give advice for professionals in this field, but if you want to create short videos, trim videos, make gluing, add simple special effects or work with video in at least 4K format, then the MacBook Air will definitely not let you down. The Final Cut Pro editing program will work stably and is unlikely to let you down. For example, this video was created from 4K video stitches and the program worked stably all this time. I didn’t even turn it off specifically for several days to check if it would somehow affect the speed of work in other programs. My conclusion is that the laptop worked equally stably both before installation and after the program was launched. My Windows laptop definitely couldn’t afford this, despite the fact that it had geforce video card and there were 8 gigabytes of RAM.
What can be concluded?
The 2017 Macbook Air is a capable laptop that handles everything I ask of it. It is suitable for web development, mobile app creation, website design, interface design and video editing.
But it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t expect miracles from an integrated video card. If you are professionally involved in graphics, especially 3D, photography or video editing, then I would recommend taking a closer look at the pro versions.
I think you will right choice and I helped a little for those who are now faced with the difficult choice of buying a macbook AIR or PRO version. Be sure to like this video and subscribe to the channel if you haven't already. Bye everyone!
Video answer to the question: “Is it worth purchasing a 2017 Macbook Air 13 for programming, design and video editing”
So. Last weekend I bought myself MacBook Pro without a retina display, but with 8 gigabytes of RAM on board, SSD disk 128 GB and Magic Mouse in pursuit. Perhaps this is one of the best acquisitions in recent times. Don't trust the gopniks who criticize Apple technology. They are either idiots or simply cannot afford to buy it :).
Why did I choose Apple?
Everything is very simple. The speed and quality of work increases almost 2 times. If you are a designer or programmer, layout designer or webmaster, you simply need a Mac. No, I'm serious. After working with it for a month, you will no longer be able to fully feel comfortable using Windows.
Note to the hostess
If you are a designer and come to work in an office where they offer you a PC, feel free to turn around and run away!
Many people say that Apple is a waste of money. I thought so too, but no. It turned out everything was completely the other way around. Convenience and comfort of work, which cannot be expressed in words, believe me, is worth the money.
And you don’t have to buy a new one at all. There are plenty of places where you can buy a great used MacBook, iMac or Mac mini- at a pretty good price. For example, on Avito.
I didn't buy an iMac or Macmini for two simple reasons: I have an iMac 27 at work and it's enough for me. And also, you can't really work with him in some cafe, train or somewhere else. That's actually why I also took not 15 inch screen, and 13. Well, of course, not only for this reason. Still, 15 inches costs an order of magnitude more. But I don't need him. For surfing, writing articles and even minor work in Photoshop, 13 is enough. And for more serious things, Jobs came up with Apple cinema display 27.
Also I gave up my MacBook with retina display- due to its poor repair ability. The point is that it RAM It is sealed and there is no way to expand it. Absolutely. No. That is, if you bought a Pro with 4 GB of RAM, you will continue to use it for the rest of your life (MacBook). It also has a non-separable display and special screws that cannot be unscrewed with a regular screwdriver. In addition, it is also not possible to change the SDD disk to a more capacious one. I don’t really need such a pun, so I didn’t bother.
By the way about the disk. I also did not take a 512 GB SSD. What for? It costs more - but there is no benefit. If there is not enough space, which I, of course, doubt, you can buy an external SSD in the form of a flash drive. As far as I know, there is already one for 512 GB. Could have taken HDD drive per terabyte, but they are much slower than SSDs.
A little about the display. Since I took the Mac for work, and I work as a web designer, the screen parameters are very important to me. Brightness LED backlight is approximately 300 cd/m2, and the contrast is 623:1, which in my opinion is an excellent result. Yeah. Large viewing angles and color rendition are beyond praise. The glossy surface of the screen doesn’t bother me at all, probably because there’s a wall behind me ☺ and there’s nothing special for it to reflect.
And a few more points. Mac is perfect not only for designers/programmers/layout developers and other Internet workers, but also for information businessmen and bloggers, who often pamper their readers with shitty lessons and shitty courses. The thing is that the mac is so cool that it does not require ASIO drivers to work with sound. This means that you can buy an external audio speaker and not worry about the settings at all. And the most important thing is that it is absolutely silent. At all. Not a single sound. It feels like there is no cooler inside for cooling. Compared to my current HP, which can drown out the sounds of the highway outside the window, this is just a fairy tale.
But there are also disadvantages. More precisely one. Due to its body made from a single piece of aluminum, when working with a macbook on recharge - There is a slight tingling sensation in the area of the left hand. Looks like it's electrocuting the body. But you can live with this.
In custody
Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase. If you think that apple products are too expensive, that’s your business. But I think that it’s better for me to overpay 10-20 thousand now and significantly recoup it in the future, thanks to all the above advantages.
I would appreciate a retweet of this post.
MacBooks are at the very center of design, and it's safe to say that a significant portion of web designers are looking for the professional information they need using a MacBook. However, to get the most out of this amazing machine, you must install some tools that will enhance your design experience and capabilities. Many people choose to use these tools because they don't feel the need to know anything about coding. When you don't worry about small details, it becomes much easier to focus on expressing your creativity .
More and more tools are being created every day, and in this article we would like to introduce the hottest web design tools for MacBook in 2016. Make sure you have installed the following.
It is an ideal tool for interface design. When it comes to using this designer design tool, you will see that designers of all levels can achieve amazing results with it. He promises that the end result will look professional. Sketch is the perfect tool for any modern graphic designer, and when you use it, you will notice the effect on everything you create. It has great features including shared styles and symbols which are incredibly helpful when you need to reuse certain elements. Your work is guaranteed to look stunning from the moment you start the project until the very end.
Sometimes, all you need is a little inspiration to realize an amazing design. The first thing this app will do is help you organize everything. So you can find exactly what you need, when you need it. You can easily organize all your images and screenshots for future use. The tool is incredibly easy to use, and only has features that are useful. For ease of access and viewing, you'll see your images arranged in a grid that you can easily customize to appear full screen. As a native MacBook app, you can trust it to get the speed you need to get your work done.
The tool is a collection of applications that you will need to get started if you are a web designer. This includes Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Extension Manager. This tool ensures that all your creative apps can easily be in one place. When you have an idea and want to work on it before you forget about all the intricacies, having this tool will go a long way in enhancing your overall design experience. Creative Cloud can be used on mobile devices as well as desktop.
You may need to create prototypes as part of your design development plan, and this will help you with this application. It stands out from others because of the speed with which you can get the results you want. As a tool, you'll find that its desktop app helps you create professional designs and share them as quickly as possible. If you are not sure about using Axure and whether you need it, you can try the free one first trial version product. However, as soon as you try the tool in use, you will immediately decide to buy it. For even more quick access to Axure, you can choose the Google extension.
With a lot of web designs requiring compatibility with mobile devices besides desktop computers, it makes sense to acquire this tool, which will allow you to optimize such development. To create a great app, you need a tool that will work with iOS systems, including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Man, and Apple TV.
When writing code, you will find that the programming language is quite fast, ensuring that you can code faster than ever before. This, in turn, makes the whole process much easier. One feature you'll likely really love is the interface testing feature, which allows you to keep a record of your app's actions while it's running. This allows you to generate tests and a map of your progress.
This is the last one newest tool for coming up with brilliant responsive designs on your Mac Book. You will enjoy using it because it has a simple interface that you can navigate easily. After using Homebrew just a few times, you'll begin to wonder how you ever managed without it. The tool makes it easy to customize your layout in real time, and also make adjustments when you notice that it doesn't meet your requirements. The best thing about the tool is that you don't need to have any coding knowledge to get the right result.
The best way you can grab the attention of someone in your chosen market is to ensure that there is something on the site that is captivating. It has been observed for a long time that GIFs have a similar ability. It is nothing more than a regular photograph with some movement added to it to add interest. These are not videos, as GIFs are usually quite short in comparison. With your MacBook, the tool will select an area on your desktop and then immediately save it as GIF file. This has an impact on overall performance, leading to a higher level of efficiency for your site.
The next time you're sitting in front of your MacBook, wondering how you're going to create something fantastic, keep this list in mind as a guide. You will find that with practice and time, you can significantly reduce the number of hours you devote to web design. It's worth it to get the hang of these tools because they'll likely keep up to date and you'll be able to continue using them for a long period of time.
Choosing equipment for a designer is an extraordinary goal. The fact is that main tool graphic designer - laptop. It is thanks to this device that beautiful logos, sketches and brand books appear.
The reliability of the selected equipment determines the productivity of the designer and, as a result, the outcome of the work performed. How to choose
What parameters are taken into account when choosing?
When choosing a compact device, experienced designers advise paying attention to the following characteristics:
- Screen, namely matrix type and resolution;
- Reliability of device assembly;
- Availability of required interfaces, including USB and HDMI;
- Availability of SSD disk;
- Availability of backlighting on the keyboard module;
- Good hardware for working with the software used (Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc.).
MacBook Air 13 2017
Technological parameters:
- Core i5 processor with a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz;
- RAM – 8 GB;
- 256 GB SSD storage;
- Diagonal 13.3 inches;
- Display dimensions – 1440x900 px.
Why do designers choose this model?
In reality, the choice is determined by a number of reasons.
Firstly, most experienced designers do not want to install Mac OS as a secondary system on a device running Windows.
Secondly, the Mac OS system is an ideal option for working with software such as Sketch and XCode, since many designers, in addition to creating web resources, are engaged in drawing interfaces for smartphones.
Thirdly, the MacBook Air 13 is a small but at the same time powerful gadget that allows you to work remotely from anywhere in the world.
Autonomy
The length of the work pleased many experts. The device sits down after about 9 hours if you work quietly. Speaking in simple words, do not run too heavy software, reduce the sharpness of the display. If a person uses it to watch videos or works hard, opening a couple of heavy applications at the same time, then the MacBook will work slightly less, about 6 hours.
Working with design
Designers note that Adobe program Photoshop opens instantly, even if you launch it at the same time as Illustrator. Everything responds promptly.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the gadget in question is a productive laptop that copes with all tasks assigned by the user. It will be an excellent solution for web specialists, creators of programs for smartphones, website and interface designers, and even for video editing.
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