Mac for graphics. PC or Mac: what should a designer choose? Why do designers choose this model?

3ds Max
CorelDRAW

I don’t know specific tests, but there is an opinion that ArchiCAD for Mac is slightly faster. The disadvantage of the Apple Archicad is that the position and size of toolbars and various windows have to be adjusted manually, whereas in Windows they are automatically stretched in place.

Technical component

Here the Mac makes it much easier for the user to choose: configuration options Mac Pro one, two and... perhaps that's all. For laptops the picture is approximately the same. But, I must say that all options are very decent in terms of performance. Naturally, a user who prefers to choose components on his own will be somewhat disappointed. For example, only two video cards are offered for the Mac Pro: ATI Radeon HD 5770 and ATI Radeon HD 5870. The rest of the video cards existing in nature are resting.

The Mac Magic Mouse deserves a special mention: despite its undeniably outstanding appearance, it is completely unsuitable for designer work. The fact is that in most programs for working with 3D and 2D graphics, the wheel is actively used for navigation in projection windows. The Magic Mouse does not have a wheel at all due to its touch surface. You can still get used to scrolling on the sensor, but holding the wheel to pan will no longer work. For productive work in 3ds Max and ArchiCAD, I recommend purchasing another mouse with a wheel, preferably a wireless one.

Price issue

Anyone who has made their choice in favor of Apple will have to come to terms with the company’s aggressive pricing policy: a Mac with a similar technical component will be many times more expensive than a regular PC computer. If you can’t come to terms with the robbery of your own wallet in favor of Steve Jobs, but you need to put something beautiful on the table, you can save money and build a computer for Windows, and buy a 27-inch Apple LED Cinema monitor for it. Also expensive, but worth it.

conclusions

In both options, you can work successfully and design interesting things. But when choosing, it’s still worth taking into account small nuances, which can later turn into a little more inconvenience. And the ultimate success of your projects will no longer depend on the brand of computer, but on the right combination of personal talents and desire to work.

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 final 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 look like 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 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.

It's the latest and greatest 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 a GIF file. This has an impact on overall performance, leading to raising the level of efficiency of 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.

A laptop is an extremely convenient thing. You can carry it with you everywhere and do everything you can do with a desktop PC. A professional laptop is an assistant that has no equal. With it, the same designer will be able to quickly prepare a design project, make a 3D model of the room, and all this without being tied to one place, which is doubly valuable. However, not every laptop can be called professional - you must first check with a number of technical requirements to avoid a purchase that you will later regret.

In general, when you need to draw something or “sculpt” a 3D model, and all this must fit into one object, a laptop “for a designer” is simply vital. And we will help you choose one in this article.

The best laptop for a designer

Let's move on to considering the options for the best laptops for designers.

Total score

CPU: Intel Core i5 or i7, but both are in the 8th generation.
Video card: Intel UHD Graphics 620.
Screen size and resolution: 13.3 inches, from 1920 x 1080 to 3840 x 2160.
Matrix: IPS.
Hard drive: from 256 GB to 1 TB (SSD).

Dell XPS 13 is considered one of the good options, unless, of course, you consider Microsoft Surface or Apple Macbook. Dell itself has long been known for the quality of its product.

This model is perfectly suited to the tasks that a modern graphic designer sets for himself. With an edge-to-edge 4K display and a fresh CPU, work is fast and easy, putting processing at the forefront.

Wide variability, ease and ease of use - all this clearly fits the description this laptop.

central IR camera;
gorgeous new design;
beautiful, optional 4K display.

high price;
too expensive in white version.

Reviews and prices for the Dell XPS 13 2018 laptop

CPU: 2/4 core Intel Core i7.
Video card: Intel UHD Graphics 620, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080.
RAM: from 8 GB to 16 GB.
Screen size, resolution and matrix: 13.3 inches, 3200×1800, IPS
HDD: 256 GB – 512 GB, SSD.

The Razer Blade Stealth is a modern ultrabook designed specifically for everyday tasks. They get along great in it powerful processor Intel Core i7, capable of expanding the capabilities of a working designer and, moreover, revealing not only the built-in UHD Graphics 620, but also the discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080, as well as 16 GB of RAM, but nothing prevents you from doubling it, allowing you to cope with any, even the most complex graphics. On board. This laptop with its powerful hardware can easily handle any photo processing in Lightroom or Photoshop and 3D modeling. And to make it more convenient to watch the result, the laptop was equipped with a display that supports 4K resolution with deep color rendition.

high quality color rendering and screen resolution;
quite bright monitor;
The sound quality of the speakers is “top notch”;
powerful iron.

weak built-in video card;
The battery doesn't last long.

Razer Blade Stealth

CPU: 2-core Intel Core i5;
Video card: Intel UHD Graphics 617.
RAM: 8 GB expandable up to 16 GB.
Screen size and resolution: 13.3 inches, with a resolution of 2560x1600.
Matrix: Retina.
Hard drive: from 128 GB to 1.5 TB (SSD).

Another Apple laptop, but this time the Air series. This series known for its thinness, lightness and presence Retina display. Its wide range of colors and a high resolution will make working with graphics easy and unforgettable. Fresh hardware combined with a relatively affordable price is what the creator of digital creativity needs.

small laptop size;
lightweight design;
convenient screen size;
beautiful display.

the price is still “biting”;
not the greatest power.

Apple MacBook Air 2018

CPU: Intel Core i5-7300U to Intel Core i7-8650U 1.9 GHz.
Video card: either Intel UHD Graphics 620, or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, or Nvidia GeForce GTX1060.
RAM: 8 GB expandable up to 16 GB.
Screen size and resolution: 15 inches, 3000 x 2000.
Matrix: IPS.
Hard drive: from 256 GB to 1 TB (SSD).

With the release of Surface Book 2, the world-famous Microsoft has created a powerful laptop that can compete with Apple laptops in graphic design and other design tasks. This model, due to its powerful components, and especially the discrete video card, allows you to easily and simply perform most tasks.

Another notable feature of this laptop is the ability to detach the keyboard. This is how you can turn a laptop into a tablet. Not everyone has a tablet with Windows 10 installed on it.

The conclusion is that the Microsoft Surface Book 2 is an excellent alternative to the MacBook Pro.

The battery lasts a very long time;
2-in-1 operation: the ability to detach the keyboard, which allows you to turn a laptop into a tablet;
variability of components;
high power.

high price.

Microsoft Surface Book 2 2017

CPU: 2-core Intel Core i5 or i7.
Video card: AMD Radeon HD 8750M / Intel HD Graphics 4400.
RAM: from 4 GB to 8 GB.
Screen size, resolution and matrix: 13.3 inches, 1920×1080, IPS.
HDD: 128 GB – 1 TB SSD.

The HP EliteBook 840 G1 is a business-class laptop with components designed specifically for graphics. For example, the built-in Intel HD Graphics HD4400 card is suitable for performing tasks assigned by a graphic designer, but in addition, it is possible to work with a discrete AMD Radeon HD 8750M card, which has 1 GB of video memory.

Intel Core i5 and i7 processors guarantee good and fast work of this laptop combined with high power. The volume of two RAM strips can be easily increased from 8 GB to 16 GB.

All these components can greatly facilitate the life and work of any designer who works in graphics or animation.

The conclusion based on the laptop components is the following: the HP EliteBook 840 G1 is not suitable for anything other than serious work with graphics.

two degrees of protection (both external and internal) protection system;
capacious battery (can withstand up to 13 hours of operation);
high-quality multimedia system;
powerful hardware.

Unstable operation in some multimedia programs.

HP EliteBook 840 G1

CPU: Intel Core i5 or i7.
Video card: Radeon RX Vega M GL.
RAM: 8 GB expandable up to 16 GB..
Screen size and resolution: 15.6 inches, 3840 x 2160
Matrix: IPS.
Built-in memory: 512GB (SSD).

Dell XPS 15 is a well-known model from Dell that has won many different awards. However, the company decided to experiment in 2018 and developed a 2-in-1 laptop.

The technology, which was successfully tested by Microsoft, was taken on board and demonstrated in a new laptop. A processor of almost the latest generation, together with a discrete card from a competing company, is capable of creating miracles of graphic design.

The power of the laptop is impressive;
ultra-thin design;
a combination of different things (Intel and AMD);
high quality matrix.

not a small price.

Dell XPS 15 2-in-1

CPU: 4-core Intel Core processor either i5 or i7.
Video card: Intel Iris Plus 655.
RAM: 8 GB expandable up to 16 GB.
The screen size and resolution is 13.3 inches, with a resolution of 2560x1600.
Matrix: IPS.
Hard drive: from 128 GB to 2 TB (SSD).

Apple is renowned for the quality and ease of use of its products, especially for those in creative professions such as designers. According to reviews, this version MacBook Pro is the best Pro line ever released.

This laptop is characterized by the presence of a touch panel in the form of a thin OLED display. You can install the necessary shortcuts on it for quick access to programs or install a fingerprint scanner to protect against “unwanted guests.” Also this laptop has a very good screen, which clearly conveys all colors.

high performance;
presence of a convenient touch panel;
good color rendering;
powerful hardware;
quality guaranteed by Apple.

high price;
barely noticeable progress compared to the 2017 version.

Reviews and prices for Apple Macbook Pro 2018

CPU: 2-core Intel Core i5 or i7.
Video card: Intel HD Graphics 520 or Intel Iris Graphics 540.
RAM: 4 GB expandable up to 16 GB.
Screen size and resolution: 13.3 inches, 3200x1800.
Matrix: IPS.
HDD: 256 GB – 1 TB (SSD).

Lenovo Yoga 900 is the most famous, most successful and best representative of hybrid laptops. A design similar to this is extremely popular today, because why buy two different devices when you can combine them into one!

The powerful dual-core Intel Skylake is the main strength of this hybrid. The built-in Intel HD Graphics 520 will handle most of the work graphic applications and in general with work, whatever it may be. Due to the display of 3200x1800 pixels, you can work efficiently with various types of images. And 16 GB of RAM creates optimal working conditions.

All in all, this model very convenient for designers due to its powerful hardware and ability to work not only as a laptop, but also as a tablet.

nice design;
performance is commendable;
quiet CO;
ergonomics;
compact memory;
Works for a long time without the need to recharge.

Display calibration takes time and effort;
high price.

Lenovo Yoga 900 13

CPU: Intel Core M3 1.2 GHz to Intel Core i7 1.4 GHz.
Video card: Intel HD Graphics 615.
RAM: 8 GB expandable up to 16 GB.
Screen size and resolution: 12 inches, with a resolution of 2304x1440.
Matrix: IPS.
Hard drive: from 256 GB to 512 GB (SSD).

The 2017 MacBook is a tempting offering from Apple for those who love work and those who want to do graphics-related work. Design, ergonomics, powerful hardware - everything lends itself to this.

Thanks to the 7th generation Intel processors, this laptop will work quickly, for a long time, and at the same time it will be thin and beautiful. Yes, the MacBook 2017 was not designed specifically for work, but it is still a good option for graphic designers.

Due to its small size and weight, this laptop can be taken anywhere, which adds to its advantages.

powerful processor compared to previous MacBook models;
high-quality matrix;
ease of use due to design;
light weight;
small sizes;
time battery life This laptop has quite a lot.

one USB-C port;
high price.

Apple MacBook 2017

OS and work as a designer - is there a relationship?

There is an opinion that every professional designer simply must have a MacBook running Mac OS, because it is aimed specifically at people involved in creativity. Yes, once upon a time it was like that. A clear example is that Photoshop was primarily made for Apple laptops.

Nowadays it is not necessary to have a laptop from this particular company, because you can work on both Mac OS and the Windows operating system, which everyone has. All you need to have is software suitable for the job. It doesn’t matter if you are an interior designer or a graphic designer – both should be comfortable working with their OS and programs.

The main thing when choosing a laptop for design work is to make sure that it supports multitasking and stability of “heavy” applications, such as:

Adobe products ( After Effects, Photoshop);
Sketch;
Cinema 4D.

Important! Two components of your future laptop are responsible for processing such applications - CPU and RAM. For ease of use, you also need a clear matrix that provides good color rendition.

Let's talk about the main criteria in order.

CPU

Today, the technical specifications of a laptop may indicate one of two companies involved in the production central processor– Intel and AMD.

The first company in the field of computer graphics has been known more and longer than the second, so the conclusion is simple - the designer needs to select an Intel-based laptop. For resource-intensive tasks (3D modeling, motion graphics), you need to take i5 and i7 level processors. i3 is usually quite weak for such tasks.

You should also pay attention to the fact that what letter will be noted in the CPU model name. If the letter X is marked, the processor has been overclocked, if Q, it has four cores.

Another important point - CPU generation. The higher the first digit, the younger the generation, and the younger, the more efficient it works.

Last but not least important point – clock frequency. The higher it is, the faster processor copes with rendering 3D scenes or videos.

A few words about the display

Since designers are people who work with images, they must have a high-quality monitor with a matrix that will allow them to convey all the colors.

Let's look at several current types of matrices that are used to create monitors for laptops.

TN+film. It is the most common matrix option for liquid crystal displays. For their low price, they repay with terrible color rendering, which will give the designer nothing but disappointment.
V.A. This technology provides good color rendition and contrast compared to the previous one, however, there is one “but” - a strong dependence on the viewing angle prevents the designer from correctly perceiving his work.
IPS. The most expensive technology that can convey deep, high-quality colors and shades without depending on the viewing angle, which is simply ideal.

But Retina is a separate matter. It can only be found in products from Apple, but its advantage is its high pixel density (in most displays of this type the value reaches 401 pixels per inch, while others have 72). This is a clear advantage of this technology for those who work with 3D graphics.

Remember! The minimum screen resolution that will allow designers to run their programs is 1280x800 pixels, the optimal is Full HD (1920x1080), and the best is almost 2K (2880x1800).

RAM and graphics dependency

Vector, raster photos, motion graphics, 3D models - all this requires a large amount random access memory(RAM). Today, graphic designers should work with at least 8 GB of RAM, because a simple rule applies here: the more, the better.

Surprisingly, graphics programs after Google browser Chrome is capable of consuming a large amount of RAM. For example, the maximum for Adobe Premiere is 12 GB of RAM.

Important! When working with several programs at once, it is better to buy more RAM. As a rule, this part of a laptop is easy to change, which means you can find larger strips and insert them. The main thing is to be compatible.

As a rule, today they do this: they take an inexpensive laptop that has two slots for RAM. Then they buy two 8 or 16 GB sticks and replace those already inside the laptop. This achieves both productivity growth and financial benefits.

About the hard drive

Today, files from Photoshop and other graphics programs take up a lot of space on your hard drive, especially when they are uncompressed. In this case, you simply need HDD, the size of which will be more than 500 GB.

Today you can choose two types of disk: HDD and SSD. The first one has been used for a long time, its reliability is known to everyone and it is easy to choose the right size for the job. The second appeared not so long ago, but with its speed and quality of work it won its place “under the sun”, in this case - “inside” the laptop. True, the price is a little off-putting, but now it is decreasing, which means there are more chances to buy this particular type of disk.

Note! The best solution to the problem with hard drive– of course, a combination of SSD and HDD. The first will be separate for the OS and programs (everything will turn on and work much faster), the second will serve as a repository for all your work (reliability and big size will do their job).

If this is not possible, it is better to lean towards the SSD option. It will be easier and easier for the designer to work with it, and the disk will quickly pay for itself.

The files that designers work with usually weigh a lot, so the hard drive must be spacious

Video card and work as a designer - is this compatible in a laptop?

As a rule, designers want a mid-level card, but a discrete one, not integrated (hardwired into the CPU).

We remind you! The difference between integrated and discrete is the use of video memory. The integrated one does not have it, so it takes everything from RAM. But the discrete one has it, so there is no need for it to touch the RAM.

Therefore it is better to look discrete video card, so that it can not load RAM and CPU. Let's give a couple of examples of video cards and their use in a laptop. Typically, designers deal with 3D graphics, therefore, they need a fairly powerful video card for this task. Since the MX series of cards are not considered at all (for obvious reasons), you need to choose from the GTX series. Now you can meet not too expensive laptops on a GTX 1050 or 1060. These are just enough for the tasks that the designer sets for himself.

Interesting! Alternative option A more recent card from the 16th GTX series - 1650 or 1660 - could serve.

Price

Taking into account all the above criteria, the price for this kind of laptop will be considerable. The least you can think of is 40-50 thousand rubles. Maximum – about 250 thousand rubles.

The interesting thing is that the price varies greatly not only because of the components, but also because of the tasks of the designers. For example, illustrators can save money because they don't need too much hardware. They can buy an inexpensive laptop and add more RAM.

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's screen characteristics are 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.
Firstly, I didn’t want to install an additional hackintosh system in a laptop with Windows, but it was necessary to start learning how to use XCode and Sketch programs, because... In addition to website development, I am involved in drawing mobile interfaces, and Illustrator in this regard is significantly inferior to Sketch.
Secondly, I was looking for a 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, on reduced 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 an external monitor, then the right decision would be to look 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 make the right choice and I have 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”

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 digital technology market, you need a tool with which you will do this, God forbid, design.

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 the technical aspects of the issue and only reveals 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, a 500 GB portable hard drive could be bought 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, considering 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 “ 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, the Mac does not have corel 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, recently Apple management had to apologize for new (top-end) problems that arose among users. Macbook Pro Problems with 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 they began to appear on the market SSD drives. 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 that do not fly in a vacuum, but are closely related to the financial situation of an ordinary person who must earn money to buy food, pay for housing, and so on.

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 is 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

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 the equipment will not let you down at an important moment plays an important role in choosing 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.