Scanners

[pauljholden]

*head explodes*

I've a new post on my blog, a review, of sorts, of my quiet neat new scanner:

http://www.pauljholden.com/blog/2009/08/09/tools-of-the-trade-the-scanner/

Given that scanners, are, as important (possibly more so) than many tools an artist may need to use, feel free to add reviews/comments/etc either in this thread or on my blog...

-pj

[radiator]

I'm actually looking to buy an A3 Scanner/printer combo very soon, so cheers for the recommendation!

[pauljholden]

Well, buy it from my amazon doohickey, then I earn a penny or something...

-pj

[radiator]

Well, buy it from my amazon doohickey, then I earn a penny or something...

If I buy that model (which seems likely) I will do.

I'll hopefully be buying a whole new system - computer/monitor/scanner/printer/Wacom - the whole shebang -  soon to replace my trusty, though desperately underpowered current PC and crummy £30(!) A4 scanner.

So excited! It'll be fun to be able to work from home without my current monitor's charming habit of shifting it's display all over the place and intermittently flashing a large box in the center of the screen screaming AUTO ADJUSTMENT at me every thirty seconds - sigh.

Swaying towards getting a Mac at the moment, if you've any thoughts on that.

[pauljholden]

Get a mac, primarily because you have to deal with less 'house-keeping' (no need to worry about anti-virus software). The built in software is good for media creation (video/audio editing and photo management using iLife).

I've found the OS tends to get faster and better with each revision (the new version coming is a rewrite of the current version and priced at $25 for the upgrade). There's only two versions of the OS - one for file servers and the other for everyone else.

Almost everything you get on the PC is available on a mac (crucially photoshop and MS Office)

And, generally, I've been very happy with my macs (previously I'd been a windows user/tech support specialist for years).

(On the negative side, it's expensive - but only compared to the BOTTOM end PCs - if you compare it to a comparable specced system it's pretty much spot on)

-pj

[Jim_Campbell]

Swaying towards getting a Mac at the moment, if you've any thoughts on that.

I upgraded my system to a desktop and a laptop combo after eight years on an Apple G4 tower. Whilst I have no complaint with either machine -- they're both excellent -- when I come to replace them, it's going to be a 15" MacBook Pro and an external monitor (I've heard good things about Samsung's flat panels for colour fidelity:price ratio). That 15" MBPro hits a real sweet spot for power against price, and is well up to scratch as a desktop replacement, unless high end video editing or 3D rendering is your thing.

These days, however, the gap between Mac and PC is largely irrelevant, although I would argue that there are two areas where Macs demonstrably retain an advantage: it's easier to coax something approximating accurate CMYK representation out of one, and font display is far more faithful to printed output.

If these two things have no particular value to you, especially if you're already comfortable and familiar with Windows, then you're probably as well off with a Windows machine.

Of course, I could fill a couple of pages telling you things the Mac does that I like better than Windows, but that's all subjective ...

Cheers

Jim

[radiator]

Cheers chaps, much appreciated.

I must admit, I am a bit biased towards getting a Mac, as I use a G5 at work and it's a dream to use - a shame that I can't stretch to get one for myself. As I'm not familiar with the other models, and as you guys seem to know what you're talking about, any further advice, based on the following criteria, would be greatly appreciated:

My budget is around £1000-£1500 for the computer and monitor - and I have a friend that can probably get me a 17% discount on Apple stuff.

The laptop and monitor idea seems cool, but as I'm not at all concerned about portability, I might be paying for a second screen I'm not using.

I want as big a monitor as possible (and I want to use my existing monitor as a second screen for all the tabs etc), but I greatly dislike those shiny ones that Apple are doing now.

I'm going to use the machine primarily for Photoshop/Illustrator, but am also thinking about running Windows on it, and using some 3d programs like ZBrush.

[Jim_Campbell]

My budget is around £1000-£1500 for the computer and monitor - and I have a friend that can probably get me a 17% discount on Apple stuff.

The Apple Refurb store is your friend:

http://store.apple.com/uk/product/FB470B/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw

15" MacBook Pro for a hair over £1K. With £500 left in your budget, you could easily spring for a (non-Apple) display, although if you already have a monitor, you could use the current monitor as the main display and the MBP as the secondary one for palettes 'n' stuff. If you already have a full size keyboard and mouse, you can hook those up too.

The laptop and monitor idea seems cool, but as I'm not at all concerned about portability, I might be paying for a second screen I'm not using.

Ah. You say that now, but I absolutely guarantee that as soon as you start working with a laptop, you'll be taking it out into the garden, working from the living room/ bedroom/ toilet and even -- as I have taken to doing if working from home is sending me a little stir-crazy -- decamping to the pub and spending an afternoon working there.

It's also worth noting that if you have never used an Apple laptop keyboard and trackpad, it's impossible to appreciate how many orders of magnitude better they are than the nearest competitor.

I want as big a monitor as possible (and I want to use my existing monitor as a second screen for all the tabs etc), but I greatly dislike those shiny ones that Apple are doing now.

Ah ... then you're not going to want an iMac then. That leaves you with the Mac Mini, a machine I own and love with a passion but which is certainly underpowered for what you want to do, a laptop with an exertnal monitor, or a MacPro, the cheapest of which will blow your budget by £400 before you've bought a monitor!

Where -- you may ask -- is the mid-range Apple tower? Head over to Ars Technica and search up any of the thousands of posts on this very subject -- AKA the xMac -- and you'll see that this is a somewhat contentious issue. Bottom line: there ain't one, I'm afraid!

I'm going to use the machine primarily for Photoshop/Illustrator, but am also thinking about running Windows on it, and using some 3d programs like ZBrush.

Not done it myself, but I believe the MBPros have been road-tested as Windows laptops and perform very creditably. The model I linked to above outspecs my iMac quite comfortably, and the iMac deals with Cinema 4D and Z•Brush fairly capably.

Cheers!

Jim

[radiator]

Hmmm.

Ah. You say that now, but I absolutely guarantee that as soon as you start working with a laptop, you'll be taking it out into the garden, working from the living room/ bedroom/ toilet and even -- as I have taken to doing if working from home is sending me a little stir-crazy -- decamping to the pub and spending an afternoon working there.

It's also worth noting that if you have never used an Apple laptop keyboard and trackpad, it's impossible to appreciate how many orders of magnitude better they are than the nearest competitor.

I appreciate what you're saying, but I'm still not sure. As I'm only really going to use the machine for illustration and stuff, it's not really possible to work while not at a desk. Plus I don't have a garden!  In any case, I'm definitely NOT going to carry around my shiny new £1000 laptop on the tube or at the pub - I'd just feel too uncomfortable.

The keyboard/trackpad thing is irrelevant as I would use a separete keyboard, and I use the Wacom instead of a mouse.

You still make a good case, though. It's a real shame they don't do a mid range tower model.

Thanks for the help!

[Professor Bear]

God damn your eyes, Holden - I bought that A3 Mustek on your reccommendation!
Didn't have any problems with it, mind, as I didn't have any point of reference for better performing machines - but as a workhorse, it does the job.

Beware third-party ink carts: sustained use over time will knacker your printer's heads and nozzles, but as a tool integral to your income, you can probably get it insured.

[pauljholden]

Hey, when I got the Mustek there was NOTHING anywhere near it for price/size...

(and it worked better than it does now, I think my stepping motor has gone or something)

-pj

[Jim_Campbell]

I'm still not sure.

Apple have reinstated the matte screen on the 15" MBPro - about £1100 with your mate's discount, plus this monitor:

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=computersperipherals&type=monitors&subtype=professional&model_cd=LS23NVTABW/ZA

at £250 from Amazon.

TBH, this will probably be my next system.

Cheers!

Jim

[locustsofdeath!]

*head explodes*

Did no one catch this sly reference by Mr. Holden? Funny stuff.

[radiator]

Fiiiiiiiinally got around around to ordering my new scanner today, and as promised I did so via the link in your blog, PJ. So if a massive amount of money suddenly appears in your account, you know who to thank!  

[Mike Gloady]

Good luck with it, Radiator.  Hope it all goes well.