Before you get any ideas about drafting a posse and coming after me with tar and feathers because of my computer platform preferences, let me explain—please. Because I write about digital photography I must use both PCs and Macs so that I can deliver balanced stories and explain computer functions to our entire audience, not just one group or the other. Like many of you, my first computer was an Apple. While I never went so far as to paste that little white apple-shaped decal on the back of my truck, I was a fairly fervent fan in the early years. Of course, there weren’t many other choices back then.
Those who love the macOS tend to stick with it over time, though, as Apple users typically are very loyal and love the brand. It remains a great operating system for all-around computing needs, with strengths in photography and video. Taking a picture is only half the battle. CNET's digital photography and design software forum is the best source of troubleshooting advice and software recommendations from a community of experts.
If it will make you PC advocates feel any better, this article—along with about 95% of everything else I write—is being started on a PC running Windows 8.1, a very reliable platform despite what its distracters say. But I own—and use—not one but three Macs, and I never travel without my MacBook Air. So you might say that I’m whatever the computer equivalent of being bilingual is.
I can be happy with my Macs and equally at home with PCs. And for some strange reason I never confuse the keyboard commands, so I can and do move seamlessly from one platform to the other. I delight in asking Mac users—and PC users—why their computer is best for Photoshop, editing video and so forth. I’ve gathered some pretty interesting answers, although many of the reasons are more emotional than rational.
So which is better for digital photography: Mac or PC? It all depends on the following considerations. Impact On Your Budget (i.e. Price) For all of us except the very rich, there is an upper limit to how much we can spend on photographic equipment. Professionals especially, because even business expenses cannot go unbridled.
Pound for pound, inch for inch, Macs cost more than PCs for comparably equipped machines. The impact of this fact can be dismissed via rationalization, e.g., you get what you pay for; nonetheless, if you want to maximize your budget, Macs are probably not the way to go. ADVANTAGE: PC Software Availability A Mac can be coaxed to run nearly every Windows application but a Win PC cannot run Mac software. End of story. Well, not quite. While most Win-only photo-related software products run smoothly on a Mac under Parallels, Boot Camp or a similar utility (Corel PaintShop Pro X7 Ultimate comes to mind as an example), in some instances certain features are not fully implemented.
But in the final analysis, Macs win this round, even with one mouse tied behind their back. ADVANTAGE: MAC Software Performance Running on identically equipped machines, does the Mac version of an application outperform the Windows version, or is it the other way around? Or are they essentially the same? To find out I asked someone who knows about these things. Daemion Nelson is the IT Director for a large consumer electronics manufacturer. He gives Macs the edge.
“Software developers have better development tools available to them to build better performing apps on the Apple platform,” he said. “I’ve seen Macs with less resources outperform some really powerful PCs.” Makes sense to me. To speculate, that could also be one reason why Macs seem more stable than PCs.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. ADVANTAGE: MAC Stability Macs crash about as often as the rules of chess change. We’re not talking about hard drive malfunctions—unfortunately, HDD problems are platform agnostic and essentially inevitable. When a computer freezes or otherwise stops working before we do, we lose time and sometimes data. Instability undermines efficient workflow and can even mean lost revenue for a photo pro. ADVANTAGE: MAC Hassle I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard an Apple user ebulliently exclaim how easy it was to set up their Mac, connect to a network or transparently find a printer driver. Macs are notoriously easy to configure—without sacrificing options.
They seem to be more resistant to malware, too, but don’t let their long run of good fortune in the Virus Wars lull you into a sense of false security. We can debate the argument about their immunity another time; for now, accept my warning that Macs can get viruses and take proper precautions. ADVANTAGE: MAC Roll Your Own Perhaps this is of little or no importance to most photographers, you can DIY a PC from readily available components and create an awesome photo editing machine. Save money and install only the best parts and accessories. Beef up the RAM to the OS limit and install ginormous hard drives. Rolling your own is fun and simpler than most realize. But you cannot build a Mac, or any sort of clone capable of running Mac software.
ADVANTAGE: PC Compatibility with Mobile Devices Conventional wisdom might give Macs the edge when it comes to mobile compatibility, but for photographers, PCs are just as competent. Either platform can access the Cloud to store or share images, contracts and other files. When it comes to controlling cameras with phones or tablets, that’s more of an Android vs.
IOS battle, so we’ll call this campaign a draw. DRAW Connectivity—USB, Thunderbolt, HDMI and the Next Fast Thing Apple has always been at the forefront of connectivity solutions. The Mac Pro Desktop, for example, relies almost entirely on external hard drives and does so without sacrificing anything. Thunderbolt 2, for instance, delivers throughput of up to 20Gb/s to each external device. You can find PC motherboards that are “Thunderbolt Ready” but all that usually means is that you can install a Thunderbolt card if you choose—at additional cost. Does this matter to photographers? Those of us who work with large batches of large image files say yes.
Connection speed equals improved productivity. ADVANTAGE: MAC Integrated Solutions It’s hard to find an integrated (spelled all-in-one) computer better than an iMac.
For many photographers, a modern, healthy iMac is all the image processing engine they’ll ever need. With the arrival of the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display and its 5120 x 2880 native resolution, Apple took the crown in this category and it’s unlikely that anyone will ever dethrone them. ADVANTAGE: MAC Video Editing Identically equipped computer systems running the same software should perform with equal speed and facility.
Needless to say, folks who use a Mac to edit photos are more likely to edit video on the same platform, and ditto PC users. I’ve heard Mac users swear up and down that it’s easier to edit video on a Mac, but none have ever proven it to my satisfaction—except for the very basic editing that beginners perform with the video editor that comes bundled on their MacBook. Heavy-duty users can find equal happiness with either system. DRAW Expandability On one hand, it’s child’s play to open a PC box and install a drive, graphics card or I/O board. Macs resist being opened, for the most part, except to add RAM. PCs can be built into humongous tower cases that hold six hard drives—can’t say that about a Mac. But you can daisy chain a nearly endless string of fast, easily swappable external drives to a Mac Pro Desktop.
Unless you foresee the need and inclination to make frequent changes to your computer’s mechanics, this is probably a moot point for most photographers. If one system or the other has an advantage, be it ever so slight, it’s the PC. ADVANTAGE: PC Irrational Attraction (And Cool Factor) Admit it.
Macs are cooler. Apple has done an incredible job of painting the typical Mac user as being more hip, more creative and more of a rule-breaker. Maybe that’s all true. But PC users are not necessarily buttoned down, office cubicle types. In truth, neither platform will make you cool—or prevent you from being an untalented, insurmountable bore. Now, if you could only buy hot PCs at the Apple Store, then we’d have the best of all possible worlds.
ADVANTAGE: MAC So Which Is Better, a PC or a Mac? Usually both and sometimes neither. For sure I can say that Mac users tend to be happier with their systems overall compared to PC users.
Or maybe it’s just that PC owners like to whine and complain more. When it’s time to replace your current machine, give the other flavor a thorough looking over. As for me, I have no choice, I must use both. But if I were stranded on a desert island and could take only one computer, it would definitely be my (If you read this article and don’t completely hate me by now, you might be interested in another piece I recently wrote: ) —Jon Sienkiewicz.
The best laptops have to do it all. They need to be light, portable, powerful, beautiful, and reasonably affordable. Choosing one of them isn’t easy though, as there are a handful of fantastic options that fulfill all or most of those, depending on your needs. Below you’ll find our picks for best overall laptop, as well as the for Apple die-hards, the for those who desire an affordable laptop with a super-light OS, and the best budget laptops. We’ve also selected the best 15-inch laptop, best 2-in-1, and the best gaming laptop. To check out in-depth reviews of all the latest laptops head over to our. Riley Young/Digital Trends Why should you buy this: It’s portable, fast, attractive, and reasonably priced.
Portable, powerful, and beautiful, nothing offers the same value as Dell's flagship XPS 13. Who’s it for: Everyone except gamers. How much will it cost: Why we picked the: The Dell XPS 13 has been our favorite laptop for years now, but it always came with a caveat.
The webcam position. We always thought it was worth the sacrifice for most people, but for those that depend on a webcam for video conferencing, it was an issue.
In the 2019 version, Dell has fixed that. By engineering a smaller webcam, the company has managed to squeeze it in into the top bezel without growing much at all. That means the XPS 13 keeps its fantastic, thin-bezel design we’ve always loved — but now without any of the trade-off. The thin bezel design is as functional as it is beautiful, making the overall footprint of the system smaller and lighter. Does that make the XPS 13 too small? The touchpad is still as large as the competition and the keyboard is a breeze to use.
The system is also energy efficient with a respectable battery size, so it can last all day on a charge in most situations and handle pretty much anything you throw at it. The same goes for performance, where Dell’s thermal solution continues to push its Intel Core Whiskey Lake CPUs to new heights. The best part? It’s a relatively affordable laptop with a cheaper entry-level option than its competitors, starting at just $900. All the same, you can still spec it up to 2TB of solid-state storage and a beautiful 4K touchscreen if your heart so desires. Read our full MacBook Air (2018) The best MacBook Riley Young/Digital Trends Why should you buy this: You need MacOS, and Windows just won’t cut it.
Apple’s notebook will appeal to commuters, Apple adherents, and anyone who's willing to pay for supreme built quality. Who’s it for: Students and Apple fans How much will it cost: Starts at $1,199 Why we picked the: No, the new MacBook Air isn’t the most powerful Mac laptop — that’s with a discrete graphics card. It’s not the thinnest and lightest either — that’s the.
Even its screen, though technically “Retina,” isn’t as bright and colorful as these other options. However, what the latest iteration MacBook Air does offer is the most well-rounded Mac experience. It’s relatively thin and light, has the useful Touch ID sensor, and the best battery life of your Mac options. It also shares the same keyboard and excellent trackpad of the MacBook Pro.
Apple finally has an entry-level laptop that isn’t a terrible value or hopelessly outdated. It’s not that $1,200 is a cheap price for laptop. You can find better performance in a handful of premium Windows 10 laptops.
But if you’re looking specifically for a MacBook (as many people are), you’ll be happy you picked up the MacBook Air. Read our full ) review HP Chromebook x2 The best Chromebook Why should you buy this: You want an inexpensive, but well-built 2-in-1. If you’re looking for an inexpensive 2-in-1 for running Google's Chrome OS, then you can’t go wrong with the HP Chromebook x2. Who’s it for: Students, people who need only basic functionality, anyone who wants a cheap laptop to use as a second PC. How much will it cost: Why we picked the HP Chromebook x2: The Chromebook x2 is the first of a new wave of innovative and premium Chromebook form factors, as a detachable tablet in the Microsoft Surface Book 2 mold. That is, the lovely and well-built “Ceramic White” slate portion, which holds all of the actual PC components, slots into magnetic tabs on a relatively heavy keyboard base. That creates a clamshell notebook that is stable on the lap (with just a little wobble) while serving in movie mode with the display reversed and as a stand-alone tablet for pen use and media consumption.
Based around a 12.3-inch IPS display running at 2,400 x 1,600 or 235 PPI and sporting the productivity-friendly 3:2 aspect ratio, the Chromebook x2 incorporates a 7th-generation Intel Core m3-7Y30 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage. Those components are plenty fast for Chrome OS, and the Chromebook x2 takes full advantage.
As icing on the top, the 48 watt-hour battery keeps the 2-in-1 going for a full workday — and then some., which is designed around Google’s Chrome web browser, is wonderfully simple and intuitive. While it used to only run extensions and web apps, that has been expanded to now include everything in the Google Play Store, which fills in some of the holes and expands your selection of apps and games. Read our Surface Pro 6 The best 2-in-1 laptop Dan Baker/Digital Trends Why should you buy this: You want a great laptop and a good tablet.
The Surface Pro 6 is a 2-in-1 detachable that combines stellar performance with a flexible, premium-built chassis. Who’s it for: Anyone who needs versatility on top of performance. How much will this cost: Why we picked the Surface Pro 6: If you’re not sure about laptops-as-tablets though, the is the one to change your mind. First and foremost, it’s a stylish, lightweight, and powerful tablet that pulls double duty as a laptop. Worried about the Surface Pro as a laptop replacement? Think of it as a laptop with a detachable keyboard. Seriously, this thing has the power to do anything you need a laptop to do and more.
The newest Surface Pro 6 has the same great design, only with faster internals and better battery life. No matter which configuration you choose, you now get an 8th-gen Kaby Lake processor under the hood — our review unit was sent over with a Core i5 inside. The Surface Pro performed well enough in our benchmarks for typical productivity tasks, and it remains excellent as an everyday workhorse. It’s quick, snappy, and versatile, everything you could want out of an ultra-portable laptop — plus it’s around when you need it to be. In addition, the smaller, provides an interesting alternative to the Pro 6 if you’re on a tighter budget. Read our full Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UA The best budget laptop Riley Young/Digital Trends Why should you buy this: You want an affordable Windows PC that’s also a joy to use. The surprisingly affordable UX331UA is competitive with laptops that cost twice the price.
Who’s it for: Everyone except gamers, other power users. How much will it cost: $800 Why we picked the: If you don’t want to pay the full price of a laptop like the Dell XPS 13 or, then we suggest the Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UA. It’s an ultrabook that comes highly recommended from us and costs just $800.
While most laptops in this price range cut important things like battery life or display quality, this ZenBook 13 has it all. It’s not as powerful as the Dell XPS 13 or a MacBook Pro, nor does it emulate the suave designs of those laptops. It’s not trying to win a beauty contest, but it keeps things light and thin without sacrificing build quality. The bang-for-your-buck value here is particularly impressive. The base model comes with an 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive. That’s twice the memory and storage of the $900 Dell XPS 13 — and better battery life than what you’ll find in other competitors. Though you can still buy the, the newer version has thinner bezels, a lighter chassis, and improved battery life in web browsing.
Read our full Razer Blade The best gaming laptop Riley Young/Digital Trends Why should you buy this: It provides a fantastic gaming experience on the go. The Razer Blade packs an impressive amount of gaming performance into this sleek, modern chassis. Who’s it for: People who want a fantastic laptop that can also game. How much will it cost: $1,800+ Why we picked the: From the exterior, you might not even know the Razer Blade is a gaming laptop.
It’s as light and thin as a MacBook Pro, with thin bezels, a world-class keyboard and touchpad, as well as a bright, vivid, 15-inch display. Even if it weren’t a gaming laptop, the Razer Blade would probably still be a contender for one of the best 15-inch laptops. The fact that it can play games at respectable framerates makes it a bit of a miracle. With a GTX 1070 Max-Q graphics card and supremely powerful processor, the Razer Blade made short work of just about everything we threw at it — as long as you’re staying in 1080p, of course. Razer redesigned its thermal system to ensure that despite some throttling, the Blade can play nearly any game with settings maxed. That includes heavy loads like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
This is the most elegant, beautiful gaming laptop you’ve ever seen. The or might perform better, but for our money, this is the gaming laptop we’d choose every time. Read our full review Dell XPS 15 The best 15-inch laptop Dan Baker/Digital Trends Why should you buy this: You want a sleek PC, but also need excellent performance. Beyond a quick CPU and powerful graphics, the Dell XPS 15 can be kitted out with a stellar 4K display. Who’s it for: Power users and those who want a big, beautiful display. How much will this cost: Why we picked the: The XPS 13 is great, but you may want something with a larger display. You’re not alone.
Sales figures have continually shown 15-inch systems beating their smaller rivals. We think this is partially because good, small laptops aren’t cheap — but also because some people just want a.
Fortunately, Dell also has the XPS 15. It’s great for all the same reasons as the XPS 13, and because it’s larger, it can be optioned with the fastest hardware available today — up to a blazing-fast six-core 8th-gen Intel Core i7-8750H processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics, a beautiful display, and fantastic battery life. It’s easily the best all-around 15-inch laptop on the market today. The XPS 15 was recently refreshed with the fastest 8th-gen processors, as well as with a more powerful GTX 1050 Ti in the higher-end configurations. These new components make the XPS 15 an even better value. Read our full How we test You’ve read our.
You’ve read our conclusions. And now you’re wondering how we came to them. Good question. Reviews often lack context, which is evident in the wildly different scores some laptops receive from different publications.
Conflicting opinions can actually make buying a laptop more difficult if the review’s criteria isn’t made clear. Allow us to lift the veil. For objective testing and the perspective from which we approach subjective topics. We don’t expect everyone to agree with our opinions, but we hope that sharing our process will leave you better equipped to decide what laptop best fits your needs.