RE: graphic artist work

[Todd Sutherland <TSutherland -at- DERIVION -dot- com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Glen Warner [mailto:gdwarner -at- ricochet -dot- net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 10:42 AM
Subject: RE: graphic artist work

True, the prices are lower for PCs.  Apple *alone* makes the Mac -- 
hardware and software.  Lots of different companies make PCs.  They're 
all competing with each other; this drives prices lower. 

	Yeah, I think that was the most short-sighted move Apple ever made.
If they had licensed the Mac for cloning in 1984, before Windows really took
hold, and accepted a little less profit, they would have cornered the market
and Bill Gates would just be making Word and Excel today.  But they bought
into their own press that some computer anyone could build off the shelf
couldn't possibly compete with theirs, and sadly for them, they were wrong.
What really puzzles me, though, is how they persist in this attitude.  If
they opened up the clone market, they'd probably really nudge Windows over
some... well, maybe.  The day for that might have passed.

There are also a lot of programs written for the PC.  Fortunately, the 
programs your friend will need are on both platforms.

	Yeah, that's true.  In this case, availability of the programs isn't
really an issue.

As for file issues, keep the Windows "8-dot-3" format in mind when 
you're naming and sharing files, and there should be no problem.

	Yes, if your primary consideration is sending your files back in
time to your late Uncle Festus in 1994, sure.  In 2000 I don't think it's of
much significance.

If you really want to see the difference between a Mac and a PC, drag 
the Fonts folder from each system to the desktop.  Reboot.  Which one 
works?  That's the one you should buy.

	I'm glad to see we're limiting the discussion to practical
considerations here... don't we all like to drag our fonts to the desktop to
try to confuse our operating systems?  I know that's MY idea of a fun
Saturday...
	As far as I know, Windows still doesn't automatically update file
locations, but Win98 does when there's a system call for a particular file.
Still, why not discuss more _everyday_ little irritations, then, like not
being able to get disks out of the machine without getting the machine's
permission, not being able to defrag FROM the HD, or while doing other
things, and so on?  Apple has the sort of "spam in the can" attitude about
their users that I thought went out with the Mercury Program astronauts.
There were things about the Mac I liked better, but Apple makes it hard to
love -- for most people.
	And there was a time, not that long ago, when I would have had to
say, yes, a Mac was a definite advantage for an artist -- Adobe skipped
Windows for Illustrator after version 4, and 5.x is when the plug-ins
started, so Windows missed out on those, too.  Finally Adobe released
version 7 for Windows, but even so, it took till last year for Metacreations
to release Vector Effects for Windows. 
	Bottom line, for graphics people, is this: anything you can do with
a Mac in 2000, you can do with a PC in 2000 (and vice-versa).  But probably
for less money.


*************************************************
Todd G. Sutherland        100-65 Allstate Parkway
Technical Writer         Markham, Ontario L3R 9X1
tsutherland -at- derivion -dot- com    905-947-9730 ext. 382
http://www.derivion.com          905-947-9744 fax
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