A year and a half ago I needed to get a new computer having caused the PC I was using (Seiko’s) to go into thermal shutdown so many times it had fried various essential components. 

The problem was one of multiplication.   Most people print small (around A4) and the file sizes you are dealing with aren’t huge.  The amount of data I was dealing with was larger for several reasons.

A2 sized prints – files 4 times the size of A4

Printing at 600 dpi   – files double the size of 300 dpi 

Printing in RGB16  – files double the size of RGB8 

What this meant was that the computer files coming from the scanner were around 750mb. If I started to use the cloning tool to remove dust specks, or even worse used layers, there was the distinct possibility of spontaneous computer combustion. 

I wanted a computer powerful enough to run Photoshop and handle large data files without breaking a sweat, and to be able to do this while I am working on other things in the background. Having talked with friends working in photography and graphics there seemed to be one clear recommendation go Mac and go Pro.

Recommendations are useful, but not always based in reality. I had never used Macs before, and the Mac Pro is in the same price category I would normally expect to find cars. When I went to test drive one of the computers on a trip to Yodobashi Camera I couldn’t even work out how to open the CD drive (there’s a button on the keyboard).

In the end it was a matter of priorities. The Mac Pro was the best tool for the job, and the expense could be justified by the improved productivity and reliability. And when it does become obsolete (hopefully a long time in the future) I will be able to use it as the world’s most technologically advanced cheese grater.

The mighty Mac Pro (image from Mac.com)