I've been a full-time wedding photographer for the past eight years and an Apple fan since I was in fourth grade. But today, that has all changed. Here is why.
In fourth grade, I remember using the Apple II GS workstation in math class. When I was in high school I learned Photoshop on the famous colored and clear iMacs. In 2004 I bought the first line of the G5 white iMacs and I upgraded a few years later to a Mac Pro tower with dual processors. In 2008 I bought a Macbook Pro and after that a 27-inch iMac i7 with an array of connected G-Tech hard drives. So to say I was an Apple fan would be an understatement; I was truly committed in every way.
Six months ago it was time for an upgrade and I was willing to pay an extremely high price to purchase a computer that could keep up with my busy wedding photography business. I went to my local Apple Store and was sadden to see Apple's current workstation options. It felt like Apple was completely neglecting the pro market. As an example, a top of the line 27-inch iMac costs $5,300 and this doesn't even include the market's latest hardware. $1,400 of that price was for the RAM alone (more than double the market price). I was told by an Apple Store employee that the new line of iMacs are no longer user upgradable, and if I attempted to add RAM after the sale it would void the warranty. I was willing to pay a premium for an Apple computer but this was ridiculous.
When it comes to the physical look and design of Apple computers, it's obvious that they are still the king. How do they do it? Throttling. Have you ever held a powerful GPU? They are huge; almost the size of an iMac by itself, and that's why you can't get a powerful GPU in any Mac. Even if an iMac has the same chip as a comparable Windows computer, by slowing down the performance of that chip, it will create less heat, and Apple can save space. I love the beautiful design, but for my business, I need the best tool for the job, not the sleekest.
If you're anything like me, you're probably a big fan of Apple's operating system, but if you really think about it, you may realize just how little you rely on your operating system. I don’t know about you, but for me as an actual working pro my software needs are simple:
- Lightroom
- Photoshop
- Photomechanic
- Premiere Pro
- Word and Excel
- Google Chrome and Google Calendar
None of the computing needs for my business require an Apple computer. But, when I thought about building my own computer, I realized that the Apple ecosystem was limiting me. Here's a list of things that you could never do with an iMac:
- Ability to experiment with VR.
- Ability to play some 3D AAA game titles.
- Ability to integrate ALL external drives inside of one case (clear off my desk!).
- Ability to have removable internal storage for offsite backups.
- Ability to replace or upgrade any part at any time.
- Ability to use a screen larger than 27 inches and not have to have more than one (or have to use Thunderbolt).
- Ability to use the latest tech, and have full control over power and performance.
So I decided to leave Apple and for the first time in my life. I built a PC, and not just any PC, “my” PC.
My Computer Components
- Case: $215.00
- Motherboard: $300.00
- CPU: $329.89
- CPU cooler: $89.90
- RAM: $778.00
- GPU: $799.99
- PSU: $244.99
- Display: $902.00
- Keyboard: $99.00
- Mouse: $99.95
- m.2 SSD (OS and applications): $289.99
- 1 TB SSD (live work): $437.00
- 1 TB SSD (games and VR): $437.00
- 2 TB SSD (pictures and “digital warehouse”): $859.00
- 2 TB 7200rpm (video drive): $139.00
- 1 TB 7200rpm (data drive): $84.99
- 1 TB 7200rpm (archive drive): $84.99
- 8 TB 5400rpm (master backup drive): $274.00
- 8 TB 5400rpm (offsite drive, x2): $274.00 + $274.00
- Removable hot swap drive bay: $17.49
- Card reader: $29.95
- Bluetooth dongle: $12.95
- Windows 10 Pro: $139.00
Now, I will save you the time in totaling this all up and tell you that it’s $7,213 before shipping. That might sound like a lot, but it is still more powerful and way cheaper than a top of the line iMac Pro and external storage. If you're unfamiliar with building a computer, check out this video.
My Workflow and Data Backup System
Speaking of storage, one of the things that I am most proud of on either system (Apple or PC) has been my personal “data workflow” which I shared here on Fstoppers about this time last year on my Apple computer system. I am so excited to have been able to finally refine this and drastically reduce the amount of “mess” needed to accomplish the same task with this PC build. I use separate internal drives (listed above) for different applications. Then, every night at 3:30 a.m. my system looks at all the connected drives one by one and writes not one, but two copies of all the data creating a mirror on large 8 TB drives (basically a RAID 1). One of them is the master backup and lives in my PC all the time. The other is the offsite drive and this is ejected, and replaced with a third 8 TB drive once a week and taken offsite. So, this means that all my data is on four drives at all times and one of them is offsite. The program that I use on the PC to manage all of this, ViceVersa Pro, is incredible and costs just $60. I would strongly recommend this setup for anyone who can not afford to lose their clients data, and complete details can be found in the video at the top of the article. To me, this is what it means to have a professional setup and workflow.
What's It Like Using Windows?
Coming from a lifetime of using OSX, moving to Windows was my greatest fear. I can tell you that all of the little things that I loved about OSX are now available in Windows 10, and a current PC is not like it was years ago. Microsoft has finally caught up to Apple in this sense and is leading in many ways. Gone are the days of worrying about blue screens of death or viruses. My computer just works and the operating system is almost completely forgotten as I use the same software that I used on my Mac.
macOS is a closed system with hardly any user options. This is not the case with Windows 10. You have the control to use your computer how you see fit, but, at the same time, it doesn't require any customization if you'd rather keep things simple. Using Windows 10 has been incredibly easy, and at no point have I wished I was back on macOS.
I am not here trying to say that Windows PCs are the best solution for everyone, it all depends on how you use a computer. If you don't have a long list of performance expectations, then Apple’s products may be the best choice for you. But, if your goal is to work as quickly and efficiently as possible, you may want to consider building a custom rig to meet your exact needs.
Don’t just listen to me, or any one person. Do your own research and become your own expert. Don’t let emotion cloud your judgment when it comes to high ticket items like this. Do what makes the most sense, and don’t be afraid to consider all of your options. I can tell you that my only regret is that I did not do this sooner.
Written by Travis Harris.
Personally, the OS is still the biggest barrier to me. I currently have need for windows so have it installed and just find the whole experience to be very poor. The gap is certainly narrowing though. (Though, in all honesty, I feel like thats just as much due to a slow decline in Apple's quality as it is an increase in the quality of Windows)
Hey Ryan! Yeah, I agree. The OS was my biggest fear, but so far so good with this new system. I truly have no regrets for practical use. It works great!
I've switched back to a Windows 10 desktop last year after using Macs for 6+ years. While indeed there is still a little gap in stability between Win 10 and MacOS, the user experience is more or less the same. I mean, I use the same softwares on both platform, they behave absolutely the same way. How dives daily into the depth of its OS? So, according to my own personal experience, the fear of the OS is now overrated, except if you use ONLY Apple services and apps.
has for stability i agree that apple is more stable but the problem most of the time is the component use. A lot of time, the problem is ram compatibility. But when you go with 100% compatible part, and you bios to make the computer overcloack like you want it..... there is no more problem.
But good news for you all. Go Ryzen hackintosh if you want to complete apple package with today's component for a reasonable price.
Windows has come a long way and Win10 hasn't given me a single problem.
I have a Lenovo Ideapad Y700 (i7 6700, 8gb ram, GTX 960m) and it is a blast to work with it.
And it has more ports than a Macbook :^)
That is not very difficult, isn't it.
What if you just used Lightroom and Photoshop on an ultra Fast work PC? I am thinking about this, I dont see how an "operating system" would prevent me from using Lightroom and Photoshop exactly as I do on a mac.
Yes. This is basically what i have done here. My PC also houses all my drives for my data workflow. My video covers everything.
Just looking at LR and PS in a void, yeah the user experience is pretty similar, but I don't use those two apps in a void. I remember having this argument with a PC fanboy a while back and after me giving a long list stuff that drives me nuts about Windows, he offered a long list of ways I can configure the computer to avoid that problem and agreed that "right out of the box" the Windows user experience can be pretty rough.
To me, I don't want to have to research like crazy and learn the system at a very high level just to get it functioning the way I want it to. I don't even change any settings on macOS and its great right out of the box for me.
Software is also a big deal, a lot of apps I use are mac only, and the windows equivalents of them leave a lot to be desired. Mostly because they usually are all so different. I find most macOS apps follow similar user experience paradigms (aka the ones set fourth by apple) so user experience across many apps is more consistent, where as on windows every interface feels different to the point of frustration.
Ultimately though, anecdotal experience is king for me. In the last couple years I've installed windows 5 or 6 times on different machines. Every single time I run into a different weird problem that I have to debug in order for the machine to operate properly. I never have this issue with Apple, fresh installations just work right out of the gate. I'm a photographer, not an IT person, I hate dealing with that sort of thing. macOS may cost a lot more on onset, but I almost never have problems that suck my time away, which I value at higher than the difference in cost between the two machines.
Also support is another huge one. At any time I can just calll Apple and they are eager to help me and often do very successfully. With custom built windows rigs every aspect of the machine is tied to a different company and if it is failing you have to depend on that company's support, if they even have it. Usually outsourced to a a support call center in a country with poor english.
Coming from someone (me) who has used Apple, and OSX since 2004 and have invested TENS of thousands on all the systems I have had with them.. this is what I think. I think using Apple, and OSX is a lot like riding in the back of a limo when you need to go anywhere in a car. Its nice, you dont have to worry about anything, and its luxury. For the most part you just sit there, and relax until you get to your destination. Agreed? The problem is that while thats all fine and good.. there are times when "I" want to drive. I want a different car, and I want to take my own roads. i.e. I WANT more control. This is where the PC / Windows is best. The down side (like in life) you need to learn to drive, and that comes with a curve. It can be good, or bad depending on what your trying to do. I think Apple makes the best "personal" computer. But, in many cases that personal computer is not enough for the wants and needs of a business, or custom data workflows as I have shown. Perhaps a dedicated PC makes the most sense for work, and Apple for the personal life.
I commend the video and what you have accomplished but lets just get down to Brass Tacks here, Macs are more expensive and currently do not offer the same performance no matter what the budget. This is the problem, I cant hand apple 100,000$ today for a computer as well spec'ed and built and performing as 5,000$ worth of PC available to build ones self. This is the issue, I honestly do not care about the money, because to be honest with you it always levels out, you save 1000$ on a computer but you gain 2000$ in stress fro whatever reason. It is mind boggling that Apple currently has no Pro computer up to todays standards.
actually... it won't change much BUUUUUTTTT i must say i really miss the CMD on the keyboard that is missing on windows so shortcut are a little different.
The problem is getting to know a system. Two of my friends own Imacs and because they aren't the most computer literate persons, I had to figure how to set this up for them. They both liked the design and they both wanted an all in one.
In the beginning I was amazed about how clumsy everything works in an Imac. But is it really or is it just a case of not knowing how stuff works?
But gradually I figured things out. CMD is the same as control in a computer for instance. CMD and click is right mouse button. As far as the rest goes, it is all pretty much the same.
Now I find an Imac as easy as a pc although I am still much more at ease with a pc.
The only big difference is that I think Lightroom really behaves really frustratingly in an Imac.
I did the opposite. Switched from a monster Win PC to Mac Pro and my experience has been smooth as clarified butter.
Saying it again....Adobe products suck. Hardware is light years ahead of software. It's improving though...and I no longer need Photomechanic.
YUP :) adobe is so behind in software while they made small jumps with the recent LR some are saying its slower ?
i switched the other way last month mac to pc but really its a computer both are fine both do job both have pros cons if you use mostly adobe the hardware jumps are minimal anyway :)
Yeah, for sure I wanted to be careful and not say that I thought one was "better" than the other.. but, for my specific workflow in my video.. the PC has been the best tool for that job and I am SO happy now. Apple needs to re-launch their computer business to attract more pro users. Until that happens, I think the PC is the way to go IF you want a setup like what I showed etc. Otherwise Apple is a just fine computer for the most part.
I just saw a video where one pro suggested NOT to use OSS because ① They are “clunky”, and ② they are not as advanced. ①I have long known that Adobe Lr & Ps use many OSS components, and ② recently found out that they use 16-bit integer colour pipelines (except for HDR). Additionally, Lr & Ps do not multi-thread well, (use multiple cores well), and do not utilize the GPU well, (and where they do use it, they are reportedly slower).
I have been using Linux and OSS exclusively for over 15 years, and was under the impression that The GIMP was the only photo-manipulation title still using an integer colour pipeline, (but the 3.0 version will solve that). Most of the OSS Photo software are made by professional photographers, or by people in the imaging industry, (such as working for ILM, or some other imaging industry), and are often better than Lr & Ps.
Some claim their is too much of a learning curve, but in actual fact, there is to much of a “re-learning” curve, meaning, if one is just starting out, the learning curves are similar. If one is switching from any program to another, the new program always seem difficult or “clunky”, simply because of lack of familiarity.
I felt that switching from Digikam to DarkTable, (but now glad I made the switch, since Digikam is also a 16-bit integer pipeline), and again when I considered moving to RawTherapee, (since DarkTable, as of this writing, cannot handle the Pentax PixelShift technology, (which I actually do not yet use).
So I have apps which can utilize multi-cores/multi-threading, GPU acceleration, 32-bit floating point colour pipeline, …to simplify, products which do not suck!
P.s., multi-core and powerful GPUs give Adobe photo products no real benefits. Stick to more GHz CPUs and more RAM.
Windows is not an option for me either I use Windows every day at work, and it irritates the heck out of me. So my private computing is Mac only. Windows is definitely better than it was when I left 10 years ago. In the same period I find mac computers become increasingly more expensive to a point where I find it hard to justify. But not enough for me to make the switch back.
Hey Kim! Thanks for reading my post and hopefully have watched my video. I hear ya. I too was in the same boat back when I had a 9-5 "job" Apple was so nice back then to come home too. This is why I started my business with it in 2010. :-) But, so much has changed, and my demand for real performance is very much beyond that of what Apple offers. Apple is going a different direction, and its no longer the best tool for many "power" users, or people who want a little more control as I showed in the video. As long as the machine you use makes you, and your bottom line happy.. thats all that matters ;-)
Hi Kim, my experience is similar to you. I rather rather use an abacus than use Windows. I would rather pay more than use Windows. I would rather use Linux than use Windows. I would rather take up philately than use Windows.
No, it is not fanboism, WIndows looks awful, like it was design by five year old and will have tantrums also like a five year old and for no apparent reason. Many of my Win 7 users in my day job hate Win 10. Whereas my Mac is just so pleasant to use, does the job. It just works and has done since I bought it in 2011 (MPB). I recently upgraded the drives to two 525Gb SSDs, installed High Sierra and it is back to business as usual.
But, if people are happy with Windows, then that is all that matters. But I feel Windows, like a wild dog, will turn round and bite them when they least expect it. It is only a matter of time.
Well, you open Photoshop. It's open now, besided the closing and resizing buttons on the right or left depending on the OS. Enunciate 10 differences. Thank you, bye.
It sounds like you should just stay with Apple. Lol. Remember, I'm not trying to get people to switch. I could not care ANY less what you personally do. I'm just sharing my experience, and it's interesting because I come from many years with Apple.
Same here. I use Windows all the time in my day job and in my photography. That's why my next computer is going to be an IMac. No matter how much of a beast you build, eventually, Windows is going to choke on it's attempts at being an OS that tries to do too much. The beast you build today won't be as such in short order. I've used Windows systems since ver 3.1. I hated Apple until I actually used one and loved it.
I think for many people they just want something different. That's totally understandable. The important take away here, is that I have specific reasons for switching to a PC. Please watch my video in full, and then will make more sense. When you have my type of workflow.. Apple is no longer a good option.
I find Windows on my work pc also really annoying. Probably because at home I have a high-end system and at my work I have a really, really cheap Dell Pc.
LOL, that would do it! So far on this system.. I don't see any difference between Win10, and OSX. I mean.. I dont understand what people are using in the OS that is so good / bad. My system is on 24/7 the apps are always open, and its just a machine to do my work and in my case.. a container for my data workflow system of drives. There are no error messages, no issues, no "fooling around" with the OS what-so-ever. It boots, it loads the programs, and it does all this with ease just like before on my Mac, and it has been flawless for almost 4 months of 24/7 use.
Can you please clarify something? Where are you using the "Live Work" ssd in your workflow? It seems like photos go: Mem cards>PICTURES>ARCHIVE (not including backup steps). What is the Live Work drive for and when do you use it? Thanks
Hey Jesse! Thanks so much for watching. Yes, the Live Work Drive is very important to the workflow. This drive contains the Master Catalog file for Light Room. This drive is also where ALL video files are copied too for production (with the same file structure as pictures). The drive also contains smaller transit data such as the exports from Lightroom that then get branded, and uploaded to the online gallery's. Premier's "Projects" are also stored on this drive. I also keep my system "temp" folder on this drive, so PDF docs to clients, text docs, etc.. are all living on this guy. The key, is that everything is moving on this drive. Its not really meant for any type of actual storage. Think of this drive as the production table where I bang out the work, and then wipe it clean afterwards. The larger 2TB SSD is the "warehouse" where all the "stuff" is that I need to then put on the table to work on (except video files, because my video projects are pretty simple). Hope that helps!
my recent switch from mac pros to a nice 7820x build has been great
I also find I am in the app more than the OS these days
C1 is my main program otherwise I would have stayed on Macs I reckon but C1 really can take huge advantage of multi core CPU and GPU (in balance of course)
adobe sadly is so behind and runs great on a iMac or PC ?
email I went all in on Gsuite some time ago and use kiwi for the interface so on our remaning 2 mac pros in the studio the interface feel is the same
I am working with a few backup software and trying to find what I like to replace CCC/super duper for cloning and chronosync on the mac this software you mentioned was on my test list :)
really for me the switch has not been that bad
things like Chrome and syncing all my bookmarks made it super easy the email was always a pain and that was nothing my passwords again managed
my goal is to become less OS aware with apps and more comptuer driven start to leverage adobe cloud a bit more for assests I use textures and such that way I am in the program and it does not care what I am on is the idea
also I now use a iPad pro for quite a bit of my email sorting I can check it or start the reply and then get on my computer if I need to and finish
also with my files in Gdrive if I am out for the day and a client needs something I can send the link and so on
I am older and have jumped back and forth it seems every 10 years or so :) I had the first 128k mac and 512 and so on but switched to pc at some point then with OS X back to PC
also some of you older mac users remember when the OS was much better those new to it are coming in at a time when sadly its no where near what it used to be way more bugs and issues and things happening these days ? still its great and I do think its the better OS sadly the hardware is so behind for apps that can use it and that is the thing what apps do you use and can it actually leverage faster newer hardware which many really cant and many will find its not worth it
for me C1 can so the jump was worth it :)
if one of my mac friends was all adobe and wanted to switch I would say why or make sure its just cause you want to not for performance :)
Hi Chad! Thanks for checking out my post, and video. I hear ya on all accounts. Since using Windows 10, I have not been very aware of the OS at all, and I am so happy. Having spent so many years with OSX this was my main concern, and I am very, VERY happy so far. I would check out the program I referenced in my video for the automated backups. I used CCC on the Mac for over 10 years. I have found what I think is the best replacement on the PC side, and is demonstrated in my video. All the best!
I switched from PC to Mac in 2006 - never looked back.......
Ahhhh, the days of BSOD and rebuilding your system from scratch......
Right on! I did the same too in 2004 :-) Except.. I have looked back LOL. Apple is great, and I have loved all of their machines (up till now). It's only because the company has a very different focus now (not on computers) and it shows. Also, at the same time my computing depends have increased, and my custom workflow in my video is a nice example of taking advantage of a built PC. I never thought I would like it, but I do and it makes so much more sense from a business stand point. Maybe in time you will think about it again!
If I was younger I would think about it.....now I am trying to get as much done to get ready for retirement.....and that does NOT include building computers! I might re-build a classic car instead! Good Luck.....
Yeah if I were in your position I too would stick with Apple. You likely
Don't have the same needs and demands as I.
RIP mother board. MSI products have been sucking lately. I really hope that board doesn't die on you in a couple weeks. i have had nothing but problems with 4 msi products. laptop, mother boards and video cards. all died within 3 months if not arrived dead.
Yeah, I had a hard time finding ANY product of any brand without some reported issues. (including Apple). So, I might have gotten lucky. My system has been on 24/7 (is never powered down) up and running for 4 months, and no issues at all so far. If it fails, then I will replace with a different one and swap over the parts. This is the best part of a PC build anyway LOL. Time will tell!
Word. it's like you gotta pick the company with the least failure rates. Dunno why companies can't make products that don't fail. I know some are going to fail. That's life. But with how MUCH parts fail. specifically hard drives and power supplies. they are soooo fragile.I have had 4 power supplies fry on me in 6 years. To be fair though two of those failures were my own fault because I was an idiot and didn't pay attention to the ventilation :/
All my MSI boards died. All of them! Since Pentium 4 3.2GHz with HT at the time lol one day it was all good, the other day the PC wouldn't boot up. Back then, internet was not a bit thing as it is today, well, it was big but not this big. And MSI, over the web, is not well seen.
My latest Motherboard that died was an MSI, why did it die? Simple, they've build a board for a 120W TDP CPU (AMD FX 8320 - Bad..terrible processor) that had a 4-1 channel VRM, the CPU voltage managed to kill the board that advertised for FX 8 Core CPU and could only manage up to the 6000 lineup with 6 Cores.
ASRock or Asus, my ASRock board is sturdy!!
That reminds a lot of what dodge did with their trucks back in the early 2000's They built these really bad ass motors but paired them with weak transmissions which ended up with a lot of trucks in the shop in a short amount of time. I have been sticking with the same brands for MOBO's as well. Never had trouble with them. I have an Asus board that is 7 years old and still runs fine!
Yeah, MSI smartasses made it a 4-1 VRM board, instead of a 8-2 VRM for a 120W TDP, the result was pretty simple, the 4-1 VRM burned on the MSI motherboard and even knowing my CPU is not great (FX-8320) it could have gone with the board too, lucky me the condensers didn't blow up and fried the CPU.
This new ASRock Fatal1ty Killer (LOL) motherboard actually rules, can hold up to 150W tdp, so i could even get a more powerful CPU (waste of money on FX processors...).
I'm going to build a rig next year with a Ryzen 7 CPU, hopefully, the board will be ASUS paired with the R7 1700X or the new iteration of the R7 lineup already on the make.
My man, you are going to loooooove the Ryzen 7 cpu's. They scream, especially for the price. The higher end Ryzen 5's are just as good as the i7 6700 in my laptop.
Do you still use any Mac computers? If I were to do this (again) I would want to stick with a Mac laptop. What file system do you use?
Hey Dave! Yeah, we have a Mac Book air here in the house, and my wife loves that. My 5yr old also uses it for some educational apps. Myself, no. I just dont have a need right now for a laptop, and only use a desktop machine.
Ah, ok. So you are completely NTFS? I digitech for other photogs who are Mac only and need to stay in the Apple sandbox. I'm curious as to how the new file system in High Sierra will play with Windows.
When I switched from my old Apple system, to this new PC that I built.. I had to format some drives NTFS to get the data over to the PC. But, once that was done.. it was bye, bye Mac. Now everything is on the PC and running smooth with no issues. When I WAS on the Apple as the primary computer I was using the Mac Journaled file system.
I'd just use Ubuntu live to copy those files if it was much of an hassle. Great tool to use when OS X dies for some reason.
Personally I'd have looked at going down the Ryzen or better still the Threadripper route with a LCS. The main downside is that the mobo's are not as 'mature' as Intel but apart from single threaded performance AMD's offerings generally beat Intel for multi-threaded performance and value.
As to mobo's I usually swing between Gigabyte or ASUS. PSUs is always Seasonic, they're the gold standard of the industry. As to the card reader I integrate those into the case through one of the 5.25 bays, and gives me additional USB 3.x ports.
Building a PC is as much about personal preference as it is about requirements.
Seems to me like you wanted to make yourself a gaming PC of some kind and justified it as a business decision. You can't even buy the iMac Pro right now so acting like it is an alternative for anyone is a little ridiculous. I run my photography business through a fully loaded 5k iMac that I bought refurbished for $3k. USB 3 drives area cheap enough and I'm only contracted to hold onto data for 1 year. Only when exporting full weddings do I max out the CPU. It's straight up absurd to spend $7-8k for LR & PS work. Adobe apps suck at taking advantage of hardware. You can do all you want and they stay slow because they have us by the balls and stopped trying to compete.
The folks that will want or need an iMac Pro are those who regularly edit 4k+ video or do 3D animation. Maybe it would be somewhat helpful if you shoot with an IQ3 100 Phase back, but probably not that much.
Also, it's interesting that you say your machine is cheaper than an iMac Pro considering they HAVEN'T RELEASED THE PRICING.