Computer Requirements Are Not A Concern For Beginners

Computer Requirements for digital darkroom work are high. The good news is that computers have become so fast and cheap in recent years that most machines, whether desktop or laptop, will cope well with all the demands digital image editing puts on them. More advanced photographers using high mege-pixel cameras and large numbers of files will want something with faster performance and more storage capacity. This is more a time issue than a capability issue.

Any computer with a dual-core or more processor and 1 giga-byte of RAM or more will run any of the most popular image editing programs without problems. The slower the processor and the less memory, the longer it will take to process any given operation. This is usually a matter of fractions of a second for basic editing work and isn’t a factor for most users. The amount of memory makes much more difference in image editing work than the speed of the processor.

Hard drives have also gotten larger and cheaper and anything over 200 giga-bytes and 5400 RPM will suit most users for digital darkroom work. Again, larger and faster really just reduces waiting time and the need for adding another hard drive. I recommend a second hard drive for backup purposes, either in the machine(fastest save and open times) or external. It is never good to have all of your files, any files, all in one place in case of a hardware failure.

At least one DVD burner(recorder) is a requirement for any computer as files should also be archived to a writeable DVD disk to ensure against loss and keep the computer hard drive(s) uncluttered. Storing as little as possible on the built-in hard drive gives better performance for everyday work as well as making it easier to find the files you use regularly. Having a second optical drive makes it possible to access files from more than one disk at a time, make copies of disks without involving the hard drive or to listen to a music CD on one drive while working with image files from another.

A built-in memory card reader compatible with your camera’s cards makes file transfers easy. This feature is also now found on most machines. These built-in readers, like hard drives, tend to be faster than external card readers and save you time waiting for transfers. It is just a matter of convenience and external readers work just as well.

Most monitors will do an adequate job for basic digital editing work. A monitor designed for graphics use will usually offer a wider color gamut and more adjustability. The amount of adjustment allowed is important if a close match between what you see on the monitor and what comes out of your printer is a concern. This is a big issue when print color, saturation and density must closely match reality. It is less of a concern when the print will never be compared side by side with the subject of the print. Larger monitors let you see and work on more of the file at one time, reducing the time spent scrolling around an image file and allowing a better preview of the whole image when working at full size(100%). A bigger monitor also gives extra room for menus and tool palettes without cluttering up the image space.

Think carefully before buying a new system or upgrading an older one. Every decision about computer requirements is a trade-off. Faster, larger and more usually cost extra and if what you have now doesn’t annoy you with waiting times or storage capacities you probably do not need to spend the money on a top-of-the-line graphics computer. If things do become annoying in the future, most of the problem parts can be up-graded without replacing the whole machine.

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