On Jun 22, 2005, at 9:32 PM, mike wilson wrote:
Thanks for the info. I've got 1Gb already, in a system running WinME. Any other tips/foibles?
If you plan to install Photoshop CS you'll need Windows XP. Or a certain other platform which I shall not mention ;) I don't really find processor speed to be a big issue but memory is something you can never have enough of. Unfortunately 1Gb sticks are expensive.
The memory management of CS is a bit annoying because it never releases memory. I start running into problems (slowdowns) when it hits about 1.2Gb. If I'm only doing one scan then I'm generally OK but with multiple big scans I sometimes need to restart PS. I think the scanner driver needs a fair bit of memory (I run it from within PS).
It is well worth attaching a second monitor if you can. PS has a good "fullscreen" mode. Pop the toolboxes on the second screen and you're away. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Dust at 4800ppi is a real problem no matter how clean you think your slides are. Expect to either wait a few extra minutes for dICE to do its thing, or a couple of hours retouching. Note that the Healing Brush tool is very slow on large files for some reason. At these resolutions I find the trusty old clone stamp better anyway because the healing brush did weird things with the grain pattern. Having said that I am keen to see the Spot Healing Brush tool in CS2.
The new Wacom Intuos3 tablets are really good. Calibrate your screen. Buy a good printer. Get a second mortgage ;)
Cheers, - Dave http://www.digistar.com/~dmann/
