This life of mine is getting to be a house of horrors. I’m old and don’t and never have done learning quickly. I like PS Elements because I have spent hundreds if not thousands of hours playing about with it. I have, over the last couple of months, being trialling all sorts of software. Much of this software won’t allow drag and drop of multiple images from PS Elements Organiser. They are held in My Pictures which is fair enough for JPEGs but useless for RAW images unless you set the camera to take RAW and JPEG. Then the one you can’t see and want to import is next to the one you can see. A right royal pain in the bum it is. Microsoft should give RAW support to My Pictures even if they charge for it.
Once I got rid of face recognition I got on fine with the Organiser bit of Elements It is perfect for me. It auto generates RAW thumbnails so I can see which images I want. The RAW converter is not very good so I tried Capture One. It is good but not as intuitive for me as Adobe’s in PS CS6, I’m an Adobe man, CS6 is another bugger to learn but at least it is a devil I know a bit about. So although the latter is a hundred pounds more I’m going for CS6 it also offers much more as an editor. Another learning curve to follow but a path I should have taken years ago. It is a very powerful bit of kit.
I have arrived in Sheriff Hutton. I’ve seen the Barn Owls and the Red Legged Partridge and the Yellow Hammers but have yet to get a picture of any of them. I’ve not seen Hares boxing but I’m here till Wednesday morning and go out at daybreak every day so there is time yet to get a snap of them.
This week I’m away to Darlington for yet more van work, then I have got a few classic cars to snap for their insurance companies on Friday. Then I should be away to Scotland.
Does anyone know whether it is possible to buy a laptop with a calibratable screen, SSD drives and 12GB of RAM. I am running a Toshiba Satellite and though it is cheap and cheerful it is not really up to the job. It’s predecessor was an Hewlet Packard and I managed to get at it’s innards pop a couple of hard drives in and those itzi bitzi Ram sheet thingys, I could see it’s insides and followed an online tutorial. It went surprisingly well then Alf stood on the keyboard and several letters popped out and fell on the floor.
I know nothing about graphics cards but do know I need a better one if Photoshop is going to run in real time. I don’t want a laptop preloaded with crap, well maybe, I quite like IPlayer. I do want a clone of this hard drive dropping into a new fast machine. I really can’t stand the thought of loading all the software every couple or three years. I like Windows 7 but haven’t tried Windows 8. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Have a good week. I’m off to have a look at the new Bird of prey centre in Duncombe Park on Tuesday.
I already saw Windows 8 and it's nice. It's an attempt to integrate a tablet interface within a laptop. Other than that, I don't actually own a PC with Windows 8. I decided to quit using PC's and bought a MacBook Pro i7, and a n iMac i5. The iMac i5 is the most economic processor in an iMac: don't buy it. The i5 does not have "hyper threading", which is a feature only the intel i7 has. Since I use the laptop more often, I invested on an i7 for the laptop, and left the Desktop with an i5. The i5 will be upgraded to 16GB in RAM (next summer), but my i7 laptop is still much better. The i7 is simply a much better Intel processor. I heard the more RAM is best for working images; I don't know a thing about graphic cards. Mac is more expensive but is minimalist in design, and the OS is simply easier for me to use than WIndows. But you can get a lot more "bang for the buck" with Windows. It's simply cheaper, period. I also always use PS CS6. The "patch tool", and "content aware tool" are very good, I don't know if Elements has this.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you can order from B&H Video, but they will upgrade your new laptop with more RAM before they mail to you. They are a good store.
ReplyDeleteMaria, many thanks. I use i7 and it is fine in Windows 7 which I like.
DeleteI'll not be going over to MAC. I should have done it years ago and was tempted when I had Vista.
Elements has content aware on the spot healing brush but not the patch tool. CS6 is very good but all I have to do now is find out where everything is lurking. That should keep me busy for a year.
I'll have a good look around the internet and see who is offering what in laptops.
I'm guessing that you are using Windows 7 on the laptop from a comment towards the end. If so then you might want to try installing the Microsoft Camera Codec Pack which claims to add RAW support to Windows Explorer, so you should get a nice preview image of the RAW files just as you do for the JPEGs.
ReplyDeleteMark, It is installed and works a treat. Many thanks for your help. I live and learn.
DeleteLove that tree. Don't know why but it brought to mind one of those beasts from space they used to have in the B sci-fi / horror movies.
ReplyDeleteIt is an ex tree John.
DeleteI can only wish you luck in finding the hardware and software you need and that will work well for you.
ReplyDeleteMonica, I'm in no rush.....I'll make a list and get a computer supplier to sort it all out.
DeleteI wish I knew more about PCs, but I wonder if you would shout me down if I suggested a Mac... ?
ReplyDeleteBut on a much more assertive note, I must take exception to all your 'I am old' stuff. For a start the amount you have learnt contradicts that. Secondly, you are only 63 man! And I'm not far behind you, so stop pulling my leg!
Katherine, no I wouldn't I like Macs. They are just a bit too pricy and the software is more limited for them.
DeleteI learn stuff and then forget what I've learn't rather defeats the object of study.
Hi Adrian, some of the new laptops have the capacity to put at least 16GB into the laptop but must be ordered that way or they will only come with 8GB memory. the graphics cards that com with them are not that great and are not interchangeable. So if you want a powerful computer than you will more than likely have to go with a desktop. If you go with a Macbook then you will have to buy all new software for it. So you will have to make choices as to what you wish to get. As far as a calibrated screen goes, the answer is no. You will have to buy a calitbrater. It can calibrate what ever screen you have. You will find each screen is quite different from each other. Have a look on the net for a Spider calibration unit and go from there.
ReplyDeleteAlmost forgot, you will have to get a 64 bit laptop to get and use more than 3.5 gigs of ram. You more that likely new that but I thought I should mention this fact. The 32 bit windows operating system won't allow more than the 3.5 gigs of ram.
ReplyDeleteHorst, it will be a Windows laptop, I'll start having a serious look Sony allow you to order to your own spec. but I'm not a Sony fan. I'll not be going to a Mac. I already use 64 bit. I'll look into the graphic card business.
DeleteThanks for your help.
I'm a Mac person too and quite out of touch with Windows now so I'm no help at all.
ReplyDeleteGraham, Mac would I suspect, have been a simpler option had i changed earlier.
DeleteHi Adrian...All I have to say is "WHAT" what language are you
ReplyDeletetalking here hahaha!! ; )
Love that tree cool!!
Grace
Grace, the language is called Gobbledygook.
DeleteWell, Adrian, I can verify that you've learned to speak another language and that is a mean feat at any age. Good luck with whatever it is you are wanting to do.
ReplyDeletePauline, thanks I'll need luck and a following wind.
DeleteWell!...errm!...er!...ah ha?...ah!...oh! Maybe you could..er?..perhaps not? What about if you..Oh!..no? I'm not much help really..am I? Good luck though!!...[;o)
ReplyDeletebtw. I use a Pantone Huey Pro to calibrate my monitor. It seems to work fine, for my humble needs anyway!
Trevor thanks for your insight. I know someone with a Huey so will grab a loan of it.
DeleteI was wondering (as someone touched on briefly) wether it would be better to go for a desktop rather then a laptop and go down the route of custom built PC, that way you don't have to have it preloaded with rubbish programmes that you never use etc.
ReplyDeleteDouglas it would be better but I haven't got room for a desktop. I'll go and try a few independent suppliers.
DeleteAdrian, all too techy for me; especially after the Bells have been ringing.
ReplyDeleteA friend built my desktop to the specs I needed. A great machine, running Windows 7. What I've seen of Windows 8, I'm not that impressed.
Macs are a whole new learning thing.
Good luck.
I'm off for another ....
Cheers Keith. Don't ring too loudly.
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