Ninth in a series of articles on how to have a successful relationship with your Mac.
The "Gotta Have" Shopping List
Applications
- QuarkXPress (Page Layout, Word Processing and Colour Separation Software)
- Adobe Illustrator (Illustration Program)
- Adobe Photoshop (Photo Retouching Program)
Utilities
- Norton Utilities (Maintenance, Diagnostic and Data Recovery Software)
- Hard Disk Tool Kit by FWB (Disk Formatting, Partitioning and Driver Software)
- Disinfectant (Anti-Virus Protection Software)
Fonts
- PostScript - Type 1 (Forget about TrueType fonts!)
- Suitcase II (Font Management Utility)
- Adobe Type manager (ATM)
System Software
- Mac OS 8.5 or higher
Congratulations! You now have the Hardware, so let's talk about the Software (applications and utilities) and your Operating System. Your shopping List is on the left so you won't have to "Shop til you Drop!" You'll notice I don't give prices (because they can vary greatly from store to store) and I don't recommend suppliers (at least not in print), but I do recommend you do shop around and talk to other Macaholics to find out about the best prices, service and support.
But, first, let's continue where I left off last month - Compression. I'll just say this: if you configured your system properly (i.e. lots of RAM and a big hard drive), you don't need to worry about this. However, if you're stuck for space, DiskDoubler is an easy, compatible and popular utility that can save you approximately 40% of your original file size depending on the kind of document you are compressing. Stuffit is another popular one you might want to consider. Both of these applications compress files and are not recommended for compressing applications - not that I can figure out why anyone would want to do that - so that means read the manual on AutoDoubler if you are tempted to use this one. Where possible, use the .sea feature - self expanding archive - especially if you are sending files to a service bureau and you're not sure what compression programs that have. If you want to compress your hard drive with a driver level software such as TimesTwo - Don't!
As far as RAM Doubler is concerned, don't bother with this either. If you find yourself short of RAM on occasion you can take advantage of Virtual Memory (a must on the PowerPCs), or if you are always short of RAM, get some more! In the long run, the trade-off in performance is not worth it.
Now let's get down to the good stuff: Applications. You know the old saying - "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" - this means that if you are a serious DTPer or Prepress Specialist, you should use the software that the pros in town use - namely Quark, Illustrator and Photoshop. Oh yes, there are others, but they are simply not as good - they are getting better - but the big 3 still reign supreme. It's also important to use your software intelligently - that is - Illustrator is a drawing program - but PLEASE do your typesetting and colour separating in Quark. To make my point, let me tell you a true story ... Once upon a time a customer made a small change to a 4 colour ad that was due at the publication within 3 hours. The change was made to the ad (which unfortunately had been done entirely in Illustrator) and output separations through Adobe Separator (included with Illustrator). It took 2 hours and 12 minutes to RIP and image the film. And we still had 48 minutes to courier it to the publication! NOT! Guess what? The customer needed to make another change... and could we still get it to the church on time??? You bet ya!! Make the change in Illustrator - save with a preview - open a picture box in Quark (took 5 minutes), and print separations. This time it only took 18 minutes to RIP and image. I REST MY CASE!
You'll notice that I have included a Virus protection program. I only recommend purchasing this software if you browse local bulletin boards or receive a lot of outside disks from clients.
Oh well, here we go again... So little time room, so much to say... but...
Lately, I have been running into so much misunderstanding about virtual memory, native software, drivers and such that next month I'm going to do a Question & Answer Forum. If you have any questions you would like answered, please call or fax as soon as possible (please be sure to leave a number where you can be reached. And don't forget to Hug your Mac!!!
The Mac Lady is an independent web designer located in Vancouver, BC. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.
