

If you have a 64-bit machine and want to take advantage of more than 2GB of RAM, Windows Vista 64 is highly recommended. Photoshop CS4 requires a Pentium 4-class machine, but it's distinctly happier on an Intel Core 2 Duo or Intel Xeon. Although the G5 towers were powerhouses in their day, the multiple-core, Intel-based Macs now outpace them. Photoshop CS4 unequivocally demands at least a G5-it won't run at all on anything less. Many Photoshop operations involve major number-crunching, so the speed of your Mac's processor makes a big difference.

If your time is worth anything to you, trying to run an application like Photoshop CS4 on an outdated machine is a false economy.
Cs4 photoshop for mac mac os x#
It's possible to run Photoshop CS4 on fairly old machines-the minimum Mac OS requirement is Mac OS X 10.4.11, and the minimum Windows requirement is Windows XP with Service Pack 3-but we can tell you from bitter experience that it can be an uphill struggle. You'll save yourself a ton of time and frustration by doing so.
Cs4 photoshop for mac upgrade#
If you're planning to upgrade to Windows Vista or Mac OS X 10.5, do yourself a favor-get a machine that was designed with the new operating system in mind. Photoshop CS4 and the latest operating systems make heavy demands on hardware. You may want to think about upgrading if your machine is more than three or four years old, however. The bottom line: If you're happy with your current hardware platform, there's probably no reason to switch. The PC has a greater range of hardware options and general business software. The Mac tends to be simpler to operate and easier to maintain. Most of the hardware and software you'll need for Photoshop is platform-independent, and we're firmly convinced that when you look at the big picture, price and performance are about the same on the two platforms. Choosing a Platformĭiscussions of Macs versus PCs usually tend to degenerate into "my dad can beat up your dad"-spats that produce a lot of heat but little light. Used with permission of Pearson Education, Inc. This article is adapted from Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers.
