Tell your friends and get them to sign up on the list, they may just win a prize! As always this list will never be shared or sold to slimy spammers. (we gave away 3 tshirts and CDs to lucky winners last month)

As software improves, so does the need for a more powerful machine to run all the nifty new zeros and ones. A few years ago it would be common to wait a long time to run a Photoshop function such as a radial blur, only to be welcomed by a "Insufficient memory" message. Todays machines are faster and more reliable than before and even a computer that is a couple of years old can still pack some punch. The obvious (A current computer) aside There are 2 main things that affect Photoshop's performance.

RAM (Random Access Memory): Because RAM can be accessed much faster than a hard drive, its best to do the majority of file crunching in RAM. So the old saying is still true "You can never have too much RAM." I have a Dual G5 and recently upgraded the RAM from 1.5 to 2.5 Gigs and the speed difference is very noticable. If you are using Photoshop I recommend at least 1 gig of RAM. I'ts worth the investment and its very easy to upgrade. (Talk to your manufacturer about specific specs). You can find some really good deals online if you do a search.

The second thing is the Hard Drive. When Photoshop runs out of RAM, it uses the Hard Drive for what is called a"Scratch Disk." The scratch Disk performs operations that would be performed in RAM if it were avaliable. You can expect to use up to 10x the image size in scratch Disk. Becuse of this, its important to make sure you have plenty of free disk space while running Photoshop. If you are using Windows, perform regular Defrags of the disk to keep things moving fast. The best is to have a second Hard Drive just for Photoshop. This is called a dedicated Scratch Disk. You can choose up to 4 Scratch Disks in Photoshop's preferences.

So you may not have to throw that computer away just yet! Of course if its a dinosaur, than thats another story. Personally, 3 years is the max I will keep a computer.

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If you’ve jumped into the digital realm, it’s time to learn how to enhance, correct, and manipulate your photos. Photoshop CS for Digital Photographers teaches you how to take your images into Photoshop and turn them into masterpieces. I have been working on this book since last year and Its fianally out! This book will not only show you how to do all the things you need, it will (In as few words as possible) explain why you are doing what you are doing. Check it out here, or see it at your local bookstore!