What system do you recommend for magazine publishing?

I'm glad you asked. For publishing, nothing beats the Macintosh. There are many advantages to the Mac, the greatest of which is font management. Although many people assume that Macs and PCs can't be connected together without problems, that's simply not true, as we have both Macs and PCs talking together all the time here at the plant. Both platforms run Microsoft Outlook/Office for email; we all share our internet connection; we can easily convert Mac or PC InDesign and Quark files to either platform. Finally, the once-significant difference in cost between Macs and PCs has been nearly eliminated; now, they're about equally priced.

I recommend an Apple Mac Pro with 2GB RAM and at least 200GB hard drive space. I strongly recommend the Apple Cinema Displays for both Mac or PC users, as they are affordable and have excellent color reproduction.

A good tool for monitor calibration is the OptiCal from ColorVision.

Looking for a good scanner, I'd recommend one with as high a dynamic range/D-Max as you can afford. EPSON has some excellent models such as the Perfection V700/V750 that are worth checking out. Tabloid-sized scanners will double or triple your cost.

For software, pick up Adobe's Creative Suite (preferred) or QuarkXpress.

How about printers? A good printer is the Xerox Phaser 6360N. If you just want black and white, go with the Xerox Phaser 4510N. Most importantly, get a printer that has a true Adobe PostScript 3 print engine as these two have.

The last important piece of equipment you'll need is a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). If you spend lots of money on a computer system, it makes sense to spend a little more to protect it from the various electrical surges and brownouts that occur a lot more often than you think. A UPS with at least 650 VA (Volt-Amps) will give you enough time to save what you're working on if the power ever shuts down completely.

With this setup, you'll be ready for anything!

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