Where does one start?

[Artistic_Savant]

I am currently going through the ol' "Career Change", and was interested in leaping into the realm of Digital Art, Gaming, 3D Graphics... etc, etc, etc. I figured I would do my homework first before making a decision, but it's very hard getting the right info... The web is cluster fracked with useless crap, it's hard to decipher it all.

I have a few basic questions;

1/ What system is more widely used in the industry... Apple or Windows?

2/ Laptop or PC?

3/ What kind of computer power should I be looking for?

4/ What type of Tablet should I buy (Wacom...etc)?

These questions are the only one's I can think of right now, but it would help.

I'm not green horn mind you... Art has been my hobby since I was a small child... It actually started in 1977, right after seeing Star Wars... My fragile 7 year old mind was shakin' to the core, and began creating my own art from then on. I also taught silk screening and airbrushing in high school, and made it a personal priority to dip my toes (so to speak) in as many aspects of "art" as I could... My first business logo I did was back in 1982, and have been doing the odd design jobs here and there since then. I started my own t-shirt company (several times), but just couldn't afford it. I was working for a Nursing faculty at a local University back in 1997/1998 and was using PowerPoint and Aldus Photostyler to do presentations, slides and graphic work. But I still consider myself old school... My art room is still occupied by the old tools of the trade, but seeing what the new programs can do, it has opened up a whole new world for me. I have been dabbling with Paint Shop Pro 7 & 8 for a number of years, but it has been all self taught.
I have been told that I should be looking at programs like "Silo", "3D Studio Max" & "Maya"... My interests have been pointing towards more of the gaming side, but I do want to continue working in fine art (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Surreal...).

If anyone out there has any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you and good night!!!

[egerie]

1/ What system is more widely used in the industry... Apple or Windows?

What industry *exactly* ? Game dev or graphic art or illustration or.. .? If Game developping is what you are indeed gunning for, Windows.

2/ Laptop or PC?

Dekstop. When you work at a company. Some artists run around with laptops to paint wherever they want or just stay portable. Of course it's more pricey.

3/ What kind of computer power should I be looking for?

At least 2,5 G CPU with at least a G of ram. RAM is going to be the major thing you'll need to focus on. The more you can afford, the better.

4/ What type of Tablet should I buy (Wacom...etc)?

Wacom gives you bang for your buck. Everyone here will tell you they run with it. The size of your tablet is a question of taste ; some people prefer small and ultra portable 4x5, some prefer the bigger model 9x12.

You're probably aware things changed drasticaly since a few years... Today's essential tools are Photoshop (any version) and more widely used 3DsMax or Maya.

Quick question, quick answers :)

[Artistic_Savant]

Thank you very much for the information... It sure helps out!

As far as the computer platform goes, I am looking for a laptop that would be good to use for 3D graphics (games) and digital art. If possible, I would like to stick with windows. I heard that Mac is more suited towards movie editing and high end graphics, but I was hoping for something in the middle, where I can do both.

Again, thank you for the response!
Cheers