Advertisement
Advertisement
Read Next

How An Auto-Leveling Tripod Makes Life Easier For Photographers
Getting your tripod level can be...
Fujifilm X-H2S Review
Read our review of the X-H2S to find...
5 Reasons To Buy A High-Quality And Adjustable Tripod
Shopping for a tripod can be confusing....
Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Review
Nobody else makes a lens like the Sigma...Advertisement
Featured Articles

Read More
10 Unique National Parks
Though they may not be the most famous national parks, each of these has something special worth a visit.

Read More
Telephoto Wildlife Technique
How to get the most out of your long telephoto lens for wildlife.

Read More
How To Use Histograms
For precise exposures that best capture a scene’s dynamic range, ignore what the image preview looks like and rely on the histogram.

Read More
Trillium Lake
Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon.

Read More
Columbia River Gorge Photo Locations
Waterfalls, wildflowers and stunning mountain backdrops await in the Pacific Northwest.

Read More
Be A Wildlife Biographer
My discovery of wildlife photography felt like a fulfillment of that lifelong affinity and fascination for animals.
This is the 1st of your 3 free articles
Become a member for unlimited website access and more.
FREE TRIAL Available!
Learn More
Already a member? Sign in to continue reading
Cisnet Extreme Multi-tasking PC A7098
With this in mind, I took a careful look at the Cisnet Extreme Multi-tasking PC A7098. This high-end machine isn’t for the budget-conscious, but it promises to deliver for the person handling large numbers of high-resolution digital files. And for a multitasking photographer with a serious case of ADD, this system more than meets the challenge.
Designed around an AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 Dual-Core Processor, this computer is built for speed and capacity. Not only is it fast but it can run hot, which is why the CoolMaster enclosure includes three fans, which are both quiet and efficient. It comes with 2 GB of PC3200 (400MHz) Dual Channel Memory with two additional expansion slots available. It also features two Seagate 300 GB SATA2 hard drives with ample space for two additional drives. This isn’t a system I’d outgrow anytime soon.
As I began working with the system, I appreciated that it offered several USB 2.0 slots (four rear, two front), FireWire andan 8-in-1 media reader. The system was incredibly responsive as I edited images in Photoshop. RAW images converted to 16-bit can grow into files that are hundreds of megabytes in size, and this system handled multiple files with ease, even with other memory-hungry applications open. (This can change, however, as you load more and more applications over the years. I’ve found that dedicating a single computer strictly for image editing can maintain the optimal performance of a system for the long term).
The 16x Dual Layer DVD +/-RW burner provides up to 8.5 GB of storage for backups or for archiving digital files. A 16x DVD-ROM drive allows you to make backups of all your important CD and DVD discs—redundancy is important.
The package includes a Logitech Internet keyboard and Logitech Marble MSE trackball mouse. These devices can be the weak link with many systems. The direct connection between you and your computer, they must be both reliable and comfortable. I was pleased with the keyboard but found the trackball to be useless for the purpose of photo editing (though it may be ideal for browsing the Web or other applications). I quickly connected my Wacom graphics tablet with its own mouse and stylus for the purpose of photo editing.
The generous amount of RAM, ample hard-drive space and speedy processor make this system a serious contender for any advanced or professional outdoor photographer. I welcome using a system that I know will grow with me. List Price: $2,339.
Contact: ZT Group, (866) ZTGROUP, www.ztgroup.com.
Standout Features
1 AMD Athlon FX-60 Dual-Core Processor
2 2 GB PC3200 (400MHz) Dual Channel Memory
3 Two Seagate 300 GB SATA2 hard drives
4 128 MB NVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics card
5 16x Dual Layer DVD +/-RW burner
6 8-in-1 media reader