What are adequate system specs for creating web sites?

[BaloneyDetector]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here.

To start, I don't have much experience creating web sites. I'm looking into taking up web design to help pay my way through college, so I need to (1)get the knowledge and skills necessary and (2) get a computer that can handle the functions.

Number one isn't a problem, I'm already working on it, but I'm not too sure what kind of specs I would need on the computer. What's the bare minimum of hardware requirements? Should I get a dual core or single core processor? How many GHz? How much RAM?
I would also be willing to start with something below the bare minimum and upgrade when I get to a more advanced stage.

I'm trying not to spend any more than $90. I was thinking of building it from some parts I can get online and putting them in a mATX case I have and some spare parts (DVD drive, power supply, monitor, keyboard, mouse).

Thanks in advance.

 

[ronaldroe]

Check the minimum specs for whatever image editing software you plan to use, then shoot a little above that. I have done some of my work using my wife's netbook.

 

[BaloneyDetector]

The image editing software is going to be the most demanding program to run? I was planning on using GIMP. Would a single-core work for that?

 

[PingDesigns]

If you're going to take it serious, I would go with the industry standard of Adobe Design Suite which includes Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, and more. If you're going to run any recent versions of the software I would first recommend a Mac or if you go with Windows I wouldn't run anything without a dual processor or anything less the 4GB of RAM. I would also consider getting a PC with an expanded video card because editing high resolution images burns up your computer's memory.

 

[ronaldroe]

While I can't agree that the Adobe suite on a high-end Mac is entirely necessary, you really should expand your budget some. Or, at the very least buy someone's used rig off Craigslist.

As far as Gimp, if you want free alternatives, give Paint.net a look. It feels more... Photoshop-y.

 

[Phreaddee]

hahaha!
$90!
well with that budget, just use notepad and MSpaint

 

[Phreaddee]

seriously tho. the more advanced you want to get with it will require a relatively decent computer.
particularly if like me you've got dreamweaver, photoshop, indesign, flash, (itunes) and the net all open at once.
sure web design is a breeze now they've invented these fancy new keyboards with a magic button that does everything! what are you learning, html? css? php? javascript? asp? you'll get thrown curveballs all the time. you need to learn and learn fast if you want to succeed. if you think it is as simple as making a word document you are sadly mistaken.

 

[rwebber77]

$90?? Good luck with that. If you are lucky you may find someone on CL selling an entire machine running duo core for cheap, but they are hard to find at that price. I run Adobe's Master Collection on a MacBook Pro with 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 8GB of RAM and sometimes it isn't enough. When I was just starting I used Notepad for everything...best method of learning. Too many WYSIWYG's out there now, and they REALLY detract from actually learning the right way.

 

[dembo1305]

$90?? Good luck with that. If you are lucky you may find someone on CL selling an entire machine running duo core for cheap, but they are hard to find at that price. I run Adobe's Master Collection on a MacBook Pro with 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 8GB of RAM and sometimes it isn't enough. When I was just starting I used Notepad for everything...best method of learning. Too many WYSIWYG's out there now, and they REALLY detract from actually learning the right way.

I would have to say that I actually like using Dreamweaver. I don't use the design part, everything I do is made using only coding. But I like being about to change the code and see it update as soon as I click down there. But I will agree that using dreamweaver solely for the WYSIWYG part of it, is entirely pointless.

 

[ronaldroe]

When I was just starting I used Notepad for everything...best method of learning. Too many WYSIWYG's out there now, and they REALLY detract from actually learning the right way.

I agree totally. I've been using Notepad++ forever, and before that, I used WordPad. Best way to learn. I only recently switched to Aptana, and if it has a WYSIWYG function, I don't know about it...