In hardware terms, you will want:
A computer, preferably fast. A 486DX/2 will suffice, but I would suggest at least a Pentium class computer. I used to use a Cyrix 6x86 P120+, which didn't leave me waiting around too much. A forced upgrade leaves me on an AMD K6-2/350, which is plenty fast enough. Obviously, you don't have to use a PC, but it is one of the cheapest ways to obtain a high performance computer. If you have lots of money, a PowerMac and a copy of Adobe Photoshop would leave you at professional level.
I use: a PC, AMD K6-2/350 MHz.
- Lots of RAM. Due to the joys of virtual memory, you don't actually need lots of RAM, but as soon as you start loading lots of pictures, your computer will slow down incredibly without it. I used to use 48 Mb; I would consider at least 32 Mb a realistic starting point. For very large images, think 64Mb as a budget option, and 128Mb as a mid-level entry. (It is unlikely you will need this much RAM when you are starting out though.)
I use: 64Mb.
- Lots of hard disk space. Images consume vast swathes of memory, so a big hard disk is a must. Although compressed pictures such as JPEG's can be small, they reduce quality, so you won't want to save as JPEG all the time.
I use: 6.1Gb, spread across three disks.
- CDROM drive. It is hard to buy a computer without a CDROM drive these days, but it is worth mentioning anyway. If you want to use photo collections, chances are they come on CD.
I use: a Leoptics 32x CDROM drive.
- Mouse or graphics tablet. If you have any flair for drawing, it may be worthwhile spending large sums of money on a graphics tablet - a pen like affair, which translates the position of the pen into something the computer can understand. If, like me, you are deeply envious of all those who can draw unaided, you will probably be better off sticking with your computer's mouse (or equivalent tool).
I use: a mouse. Because I can't draw.
- Printer (optional). If you want to see what your results look like on paper,
you'll be wanting a decent colour inkjet (or a colour laser printer if you have thousands of pounds to spend). I use an Epson Stylus Color 400 inkjet, which gives great printing without needing a photo cartridge. Remember, though, that printing at photo quality requires lots of ink (which is expensive) and photo paper (which is even more expensive). Make sure, also, your printer uses colour ink cartridges and black cartridges simultaneously - printers that have to be swapped between black cartridges and colour ones manually produce a muddy brown colour instead of black when the colour cartridges are in use.
I use: Epson Stylus Colour 400.
- Scanner (optional). Possibly the easiest way to acquire images, and the one with the most potential. A flatbed scanner is best, but a hand scanner will do. A flatbed scanner is typically a bit bigger than a sheet of A4 paper; the image is placed on a glass plate, and the scanning head moves underneath, feeding the image to the computer (similar to a photocopier). Hand scanners are a similar idea, but you instead pass a small hand unit across the picture to be scanned. Hand scanners are going out of fashion now, because the price of flatbed scanners has dropped to the same price. Flatbed scanners offer better quality too.
It is also quite useful to have some sort of camera, so you can take pictures to scan. Of course.
I use: Hewlett Packard Scanjet IIcx. (very old)
- Digital Camera. If you are really armed with money, then a digital camera can make a nice addition or alternative to a scanner. All photos you take can be downloaded directly to the computer, without going through the scanning process first. This can remove many of the problems of scanning, although it is very expensive to buy a good digital camera.
I use: a non-digital camera. I have an SLR film camera, so I just develop and scan the output.
- A sturdy computer case. So you can kick it without damaging anything when it all goes wrong.1
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