Before computers, text was set by hand, layouts were cut and pasted by hand, and every visual effect was done in the physical realm. Nowadays, computers have helped remove a lot of the tedium of...
The big three are page layout, vector graphics and raster graphics.
In Page Layout, Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress are popular; InDesign more so than Quark today.
Vector Graphics is the realm...
The industry standard has always been the MAC, however, the PC has come a ways and Adobe now writes software for windows. Basically a fast processor and plenty of gigabytes with professional software...
Hardware and Accessories.
Some graphic designers will work with double monitors. Some graphic designers use a graphic tablet, such as those by WACOM. These are extremely helpful. Some graphic...