Switching from Windows to Mac [Archive] - Large Format Photography Forum

Big Fish

21-Nov-2012, 15:09

Greetings...

1. I am a Windows user considering switching to Mac. Is there software to make a switch? Does Adobe allow swtich? I have CS 5.5 and other Adobe products? Is lincensing a problem with basic software such as MS 2007, e-mail, etc. Plugins?

2. I understand Mac is coming out with new I Mac/monitor? Any comments? Should I wait?

3. If I stay with windows what is a high quaility monitor?

My main interest is printing large format 30 x 40 plus from large files 800MB plus.

Many thanks.

PhotoWrangler

21-Nov-2012, 15:15

Once you go Mac, you never go back! Trust me!!

If you call Adobe and tell them that you have a product license key, and you switched operating programs, they will help you download the right one. At least they did for me.

Don't even worry about a good quality monitor for a PC. Go Mac and don't look back. The graphics on a Mac are unrivaled.

Jeff Bannow

21-Nov-2012, 15:24

I'd stay Windows. We're testing out the new retina MacBooks at work and they are as buggy an prone to crashing as a PC. And they cost twice as much.

r.e.

21-Nov-2012, 15:38

True to form, the first two responses set up an Apple vs Microsoft donnybrook.

I'm an Apple shareholder, but Lord this has become tedious.

Leigh

21-Nov-2012, 15:54

I've been using windoze since the product was first introduced as an applique over DOS.
I still have XP and 7 running on some machines to check compatability of my software products.

I switched to the MacBook Pros two years ago and have never had a problem of any kind.

I'm running Hasselblad Phocus s/w for image processing, and it works great.
I also have PS, although I never use it. It seemed to work fine when I checked it after installation.

As to Jeff's comment...
I haven't worked with that machine so I can't say one way or another.
I can say that there's a world of difference between Mac OSX and any version of windoze.

- Leigh

welly

21-Nov-2012, 16:27

I'd stay Windows. We're testing out the new retina MacBooks at work and they are as buggy an prone to crashing as a PC. And they cost twice as much.

We've been using retina MacBooks at work too and they run without a hitch, and they cost as much as a similar specced non-Apple laptop. Of course, you could always buy an Acer and deal with all the problems that that'll bring.

I say potayto, you say potahto.

Jeff Bannow

21-Nov-2012, 16:46

We've been using retina MacBooks at work too and they run without a hitch, and they cost as much as a similar specced non-Apple laptop. Of course, you could always buy an Acer and deal with all the problems that that'll bring.

I say potayto, you say potahto.

I don't want to get into a Windows vs. Mac debate - in fact, I think they have equivalent levels of crappiness. :) I can tell you that for my company, equally specced Macs cost about 35% more by the time all the software is included. If anyone is interested in the details, or more on the issues we've had, PM me and I can explain.

We use the 27" Apple Cinema Thunderbolt displays at work, and they have a truly gorgeous image. My 2 complaints - I hate the glossy screen, it's like a giant mirror, and the stand isn't sturdy enough on them, so they wobble up and down too much. Depending on your situation, these might not be issues for you. Note that I have no experience with color calibration on these.

I will say this, to the OP - think hard about why you might want to switch. There's a big learning curve involved with making a change in either direction.

I think in the end you can make either a Windows or Mac system work fine.

PhotoWrangler

21-Nov-2012, 17:32

For the record, I use an iMac 21.5" and never had an issue. Of all the Mac products, they seen to be the most stable. MBP's are buggy little laptops sometimes, and the 27" iMac is said to be prone to overheating issues.

That being said, I'd take my chances with a Mac over a virus prone PC any day.

drew.saunders

21-Nov-2012, 17:44

Greetings...

1. I am a Windows user considering switching to Mac. Is there software to make a switch? Does Adobe allow swtich? I have CS 5.5 and other Adobe products?

As others have mentioned, contact Adobe about transferring your license.

Is lincensing a problem with basic software such as MS 2007, e-mail, etc. Plugins?

You'll probably have to purchase a new version of MS Office. Microsoft makes more-or-less similar versions of Office for Windows and Macintosh, so you should be able to get used to the Mac version quickly enough.

The Mac comes with Apple Mail installed, which is quite good, and is the mail client that I use, but I don't use it with a Windows mail server. MS Office comes with a mail client too that of course works well with a Windows mail server. There's also the free Thunderbird mail client (which is available for Windows if you want to test it).

2. I understand Mac is coming out with new I Mac/monitor? Any comments? Should I wait?

A new iMac and Mac Mini were introduced in October. See here: http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

The new iMac is not shipping yet, but the Mini is. I have a Thunderbolt display at work for use with my MacBook Air 13" and it's an impressive screen, but I don't do any precise color matching at work, so I don't know how well it's calibrated or easy it is to calibrate, etc. The Thunderbolt display will work with any new Apple laptop or the Mini. The iMac has two Thunderbolt ports, so it should be able to drive an attached Thunderbolt display as a second monitor, but I don't know if it can drive a third.

Is there an Apple store near you? Go talk to the folks there about converting, they know it well and can help you out.

Richard M. Coda

21-Nov-2012, 17:46

I did this 5 years ago and never looked back. Windows used to crash several times a week and you always had to worry about viruses and security. I think my Mac has crashed twice in 5 years and that was due to a niche 3rd party app. And now with the new Windows8... jeez... even looks like a piece of garbage. Back on topic... if you sign up for the Adobe Cloud you can switch OS at will AFAIK.

Photo Dave

21-Nov-2012, 18:10

Mike Anderson

21-Nov-2012, 18:35

I've been waiting for the new iMacs to come out, I have my eye on a 21" hopefully in the next few weeks. But the 2011 models that are still available are somewhat discounted. Does anybody know what the latest model will bring? I know they dropped the SuperDrive and are thinner but the display is the same from what I hear. Anyone have an opinion on buying last years at a discount or holding out for the new model??
Dave

I've heard the new 21" iMacs have soldered in memory that can't be upgraded (but the new 27" iMacs can be RAM upgraded). Those new iMacs don't really appeal to me, I don't need super sleekness in a desktop machine. Personally, I'd definitely go for an older model. The new Fusion drive might have a significant impact on some software's performance, but have to wait for some reviews to know if it's worth it.

Ari

21-Nov-2012, 20:16

As for Microsoft Office, you can download (for free) Open Office for your Mac.
It's compatible with MO files.

Ari

21-Nov-2012, 20:18

I've heard the new 21" iMacs have soldered in memory that can't be upgraded (but the new 27" iMacs can be RAM upgraded). Those new iMacs don't really appeal to me, I don't need super sleekness in a desktop machine. Personally, I'd definitely go for an older model. The new Fusion drive might have a significant impact on some software's performance, but have to wait for some reviews to know if it's worth it.

For that reason, I bought an almost-new non-Retina Macbook Pro ; I upgraded my RAM and changed to a SS HD, and it took 10 minutes at home.

Larry Gebhardt

21-Nov-2012, 20:19

I know Adobe let me switch from Windows to Mac, but I needed to upgrade to the latest version. So I still had to pay the upgrade price, as I suspect you will. You will need new licenses for most software such as Office. Some packages give you both in the same package. And there's lot's of free alternatives, like Open Office, to consider.

The new iMacs were just announced but aren't shipping yet. They look like decent machines for image editing. I would wait for one of these over the current version. I would get the fusion drive, or an SSD. And make sure to get as much RAM as the machine will hold. You can usually get the memory cheaper at OWC than from Apple, assuming it can be upgraded (my new Mac Book Pro can't be). Looks like the 27" iMac can take 32GB of RAM. I would seriously consider getting that, as I find 16GB a bit too tight at times. I had 24GB on my Mac Pro and it was nice.

For either Mac or Windows the NEC monitors with Spectra View look very good, from reviews I have read. I'm still debating getting one of the 30" ones, or waiting to see if Apple comes out with a Retina display Thunderbolt monitor. You could also go with the NEC monitor and a Mac Mini. That looks like the most bang for your buck on Mac side. (16GB of RAM at OWC is 1/3 the cost of ordering it from Apple).

I am very happy with my decision 6 years ago to switch to Mac. But I need a Mac (or other Unix based machine) for my day job, so Windows really isn't an option any more. But I would still stay with the Macs even if I could use either one.

Big Fish

21-Nov-2012, 20:34

Jim Andrada

21-Nov-2012, 21:26

I thought I was switching to Mac a few years ago to avoid Vista but then Win 7 came along so I use a Macbook on the road and a PC at home/work.

Don't see any practical difference and certainly nothing to get excited about in Mac land as opposed to PC land. Prices being equal I'd buy whichever one was handy (but prices are far from equal so my Mac experiment is over). Load VMWare or something similar and run Windows (and Linux if you like - I do) on the Mac.

Re high end display, I think either NEC or Eizo are about it. I have two Apple Cinema 30 inch displays on my PC and they're nice but Apple just being Apple suddenly dropped them because they only seem interested in making displays in movie aspect ratio. I don't watch movies and don't like the aspect ratio and getting my two monitors to look the same is impossible.

Next big purchase will be one of the 30 inch NEC displays. I designed my office with enough space for three 30 inch displays so it will fit just fine. NEC/Eizo are pretty popular in businesses where color quality etc is essential.

Full Disclosure - NEC Tokyo is my main client but in a different business area completely. The displays are really good.

photobymike

22-Nov-2012, 07:17

Buy a cheap MAC and try it out.... You can buy an intel power MAC for around 400.... If your current monitor has a DVI output get a cable and just try it..... Some people like the MAC more than windows. If you have worked in both computer environments you can make an informed decision. With a MAC you probably can use the keyboard and mouse from your PC system. The native resolution on a older MAC Cinema display is 1920 x 1600 .... My used 23" Cinema display cost me used 160 dollars, very reasonable for the capabilities it has. It color tuned right away and accurately with my Monaco Optix.

I switched and i can never back to a PC ... really seriously it was no contest.

Brian Ellis

22-Nov-2012, 07:31

I've used both, Macs in school and at my daughter's house, PCs at home. For photography I never found a dime's worth of difference between the two. I've had one crash with a PC in 13 years. But have fun, it's not easy making the switch you're contemplating, there's at least one book written to help you through it. Sorry I don't remember the title but I've seen it at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon. Good luck.

photobymike

22-Nov-2012, 07:33

Many thanks your replies. Very interesting points to ponder especially the learning curve. I look forward to more comments. No one can tell if the final print was from a Mac or Windows so it's still a jump ball. Again thanks.

I was not able to color "tune" the monitor accurately with my PC like i could with my MAC. I can say without a doubt that i have waste less paper and ink with my MAC. Truly "wysiwyg" (what you see is what you get) with my Apple Cinema Display. I can atribute this to more the DVI monitor interface as aposed to the EGA monitor.

Big Fish

22-Nov-2012, 11:42

photobymike

22-Nov-2012, 12:12

jeeez you dont need that kind of money for a Apple Mac .... look at a topend MAC MINI with 8 gigs ram... and a monitor ...the cost not more than 2thousand ...ok so add some solid state hd drives .... for 2.5 thousand.... i run photoshop 5 on my wife's Mac Mini...its older one with 4 gig ram..... photoshop runs almost instantaneously when i make changes... and thats while i am scanning a 1 gig file in the background with v750 epson

Preston

22-Nov-2012, 12:12

Big Fish,

I sent you a private message with some suggestions.

--P

Mike Anderson

22-Nov-2012, 12:23

One option is to get a used Mac Pro (http://www.powermax.com/parts/code/PM_CU_MP), forgoing the latest greatest CPU, and loading it up with RAM and a solid state drive (http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Mercury_6G/) or 2.

Apple RAM and components are overpriced so there's much savings in getting that stuff from 3rd parties.

Andreas

22-Nov-2012, 12:40

Linux.
Couldn't resist.
Would be perfect if Roy Harrington compiled QTR for it.

r.e.

22-Nov-2012, 13:19

Many thanks again. If I could take the library of moving this a bit further avoiding the Mac vs. PC challenge.

Again I am a single user with a primary interest of moving large files 800MB+++ quickly mostly in BW large format prints on an Epson 9880. Additionally, I have multiple thousands of photos to organize into 8-10 project folders that I would like retrieve and store quickly. Will be using LR4. I am anticipating that I will be incorporating video/doc films/editing capabilities. For PC advocates could you please suggest a PC computer that's fast and reliable and a monitor in the 25-30 inch range. I have two back up external drives. My work area is dark so glare is not a problem.

If Mac users would like to suggest a system I would also appreciate a suggested design. Budget $3000.

All comments very appreciated.

With the disclosure that I hold shares in Apple...

You are an obvious candidate for 16GB of RAM, a solid state internal drive, a Thunderbolt connection and a Thunderbolt-compatible external drive.

Because they are so new, Thunderbolt external drives are extremely expensive and I would hold off on the purchase of this component until prices come down over the next few months. But I would definitely buy a computer with a Thunderbolt connection, which at the moment effectively means a Mac.

I might also mention that it is now possible to rent the use of Adobe software by the month and that there are certain advantages to doing so. I am paying $30/month for Creative Suite, I can keep on my computer only those parts that I currently need (saving space), and I can keep the software on two machines regardless of operating system (for example, one computer can be Apple and one Windows). The price that I'm paying was offered in September, and I did not own the current version of CS - perhaps there are, or will be, similar promotions.

ericpmoss

22-Nov-2012, 21:21

I'd go over to macperformanceguide.com and read up on how he chooses his Macs and how he sets them up. For a fee, he will do a complete configuration and burn-in. I'm not doing my photos on a large scale, so his help is overkill, but if I were going "pro", I'd pay him the $ and get something layed out by a photographer for a photographer.

Jim Andrada

23-Nov-2012, 11:14

@photobymike

Here is a link to the NEC monitor page - the last two displays are the ones I'm talking about. The folks at NEC Display Solutions told me that you can use other profiling gadgets in place of the Spectraview which is only a rebadged unit from I forget who.

http://www.necdisplay.com/category/desktop-monitors

These are seriously good monitors - lots of features way ahead of the Cinema displays. They usually have a couple of refurb units available for about $500 less. I seem to recall that the NEC Spectra-view software stores profiles in the display itself rather than on the PC.

Re my setup - I have two dual link DVI outputs on the nVidia Quattro card on the PC, and profiling usually does a reasonably good job of getting one of the monitors fairly close to the printer. I find though that just due to the differences in backlit vs reflective prints or just the way things look with white borders versus the monitor's frame I always wind up making a couple of small adjustments - I proof on 8 1/2 x 11 and then print on larger ($$$) paper.

Don't get me wrong - I really like the Mac Cinema displays, I was just PO'd about the high handed way that Apple just drops stuff on a moment's notice or the way they suddenly announced the new Final Cut Pro X which won't open existing projects done with the previous version. (Premier Pro, Avid etc will open the older projects just fine so it is technically feasible)

So I guess I'd have to say that I think the Apple products themselves are quite good and the Unix based OS is fine (but not in any way magical or exciting or more productive) but I dislike the arrogance of the company itself and think they're more of an entertainment company and don't trust their commitment to any particular product or, for that matter, to content creators - they're all focused on content consumption.

r.e.

23-Nov-2012, 13:33

Jim,

The reality about Apple is that in straight hardware terms it has led the way on the transition to significantly faster solid state drives and is now leading the way on the transition to the significantly faster Thunderbolt connection.

Having used flash drives for the last two years, I will never use an internal mechanical drive again, and Thunderbolt is a massive improvement over USB 3, let alone USB 2.

As for photo/video processing software and monitors, buy whatever works for you, but neither delivers speed. Although, that said, it seems pretty clear at this point that the so-called Retina Display, and the inevitable imitators, are going to have an impact on image processing and consumption.

It's a little odd, given Apple's lead in these areas, and its record of innovation in the smartphone and tablet markets as well as increasing share of the personal computer market, that you would call it a content consumption company. The so-called ecosystem supports the hardware sales, not the other way around. Apple's cut on the sale of e-songs, e-movies, e-TV, e-books and apps is insignificant compared to its profits from the sale of hardware.

Preston

23-Nov-2012, 15:39

The folks at NEC Display Solutions told me that you can use other profiling gadgets in place of the Spectraview which is only a rebadged unit from I forget who.

Jim, the sensor you are speaking of is a custom calibrated iOne by X-rite for use on wide-gamut displays with SpectraView II. It is called the MDSVSensor. Calibration of a compatible NEC monitor with SpectraView is basically a hands-off operation. It even installs the resulting profile and sets it as the default in both Windows and Mac. I use SpectraView and the NEC sensor and my calibrations are right on the money, every time. It was worth the added expense, in my opinion.

The NEC P and NEC PA series multisync monitors use hardware calibration: the LUT's are stored in the monitor itself, so they are not dependent on the video card. The profile is stored on your computer in the default location for color profiles.

--P

Bill_1856

23-Nov-2012, 16:22

I've tried it twice (at considerable expense), and finally gave up. I think that it was the impossible email program that did me in. Good luck to you.

Brian Ellis

23-Nov-2012, 16:37

r.e.

23-Nov-2012, 16:53

I have no idea whether this is relevant to you or anyone else here but FWIW, here's a Business Week article suggesting that Apple may be eliminating the Mac Pro whatever that is.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/apples-mac-pro-may-be-fading-away-11012011.html?campaign_id=otbrn.bw.tech

Well you would know whether it was relevant if you had read the original post, which asked about the new iMac, not the Mac Pro. But since you say you have no idea what a Mac Pro is, and apparently didn't bother to find out before posting, I guess nobody should expect you to have read the original post either.

As for the Business Week story, which you are referencing several weeks after it was published, despite not knowing, according to your own account, anything about the product that the story discusses, it is part of a media phenomenon that produces four or five Apple rumours per day. If your goal in life is to peddle rumours, cool, but if you're going to do that, maybe peddling current rumours, instead of ones that are at this point stale, might be more entertaining.

sanking

23-Nov-2012, 19:29

I am a long time user of Mac computers, going back to an early Mac Plus model. However, if you like to print with No Color Management with MAC OS through Photoshop, as I do for making digital negatives for carbon printing and for printing monochrome prints with Piezography K7 inks, some of Apple's decisions over the past several years with changes to the OS have made life much more complicated than it need be.

For more information see a recent blog by Jon Cone on the subject, called The Differences between Apples and Apples.
http://www.piezography.com/PiezoPress/blog/piezography-technical/the-differences-between-apples-and-apples/

Sandy

Adamphotoman

28-Nov-2012, 07:48

I first started with PC and then switched mostly to Mac. I do use a PC with an older Scuzzy device. Each platform has a few pros and cons but I think going from PC to Mac is a bit easier than the other way. Yes Mac is more $ but they last. I am still running old power PC (G4) machines with the older printers. Each machine is dedicated to a single task. I buy refurbs as I don't need the latest and greatest.
Mostly buttons are in different places. Each can get the job done.
I wouldn't change for the sake of changing unless specific software is not available.

Daniel Moore

11-Dec-2012, 15:15

Having just done this for a client, I suggest a 2.3 quad core mac mini (800.00) and replacing it's internal drive with an SSD (http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/internal_storage/SSD/Mercury_Electra_3G_Solid_State) (200-1120.00). Add on an NEC monitor (500-1500.00) and external storage (USB3 until Thunderbolt gains ground). Another option to investigate is here. (http://macperformanceguide.com/Reviews-OWC-Mercury-Helios.html) External drive faster than internal, Yup.

If you're not confident doing surgery on a mini, which is not difficult, you can have it done by OWC as well. (http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MINIINSTALLOWC/?utm_source=diglloyd-mpg)

You'll find a lot of useful information here (http://macperformanceguide.com/), especially related to PS usage.

If you happen to go for an iMac, even though it costs a bit more, get all the RAM you want installed for you. Upgrading the RAM in the late 2012 machine is such a nuisance few will ever do it themselves. Used to be a single screw on the bottom edge. Now it's glued on screen and logic board removal just to get at it. This is just another brick in Apple's wall of ending user servicing, while maximizing their eye-buldging profits, IMO. Fortunately, the mini has never been better spec'd and is still quite user friendly.

photobymike

11-Dec-2012, 16:00

"Once you go MAC you never want to go back" My MAC just works.. i do not have to mess with it or tweak it...it never lets me down....it just works very very well

sanking

11-Dec-2012, 16:18

If you happen to go for an iMac, even though it costs a bit more, get all the RAM you want installed for you. Upgrading the RAM in the late 2012 machine is such a nuisance few will ever do it themselves. Used to be a single screw on the bottom edge. Now it's glued on screen and logic board removal just to get at it. This is just another brick in Apple's wall of ending user servicing, while maximizing their eye-buldging profits, IMO. Fortunately, the mini has never been better spec'd and is still quite user friendly.

Just to clarify, is it reasonably easy for the user to install more RAM on the mini?

I have been using an iMac for the past decade, but with the lousy monitor (for photo editing!) and now the fact that I won't be able to add extra RAM, it looks like a mini and NEC monitor is on my horizon.

Sandy

Ari

11-Dec-2012, 16:52

Just to clarify, is it reasonably easy for the user to install more RAM on the mini?

I have been using an iMac for the past decade, but with the lousy monitor (for photo editing!) and now the fact that I won't be able to add extra RAM, it looks like a mini and NEC monitor is on my horizon.

Sandy

I don't know specifically about the Mini, but I recently installed 8G of RAM on my early-2012 MacBook Pro; there are online instructions, and it takes but a few minutes.
Very easy to do, just be careful not to force anything.

David R Munson

11-Dec-2012, 16:59

Just to clarify, is it reasonably easy for the user to install more RAM on the mini?

It's stupid easy. I'm using a Mini and upgrading the RAM took all of two minutes, no exaggeration, and requires no tools.

Daniel Moore

11-Dec-2012, 17:14

To replace Ram on the mini you rotate the bottom cover and let it fall away. There's the Ram, right there. couldn't be easier.

Brian Ellis

11-Dec-2012, 18:03

Well you would know whether it was relevant if you had read the original post, which asked about the new iMac, not the Mac Pro. But since you say you have no idea what a Mac Pro is, and apparently didn't bother to find out before posting, I guess nobody should expect you to have read the original post either.

As for the Business Week story, which you are referencing several weeks after it was published, despite not knowing, according to your own account, anything about the product that the story discusses, it is part of a media phenomenon that produces four or five Apple rumours per day. If your goal in life is to peddle rumours, cool, but if you're going to do that, maybe peddling current rumours, instead of ones that are at this point stale, might be more entertaining.

Good grief, relax man. I didn't say anything derogatory about Mac computers or Apple or anything related to Apple. There obviously are a number of Mac users here so I thought some might find the article interesting even though it deals with a computer other than the one the OP asked about. It never occurred to me that anyone would find it so offensive that they'd feel compelled to write a two-paragraph message castigating me for posting it. If you didn't like it all you had to do was ignore it.

Daniel Moore

11-Dec-2012, 20:23

I want to point out that with an i1 Display Pro, ColorMunki Display and Spyder 4, similar tuning of device to monitor (colorimeter correction, especially with wide gamut monitors)can be accomplished with Argyll CMS. (http://www.argyllcms.com/) Argyll is cross platform and has a nice GUI in the form of DispCAL (http://dispcalgui.hoech.net/), also cross platform. There's lot's to read to get this set up, it's not for the lazy, but nor is it particularly onerous, just need to RTFM. And boy is it powerful, not to mention flexible and capable of the utmost quality. Oh, and did I mention open source? It's that too.

Jim, the sensor you are speaking of is a custom calibrated iOne by X-rite for use on wide-gamut displays with SpectraView II. It is called the MDSVSensor. Calibration of a compatible NEC monitor with SpectraView is basically a hands-off operation. It even installs the resulting profile and sets it as the default in both Windows and Mac. I use SpectraView and the NEC sensor and my calibrations are right on the money, every time. It was worth the added expense, in my opinion.

The NEC P and NEC PA series multisync monitors use hardware calibration: the LUT's are stored in the monitor itself, so they are not dependent on the video card. The profile is stored on your computer in the default location for color profiles.

--P

Daniel Moore

12-Dec-2012, 01:37

Can no longer edit that post but I'd add, there are other compatible devices, but these are the easiest to do it with.
Now, what was that topic, again?

Big Fish

15-Dec-2012, 10:13

photobymike

15-Dec-2012, 12:31

Greetings ....

In the event you're interested I just wanted to keep you posted on thinking process regarding switch from PC to MAC. I am well aware of the MAC advocates and the quality of MAC monitors. However, the cost to switch all software is a problem and the learning curve ( I am learning other things at my age and don't added activties...although I understand curce is not that big). Still underdecided but bottomline if I can deliver the same quality print with PC why change? The MAC selection is not difficult but reviewing PC and monitors has been a bit time consuming as I do not stay religiously abreast of computer/monitor technology. Currently interested in ASUS CM6830 with new i7 processer, 16 GB Ram, ITB hard drive and a NEC 27 " monitor PA271W. $2000.

Thanks fro comments.

Big Fish

Good greif thats a lot of money... i paid 800 for used MAC Pro and it is light years faster than my daughters i7 sony laptop. Photoshop taks 30 seconds to appear open on my daughters laptop. ....less than 10 seconds on my computer.... changes to very big picture files happen instantaneous.... it is just down right fast.

Well anyway consider a Apple monitor on your very expensive PC .... 23" Cinema cost me used 150 dollars and it "color tuned" really well for printing.

Jim Andrada

16-Dec-2012, 00:40

Preston

16-Dec-2012, 07:25

...MAC Pro and it is light years faster than my daughters i7 sony laptop. Photoshop taks 30 seconds to appear open on my daughters laptop. ....less than 10 seconds on my computer.... changes to very big picture files happen instantaneous....

I don't believe one can really compare a consumer-level laptop's performance to a machine such as Mac Pro. The CPU is not the be-all-end-all of performance. One needs to take into account the amount of RAM and it's speed, the video subsystem (upon which PS depends greatly), and hard drive speed and it's cache size. Also, a laptop, or any computer for that matter, will throttle back the CPU and video clock speeds and ramp up fan speed under heavy load so that they will remain cool. Laptops, in general tend to run hot, so even with a multi-core CPU, performance will take a hit.

My machine, a PC with an i5 CPU and 16 GB RAM, will open CS6 in about 1 second. A 1.2 GB PSD file will open and be ready to go in about 7 seconds. My PC, which was custom built by Puget Systems, cost less than $1,900, including shipping.

Also, the monitor the OP is considering is well over $1000, so the Asus PC itself is not really that expensive.

I think we need to be careful when making comparisons between platforms and form factors in discussions such as this.

--P

Big Fish

16-Dec-2012, 10:32

I don't believe one can really compare a consumer-level laptop's performance to a machine such as Mac Pro. The CPU is not the be-all-end-all of performance. One needs to take into account the amount of RAM and it's speed, the video subsystem (upon which PS depends greatly), and hard drive speed and it's cache size. Also, a laptop, or any computer for that matter, will throttle back the CPU and video clock speeds and ramp up fan speed under heavy load so that they will remain cool. Laptops, in general tend to run hot, so even with a multi-core CPU, performance will take a hit.

My machine, a PC with an i5 CPU and 16 GB RAM, will open CS6 in about 1 second. A 1.2 GB PSD file will open and be ready to go in about 7 seconds. My PC, which was custom built by Puget Systems, cost less than $1,900, including shipping.

Also, the monitor the OP is considering is well over $1000, so the Asus PC itself is not really that expensive.

I think we need to be careful when making comparisons between platforms and form factors in discussions such as this.

--P

Thanks to all. @ Preston. I am in NorCal and am comparing custom built with off the shelf desktops no laptops. A comparable custom built for what I mentioned above is about $1125 where as the ASUS is $825. The NEC is $1150. A CS one second opening is fine with me and so is the 1 GB file PSD. I would consider the Puget Sound shop but too far away with service if needed. The ASUS has been getting excellent reviews. MAC system not completely out but doubtful and definitely do not want used equipment as a primary source of reliablity.

Thanks.

photobymike

16-Dec-2012, 11:20

Big... I my opinion a used Cadillac is better than a new Chevrolet ..... Look up the reliability statistics on MAC.... You can buy a MAC Mini quite reasonable. Even the base price MAC Pro is about 2400 and it screaming fast compared to most PCs. Ok get a PC and put Snow Leopard on it. My son did this to his ASUS laptop..... he loves it

I have tried both MAC and PC side by side for 4 months. i5 Sony 8 gigs ram... and a G5 quad MAC with 16gig ram. The bigest problem the Sony had was it was not a 64 bit machine.... would only use 3 something gig of ram.....

photobymike

16-Dec-2012, 11:24

If you want an Apple monitor in the old fashioned wide screen format as opposed to the extreme wide screen the movies like, it will have to be used. They just decided to only make one form factor becaue - well they're Apple.

The native resolution on a MAC monitor is 1920x1200. I used this same monitor on a Sony PC years ago but required a special video card be installed.

speedfreak

17-Dec-2012, 19:42

I just picked up a Mac mini and am loving it. If you went with the mid level i7 mini, through in 16gb ram (>$100), and at some point install a solid state hd, it would make a very solid machine. Mine is a used mid 2011 i5 2.5GHz, with the Nvidia video card, 8gb ram, a vortex 4 ssd, and 500gb hdd. I am extremely happy with it. It doesn't hesitate at all with CS6 and I'm working with full size Gb files no problem. Just something to consider.

bob carnie

26-Jan-2013, 06:59

Bit of an unrelated question , but this was the closest thread I could find.

Does any one use MacKeeper on their computer? if so do you find it useful and does it work.
It promises to clean up the mac of bugs , junk files , old crap, but I have never heard of it before today and would be interested to hear about it from those who use it.

jb7

26-Jan-2013, 07:53