Marko, I've been told that the Imac's with everything built into the screen are impossible to calibrate since it's internal temp varies so much. Have you heard of this?
I'm still using an original 20" imac g4 that has the screen separated by an arm. Awesome monitor.
I have a 2ghz Intel core 2 Duo Imac with 4 GB of ram. I have the Color Spyder 3 pro with no calibration issues to date. But the software tells me to recalibrate every 18 days or so which is usual.
Originally Posted by vinny
You can switch platforms for about $5 (cost two years ago), then upgrade to a new version. I did that a couple of years ago and it involved a few phone calls and a fax, but that was it. You will not have to buy a completely new version.
Hmm. Perhaps you called the wrong Adobe. I switched and upgraded for the regular upgrade price no problem. Had to fax in a signed promise to destroy the old CD's was all I had to do.
The phone rep probably was confused - because there would be two steps - switching platforms then upgrading (or the other way around), but I don't think it would be possible to run an upgrade on the mac unless the earlier version is installed.
So a phone rep who is unfamiliar may give a simple "not possible answer" because they didn't understand exactly what was being asked.
Eric,
If you're switching to Mac, take heed to what Marko said (wrote). My company bought a Quad-core dual 2.66 GHz Intel Xenon with 6GB ram for me just last year. I upgraded the ram to 18 GB at macsales.com, which is where I bought two 1.5 TB hard drives and another graphics card and truly saved a bundle.
Make sure you buy an additional 2TB HD, so you can use Time Machine (automatic backup on the Mac). The ease of retrieving something you've deleted months before is phenomenal! (1TB is actually enough, but think of expansion)
I've been on Macs since 1993 and working with PS since '94 (version 2.0) and I'd like to recommend you take a look at Apple Aperture before you settle for Lightroom (which is a very good program also). It is always a matter of taste, but this is my job and I work with all three all day. Aperture is more flexible and easier to use - in my opinion. And it allows more adjustments, most importantly, without making you go through its proprietary work flow pattern. (I use Aperture and Lightroom, but few people have the confusing working style that I do)
Also, you might want to invest into Genuine Fractals Professional Edition. You can scale to incredible sizes, either way, without noticeable loss of definition. Again, I'm the Art Director for a magazine that's read in more than 180 countries, and the Media Director for a multimedia publishing company - I've got a pretty good idea what works for me, and I've been through almost all software that's on the market (on the company's dime, of course).
If you're shooting Nikon DSLR then investigate Capture NX2. . . the adjustment possibilities will blow your socks off!
Cheers and good luck,
Johnny
Are we truly creative, or simply too lethargic to become pedestrian?
Some great advice here- thanks and keep any new bits and pieces coming! The reason for the switch is simple- I have a drum scanner with Mac software (currently running on an old G3), a wife who runs my website with an iMac and an older pc that is beginning to ail a bit in addition to the slow speed of processing that I want to correct. I want to try and make my life and workstyle easier during this time of upgrading.
The last crossgrade I did was relatively painless because I upgraded at the same time. I bought the upgrade version, started the install and when it got to the point where it wanted the key I rang Adobe. I explained what I was doing and after verifying my old PC key gave me a mac version fro the upgrade.
I have had to do the same thing with a mac version of InDesign when upgrading because it had been upgraded so many times that the software no longer recognised the original key. Nowadays you get a new one with the upgrade rather than sticking with the original.
BTW, if you need to move email from a PC to a mac I can recommend "emailchemy" which will convert from many redundant formats. In my case it was able to copy my mail out of an outlook PST file which nothing else had been able to do succesfully.
From Eric to Eric...Unfortunately for you, with CS, or anyone else with a version before CS2, your only option if you want to go to CS5 is to buy the whole cow, AND that's going to be true whether you stay with the PC or make the Mac switch. I just checked Adobe's website http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop/. A platform switch worked for me just over a year ago. I went from CS3 in the PC to CS3 on the Mac for about $10 and a sworn statement to destroy my PC disc. That would work for CS4, and perhaps CS3 (though I doubt they'd do a platform switch for a non-shipping version).
I agree with all the advice you've gotten about RAM, HD and processors. I just love my Mac Pro. For me it's probably overkill as well but I look at it as saving an upgrade. I suspect I'll keep it longer and if I keep it long enough, the obscene up front price will have faded from my memory, like everything else is fading. The ability to swap out drives and the speed and smoothness is wonderful. I too had a rather old PC and I suspect I would have loved CS3 on an brand new fast PC as well.
Don't get involved in the Mac-PC thing, decide what you want, what you're comfortable with, listen to reliable people who are like you, and go for it. I did and am quite happy.
Good luck.
Eric
I'd get a pimped out 27" screen iMac and call it good. They'll take 16GB of ram now-a-days. Get a couple of ultra big external firewire drives. Be happy! You'll have SCADS of money left over to do something useful with. Keep your old PC for a print server.
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