Photoshop CS5 for MAC

[sanking]

I currently have a 24" iMac with a 2.16 Mhz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, running System 10.4.11.

Will I be able to run Photoshop CS5 with this system, or will I need to upgrade the system, or buy a new computer?

Sandy King

[Bob McCarthy]

Yes it will run fine.

But even better I believe if you upgrade you Mac to latest OSX (I'm on 10.6.3) as it runs native 64 bit.

It positively screams on my machine vs CS3.

bob

[Brian K]

I currently have a 24" iMac with a 2.16 Mhz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, running System 10.4.11.

Will I be able to run Photoshop CS5 with this system, or will I need to upgrade the system, or buy a new computer?

Sandy King

Sandy, 10.4 is Tiger? If I were you and I was seriously interested in CS5, I would buy it first and see how it runs. I think though that you'll need to update to snow leopard. Do not mess with plain leopard. However in order to get the full 64 bit speed boost of CS-% you may need a current model computer. My wife just got the the new 27" iMac, it has the newer processor and can hold considerable ram.


One thing though, you scan with an Eversmart right? You might need to either update the Eversmart software if possible, or make a second boot drive on your new computer that boots up with Tiger. Or keep the your current iMac and dedicate it to the scanner and use the new iMac for more challenging tasks.

[Marko]

Sandy, you don't mention RAM - if your system can take at least 4GB and some 2009 models, which yours could be judging by the size, can even take 8 GB, albeit in 4GB modules (still rather expensive).

If you have less than that (most of those came with 2 GB or less by default), that's, IMO, the very first upgrade you should do. Especially if you decide to go 64-bit (10.6.x), as Bob advised. That's the single upgrade that will give almost every system the most visible improvement.

It's rare, BTW, for someone to really have to buy a new Mac simply to run a new version of any software, including the OSX. It is common, though, to see performance improvement when doing so.

[SW Rick]

I just got one of the new MacBook Pros (i7 processor), and tried to boot from my 10.5.8 external drive and couldn't do it. When I spoke with Apple, they told me the new MacBook Pros would not boot from an older system than Snow Leopard. So much for my plan to keep a "legacy" boot drive for older software. You might check on this situation vis-a-vis a new imac, if you need to use older software.

[sanking]

Brian,

I run the Eversmart with an old MAC G4 with System 9.2.2, not with the iMac.

Marko,

My iMac only has 3 gig of RAM and I believe that is all it can take. It is not a 2009 model as I bought it in spring of 2008.

Sandy

[sanking]

After some research I found out that my 24" iMAC is a iMac6,1 model, from early 2007. It accepts 4 gig of RAM but the system can only full address 3 gig and this is what Apple recommends. However, tests show that most applications run faster on the iMac6,1 with 4 gig installed.

I can upgrade to Snow Leopard for $29 so I have decided to do that and try out CS5 before making any decisions about a new MAC. The current 27" iMac is very appealing, and not all that expensive but most of my files are in the below 1 gig size and which is handled fairly well by the old 24" iMac.

Thanks for the replies.

Sandy King

[77seriesiii]

Sandy,

I agree w/ Marko memory is key for a hog like photoshop. Take a look at www.macsales.com (no affiliation just a customer) and see what their memory upgrader states. Secondly, take a look at the 10.6 and see if it will run on your system. worst case use what you have and when you can swing an upgraded system get what your money buys. best upgrade on a computer is memory followed by hard drives...fast hard drives.

./e

[Jlentz]

I've been wondering about an upgrade for my G5, I had a bad feeling that I'd be SOL on CS5. I guess I'll just have to get by on CS4 for now.

best upgrade on a computer is memory followed by hard drives...fast hard drives.

OWC has some of the best external drives as well. I have a pile of them at home and work.

[8x10 user]

After the horrible experience that I had with my very expensive quad core G5 I think I will look for windows solutions to CS5. Apple has lost my business.