Mac, yes, but not for me

[Steve Johnston]

Hi Geeks,

 

Okay, so my wife is now a full time art student and wants a Mac, sigh*

 

I don’t have anything against Macs, I just don’t know anything about them and couldn’t support one for toffee. So if she gets a Mac, it is on the understanding that I cannot help her with it (technically), but because of her design requirements and the consistency it has with what she is being taught on the University’s Macs, it seems it is preferable to a PC.

 

So, where do I start? At this point in time, there is a set of requirements for image processing in Photoshop that may, in time, include some pretty large scans, say up to 100MB, which I imagine will be the most demand ever made of the processor. Which suggests a decent size screen makes sense too. But that is about it, in terms or requirements, beyond what I expect it could support standing on its head. Oh, and yes, it has to be a laptop.

 

We don’t give a toss about the latest model, or even first hand, but it would be great to have an idea where to start.

 

Your assistance would be much appreciated.

 

Steve

[Giles Turnbull]

2009/11/18 Steve Johnston <st...@johnston.co.uk>

Okay, so my wife is now a full time art student and wants a Mac, sigh*

heh :)

It'll be the kids next.

So, where do I start? At this point in time, there is a set of requirements for image processing in Photoshop that may, in time, include some pretty large scans, say up to 100MB, which I imagine will be the most demand ever made of the processor. Which suggests a decent size screen makes sense too. But that is about it, in terms or requirements, beyond what I expect it could support standing on its head. Oh, and yes, it has to be a laptop.

All of which points to one of the recent MacBook Pro models:

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/

I'd have thought the 13" 2.53GHz machine with  4GB RAM would do the job beautifully. It can plug into an external monitor (although you'll probably need an adapter, for which Apple will sting you another 20 or 30 quid), and has enough grunt to cope with Photoshop without complaining. To be honest, the much cheaper plain white MacBook might be sufficient on its own, but you'd be wise to check this first in the Bristol Apple Store, or Currys in Trowbridge which has a good selection of Macs on display.

Tip: pay for Applecare. Yes, it's basically an extended warranty / insurance policy, but experience has taught me that it's worth having. If and when there's a serious fault, Apple will just deal with it for you. In the past I've had motherboards replaced, dodgy keyboards replaced, broken bits of case put back together, and sundry other bits and bobs. It's been worth it.

 

We don’t give a toss about the latest model, or even first hand, but it would be great to have an idea where to start.

Shout if you need more advice. :)

G 

[Steve Johnston]

Now, see, that’s exactly the sort of response I feared from a self-proclaimed Mac devotee.

 

Six years ago I was manipulating 50MB photographic scans/files in Photoshop 7 on a 1.3GHz Pentium 4 with 1 GB of RAM, and while it would have been nice if it was a bit faster, it really wasn’t a problem. So why, now do we need a latest generation Macbook Pro with 4GB of RAM and a 3GHz Core 2 Duo processor to do a job that is only about twice as hard? Or is it the case that there simply isn’t a decent refurbished/second hand market for Mac laptops? Interestingly, a search on ebay for powerbooks with 15 or 15.4 in screens largely returns spares/repairs items!

 

How about something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170408031772

 

Giles, please don’t think I’m ungrateful for your help, I’m not, I just don’t get it. Is it like religion?: of course you won’t get it steve, because you don’t have the faith. Is a £1,300 Macbook Pro really three times better for the user than a £450 Acer Aspire with equivalent specs? On whatever grounds they are being judged. Does the daily increased joy over three years of ownership, say £1 per day, of a Mac – assuming it actually works everyday, which I can see I should be doubting – justify the premium?

 

This isn’t an anit-Mac stance, really it isn’t, I am having to seriously consider them crossing the threshold for the first time – and don’t get me started on my 15 year old musical son, who is gagging for one – I need to find an anchor for what appears to me at this point to be largely and emotional rather than rational decision.

 

Over,

 

Steve

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[Giles Turnbull]

2009/11/19 Steve Johnston <st...@searchjohnston.co.uk>

Now, see, that’s exactly the sort of response I feared from a self-proclaimed Mac devotee.

Aww. And I was even typing in my non-evagelist tone of voice too.      :)

 

Six years ago I was manipulating 50MB photographic scans/files in Photoshop 7 on a 1.3GHz Pentium 4 with 1 GB of RAM, and while it would have been nice if it was a bit faster, it really wasn’t a problem. So why, now do we need a latest generation Macbook Pro with 4GB of RAM and a 3GHz Core 2 Duo processor to do a job that is only about twice as hard?

Perhaps someone who actually uses Photoshop on a Mac had better chip in here. 

I've never used PS. I don't *know* that you need a brand new Mac to run it, but given your request for advice on which new Mac to buy, I suggested one I thought might fit the bill. 

There's every possibility that a cheaper or second-hand model will do that particular job just fine; but you'd need to check that with someone who uses PS.

You said the machine you need has to be a laptop. I recommend the MacBook Pros because they're the best Mac laptops available at the moment. The plain MacBook is also a good machine, but not *as good* as a Pro. You might not need the Pro, though. You might not even need a new machine.

Or is it the case that there simply isn’t a decent refurbished/second hand market for Mac laptops?

Not all, they tend to hold their value quite well. I bought a refurb Powerbook a few years ago and it was an excellent machine, and still going strong. Apple has them occasionally, and I think Cancom sells a few refurbs. 

How about something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170408031772

 

Yes that looks like a great machine. My Powerbook is similar. I don't know how well PS would run on it, though. Like I said, we need someone who uses it to provide a proper answer to that question.

 

Giles, please don’t think I’m ungrateful for your help, I’m not, I just don’t get it. Is it like religion?: of course you won’t get it steve, because you don’t have the faith. Is a £1,300 Macbook Pro really three times better for the user than a £450 Acer Aspire with equivalent specs? On whatever grounds they are being judged. Does the daily increased joy over three years of ownership, say £1 per day, of a Mac – assuming it actually works everyday, which I can see I should be doubting – justify the premium?

{Not-preaching-tone-of-voice}

Personally, I think the additional cost can be broken down thusly:

- I'm paying a premium for high quality hardware. On the whole, my experience of Apple hardware is that it is built to last. Sure, things sometimes go wrong, but like I said: on the whole. The physical essence of the machine is tougher than most of its cheaper but similarly specc'd rivals.

- I'm paying for OS X, which I regard as a high quality operating system. I used Windows for years and got fed up with the constant need for vigilance and maintenance. It required my attention simply to keep the machine in a useable state, and that's a waste of my time. I want to do my work with the computer, not allow the computer to become something that requires work. 

(Now, it might be that with Vista and Win7, things have changed - maybe Windows machines don't require so much looking after these days. I switched over during the XP era.)

I like to think of it like buying shoes. I tend to spend a lot of money on a pair of shoes because I know my feet will be inside them for many many hours, and I want to ensure they will be comfortable. Buying cheap shoes is a false economy: they won't be comfortable, and will fall apart sooner. I buy Macs for the same reason that I buy expensive shoes.

This isn’t an anit-Mac stance, really it isn’t, I am having to seriously consider them crossing the threshold for the first time – and don’t get me started on my 15 year old musical son, who is gagging for one – I need to find an anchor for what appears to me at this point to be largely and emotional rather than rational decision.

Well I think you're right, it *is* partly an emotional decision. But I don't see emotional and rational as mutually exclusive here. 

In my emotional mind, it's rational to spend the extra money on a computer that will last and that will let me get on with my work and my creative endeavours. Yes, that's worth a pound a day, easily. 

G      :)

PS: If the lad's musical, let him have a bloody Mac. He'll do amazing things with it and hearing them will be worth every penny.