Advice for computer upgrade

[BananaRepublic]

Hi,

My current PC is a 4810tz Acer. It has a 14" LCD, 250 GB HDD and 3 GB memory. I am thinking of upgrading to a Apple.

I have dabbled with both PS & LR on my Acer utilizing creative cloud trials, I do have experience of CS 4 on an older windows platform, I am hesitant to go and make a commitment on Adobe on my current PC as it is a bit old.

I have been trawling through threads on this subject and it has been difficult. Essentially I'm thinking of a Macbook air 13", is this a good choice?
The big concerns I have are:

1)Is the Macbook air's screen big enough for editing, bearing I mind I have 14" now and I don't think it hinders me.
2)Is there a significant benefit in spending more on a mac pro 15"
3)Do I need retina, again I don't have it now.
4)I could get an Imac for less or same price as high end air. ( I am used to having the convenience of a laptop but I don't bring I anywhere really)
5)My brother has an imac which he uses for his business and he reckons that I would benefit from the change, but he does get radiation burns from any cash in his pocket.

Thanks for any advice..

 

[sscarmack]

I honestly wouldn't go with the mac air, I don't think it will have enough power in the long run.

I would jump straight up to the pro and go retina, 13 or 15 will both do the job, and obviously the 15 will be better for photos.

You don't need retina, but I love mine, it helps and its a huge difference (to a trained eye).

I wanted the 13" just bc of traveling reasons, but once I'm sitting down at my desk, I couldn't image losing those 2in (life of inches)

The only reason I didn't get an iMac, I like being portable. Anytime, anywhere.

Hope this helps.

 

[KmH]

Display calibration is a pain in the ass when you move around and use a laptop.

Photoshop's minimum requirements for displays jumped up a bit when Adobe started using the mercury Graphics Engine.
A minimum display requirement now is a 16-bit color display, and a screen resolution of 1280 x 800 is recommended.
System requirements | Photoshop - Be sure to exceed most of the system requirements, particularly the RAM memory. (8GB of RAM is the max available for the Air.)

After doing some searching I don't see anywhere that defines the color gamut any of the Retina displays is capable of delivering.
Does anyone have an authoritative link to that information?

I will note that today's Apple laptops are less user up gradable than in the past.

MacBook Air - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The MacBook Air officially has no user-replaceable parts

MacBook Pro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Retina models also have fewer user-accessible upgrade or replacement options than previous MacBooks. Unlike the previous generations, the memory is soldered onto the logic board and thus is not end-user upgradable. Because of this, the amount of memory can only be chosen at time of purchase.

 

[astroNikon]

I attach my laptop to a small LED TV for any photos that I really need to nail the exposure for.

I've noticed that I need to keep at a perpendicular to the middle of the laptop screen to prevent varied colors from the viewing angle. Thus the need for the external consistent monitor/tv

 

[KmH]

Yep. Having an appropriately spec'd and routinely calibrated external display at home that is always used under the same ambient light aids greatly in consistent color management and posy production

 

[BananaRepublic]

Thanks for advice everyone!

In terms of add-ons is Apple Aperture worth having if I plan on using PS & LR or could I use my 70 Euro/ $94 (approx) for something else. If I were to go for a Apple refurbished Pro what would the ideal configuration to hold tough for.

Thanks again

 

[sscarmack]

I have it, but never used it. LR and PS is all I need.

 

[Pejacre]

Thanks for advice everyone!

In terms of add-ons is Apple Aperture worth having if I plan on using PS & LR or could I use my 70 Euro/ $94 (approx) for something else. If I were to go for a Apple refurbished Pro what would the ideal configuration to hold tough for.

Thanks again

Ram, Ram and more Ram.

 

[cheshirecat79]

The color reproduction of the Macbook Pro retina displays is typically very, very good. Gamut coverage is pretty good, but could be better. Typically, you're looking at about 99% coverage of sRGB.

There are better laptops out there if you're looking for display quality. IMO, the XPS15 (Haswell) is worth looking at if you want to consider the top-tier version. There are some quality control issues, though, but nothing is perfect. :/
AnandTech | Dell XPS 15 QHD+: Revisiting the LCD Results

The screen is 3200x1800 which works very, very well with the latest versions of Lightroom and Photoshop. Battery is excellent. Can throw 16gb of ram in along with a 512GB mSATA SSD and you're good to go. Of course, this will run you around $2k, but you didn't really include a price figure.