Who uses a Mac? Looking to buy, need opinions

[inTempus]

Here is the iMac I have my eyes on. It's $1799.

2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
640GB Serial ATA Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 256MB

How does this handle the Adobe suite? I'm worried that if I get this, I'll want to soon upgrade to a Mac Pro, and so on.

Does anybody have experience with Macs and 5DII video files?

I have an older iMac running at 2.8ghz with a ATI Radeon HD2600 w/256 megs of RAM. It screams through Lightroom and CS3. I'm quite content with my system.

 

[inTempus]

Macs are overpriced pieces of junk. The OS is nice, but to buy it is way overpriced. You can get WAY more bang for buck on a PC with that budget... Actually come to think of it, my current PC has more hardware bang that that, and it cost $1,000 ish
Intel Quad Core Q9300, 4GB memory, NVidia 9800 GTX+

To get best bang from buck, build a custom computer (windows)

Being a PC user for 25+ years and being involved in software/hardware testing for the last 12 years, I can say with a straight face that Windows is a poor operating system compared to other options available on the market. If you think OSX sucks by comparison, you're talking out of your rear-end and certainly not from any technical/professional experience.

He was asking a very specific question about a system he's planning on buying. He wasn't asking for a sales pitch for a Windows machine.

Did you really expect him to go, "Oh gee - I've never heard of Windows before! Please tell me more!"?

 

[blash]

Build custom, and go Linux if you don't like Windows. Stabler (after configured correctly), faster, Photoshop runs under WINE if you need it but otherwise programs like GIMP will do the job.

 

[itznfb]

i've been building custom PC's for the last 10 years and i recently purchased a desktop replacement. i got a Dell Studio 1737. best computer i've ever owned. i'm running Windows7 and 64 bit version on Photoshop CS4. the performance of photoshop on this OS in 64 bit is unreal.

not really why i'm posting though... since Apple switched to Intel CPU's there really is no reason to get an Apple other than if you like the OS and the actual look of the machine. so if you like OSX better then get the mac with the best specs you can afford. if you like windows then get the best PC you can afford or build your own. one thing you can say though is with Apple you're paying a premium for the way it looks. so you have to sacrifice a lot of performance for a white box dollar-for-dollar.

however, with Apple i would recommend purchasing memory upgrades from an online store rather than direct from Apple. their prices for memory especially are a little ridiculous.

 

[Village Idiot]

I’m not a fan of Imacs. I don’t like AIO computers. You could save yourself some money and get the aluminum Macbook and run your own external monitor. I’m using a 15” unibody MBP with 2.4, 2gb, and the 256gb Nvidia 9800M GT.

I have Vista on it for games and OS X on it for photo editing/music production. It’s still a little slow with 5D MKII image files, but another 2gb of ram should help a bit. Then again, they’re 21mp images, so they’re huge files. The same tools you would use on a 10mp image have more than twice the amount of pixels to cover. Not every thing is slow, just stuff like the wand select and adding some filters and such.

Plus if you get a laptop, you can get your choice of external monitor. The only reasons to choose a Mac over a PC, imo, are the preference of the OS and the software interfaces. Other than some more bells and whistles than a typical Dell, the hardware and such should run about the same on a similarly specced machine.

And yes, PC’s are cheaper if you compare base hardware and not option like a plastic shell on a laptop vs. an aluminum case that’s about ½” thick when closed, or the glass screen, multi touch trackpad, and back lit keyboards.

Plus look at refurb’ed stuff. You can usually save several hundred.

 

[Village Idiot]

Build custom, and go Linux if you don't like Windows. Stabler (after configured correctly), faster, Photoshop runs under WINE if you need it but otherwise programs like GIMP will do the job.

Even the “user friendly” Ubuntu can be a pain. I had 7.x installed on a computer and upgraded to 8.x. Driver support for a wireless card I was using in 7.x was no longer then in 8.x. I had to download the Windows driver from another computer, since no one made one that worked with 8.x , and use a utility that allowed you to use Window drivers in Ubuntu.

Screwy.

I finally got a cable connection going to the machine though and configured it as a server for file storage.

 

[dcclark]

not really why i'm posting though... since Apple switched to Intel CPU's there really is no reason to get an Apple other than if you like the OS and the actual look of the machine. so if you like OSX better then get the mac with the best specs you can afford. if you like windows then get the best PC you can afford or build your own. one thing you can say though is with Apple you're paying a premium for the way it looks. so you have to sacrifice a lot of performance for a white box dollar-for-dollar.

I'd actually argue the other way -- now that Apple has switched to Intel CPU's, there are more reasons to buy a mac -- assuming that you like OS X, that is. If you do, then you can run OS X, Windows, and linux all on the same machine. (Heck, you don't even have to re-boot to switch!) That's a big draw for me.

 

[Moon Baby]

I'll eventually buy an external monitor so I can worked with corrected colors myself. Btw, to OP..check out macmall.com their prices are slightly better than buying direct.

 

[itznfb]

I'd actually argue the other way -- now that Apple has switched to Intel CPU's, there are more reasons to buy a mac -- assuming that you like OS X, that is. If you do, then you can run OS X, Windows, and linux all on the same machine. (Heck, you don't even have to re-boot to switch!) That's a big draw for me.

why would you ever want to switch from one to the other? that's incredibly inefficient. other than propriatary apple software there nothing that can be done on OSX that can't be done on Windows; however, there are an endless number of application and tasks that can be performed on Windows that can't be done on OSX. so if you need Windows for some of these things, the you're answer is simple. get a PC with Windows.

back to one of the original question though... i would be concerned with how that imac handles PS. i was using an imac we have here at work that was a 3.06ghz C2D with 4gb ram and a GT130 and when i would apply some touchups in PS it would take forever to apply them. between 4-5 seconds to apply an exposure change, 15-20 seconds to apply a sharpening change. it was really quite frustrating.

 

[DScience]

Here is the iMac I have my eyes on. It's $1799.

2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
640GB Serial ATA Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 256MB

How does this handle the Adobe suite? I'm worried that if I get this, I'll want to soon upgrade to a Mac Pro, and so on.

Does anybody have experience with Macs and 5DII video files?

I worked for Apple as a sales rep for over two years. I also have been building, and overclocking PC's for over 6 years. I play some games on my PC, but I mainly like it because I can overclock it to speeds beyond normal machines.

However, since i've started photography, I only use my Macbook 13 inch with the aluminum body. I like it more for my photos because of the way it handles Adobe, and the ease of use with iPhoto. Plus, the Mac OS is set up for digital use it's insane.

 

[usayit]

i've been building custom PC's for the last 10 years
....
not really why i'm posting though... since Apple switched to Intel CPU's there really is no reason to get an Apple other than if you like the OS and the actual look of the machine.

Then you should know that there is more to a machine than the CPUs... :er:

Sorry, I work in production environments ranging from small to large comprising of various brands including Dells, HPs, IBM, and even a small Apple one. Dell's build quality is not all that impressive. They are still one of the most popular because of their sheer breadth of price offerings.

 

[usayit]

I’m not a fan of Imacs. I don’t like AIO computers. You could save yourself some money and get the aluminum Macbook and run your own external monitor.-

Yeh.. AIO computers are an acquired taste. I like them but I prefer workstations. I just took delivery of a G5 dual 2.0Ghz, 2TB internals, with 16gb of memory for $500. It screams and performs even by today's standards (the machine is almost 5 years old now). BUT your recommendation to get a Macbook and external monitor is missing a few points. A Macbook + external monitor costs more than a fully loaded iMac which is better spec'd. If you need portability aim for a laptop and be prepared to spend money. If you want the most bang for buck, the iMac is still the best option.

(ssshh... don't forget Hackintoshes... )

Plus look at refurb’ed stuff. You can usually save several hundred.

I was surprised to know that not many people knew about this. Apple sells refurbished Macs directly.

Special Deals - Apple Store (U.S.)

I know several Mac users that never pay full price (including me).

 

[usayit]

why would you ever want to switch from one to the other? that's incredibly inefficient. other than propriatary apple software

There are DOZENS of reasons to multiboot. The issue here is that your needs haven't expanded enough to realize them. I triple boot my MSI wind because of needs that span across work and personal use. I love the term "proprietary apple software"... last time I checked there are lots of proprietary windows software too. Both of which are a reason that many find it necessary to multi-boot.

Oh yeh... just incase some users of both windows and mac haven't discovered Crossover.

Windows Applications Seamlessly Integrated on Mac OS X - CrossOver Mac

I don't use it but many of my coworkers use it.

I'll repeat another poster's question. What exactly is the point of you posting in this thread? The OP didn't ask opinions mac versus pc. I highly doubt the OP has never laid their hands on a Windows box prior.

 

[F1addict]

Plus look at refurb’ed stuff. You can usually save several hundred.

I second that. My aunt bought my cousin a new macbook pro for Christmas that was a refurbished model and saved hundreds of dollars. And it still came with a warranty. Its almost stupid not to buy a refurb'ed model if you can find one that you like

 

[itznfb]

I'll repeat another poster's question. What exactly is the point of you posting in this thread? The OP didn't ask opinions mac versus pc. I highly doubt the OP has never laid their hands on a Windows box prior.

i guess no one should post anything ever then...
considering this forum and every other is based soley on the collection of information and opinion gathering to help make the most informed decision possible. might as well just listen to the ads on tv and be done with it.

the point to my posting is that i have a professional viewpoint to offer. i work in computers as i have my whole life. i work with every brand and every OS. i work in a data center with over 2000 servers and i work for a company that has over 20,000 PCs and Laptops floating around. being someome with a lot of experience in the computer field and not as much experience in direct photography i utilize these forums to learn as much as i can about photography and when i think my opinion or knowledge on computers is valuable i try to give it.

and when someone can lay down an alternate viewpoint whether it be biased or not can still help the OP in making an informed decision in the end. i lay down the pros and cons of each and the bottom line is the OP is looking for something to work with in photography. well, sadly mac has left that market and how caters to their "niche" fad following. i've seen a lot of media guys and photo guys here in our marketing department recently switch from the older macs to new IBMs and HPs just due to the fact that they provide a much wider range of products and they offer products that suite exactly their needs. for me, i wanted a desktop replacement on a single platform designed around music and photography. i looked at all options and the Studio was the one that looked like it was designed for me.

bottom line is, when the OP makes a post about a PC they've already made up their mind on and then ask a question like how will Adobe run on this? well, it will run on it period. but it will run much better on any Windows 64-bit platform.