penguinfaery | (no subject)

(no subject)

I NEED SOME MAC HALP.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190269291017

I am aware I'd have to likely buy a battery (Or at least should work on that assumption), but I know so little about computers... I want this for arting purposes, so like...memory wise, etc will this be a good deal, or a waste of money?

And if this one is a rip off, can someone help guide me? I'm looking for something, a Mac, that's just gonna be used mainly for art, so it'll need to run Photoshop and illustrator pretty easily and smoothly, and save reference picture from the web and scanning stuff, but won't have a lot of other crap on it (That will be for the other laptop) I have no idea about ram, memory all that, it's all greek to me, as it goes.

Also, would a desk top be better? I know they're more expensive though.

And are Mac's really worth double the price of say, an HP? Like...I have heard they are better and I have heard they're not really that much better anymore.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That Mac doesn't have nearly enough memory to run Photoshop.

I would recommend getting a desktop. Mac desktops are RIDICULOUSLY expensive though, but they're what professionals use. That's what UNC uses for the computer graphics classes here. They are powerhouses for sure.

I wanted one, but Jesus-Horatio-tap dancing Christ, I bought a fully loaded HP desktop and a huge ass monitor for $2500... which is a Mac Pro with the base configuration and seeeeriously low amount of memory.
http://store.apple.com/us_smb_78313/browse/home/shop_mac/family/mac_pro

http://www.apple.com/imac/features/ I nearly bought one of these though. What pushed me away from Macs in general is I have never been able to get my graphics tablet to work with my MacBook. It's only a generation or two newer than the tablet you have, so there is no guarantee it would work.

As far as Photoshop, I have a copy... but it's in Spanish lol.

I have been a mac user since 1991.

I can tell you many things..

1 - Don't bother buying that laptop if you want to use it for graphics. Not only is it out-dated and under-powered, it's a 12" screen, what in gods name can you do with professional and/or semi-professional graphics on a 12" screen?

2 - During the last 5 years of helping friends and co-workers buy computers, I have done side-by-side comparisons of real specs, real prices, real requirements of the buyer, and in all instances I have found that apple is priced less for what you get.

2a - What people don't understand ( ie: jesus-horatio-tap dancing christ ) - what people get focused on - the Mac says 3.2Ghz - but it's a full blown Intel Xeon processor, it has 2x the cache on-chip, it has a bus speed that has MUCH more throughput and speed than the HP, the processor itself is capable of much more calculations per millisecond, etc etc.

2b - The HP is using an Intel Core 2 Quad processor. This processor is stepped down with less throughput, and less peak calculation capability. ( ie: it may be cheaper, but you're getting much less )

2c - The mac has a dedicated video graphics card with 256mb of gddr3 memory on it. The card and bus that the mac uses is 128bit, so it's capable of MUCH FASTER VIDEO throughput.

2e - The HP typically uses an on-motherboard graphics chip. This means that it uses the computers main memory instead of external memory built onto a graphics card. This means the computer is slowed down by trying to figure out where to send what data to, slowed down by which part of the computer is using which part of the main memory, etc. ( ie: it's cheaper, but you get less )

3 - I could continue this list for about 2 dozen other items that make the Mac better and or worse than the HP or Dell, etc. But "most people" have no idea what cache is, or what the throughput of the chip and bus will do for them, or why it's important to have a dedicated graphics card. They just look at things like "2Ghz, 4gb Ram, 500gb Hard Drive" and see a similar Mac that has similar features, and think "why is it so much more for a mac". Well, scientists and professional graphic artists will know the exact reasons why, but "most people" never will, and will never care to know, and will never realize the benefits of either platform.

4 - Specific to Laptops - I have yet to ever see a competitor brand laptop that is as thin as, as light as, and as feature-packed as the MacBook Pro. Ever. Ever. The MacBook Pro is more expensive, sure. I could buy a dell with similar features for about 600$ less, but the Dell would be 2x as thick 2x as heavy, and I would have 2 or 3 perhipials that I would have to carry around and plug into the dell for the same features to be available.

Well like...ok, you are talking to someone horridly stupid with the hardware of computers. Like...I am hesitant to admit how stupid. Because it's THAT bad.

What are the bare minimums for specs for someone teaching themselves to use photoshop to do comic book type art you would recommend? For laptop and desk top (As I'm now seriously considering both) I'm thinking I'm going to have a medium Bamboo tablet to go along with this for accessories (cause getting a new computer and using a beat up hand me down tablet seems counter productive)

The base model iMac would do quite well, the base model macbook would do fine, the base model Macbook Pro would do very well.

What is your budget?

As chape as possible. I am a poor college student living off finacial aid due to the fact I'm a full time student and tattoo apperintice, so uhm...cheap.

I'm leaning towards a mini mac or a desk top a few generations back (When they still were towers)

"Cheap" is relative.

A cheap $300 laptop is already less than what you would like to have, is already outdated, and as you learn more, you will need even more processing power. So you could spend $300 right now, which might be cheap, but it won't last more than a year, and it won't fulfill your needs in general.

A cheap $600 laptop is a bit closer to being able to fulfill your needs. But it would typically be outdated already, or will be within months. And again, as you learn more, and have more processing needs, it will fulfill your needs less and less.

The base model MacBook is about $949 ( student discount ), it is today's cutting edge technology. It will fulfill your current needs, and as you learn more and need more power - you will find that it will most likely take you into the next 2-3 years without any disappointment.

So it's relative, you can spend $300 right now, but you would be throwing it away. You could spend $600 right now, but it's doubtful that it would fulfill your needs for more than a year. You could spend the $949 for something that will last you at least a few years which makes it a better long term investment.

If you say "I cannot spend more than $$$.$$ period", then we can try to find something to fit your budget. But if you can afford the $949 that would be the best answer at the moment.

I actually was able to grab a Mini Mac for $350, slightly used.

It will probably need an upgrade, but I have a friend who can do that for around $100, And then I'm gonna drop another few hundred on screen and Tablet (tho I'm waiting till after Christmas for the last)

Cool, what upgrade?

Oh, and I thought you strictly wanted a laptop, my bad.

Just in the ram. I'm pretty sure it's 1 GB Ram (With 80 GB harddrive which is more then I'll ever use, but good to have)

And no worries, you were super helpful anyway. The mini macs are nice cause I can move it around, but I have a PC lap top for generally like...fooling around on the internet at the airport type stuff.

Only website I buy my mac memory from, and it lists some other upgrade options for the mini :

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/mac-mini/

*nod* that was the one I've been linked too as well.

Cool, then you see it's way less than $100 to max out the ram!

I'm thinking I might look into a payment program. Like...we'll still have the laptop for when I need something to move, and yeah...I can tell they're better. I think if I can find one a generation or two back...like it still won't be cheap but also not like "BWA HA HA are you kidding me."

I am looking into getting a new tablet either way, if I get an "Art computer" and pass that one on to Julia.

I'm sure I could find a copy...somewhere...

Muffin, you know I love my Macbook Pro, right? Like, I feel kinda sick when I'm on a Windows machine because I love it so much?

I can't speak to the specs of that particular one, but they really are superior machines. Windows computers simply can't match them; the OS is so much more efficient. It's also easier to use, and it ages better (2.5 years here and runs as well as the day I got it!).

PS. I'm relatively sure the desktops are more expensive because they're more powerful. If you're buying used you should just compare specs and decide if it's justified.

I would kill myself with vista. Not just cause of the bugs but like...the whole way it's set up is the exact OPPOSITE to how my brain works with computers...

The interface for OSX is so much better. Takes a little getting used to, but after that it's totally awesome.

I just recently switched to a mac last year and I can easily say, graphics wise, it was a good decision. I think

peacheasy said it best. Now, if you're just going to be using photoshop/illustrator, sure a 256MB RAM would work, but, get ready to go bald from just tearing your hair out at how slow the processing is. I'm not saying it won't work, it will, but if you were, for example, going to increase a 500x500 mpx image up to 1500x1500 with a 750 resolution (let's say for big ass printing ad), then the wait is going to agonizing. It'll be done, but well >_>

I run on a minimac, and I even use 3D-programs like Maya on it. 1GB ram is not enough but it's worth it than say a 1 GB PC-OS. It's an expensive investment, but it's worth it. Desktops are crazy ass expensive but they'd be worth it if you can get your hands on them.

But srsly, at least try to get your hands on a 512 if you can't manage a 1GB RAM T__T ~~and a bigger memory/cache~~

512?

And yeah, the issues with the laptop is slowness, so I don't wanna trade one slow for another...

I know I'm rather late, but for photoshop macs are the best way to go honestly. So long as you're not playing games on the Mac then everythings good (it just has a crap hardrive for prosessing games). the 512 that shes talking about is a stick of RAM the more you have the easier it is for your computer to run. it's kinda like the energy your computers brain runs the more RAM the more your computer can multi-task. You'd have to open the back of your laptop to see what kind of slots it has. my computer has 512 built in the hardrive and then two slots for 1GB.

If you're looking to buy RAm DONT go to best buy... they rape you on the prices. Go online to a computer website it'll cut the price in half and they're still really good. I can help you if you want, jsut call me or something. LOVE YOU.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only