(no subject)

[penguinfaery]

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.

Comments

[peacheasy.livejournal.com]

"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A cheap $300 laptop is already less than what you would like to have, is already outdated, and as you learn more, you will need even more processing power.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 But it would typically be outdated already, or will be within months.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.

[penguinfaery.livejournal.com]

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)

[peacheasy.livejournal.com]

Cool, what upgrade?

[peacheasy.livejournal.com]

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

[penguinfaery.livejournal.com]

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.

[peacheasy.livejournal.com]

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/

[penguinfaery.livejournal.com]

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

[peacheasy.livejournal.com]

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