http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution An entire Lightstalkers thread via RSS/XML. en-us The time payments have annother 2 months to run and the PC I have ,has not long to live. I am thinking swapping over to Apple and as I would be a Mac Newbie am wondering what combinations people are running out there. Ie software - hardware ? Convert me! Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:56:12 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution I have a Mac at home and at work. I am running Photoshop CS2 right now, but Lightroom is oh-so-close to start making inroads with me. Word of advice, don't buy an Apple monitor. For the money, they should be damned close to perfect, but they are not. I use an Eizo (even more expensive, but have a 5-year warranty and are fantastic) at work, and a nice Viewsonic at home. I'm not going to lie to you and say Macs are the end-all-be-all of the computing world, but I have worked thoroughly on both platforms (not Vista yet), and the Mac OS is superior. I spend less time worrying about computing, and more time on getting things done. Good luck. Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:35:21 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80010 Thanks Brian , A level headed middle American approach to things is much appreciated. Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:39:08 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80011 Me-I am I in LURVE with my MACBOOK PRO! Mac I call him and he is the sexiest machine I have ever met! Does everything (though I am teaching him how to do my laundry, not quite got the whites together yet!) Got a mouse specially for him and he travels in my camera bag, with Photomechanic, Soundslides, just CS (will update soon) and DPP I mean 15 inches and a metallic cover, what more does a girl need? Do I sound like a newlly wed? Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:43:10 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80032 No but I bet your pissed that you bought your 1Ds Mk 2 when you did! Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:44:30 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80033 Michal ,Dude that is the most succinct, to the point and useful single line ever! Thanks Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:47:55 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80034 Hey Glenn No way Gerry the 1DS and I bonded over cocktails in filthy weather. I don't need speed hon, I need file size! Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:50:13 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80036 But Lisa you missed out on the Grand cash back and free 50mm 1.4 by only a couple of weeks. Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:55:30 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80041 Glenn, 1.4? It sounds small! (hehehehehe) Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:58:01 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80042 It's not the size of the lens that matters, but how you use it. Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:59:44 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80043 Brian I couldn't agree more! Sorry I am being silly... Glenn I really think that since I did the big change over to my MacBook Pro, which is what I always aspired to, I have never been so happy. Its a lovely system to use and well worth the money (and eating dehydrated noodles for the rest of my life) I can always get a big screen later and just use the MacBook brains if I need to. I didn't know that there was a cash back anything for Canon anything. But all this stuff its a bit like the stock market, its swings and round-abouts. What you win on some, you lose on the other. I thoroughly recommend the MacBook Pro for portability, ease and (dare I say it) good looks! Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:02:35 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80045 My brother-in-law connects his mac to a 22 inch Dell monitor - which are rather cheap as things go in the worlds of cameras and computers. Gets you a larger screen when at home/office. Try the refurbished site on apple. I was able to get a used larger screen size for same price as smaller new one. You can buy the applecare with used. Quite a deal. Also saved another $150 via the NPPA/Apple partnership - if you are a NPPA member you link to Apple via the NPPA site. Random but special deals. Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:42:04 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80050 Glenn: Family Black is a Family Mac! ;)))...G5, 20", CS2, lots of memory, speed, whatever...i dont know the technical specs (that would be a question for Mrs. B), but its a pretty thang indeed! :))))))..... Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:29:15 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80421 That's what I'm hearing Bob, My PC is making clanking noises at the moment and is refusing to open large files or ,write DVD's all the shit you want it to do ...It don't!! Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:05:31 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80447 'ear Glenn .... do yersel a favour ..... get into the MacBook Pro! Unlike Lisa .... I'm not havin' an affair with mine ..... but it's about my sixth Apple laptop over the years with only one dud which Apple very nicely replaced with an uograded machine (Without AppleCare). Me and the "Pro" are just good friends! (We have already shared many hotel rooms together ... some 5star ... some somewhat seedy!) I have one little quirk on the machine ... but I'm sure the culprit is PS CS3. With CS3 open it crashes when the MacBook Pro is woken from sleep. Anybody else experience this ?? Cheers, Brian Cassey Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:34:01 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80484 An affair, that's a unfortunate way to put it Brian, its love! True love... Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:43:21 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80485 That's the 'safe' option Lisa .... Brian Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:52:01 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80486 Have the laptop sorted Bwian , have just had a long convo with one of my mates and I am just getting an I-Mac ,with biggest screen I can get. I don't know what Lisa's on ,they are "Just a Spanner" anyhow. Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:13:36 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80519 "Just a Spanner"? Should Mac be insulted? Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:23:39 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80521 Has anyone found that Photomechanic is a bit slow on MBP's? Mine is tricked out (4gb ram, excessively large hard drive, etc.) and it still takes forever to render my thumbnails when I load new folders. Sorry to hijack the thread. Feel free to ignore me, yeah. Fri, 06 Jul 2007 15:15:16 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80537 Michal, mine says 4.4? And I'm trying to avoid that little $150 raping they've got going on, too. Nvm, I didn't upgrade when told to. I'll see if this helps... Fri, 06 Jul 2007 15:19:50 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80539 15 inch screen at least , if not a 17 inch,new model Mac? they don't have an in built modem which can be a big problem if your travelling with it? CS 3 photoshop, Abode lightroom which is VERY good, try the 30 day free down load, you will be impressed. Ram, at least 2 Gig with a laptop if you want it do churn the files ( very important ) and an optical mouse so you will keep as many usb ports free, this is a big must. Have a look at Image science Melbourne( google it ) web page for screens to go with your power book ,very good and reasonable 19 inch Gitzo's and has all the details etc as well as a full range of screen etc calibrators. Fri, 06 Jul 2007 23:48:56 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80595 Yeah another vote for the MBP. Had mine close to a year now and it rips. Especially now that Adobe is running native and not through that pain-in-the-arse Rosetta! Of course, Glenn, buying a desktop iMac would make for some serious savings over the laptop... Or you could go for a Macpro tower and buy a good monitor (or even use the one you've got left over from your PC if it's doing you fine now), which would give you more upgrade-ability (bigger hard drives, video cards, RAM, etc) in future years when you realise that Adobe have just released "Whateverroom" software that does all your editing for you or summink. Tell ya what, you think the MBP or iMac's are fast you should see one of those Macpro tower's go. A video editing friend of mine got one and it's like, well, I don't know what it's like but it's freakin' quick. Sat, 07 Jul 2007 06:07:53 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80619 I've got a macbook with 1 GB Ram and it's plenty fast enough for rendering 50 MB files with CS3 Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:03:17 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80751 I have a MacBook Pro and a G5 tower but if what you want is a DESKTOP machine then consider the iMac. They are, in essence, a desk bound MacBook Pro. Same chips, same RAM limitations, but with a bigger and better screen. The 20 inch model is a lovely machine and the 24 inch one superb. For basic software you can get the "education" version of Microsoft Office for $150 at any CompUSA and you'll want Photoshop CS3 to run native with the Intel chip. The trick to getting the Mac and Photoshop at a reduced price is to find your local Community College's web site and register on-line for the cheapest course they offer. In my case my local CC offers a knitting course for $35. Being a registered student allows you to go to the "education discount" section at Apple's web site and order the computer for around $100 off and Photoshop CS3 for $600 or so instead of the normal $1300 all shipped direct to your door from Apple. Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:51:54 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/looking_for_a_desk_top_solution#80782