Fed up - Seeking New Computer Advice

[Mike_Rose]

I thought about the CS4 issue after I posted, and decided that it's not that big of a deal since I still will have a PC for a backup and still would need two copies. I wish Adobe would package CS4 like Lightroom.

I guess the real issue for me is that will the MCP be efficient enough to work as a desktop with a external monitor?

Mike

[dryadsdad]

We thought about it and decided no, we'd not like that because the cost of the laptop compared to its power was very poor. So we got an iMac with a 24" screen which is gorgeous. If we need a travel computer, we'll get a netbook or any of the other lower priced laptops which I see going for $300-$500 every day (new).

The nice thing about the iMac is we got a machine at parity in price and performance to a Windows machine - something strange in Mac-land. We figured we'd not need a full powered machine for the road (d/l images, email, light office work) so why pay over $2,000 for the laptop not as powerful as the $1,400 iMac and then add the cost of the 24" display? It made no sense in our situation.

Although my wife had never used a Mac before (Win only) her productivity has soared after only two weeks of using the iMac. We're very happy campers.

[TonyK]

What I hear about Windows 7 it may very well be a good OS. Much like WinME was a bad OS, Vista had a lot of bad press and my own experience was not good either.

I am always willing to give a new OS a try.

[TonyK]

My wife's journey was not nearly as clean dryadsad. Yet after a Vista experience she won't even look at Windows systems. Which is why we have 2 main operating systems to select from for off-the-shelf buying (not counting custom builds though it probably wouldn't hurt).

[dryadsdad]

Originally Posted by TonyK

What I hear about Windows 7 it may very well be a good OS. Much like WinME was a bad OS, Vista had a lot of bad press and my own experience was not good either.

I am always willing to give a new OS a try.

I've been running Win7 for a while . I'm running the 64 bit. I think it's a major improvement over XP or Vista. In fact, it's the best OS MSFT has done since Win2k.

I'd probably choose Max OS X Leopard over Win7 but not by much. I have always been partial to the general Mac system although professionally I live in Windows and UNIX.

[Mike_Rose]

I'm prepping my PC now for the Windows 7 download. I figured I'd better give it a shot. If I like it, I will purchase a new PC notebook and use the money savings for more for camera equipment.

Mike

[TonyK]

Much the same. Professionally am a Windows web developer using Flex, ActionScript, C#, .Net and other languages.

By night I'm a Mac head now.

Originally Posted by dryadsdad

I've been running Win7 for a while . I'm running the 64 bit. I think it's a major improvement over XP or Vista. In fact, it's the best OS MSFT has done since Win2k.

I'd probably choose Max OS X Leopard over Win7 but not by much. I have always been partial to the general Mac system although professionally I live in Windows and UNIX.

[felix.reichardt]

Originally Posted by Mike_Rose

I'm prepping my PC now for the Windows 7 download. I figured I'd better give it a shot. If I like it, I will purchase a new PC notebook and use the money savings for more for camera equipment.

Mike

You will probably be positively surprised. I'm using it on both Desktop and Notebook for some time now and its stabil and fast. Most people I know really like it (ok beside Stercus ).

The only applications I have seen crashing are the Adobe Premiere Pro Trial I downloaded to edit my 5D II videos. (Looking at forums that seems to be a very common problem with that software). Since I am not producing Hollywood Blockbusters Premiere Elements 7 suits my needs and so far has never crashed.

[Stercus Vultus]

Originally Posted by dryadsdad

so why pay over $2,000 for the laptop not as powerful as the $1,400 iMac

And you complained about "lies"?
Go do your homework, sonny! The MBP has exactly the same processors and cache that the iMac 24" does. So it's at least as powerful as the iMac (and de facto the fastest Windows running laptop on the market!).

MacBook Pro specs

iMac specs

And Mike,

Originally Posted by Mike_Rose

I guess the real issue for me is that will the MCP be efficient enough to work as a desktop with a external monitor?

the MBP can drive up to two 30" monitors (plus its own display), off the shelf.

[TonyK]

Not sure why I would even try to discuss this as the thread appears to be going downard but...

Some base prices and specs:

iMac with 4GB of memory, 640GB drive and 24" display: $1,499.00

to get close the MBP would need to be a 17" monitor with a 500GB drive. That model is $2,499.00.

Sure one could buy a less expensive MBP and then purchase a 24" monitor but that drives the price up. Also the drive would not be as big as a 640GB in the iMac.

To compare based on processor speed we could look at the 2.66 MBP @ $1,999.00 which delivers the RAM but only 1/2 of the drive space of the $1,499.00 iMac. So one is still paying more for less. Especially if mobility is not a requirement for the purchase.

iMac page: iMac - Apple Store (U.S.)

MBP page: MacBook Pro - Apple Store (U.S.)

[Briodan]

There is a very simple basis for our adherence to a particular brand. We own one or we have owned one and we end up with a equipment or software base that would make it in all but extreme cases too expensive to change.

Canon cameras and lenses have features that I like and some that I don't, but since I started taking pictures with a Nikon FG purchased many years ago at the Ft. Campbell Post Exchange, I have accumulated an equipment base of Nikon so I am a staunch Nikon fan. Of course it does help that it is the best camera gear out there

SO that being said, understand that there are good points (and bad) to which ever platform is used and the main point is that you get used to the work flow on what you have and make it work. In this case, it is NOT the journey, but the end result. It is our desires as photographers to produce a perfect image that says something.

All of the computer brands that are out there come to you contaminated. That's right. The manufacturers put SO much bloatware on the computer that you have just purchased, that it takes a week to remove all of the built in commercials. (This is more of an issue with PCs than Apples of course).

So here is a radical thought. Build your own computer. Then YOU have control over it, not the other way around.

It is not hard at all. Anyone who knows how to figure out the affect of f-stop on an image can build a computer.

If there is a popular demand for it, I can put a primer out on the tutorial page to discuss the basics, but there are TONS of websites out there dedicated to building a computer.

Here is another flashpoint topic... Intel or AMD??

I prefer AMD. Once you decide on a processor all the pieces fall into place after that. Certain motherboards will only support certain processors and they will have features that you want (need), so next you settle on the motherboard (mainboard), then decide how much RAM you want, get a video card (a separate one with at least two video heads so you can run multiple monitors). Audio built into the motherboard is fine. The audio systems built into the motherboards now are pretty awesome. Then pick a big enough power supply to power everything. With system capabilities today, a 750 watt power supply is pretty much minimum. Now find a case.

The advantage to building your system is that you can keep your monitor(s), keyboard, mouse, hard drives, optical drives etc and not contribute those items to the local land fill.

NOW the biggest advantage. When you build a system you can partition your hard drive(s) the way you want. You can do this at any time, but it is MUCH easier as the OS is being installed. This will make you much less vulnerable to damage by virus or worms. There are a lot of programs out there that allow partitioning, but by far the easiest one to use is Partition Magic.

MY preferred way of setting up my hard drives is to put ONLY the OS on the C drive. Programs onto another partition of the same HD if large enough etc. Here is my setup of the hard drives that are in my case (four physical drives).
C - MSSystem - 30GB
D & E are DVD drives
F - Programs - 195GB
G - My storage area 50GB
H - My wife's storage area 50GB
I - Pictures - 596GB
L - Swap (for linux) 50GB
M - Briodan (business storage) 40GB
N - Download area

This does not include any of my external drives that I use primarily for long term storage.

This is the BIGGEST PROTECTION you can have for your sensitive files... if your OS gets screwed, you can re-install without losing everything else. After your OS is re-installed, you will have to re-install the programs to re-establish links to the OS, but that is minor. At least you still have your most important files.

Anyway... my 5 cents worth.

[TonyK]

Agreed. A good partitioning scheme is what helps when a system does crash. And a good backup program is also essential.

To discuss platform changes again. It was not an easy decision for me to move away from what I knew to OS X. Yet when I came to realize software upgrades would have to be purchased it seemed the right time to think about all my options.

Before March 2008 I was firmly Windows at work and home. Outsize of the Atari 800XL, I've used Microsoft based systems, save for a foray in to System 7 for a job. That convinced me to avoid Macs for a LONG time.

So as Briodan said, decide some basics first and the rest will follow. Then think about a partition scheme that provides safety for data should, or when, the system does crash. Finally start a backup program and stick to it. There is a saying the only sure things in life are death and taxes. Add to that system failures.

Take care,

Originally Posted by Briodan

There is a very simple basis for our adherence to a particular brand. We own one or we have owned one and we end up with a equipment or software base that would make it in all but extreme cases too expensive to change.

Canon cameras and lenses have features that I like and some that I don't, but since I started taking pictures with a Nikon FG purchased many years ago at the Ft. Campbell Post Exchange, I have accumulated an equipment base of Nikon so I am a staunch Nikon fan. Of course it does help that it is the best camera gear out there

SO that being said, understand that there are good points (and bad) to which ever platform is used and the main point is that you get used to the work flow on what you have and make it work. In this case, it is NOT the journey, but the end result. It is our desires as photographers to produce a perfect image that says something.

All of the computer brands that are out there come to you contaminated. That's right. The manufacturers put SO much bloatware on the computer that you have just purchased, that it takes a week to remove all of the built in commercials. (This is more of an issue with PCs than Apples of course).

So here is a radical thought. Build your own computer. Then YOU have control over it, not the other way around.

It is not hard at all. Anyone who knows how to figure out the affect of f-stop on an image can build a computer.

If there is a popular demand for it, I can put a primer out on the tutorial page to discuss the basics, but there are TONS of websites out there dedicated to building a computer.

Here is another flashpoint topic... Intel or AMD??

I prefer AMD. Once you decide on a processor all the pieces fall into place after that. Certain motherboards will only support certain processors and they will have features that you want (need), so next you settle on the motherboard (mainboard), then decide how much RAM you want, get a video card (a separate one with at least two video heads so you can run multiple monitors). Audio built into the motherboard is fine. The audio systems built into the motherboards now are pretty awesome. Then pick a big enough power supply to power everything. With system capabilities today, a 750 watt power supply is pretty much minimum. Now find a case.

The advantage to building your system is that you can keep your monitor(s), keyboard, mouse, hard drives, optical drives etc and not contribute those items to the local land fill.

NOW the biggest advantage. When you build a system you can partition your hard drive(s) the way you want. You can do this at any time, but it is MUCH easier as the OS is being installed. This will make you much less vulnerable to damage by virus or worms. There are a lot of programs out there that allow partitioning, but by far the easiest one to use is Partition Magic.

MY preferred way of setting up my hard drives is to put ONLY the OS on the C drive. Programs onto another partition of the same HD if large enough etc. Here is my setup of the hard drives that are in my case (four physical drives).
C - MSSystem - 30GB
D & E are DVD drives
F - Programs - 195GB
G - My storage area 50GB
H - My wife's storage area 50GB
I - Pictures - 596GB
L - Swap (for linux) 50GB
M - Briodan (business storage) 40GB
N - Download area

This does not include any of my external drives that I use primarily for long term storage.

This is the BIGGEST PROTECTION you can have for your sensitive files... if your OS gets screwed, you can re-install without losing everything else. After your OS is re-installed, you will have to re-install the programs to re-establish links to the OS, but that is minor. At least you still have your most important files.

Anyway... my 5 cents worth.

[Athena]

Fortunately for me my data was all on separate internal HD, so with the crash I lost no data at all. And since then I have bought another large external HD for all my data, which is read/writable for both Mac and PC.

Unfortunately for me, it is about as likely that I will build a computer as it is that I would begin building my own furniture (which is quite unlikely indeed). lol So I'll have to go with something prefab.