Buying Mac after 25 yrs PC. What Programs

[gpatch]

I'm buckling down and going to buy a Macbook 13" laptop for my Photography hobby. I have always have said, I would never buy a Mac, but I cannot find a PC that looks and feels and is lite like the new Macbook.

My question is-
If you wanted to run only one Adobe program on your computer, which would it be? I want to edit and catalog my photos.

I have PE-7, but it will not run (the last time I checked) on a Mac.

I've looked at Lightroom and it doesn't seem to have enough editing tools. If i get it, I will have to have PS on the computer, which means I would have to go back and forth between programs.

Thanks
Glenn

[Stercus Vultus]

Originally Posted by gpatch

I'm buckling down and going to buy a Macbook 13" laptop for my Photography hobby. I have always have said, I would never buy a Mac, but I cannot find a PC that looks and feels and is lite like the new Macbook.

My question is-
If you wanted to run only one Adobe program on your computer, which would it be? I want to edit and catalog my photos.

I have PE-7, but it will not run (the last time I checked) on a Mac.

I've looked at Lightroom and it doesn't seem to have enough editing tools. If i get it, I will have to have PS on the computer, which means I would have to go back and forth between programs.

Thanks
Glenn

No Glenn, if you get a Mac and PS you won't be using PSE7 on your PC anymore.
But even if you did, it isn't a problem, because both PS and PSE are Adobe apps and can share files.

But if you get a Mac you won't be needing your PC for anything anymore, because you can run Windoze and all its apps on that Mac too. Even side-by-side, and simultaneously with MacOSX and its apps.

[felix.reichardt]

I say either PC or Mac. As Stercus said ... you can run everything on your Macbook. We had a the previous version Macbook and I found it rather slow. Why not spend some dollars more for the pro version? I think you would have more fun if you have both LR and Photoshop open. But maybe the new macbooks are faster now with the newer processors. If you have a 5D II you might think about video editing and than you need as much processing power as you need.

[Stercus Vultus]

Originally Posted by felix.reichardt

I say either PC or Mac. [...] ... you CAN run everything on your Macbook.

You can't run everything on a PC (laptop), though.

[felix.reichardt]

Originally Posted by Stercus Vultus

You can't run everything on a PC (laptop), though.

What's your point? I'm not talking about PC/Notebooks only Macbooks ...

[gpatch]

Yes, I am getting the Macbook Pro. I just forgot to mention the Pro in my orignal post. Going to load it up with 8 gig Ram and as large a HD as I can get.
I've not used Adobe LR. Is it a better catalog program that AE-7?
Glenn

[felix.reichardt]

OK, Macbook Pro sounds great. I think you can download a trial version of LR 2.3 (or 2.4? now) from Adobe. LR is a very good catalog program IMO and works seemless with PS.

[Stercus Vultus]

Originally Posted by gpatch

Yes, I am getting the Macbook Pro. I just forgot to mention the Pro in my orignal post. Going to load it up with 8 gig Ram and as large a HD as I can get.
I've not used Adobe LR. Is it a better catalog program that AE-7?
Glenn

Unless you run a high-volume photo or video business, or an audio recording studio, you don't need 8GB RAM, gpatch. MBPs now come with 4GB standard, which is more than plenty for 99% of users. Besides: Apple's RAM is extremely expensive! I'd use that money for stuff that does make a difference to me.

OSX handles RAM much more efficiently than Windows does, so that where Windows needs 4GB, OSX can easily make do with 2GB. Where Windows requires 8GB, OSX has more than enough with 4GB, etc.

So if you want to run Windows on your MBP, and you can of course, you will need more RAM than you need to run OSX.

[iconoclast]

I'll suggest virtualbox which runs on many platforms. It allows you to install other operating systems and run them and their programs inside another OS. So you could run windows apps inside osx

[Stercus Vultus]

Originally Posted by iconoclast

I'll suggest virtualbox which runs on many platforms. It allows you to install other operating systems and run them and their programs inside another OS. So you could run windows apps inside osx

Absolutely! I use VMware Fusion for that (I just ran Windows 7 for a month in it to try out; but it sucked – Win7, that is, not VMware, so I trashed my Win7 virtual machine a few days ago).

However, a virtual machine isn't as fast as running that OS and its apps natively. So, if you need to work in another OS ocassionaly, run it in a virtual machine. But if you need the full capability and speed of that other OS on a regular basis, run it natively, in BootCamp.

[jhawk1000]

Just wondering if Stercus Vultus works for Mac.

Mel

[dryadsdad]

Originally Posted by gpatch

I'm buckling down and going to buy a Macbook 13" laptop for my Photography hobby. I have always have said, I would never buy a Mac, but I cannot find a PC that looks and feels and is lite like the new Macbook.

My question is-
If you wanted to run only one Adobe program on your computer, which would it be? I want to edit and catalog my photos.

I have PE-7, but it will not run (the last time I checked) on a Mac.

I've looked at Lightroom and it doesn't seem to have enough editing tools. If i get it, I will have to have PS on the computer, which means I would have to go back and forth between programs.

Thanks
Glenn

I'm curious to hear what you think LR won't do for you.

BTW, the new Bridge in CS 4 is improved so maybe you will u/g to CS from your Windows PS 7. You can d/l a 30 day trial of CS 4 from Adobe to determine if it meets your needs for photo organization.

A friend of mine is very high on this program:

ACDSee Pro Photo Manager by ACD Systems - Review and download

It's Windows only so you'll need Boot Camp but after a while you'll get used to finding programs which only run on Windows. Fact of Mac life just as it's fact of Linux life.

[gpatch]

If possable, I would like to run only one photo program, instead of having to switch back and forth between programs.
PE-7 does everything I want to do and I know it. The last time I looked at LR, it didn't have some of the PS tools that I wanted and that was about a year ago, so I don't remember which ones.
Every morning I wake up , I've changed my mind. I'm asking myself, why spend $3,000 dollars for something I MAY not like. As I stated, been with PC for a long time and know how to work it and have not really had any problems with it.
I may get a cheap Mac and if I don't like it, give it to one of my grandkids.
Thanks for your input.

Glenn

[Stercus Vultus]

Originally Posted by jhawk1000

Just wondering if Stercus Vultus works for Mac.

Mel

No, Mel, you got that backwards: I've been paying them for 25 years! Many tens of thousands!
I've yet to see the first buck they pay me!

[Stercus Vultus]

Originally Posted by gpatch

If possable, I would like to run only one photo program, instead of having to switch back and forth between programs.
PE-7 does everything I want to do and I know it. The last time I looked at LR, it didn't have some of the PS tools that I wanted and that was about a year ago, so I don't remember which ones.
Every morning I wake up , I've changed my mind. I'm asking myself, why spend $3,000 dollars for something I MAY not like. As I stated, been with PC for a long time and know how to work it and have not really had any problems with it.
I may get a cheap Mac and if I don't like it, give it to one of my grandkids.

Come on, Glenn! You seem to be giving up before you even started. You switched from film to digital photography too, remember? That was a much more fundamental/conceptual change than changing to just another editor, operating system, or even computer. And you managed that nicely after all, didn't you? You're not driving a T-Ford on steam anymore either! Every now and then you inevitably need to change, upgrade. Evolve.
Or you'll get left by the wayside.

why spend $3,000 dollars for something I MAY not like

Why indeed?
So don't! Don't gamble in the blind! See if you know someone with a Mac to give you an extensive demo. Or let the Apple peeps in the Apple Store do it. That's what they're there for. And what about borrowing or renting one for a week or two, so that you can see if you'd like it. With your own eyes. In your own real life situation. At your own pace.
At the mo you're just guessing. Take the guesswork out of the equation!

[dryadsdad]

Originally Posted by gpatch

I
Every morning I wake up , I've changed my mind. I'm asking myself, why spend $3,000 dollars for something I MAY not like.

Well, you can get a really good Toshiba laptop for $700 which will run Windows 7 wonderfully. The real question is what one of those little delicate Macs will do for you that the Toshiba and $2,300 in your pocket won't.

$2,300 cash in the bank isn't a bad thing nor is the buying power of $2,300 when it comes to equipment. I mean, that's two pro quality lenses or gosh knows what else. Also the $2,300 in the pocket gives a nice feeling to your pants.

[iconoclast]

Is the only reason you're thinking of buying a mac laptop is
1. trouble finding a pc laptop comparable to the size and portability of a mac laptop you've seen
2. by 'look' do you mean the OS or the external style?

If these are your reasons then perhaps a Mac would be good for you.

Though I must say that PC laptops can be very stylish. There are ways to make windows os look like mac osx. If I were you I'd not forsake all your experience with windows and windows apps just for the aesthetics of a mac.

If you can't find it I say, keep looking!

[roncgizmo]

Glenn, You're going to love the Mac! I have a PC laptop that's about 9 months old and a 12" Mac G$ that's about 47 months old.. That old Mac runs rings around the PC and it's only a 1.33... I use lightroom 2 and CS4 on it with a 19" monitor for editing. Once you get it give it a week or so to get used to it and you won't miss that PC at all.

[gpatch]

I'm convinced, I going to buy a Mackbook Pro. I enjoy good service and support. I bought a iPhone the first week they came out and the support has been incredible.
I've had to call 3-4 times, and each time I got a human that spoke good English and corrected my problem in a few minutes.

I just updated to the 3G S iPhone and had problems syncing it. It wasn't the iPhones fault. I followed the instructions wrong. They corrected it right away.
I hope the support is the same for their computers.
Glenn

PS: Just for backup, I'm giving my PC laptop to my wife and will keep all my programs on it. She used a computer only for emails, facebook, etc

[Stercus Vultus]

Originally Posted by gpatch

PS: Just for backup, I'm giving my PC laptop to my wife

Make sure she doesn't find out what fun your MBP is or there'll be all hell to pay for schticking her with that PC laptop!

and will keep all my programs on it.

Copy/install them onto your MBP as well!

If you're both on a (wireless) network, you can 'take over' her desktop and operate her PC laptop from your MBP. Very convenient if you are her 'sysadmin' and need to fix the odd problem for her.