so where's my money best spent for photo editing?

[stevo8]

So I was hoping for a new mac mini or at least a new iMac to drive the used prices down on the current 24". But since it didn't happen I have to pull the trigger on something used soon. Whatever I get will get 4gb ram, and would like to not spend more then about $1000 for initial purchase. I'll be running a seperate monitor on it as well as the one it comes with. I'm not opposed to a laptop if there's something that's a real bargain and will fit my needs but it would be used primarly as a desktop regardless. So what should I be looking for?

[kastenbrust]

So I was hoping for a new mac mini or at least a new iMac to drive the used prices down on the current 24". But since it didn't happen I have to pull the trigger on something used soon. Whatever I get will get 4gb ram, and would like to not spend more then about $1000 for initial purchase. I'll be running a seperate monitor on it as well as the one it comes with. I'm not opposed to a laptop if there's something that's a real bargain and will fit my needs but it would be used primarly as a desktop regardless. So what should I be looking for?

4GB RAM, WITH screen, and less than $1000? from Apple?

Not Happening, unless you get a very old used Macbook Pro

[stevo8]

Oh I have no problem buying it with 1gb and upgrading myself but it must support 4gb is all. So basically no mac mini or such.

[MacDawg]

Your options are basically zero and none with the requirements you have listed

Woof, Woof – Dawg http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/pawprint.gif

[stevo8]

So basically what can I get used for $1k? There's a lot of stuff floating around right now and I haven't kept up since I bought my old core duo MBP a few years back.

[stevo8]

Your options are basically zero and none with the requirements you have listed

Woof, Woof – Dawg http://homepage.mac.com/k.j.vinson/pawprint.gif

The used market is flooded with stuff right now, I most likely worded it wrong.

I want to buy a used mac for around $1,000 that will support 4gb ram and plan to use my dell 22" monitor with it as well. That rules out the mac mini and I believe the air. What would I get the best performance out of? MacBook with 2.4GHz? Maybe stretch and get a 20" iMac?

I don't really understand much past processors and ram size so I figured I would ask you guys.

[kastenbrust]

The used market is flooded with stuff right now, I most likely worded it wrong.

I want to buy a used mac for around $1,000 that will support 4gb ram and plan to use my dell 22" monitor with it as well. That rules out the mac mini and I believe the air. What would I get the best performance out of? MacBook with 2.4GHz? Maybe stretch and get a 20" iMac?

I don't really understand much past processors and ram size so I figured I would ask you guys.

Photo editing on a Macbook is a nono because its got no real graphics card, unless your talking about family photo albums etc, however the 20" imac does sound like a good option for you.

[stevo8]

Oh sweet good to know. I have been editing photos on my core duo MBP for awhile now and my end results are fine but after adding lightroom and moving from cs3 to cs4 it hasn't been real happy running both programs. Does my current mbp have a "real graphics card"? Or is it similar to what's in the current MacBook? Also for photo stuff would I notice a difference between the hd2600 and the 8800 upgrade?