Graphics
I don't think people are going to mind too much Wake. Here's my two cents:
I'm also a "budding" graphic designer, and I could have bought an iMac. I stress "could have" because the machine will do just fine for basic-to-moderate Photoshop/Quark/Final Cut Pro use. The key to your success here is RAM. Get 512MB AT LEAST with a G3 processor to be sure that you don't need to run virtual memory. If you can do that...you'll be good for two years or so.
I wanted something special though. I don't know if you realize this, but Photoshop is written for dual processor G4's, taking advantage of both the processors, as well as the Altivec Velocity Engine. So I got a loan from Apple, and bought myself a Dual G4 533mhz machine. I upgraded it to 512mb ram, and am thinking of running 1 Gig of ram because
http://www.dealnn.com is showing a deal of decent quality PC 133 ram for only $60. That's damn good. Some people think that I went a little overboard on my purchase considering that I am still in college, but I wanted something new and fast to satisfy my testosterone need to be the best...and something that will last me 4-5 years to satisfy my wallet.
Basically, the iMac is more of a short term purchase...for you. They are great machines and can be very fast, but if you are considering this to be your machine throughout college for intense graphic design...get a used dual processor G4. (450/500/533mhz) They are very very fast, are upgradeable, use cheap ram, and are powerful as hell. You can probably find a used one on Ebay, or check
http://www.dealnn.com for some offers. Look to pay about $1100. If you dont wan't dual processors, then used single G4s are also very fast and can get even cheaper. I've seen single used 450's for less than $900. One more thing...if you're not into used...then go to the Apple Education Store website (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore then chose education from the menu bar) and grab a single 533 for $1149. That's a damn good deal. Apple also (as mentioned above) has some great financing options. If you can find a decent cheap 17" montior (very easy nowadays) a G4 can be cheaper than an iMac!!! Either way...check the Apple Store for Education.
Good luck!!!
-Pete
[Edited by ptrauber on 07-27-2001 at 11:43 PM]