Descisions Descisions - How to Configure?

[dneil]

I'm currently running a G4 Quicksilver - 800 MHZ 512 MB and it's just too slow for me at this point -- it's time to suck it up and buy a new machine. I'm just not sure what the best configuration will be for me. If debating on what to do with a Mac Pro, a co-worker suggested I get the MacBook Pro. I just can't make up my mind -- Please help!

I'm a graphic designer and do a descent amount of work from home - heavy photoshop, illustrator and indesign. I'm also back in school working on a photo degree - so again very photoshop heavy and also planning on picking up lightroom to use as well. Luckily I'll be able to get the educational discount, but I don't want to keep spending just because I'm getting it at a discount. Any suggestions on what I should be looking at that will keep me trucking along? I know that as soon as I buy - Apple will release new models - but such is life.

 

[nazmac21]

How about these options:

Refurbished Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz Intel Xeon
Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors
1GB (2 x 512MB) memory (667MHz DDR2 fully-buffered DIMM ECC)
250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7200-rpm hard drive
16x SuperDrive (double-layer)
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics with 256MB memory
price: $2,199.00

Refurbished Mac Pro Quad 3.0GHz Intel Xeon
Two 3.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors
2GB (4 x 512MB) memory (667MHz DDR2 fully-buffered DIMM ECC)
250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7200-rpm hard drive
16x SuperDrive (double-layer)
ATI Radeon X1900 XT graphics with 512MB memory
price: $3,299.00

Refurbished Power Mac G5 Dual 2.3GHz
Dual-core 2.3GHz PowerPC G5 processor
1.15GHz frontside bus per processor
1MB L2 cache per core
512MB of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-4200)
250GB Serial ATA hard drive
16x SuperDrive (double-layer)
NVIDIA GeForce 6600 with 256MB GDDR SDRAM
price: $1,999.00

 

[neyoung]

I don't know what your price range is, but everyone that gets one of the 24" iMacs seems to fall in love with them! I personally have a 15" MacBook Pro and its an amazing machine. I do web development and use Photoshop CS2 on it and it runs great. I can't wait for CS3 to come out since it'll be a universal binary and will run alot quicker than CS2.

 

[aj98]

I'm currently running a G4 Quicksilver - 800 MHZ 512 MB and it's just too slow for me at this point -- it's time to suck it up and buy a new machine. I'm just not sure what the best configuration will be for me. If debating on what to do with a Mac Pro, a co-worker suggested I get the MacBook Pro. I just can't make up my mind -- Please help!

I'm a graphic designer and do a descent amount of work from home - heavy photoshop, illustrator and indesign. I'm also back in school working on a photo degree - so again very photoshop heavy and also planning on picking up lightroom to use as well. Luckily I'll be able to get the educational discount, but I don't want to keep spending just because I'm getting it at a discount. Any suggestions on what I should be looking at that will keep me trucking along? I know that as soon as I buy - Apple will release new models - but such is life.

Even with student discounts, are you also budgeted to upgrade your software to native intel versions?
and
have intel native versions of said software been released?

Nothing wrong with refurbs machines - I've bought several, all with no problems.

That said, the 2.3 G5 is a only a couple hundred less than the dual Intel 2.66.
If you have the budget to upgrade your software, I'd go with the Intel 2.6.

Then the question becomes how well will your old software will run through Rosetta?

If you get a non-intel Mac, it may not be too many software upgrade cycles before non-intel versions of your software are NLA.

If you have an (older) cinema display with ADC, it may not work with the video card in a new machine - so plan on an extra $100 or for the DVI-ADC adapter.