As per the username, I am not a mac person and I need some help to sort out whether the mini (the base model with 1GB ram) is suitable for the purposes outlined below.
The mac would be for prepress/press work, i.e., receiving, proofing on screen then outputting to a small digital color press artwork from clients who work in the mac platform.
The software would on the machine would be along the lines of Photoshop, Indesign, Quark and not necessarily the latest versions. I've checked the Adobe website so I know that the mini does meet the mininum specs for the current version of Creative Suite. However, I'd like to know if these are realistic based on people's actual experience. For example, would a ram upgrade from 1GB to 2 be recommended?
In terms of file sizes for images, the output would be tabloid size at largest, at 75 lpi halftone. So, not massive RAW files. Although, the total file sizes for for a complex publication could be fairly large.
HD size is not an issue, as files will not be accumlating on the machine itself.
The reason for not going with an iMac is the suitability/quality of the screens for this kind of work. Firstly, the lower quality TN panel on the 20" model seems to rule that out for work that would require color matching/calibration. While the 24" has a better panel, the forums indicate there is inconsistent quality of the backlighting (the gradient problem).
In other words, based on the above requirements, could you suggest why it would not be suitable to get the base model Mac mini, upgrade the ram if needed, then get a decent 24" or larger IPS/PVA screen from Dell (they seem to have good screens and a good return policy on them)? Costwise, it would be about the same as the 20" iMac.
So, to sum up, does the Mac mini have sufficient horsepower for the work outlined above? If not, then do I take my chances with the 24" iMac? Any advice would be appreciated.
The mac would be for prepress/press work, i.e., receiving, proofing on screen then outputting to a small digital color press artwork from clients who work in the mac platform.
The software would on the machine would be along the lines of Photoshop, Indesign, Quark and not necessarily the latest versions. I've checked the Adobe website so I know that the mini does meet the mininum specs for the current version of Creative Suite. However, I'd like to know if these are realistic based on people's actual experience. For example, would a ram upgrade from 1GB to 2 be recommended?
In terms of file sizes for images, the output would be tabloid size at largest, at 75 lpi halftone. So, not massive RAW files. Although, the total file sizes for for a complex publication could be fairly large.
HD size is not an issue, as files will not be accumlating on the machine itself.
The reason for not going with an iMac is the suitability/quality of the screens for this kind of work. Firstly, the lower quality TN panel on the 20" model seems to rule that out for work that would require color matching/calibration. While the 24" has a better panel, the forums indicate there is inconsistent quality of the backlighting (the gradient problem).
In other words, based on the above requirements, could you suggest why it would not be suitable to get the base model Mac mini, upgrade the ram if needed, then get a decent 24" or larger IPS/PVA screen from Dell (they seem to have good screens and a good return policy on them)? Costwise, it would be about the same as the 20" iMac.
So, to sum up, does the Mac mini have sufficient horsepower for the work outlined above? If not, then do I take my chances with the 24" iMac? Any advice would be appreciated.
