Hi all
Been wanting mac for a long time and really thinking about it as I am valuing my time more and don't want to fiddle with PCs any more.
My most powerful PC which isn't really working anymore was a E2140/2GB (1.6Ghz o/c to 2.13)
My main machine for the last year or so has been an X31 IBM laptop which is pretty awesome for what it is, but it is a bit slow and only 40GB hd, and I need a bit more. (P4M 1.4 / 1GB /12") mostly used on my lap but giving me posture problems and only sometimes used 'on location', but extremely handy when used like that.
Probably looking for a good 3,4,5 years use I don't upgrade very often.
Tasks I would like to do on the machine include
photos / editing storing / viewing / printing,
scanning photos
sound and video editing/recording (mainly archiving stuff rather than production),
web email programming
kids software
ripping / encoding
etc etc
I'd be looking for 500GB and 4GB in any machine, minimum. I have 100GB music, and a good fe wgig of pictures, and would like plenty space.
So Macs - the 27" imac is gorgeous, and I could really dig that screen res My main rig used a 24" CRT @ 1900x1200 and a 20.1" LCD at 1600x1200. This would actually save space, and do everything, probably looking toward the i5 machine. The webcam and photo booth would be awesome for the kids and this would be pretty powerful.
Mac Mini - cheapest option, but not by much really once keyboard and mouse and mem upgrade and 500GB disk upgrade is added in ..
I'd use my excellent LCD with a DVI adaptor but this would lose the ebcam. Also, compared to the imac, I think the imac is probably a better deal given the imac is more 'desktop' where the mac mini is more 'laptop' IYSWIM
It appears I could get a macbook for couple hundred more if that more than the mini with the upgrade to 500GB/4GB and possibly run in 'clamshell' mode Is this way of running a macbook approved/recommended - it's not going to overheat? If so this seems very good compared to mac mini i.e. it's a mac mini with a screen and it's truly portable.
And for the new MBP, expect them to be more powerful still, close to i5 imac speeds? Can these successfully be run in clamshell mode?
The difference with these is A) screen is much better for photos/colour? B) sd card slot and can connect a screen in some way the macbook doesn't support?
Sooooo my thoughts, .. questions:
Surely MBP is the way to go? with the 1600x1200 screen most of the time. Almost the same power as imac (probably) and portable as well for when I go to scan a bunch of pictures at my relatives etc etc
Running in clamshell mode with PSU attached - to put it bluntly will that shag the battery / reduce it's life - my IBM batt lasts only 30 mins but when I got it it lasted about 2 hours, and it spends 95% of it's time hooked into the mains.
I presume all these machines will be powerfull enough to do my tasks, and I they are all more powerful than my current systems, so my question on the power etc is down to the future - so looking for i5 really?
Should I consider instead perhaps buying second hand, an older mac book / and / or an older mini for approx £500 each as alternative - would you do this over say a new MBP? Bearing in mind I'm 'new to mac' The danger with this is I may think in 6mths whatever that I should have just bit the bullit i.e. one decent machine is better than 2 medicore.
And, I have a bunch of PCI cards for various things like SCSI for my slide scanner, PVR150 for video capture and lots of other adaptor cards how does this work on mac is everything FW? what card is good to capture video from a VHS camera/tapedeck for example? Is the onboard sound hardware good for analog audio capture or is it better to get an external ADC ?
Long post I know, first post also. Mostly just typing my thoughts, but I hope it makes some sense.
Cheers all
Been wanting mac for a long time and really thinking about it as I am valuing my time more and don't want to fiddle with PCs any more.
My most powerful PC which isn't really working anymore was a E2140/2GB (1.6Ghz o/c to 2.13)
My main machine for the last year or so has been an X31 IBM laptop which is pretty awesome for what it is, but it is a bit slow and only 40GB hd, and I need a bit more. (P4M 1.4 / 1GB /12") mostly used on my lap but giving me posture problems and only sometimes used 'on location', but extremely handy when used like that.
Probably looking for a good 3,4,5 years use I don't upgrade very often.
Tasks I would like to do on the machine include
photos / editing storing / viewing / printing,
scanning photos
sound and video editing/recording (mainly archiving stuff rather than production),
web email programming
kids software
ripping / encoding
etc etc
I'd be looking for 500GB and 4GB in any machine, minimum. I have 100GB music, and a good fe wgig of pictures, and would like plenty space.
So Macs - the 27" imac is gorgeous, and I could really dig that screen res My main rig used a 24" CRT @ 1900x1200 and a 20.1" LCD at 1600x1200. This would actually save space, and do everything, probably looking toward the i5 machine. The webcam and photo booth would be awesome for the kids and this would be pretty powerful.
Mac Mini - cheapest option, but not by much really once keyboard and mouse and mem upgrade and 500GB disk upgrade is added in ..
I'd use my excellent LCD with a DVI adaptor but this would lose the ebcam. Also, compared to the imac, I think the imac is probably a better deal given the imac is more 'desktop' where the mac mini is more 'laptop' IYSWIM
It appears I could get a macbook for couple hundred more if that more than the mini with the upgrade to 500GB/4GB and possibly run in 'clamshell' mode Is this way of running a macbook approved/recommended - it's not going to overheat? If so this seems very good compared to mac mini i.e. it's a mac mini with a screen and it's truly portable.
And for the new MBP, expect them to be more powerful still, close to i5 imac speeds? Can these successfully be run in clamshell mode?
The difference with these is A) screen is much better for photos/colour? B) sd card slot and can connect a screen in some way the macbook doesn't support?
Sooooo my thoughts, .. questions:
Surely MBP is the way to go? with the 1600x1200 screen most of the time. Almost the same power as imac (probably) and portable as well for when I go to scan a bunch of pictures at my relatives etc etc
Running in clamshell mode with PSU attached - to put it bluntly will that shag the battery / reduce it's life - my IBM batt lasts only 30 mins but when I got it it lasted about 2 hours, and it spends 95% of it's time hooked into the mains.
I presume all these machines will be powerfull enough to do my tasks, and I they are all more powerful than my current systems, so my question on the power etc is down to the future - so looking for i5 really?
Should I consider instead perhaps buying second hand, an older mac book / and / or an older mini for approx £500 each as alternative - would you do this over say a new MBP? Bearing in mind I'm 'new to mac' The danger with this is I may think in 6mths whatever that I should have just bit the bullit i.e. one decent machine is better than 2 medicore.
And, I have a bunch of PCI cards for various things like SCSI for my slide scanner, PVR150 for video capture and lots of other adaptor cards how does this work on mac is everything FW? what card is good to capture video from a VHS camera/tapedeck for example? Is the onboard sound hardware good for analog audio capture or is it better to get an external ADC ?
Long post I know, first post also. Mostly just typing my thoughts, but I hope it makes some sense.
Cheers all