What do I need hardware wise??

[socalkane]

I'm a photographer making the switch to Mac after years on a PC.
I am wanting a new comp that will be sufficient for a few years to come,
good with photoshop and imaging. I only work with say 5mb files as of now but that may grow a bit. I know photoshop is ram hungry so a dual 1.8g powermac with a ram upgrade? I don't want to spend a fortune on one, so no 2.5 for me. Or is the Powermac too much even and have power that I won't necessarily even need? Should I just go with an Imac? Especially if a g5 one is announced on the 28th? If you were looking to spend $3k and wanted a comp for digital photography what would you buy/consider?
I can't wait too much longer either.
Thanks

 

[crazzyeddie]

You could get away with even an eMac for 5mb photoshop files with no problems. The real question is: how patient are you An eMac would be the slowest, followed by iMacs and then the Powermacs. If you want the machine to last, buy a G5 or buy an eMac which would allow you to save a ton of money for future purchases. Whatever you do, wait until WWDC for iMac announcements, which would lower the price of any leftover G4 iMacs plus give you another option.

However, here is something to consider. If you have a $3k budget, why not consider a 12"/14" iBook or 12"/15" Powerbook. If you do lots of digital photography, this would allow you to upload your photos on the road, thus supplying you with a huge storage capacity and preventing the need for additional flash memory. Then when you get back to your desk, you can hook the iBook/Powerbook up to a monitor and basically have a desktop machine (minus the extra power of say a G5).

 

[Horrortaxi]

I think anything in the Apple lineup will meet your needs. What the PowerMacs have going for them is expandability. The added drive bay, PCI slots, and additional power will keep it usable longer. But you'll get a good 3-4 years out of anything anyway, so just get the biggest/baddest you can afford.