Which Mac should I buy?

[MacFanUK]

I am currently using a quad core hackintosh and for a number of reasons, I am looking at buying a real Mac. Mainly, I very rarely keep hardware for longer than a year, but the hardware I'm currently using is fairly old.

I will be doing some light video editing, graphic design and web design with this system.

I currently use my hackintosh with 2 fairly cheap screens (1 x Dell G2410 and 1 x Samsung 2333SW), and ocassionally have Win7 in full screen mode on the 2nd display, so ideally, I would like a system that will allow me to run 2 23/24" screens.

My options are:

2.53GHz Mac Mini with 3rd party 500GB 7200rpm hard drive
2.66GHz Core i5 27" iMac with standard spec
2.66GHz Mac Pro with 6GB Ram and Wifi.

I like the option of the Mac Mini or the Mac Pro because of the ability to have 2 identical displays, however, I'd like to eventually end up with 2 24" ACD's which I know isn't possible with the Mini and I like the 27" screen on the iMac which may even reduce the need for the 2nd display.

I have recently started a new job doing graphic design, using Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop and am using a Windows 7 PC at work and would like to get a MBP to take with me to use instead and I'm considering the 2.66GHz 15" (well, the equivalent model when updated).

I would ideally like my desktop mac to be a better spec than the MBP I get, but I appreciate that it's not just a case of getting higher CPU frequencies. And before anyone suggests it, I don't want to use the MBP as my desktop machine as well as my portable

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

I'd get the Mac Pro, the Mac Mini I have to imagine isn't going to be faster then your current machine.

 

[MacMini2009]

Mac Mini with an Intel SSD or Mac Pro.

 

[MacFanUK]

I'd get the Mac Pro, the Mac Mini I have to imagine isn't going to be faster then your current machine.

Thanks for your input. Do you not think that the DDR3 and SL are going to improve performance over my current setup? Especially if my I ran my current CPU at stock speed as the Mini would then have a faster CPU also.

Mac Mini with an Intel SSD or Mac Pro.

Thanks. I think SSD's are still too pricey at the moment.

I'm curious to see why neither of you have suggested the iMac. Is it a computer worth staying away from?

 

[MacMini2009]

Thanks for your input. Do you not think that the DDR3 and SL are going to improve performance over my current setup? Especially if my I ran my current CPU at stock speed as the Mini would then have a faster CPU also.



Thanks. I think SSD's are still too pricey at the moment.

I'm curious to see why neither of you have suggested the iMac. Is it a computer worth staying away from?

Because you already have 2 monitors.

 

[chill.]

stay away from the mac pro, it is in serious need of an update

 

[Badger^2]

Its all about budget?

If you are willing to spend $3000 US on a Macpro, why bother with the rest? (although 6 gigs is not enough)

Although if you can wait, new Macpros are not far off...

Any of them are more than enough for design work.

I run the entire Adobe Creative Suite 4 + Quark 8 on a 2.4 AL iMac w/4 gigs ram and it handles it all without even breaking a sweat. And I'm talking multi hundred meg Photoshop files and 100+ page Quark files with gigs of links. Not some crappy little 72 dpi web graphics and a few 3 panel brochures.

So unless you are doing something way, way, way beyond that, any/either is fine.