Need New Computer

[Gemini2261]

I have done a bit of research into possibly buying a new computer. I currently run a DELL that has started to groan when trying to load my pix into LR. At times it seems to be just static...this is a real pain.

I am considering a Mac. I am aware that lots of pro photographers use Mac's. Can anyone tell me why this is so? If a Mac is better to use for photography can anyone recommend a suitable system...I was looking at the:

iMac
27-inch: 3.1GHz
3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
2560 x 1440 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 1GB

Would this be enough power/memory etc or should one go up a notch? I tend to change PC every roughly 5 yrs. I also like to make movies.

[mechawombat]

what is the 1 notch option

[Gemini2261]

what is the 1 notch option

Mac Pro...I know nothing about Mac's so wondering if the 27" imac would be sufficient or do ppl use Mac pro?

[opi2kenopi]

I'm planning to get an iMac 27" towards the end of the year, upgrading to the i7.

There is a review here from an opinionated commercial photog: * removed, breach of site rule 19*

I can't wait for a 27" display - will be out of this world :)

[opi2kenopi]

Btw, I currently have a Macbook Pro and use Aperture 3 & PS CS5. Was a small learning curve from PC, but I rate it :)

[Wayne]

iMac as noted is fine, however feed it as much ram as you can. Apple this year dropped their ridiculous pricing on built to order ram upgrades, so they are somewhat more reasonable, otherwise just order with 4GB from Apple and then get plenty more from OWC much cheaper. Installing it is a piece of cake, no disassembly required, just slot it in.

Mac Pro is fantastic, but probably overkill for your needs, and they are much more pricey, especially once you add a monitor to the equation. Highly customisable, and very powerful computing though, but just not cheap.
I also run i7 iMac and i7 quad 2.3Ghz 17" MBP (2011) and now with the ability to run 16GB ram, the MBP screams. I load LR3 and convert to DNG upon import then render previews 1:1, all the while browsing the net, and encoding with Handbrake, running iTunes, running 2x 30" Dell U3011's with probably 10-30 browser windows open and it doesn't even begin to sweat. Moving from PC to Mac is nowhere near the conundrum it once was. Mac OSX is very intuitive, and if you have any applications that are windows only, well your Mac can run Windows too!

[Gemini2261]

Thanks Opi & Wayne...sounds great, I think I will look at the Mac's more closely :)

[13ulletz]

You can probably solve your problem, and alot of money, with a new harddrive however i dont know what your currently running.

First off wanted to say i am NOT biased towards pc, its going to seem that way, just realistic.

You can probably solve your problem with a new harddrive however i dont know what your currently running.

I wouldnt say mac is better, cs5 is NOT any way different on ANY operating system (OS).
Nothing different between mac and other pc brands apart from the OS. hardware is the same and software/programs are the same.
I dont know why people believe mac is like a completly different thing, its all the same bits... and the people who say mac was wayy better once they made the move from pc probably isnt even comparing specs apples for apples.
I have found that mac osx is user friendly (could be why its becoming popular?).

I use pc with a 3.4gh quad core, 8gb ram, gtx 480 on 2x24" and 1x 65" screens and it pisses along in cs5 and lr3 but i also use an SSD (solid state drive) to replace my main HDD (Hard disk drive).

If you were going to go with the mac system i would put an extra 4 gb minimum and if you can, get an ssd but only to be used for your main programs such as OS and 2-3 other main programs such as cs5 etc. Then also get a normal HDD to store data like images, documents, videos.

I would also get a secondary screen just to put your library on or other programs you might have open. I use this in lr3 as it is much easier to compare heaps of photos while the image your editing stays on your main screen, likewise in other programs like spreadsheets or web design.

Just note you pay a premium for buying mac in relation to the components and dont listen to people when they say you dont need anti virus. Viruses exists on every mainstream OS and due to the growing popularity of macs, there are going to be more viruses created for them.

Hope this helps:th3:

[ameerat42]

...I am considering a Mac...I was looking at the:

iMac
27-inch: 3.1GHz
3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
2560 x 1440 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 1GB

Would this be enough power/memory etc or should one go up a notch? I tend to change PC every roughly 5 yrs. I also like to make movies...

"As recently seen on TV": Phioow! Pheiiiiooooh! Fff-ewe!
I reck:th3:n.

[robz]

When it comes to working with images and film, the main issues tend to be access time on the hard drive and ability to display the image on the screen.... display card.
the processor is not usually in issue for graphics as long as it it reasonably moedern. an I5 is quite new. (I researched and chose my motherboard carefull also so the data was not held up)

There is little detail in your description of hard drive. Look carefully at the brand and model and go to the company website to see that the access time is as good as you can afford.
Maximum memory will also help get your images up faster.. check chip type and speed.

Most importantly check reviews for the graphics card, as this will impact on the speed with which you display an image.

as with most things, you buy the best performance you can afford.
We run both mac and pc in our house. My personal view is that you can bet better value from a pc system if you do your homework (and its not that hard to do) while a mac is easy to by with good reliability (but upgrade etc is harder)
Remember that the graphics card and disk speeed (access rate) are probably going to influence you most.
Ps would also check the memory speed and type ..? on the specs you have provided.

[Cage]

Definitely 8GB of RAM.