A new laptop

[Avantoe]

Since im getting the CS3 Master collection as a birthday present because im starting to work with graphics and i have the need for some other programs for school, i decided to buy a new computer to go with that.

Now im having serious doubts about what computer to buy, first i was thinking of buying the new McBook air Then someone said that it wasnt good enough for all the programs included in the CS3. After thinking some more i got my eyes on the Macbook Pro. Now someone told me mac is completely usless for these kind of programs and i should buy a PC instead. Now after all these doubts im asking the nice people on this forums to give me a helping hand on this matter.

The laptop i want to buy should be able to handle all the programs in the CS3 Master Collection and Office 2007, Since the Laptop isgoing to be used for work and not for games.

Even though money isnt an issue i would like the laptop to have a price within 2000-2500$

[Sephi]

Originally Posted by Avantoe

Since im getting the CS3 Master collection as a birthday present because im starting to work with graphics and i have the need for some other programs for school, i decided to buy a new computer to go with that.

Now im having serious doubts about what computer to buy, first i was thinking of buying the new McBook air Then someone said that it wasnt good enough for all the programs included in the CS3. After thinking some more i got my eyes on the Macbook Pro. Now someone told me mac is completely usless for these kind of programs and i should buy a PC instead. Now after all these doubts im asking the nice people on this forums to give me a helping hand on this matter.

The laptop i want to buy should be able to handle all the programs in the CS3 Master Collection and Office 2007, Since the Laptop isgoing to be used for work and not for games.

Even though money isnt an issue i would like the laptop to have a price within 2000-2500$

Dear lord with 2000-2500$ you can buy two laptops that fits your needs.
But for what your going to use it for, you shouldn't be spending more than 1000€ max.

Seeing your from sweden. I assume prices are somewhat similar to The Netherlands.

I would personally recommend something along the line of this(just a example). You can upgrade the ram if you think 2GB isn't enough. But XP32bit won't take more than 3GB. So you have to use Vista or so for the 4GB. Personally i'm still using XP... I haven't found a reason to use Vista yet. And i only hear people swearing about how slow there laptop have become after installing it. And the laptop even has a dedicated videocard. Which will allow "casual" gamers to still have some decent performance in games

As for the important things in your purchase.
- Processor Speed (make sure it's a Meron)
- Ram (atleast 2GB)
- Platform. Make sure it's the Santa Rosa platform and not the old Napa platform, if they are still actually selling them that is. You wouldn't want old technologies when purchasing a new laptop
- Hard disk Speed. Not the size. But the speed of it. Size can be expanded with External hard disks. But seeing the Hard disk is the slowest component of a computer you definitely want a fast hard disk. preferably 7200RPM. You can have a fast CPU, but if your HD is slow, it will still drag down the overall performance.

Also what is important is screen resolution. You didn't mentioned if your going to drag the laptop to school or only use it at your house. But if your going for some mobility i wouldn't recommend you going over the 15.4inch. I got a 15.4inch and 1280x800 myself now. And personally i think the resolution is to small for graphic design as well as a tad to big/heavy to carry it around to school every day...

As for Mac. I don't use one. Nor have i got much experience with it. But overall from what i saw there is nothing you can't do in windows that a Mac can with CS2/CS3... And meh i'm not to found of Mac. Price - Spec ratio i wouldn't go for it... But if your really in love with the design you can consider one, i have to admit the design is quite good

Just took a look at Mac book Air spec... I think i nearly died when i saw this:
80GB 4200-rpm PATA hard drive is what the $1,799.00 version has. The 3k version has a 64GB solid-state drive. But errr... I think the Mac Book Air is a bit like a Ultra-Portable model. And shouldn't be considered in your purchase... The MacBook Pro is a viable option though.

[Avantoe]

Thank you for the help,

I dont really know what to choose, The reason i like mac is because of the design compared to other computers, not just operative system but outer design aswell. I kinda agree that the Mac book Air is not really worth it, but i havent yet found a PC that i really like. I dont think i have anything against PC really, ive been using Windows for the past 5 years and i agree that its comfortable and all that, but in the end i get way to many problems with it, Not sure if its my stupidity or if its windows itself. I havent used mac in 5 years, so im not really that good with it. But ive heard that its easy and confortable.

And yeah i will use it as a portable computer to take from home to school every day, but since its not really that far away i dont think that portability is a big problem.

I apprieciate all help since i dont want to end up with something I would regret in the end.

[Sephi]

Originally Posted by Avantoe

Thank you for the help,

I dont really know what to choose, The reason i like mac is because of the design compared to other computers, not just operative system but outer design aswell. I kinda agree that the Mac book Air is not really worth it, but i havent yet found a PC that i really like. I dont think i have anything against PC really, ive been using Windows for the past 5 years and i agree that its comfortable and all that, but in the end i get way to many problems with it, Not sure if its my stupidity or if its windows itself. I havent used mac in 5 years, so im not really that good with it. But ive heard that its easy and confortable.

And yeah i will use it as a portable computer to take from home to school every day, but since its not really that far away i dont think that portability is a big problem.

I apprieciate all help since i dont want to end up with something I would regret in the end.

Definitely don't rush a purchase of a laptop. I have to do 4 years with this one. Even though looking back at it... The choice could of been a bit better...

Since you will be taking your laptop to school to, i would recommend 15.4inch at most... I never saw anyone in my class with a 17inch laptop. And with good reasons to

If design plays a factor, perhaps check some of Sony Vaio laptops. Though imo they have some of the most retarded configurations i saw when i was looking for a laptop(1.5 year ago), top of the line processor and videocard, and than they put in a 4200RPM harddisk or something, or use 533mhz memory Oo wth.... The prizes of them nowadays seems decent though. Not to sure about the quality of Sony laptops either...

If your open for new things, perhaps a MacBook Pro would be worth it. Though i'm not to found of Mac myself for no good reason

Perhaps it's easier if you look around for some laptop that seems interesting to you, and paste it here. Might make it easier for other people to give feedback on it regarding the best choice.

[Avantoe]

Originally Posted by Sephi

Definitely don't rush a purchase of a laptop. I have to do 4 years with this one. Even though looking back at it... The choice could of been a bit better...

Since you will be taking your laptop to school to, i would recommend 15.4inch at most... I never saw anyone in my class with a 17inch laptop. And with good reasons to

If design plays a factor, perhaps check some of Sony Vaio laptops. Though imo they have some of the most retarded configurations i saw when i was looking for a laptop(1.5 year ago), top of the line processor and videocard, and than they put in a 4200RPM harddisk or something, or use 533mhz memory Oo wth.... The prizes of them nowadays seems decent though. Not to sure about the quality of Sony laptops either...

If your open for new things, perhaps a MacBook Pro would be worth it. Though i'm not to found of Mac myself for no good reason

Perhaps it's easier if you look around for some laptop that seems interesting to you, and paste it here. Might make it easier for other people to give feedback on it regarding the best choice.

I kinda agree that i dont really want a 17" laptop, thats just way to big. As for the Sony Vaio they are just weird, as you said yourself the configuration is kinda retarded. Looking at the prices of them i cant really say i like them, the better ones goes way over 2000€ which is just not really worth it.

The reason i havent posted any other computer to compare with is that i havent really found any other computer that i like, sure i might be very certain that i want the Mac Book Pro. But i want to make sure that there really isnt any other computer that might be better. Ill try to look out for some other computer that i like and see if i find something.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Avantoe

Since im getting the CS3 Master collection as a birthday present because im starting to work with graphics and i have the need for some other programs for school, i decided to buy a new computer to go with that.

Nice! That's a really great gift, I'm excited for you

I'm using a Macbook Pro (along with CS3 programs) and as of almost a year ago I've been watching the Mac scene pretty closely. Don't get a Macbook Air. The Air is incredibly thin, but it's not made to be someone's primary computer excepted for in extremely limited instances. It has no ethernet port (wireless only), it has no CD/DVD drive (it requires another computer's to share with, or an external one) and it has only one USB port. The system is seemingly made for people who are extremely mobile and who use their computer for relatively limited things. It's a beautiful system, but it sounds like you're looking to buy a computer for use as your main computer, right? The Air doesn't fit your usage needs.

First, is the CS3 Master Collection a Mac and PC version, or are the versions sold separately? I am under the impression that they're separate. If CS3 has already been bought, make sure you know which system it's for!

The statement that the Mac is useless for CS3-like types of programs is baseless. Macs have always had a reputation as being media machines. You won't be able to run Office 2007, but Office 2008 (the Mac version) has been out for a few weeks now and works nicely. The Mac Office versions have always had a layout that is a bit different from Windows Office versions, but many people seem to wish that the Windows versions were more like it. Office 2008 seems to lack Office 2007's organization style ("the ribbon"). Unless you're currently using Office 2007 and think it's the greatest thing ever, this probably won't bother you.

The Macbook Pro hardware is extremely nice. Macs are expensive when you compare them to low-end systems, but if you try to find a PC laptop with similar specifications as the Macbook Pro has then you'll likely find that the Macbook Pro is a very good deal. My Macbook Pro is limited to 3.5 GB of RAM (I have 3 now), but all of the models now are full 64-bit. Even though the system has only two slots, you could theoretically use 32 GB of RAM. I've seen 4 GB RAM modules (DIMMs) that were only $70, so I'm a bit sore that I'm stuck at 3 GB and can't go to 8 GB ;P The distinction is important, because for media applications more RAM is better, in general. My system has a 64-bit processor, but the reason for my RAM limit is due to having a 32-bit memory controller. That's not something that's advertised, and while Apple has shifted to full 64-bit, I'd imagine that some PC makers are still not fully there. Check it out either way.

As for switching over to Mac OS X from Windows, it's painless if you play it right. When I received my Macbook Pro it came with Parallels, which is virtualization software. If you're not familiar with it, virtualization software lets you run other operating systems on top of your primary operating system. In other words, you can open Windows almost as if it were its own application, and then use applications within Windows. When I first made the switch all of the programs that I had and knew were in Windows, so I was spending a lot of time in my virtualized Windows. As I got used to Mac OS X and found Mac software versions or program equivalents, I spent less and less time in Windows. It's basically a nice way of letting you keep up your productivity while learning the new system, and I highly recommend it if you feel that you might otherwise be lost and unable to use your computer for very much while learning it. These days I use a different virtualization software, VMWare Fusion. I recommend it over Parallels.

I don't mean to sound like an Apple zealot. In terms of desktop computers I still prefer to build my own, but I feel that the Apple laptops are really some of the most versatile you can get now. Powerful hardware, the ability to run any operating system, and Apple's (relatively) nice customer service in case anything goes wrong. Just keep in mind that even if you get a Macbook Pro you can and should still use product upgrades meant for PCs (hard drives, RAM). Manufacturers do release "Mac compatible" or "Mac-specified" versions that tend to be more expensive, yet aren't really any different from the regular counterparts.

I'll just add one final remark and say that my system is the 15.4" version and it's ~5.5 lbs. It's very thin (thinner than my old smartphone, a Motorola MPX 220) and compared with my old ~6-7 pound Toshiba, the difference did feel very nice.

[Avantoe]

The CS3 Master Collection is sold separatly but that doesnt matter, as im getting it after i bought my computer. I guess i dont really care about the office part. Im changing from Windows to Mac, i can handle a change in Office aswell. Thanks for the Information about the Mac it really helped me out. I am leaning towards the MacBook Pro atm, unless i find some other computer that i like.

[Sephi]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

The Macbook Pro hardware is extremely nice. Macs are expensive when you compare them to low-end systems, but if you try to find a PC laptop with similar specifications as the Macbook Pro has then you'll likely find that the Macbook Pro is a very good deal.

A MacBook Pro cost €1.899,00

Some other random Laptop cost €875
Customize some component like Processor to T7500 and the Ram to 2GB and Harddisk to 120GB 7200RPM And it's €992.

I might be missing something. But for the same spec. You definitely pay a lot less. Of course Mac is a well establish name and has a nice design. But whether it justifies the extra 900 Euro or so is questionable for me.

Its just a example. But there are tons of laptops with similar specs that are around that price range even from companies like Asus or so. Which make quite solid laptops imo. Of course you can always pay a bit more for design. But i think Mac is a bit to expensive when looking at it from a prize-spec ratio.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Sephi

A MacBook Pro cost €1.899,00

Some other random Laptop cost €875
Customize some component like Processor to T7500 and the Ram to 2GB and Harddisk to 120GB 7200RPM And it's €992.

I've never actually done a direct comparison myself; disgraceful as it is, I'm parroting what other knowledgable people have said. But I can go a bit farther in-depth into the nice things about Mac hardware that are very difficult to match up with PC laptop makers:

1) Gigabit ethernet port. Apple has been throwing gigabit support on their ethernet cards since the G4 days, apparently. I don't think it's really caught on with most PC makers yet. It future-proofs your system, and when you're in situations that can make use of it, you'll love it. (Yep, I use gigabit links, so that's the voice of experience )

2) Wireless card has A, B, G, and N support. "A" support is relatively useless, as not many wireless routers support A and I don't know that I'd use A even if it were available. I haven't made use of the N feature yet, but once again it's nice to know that the system is a bit future-proofed.

3) Backlit keyboard. It sounds stupid and I made fun of all my friends who had systems that could do this, but I've actually found it useful on a limited number of occasions.

4) DVD drive supports dual-layer DVDs for writing. This is probably standard on all laptops now, though.

5) Built-in "iSight" (2 megapixel camera) for videochatting and some pictures. I use it for videochatting with my family and girlfriend - but my girlfriend has to use a stand-alone camera that needs to be lugged around. Again, this might be useless to some people, but it's really nice to have it integrated for those special occasions.

6) Firewire 400 and Firewire 800 ports (at least one each). Most PC users don't use Firewire, but if you've ever worked on serious media stuff, transferring gobs of data, Firewire is the way to go (as opposed to USB). As far as laptop systems, where you're going to have a limited number of ports, the other benefit of Firewire over USB is that you can chain devices - I have only one Firewire 400 port, but I have two external drives on my desk that I use. At work, I have ~8 drives all linked via Firewire to a single Firewire port (you can chain up to 32, if I remember correctly). Firewire support is solid under Mac OS X, but I'm not sure if it's still flakey under Windows.

7) Ability to be controlled by remote (IR sensor port?). Again, useless for most people (including myself) but it is a feature that is useful to quite a number of people.

Each of those features add to the cost of the system. I've written some justifications for each one, but those were largely unnecessary since the real purpose of mentioning them is just to see whether a PC laptop with full or nearly full equivalents would be more or less expensive. If a lot of those features would truly be totally useless to a person, they should consider a system without them to save on costs. Otherwise, keep in mind the original statement that even though a Macbook Pro may be more expensive and may have all of these extraneous features, it's a better value for those features.

[Sephi]

Mmm those things you mention are really minor things. They may add to the cost of things. But the question whether it justifie the price is still questionable for me. But what i think isn't important. It's what the the thread starter thinks of course

Just some more of my thoughts.

Webcames are quite common these days on Laptop. My current one has a 1.3MP. It's one and a half year old now. But uhu... I personally haven't had much use for it. Though nice to have just in case as you mentioned.

I'm not to sure about this. But the wireless you mentioned. Isn't the MacBook Pro also using the Centrino platform? Which should be Santa Rosa now(Montevina in some month). They all share the same Wifi.

As for data transfer with firewire. I never had much use for it. I only used it once which was getting the source of a mini dv to computer. Which was quite a hassle ~~
But that aside. For fast data transfer i would say use ESata. My current External Harddisk has Esata support as well as firewire and USB. Though i only use USB. It's also possible to have 3 harddisk on one USB port. I got two on it atm, as i don't have a third external Harddisk yet. And with a express card you can have ESate to your laptop to Atleast on mine that is.

I think i saw some mac users use the IR thing with a remote during presentation. But i'm sure it's also doable with Bluetooth. My cell phone can actually be used as a remote for bluetooth things. Though i have yet to get it working properly.

I do love the keyboard light, as well as the apple logo at the back that lights up from the screen light.

Overall minor things imo. And odds that the topic starter has use for it is... i personally think small But in the end it's Avantoe choice what to pick. And best of luck with his purchase.

If you do decide to buy the MacBook Pro. I might of sound very negative towards it. I think it does kickass, it's a 15.4 inch with a high resolution as well as lighter than most of same size and good battery performance. And not the least good design. Just the price that is a bit to much for my taste.

[Ledgem]

Your points are all correct and I admit that by mentioning the features and trying to justify some of them that I led you a bit astray. I'm just wondering how much a PC laptop that matched all of those features would cost. If it costs less, then the statements that a Macbook Pro is a better deal than an equivalent PC is false. If a Macbook Pro doesn't fit your usage needs and/or is overkill for your uses, you should save your money and get something a bit lower. The same advice applies to PC laptops as well, of course