12-02-2009, 06:49 PM

I currently work from home doing graphic design work and im thinking of buying my first MAC. I hear Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator run better on a MAC and also im just getting sick and tied of my PC crashing all the time. I've been a PC user all my life but have dabbled on MAC's here and there, so if i do this its going to be quite a change as i currently sit in front of my PC over 8 hours a day.
A part of me feels like like im thinking of going to the dark weenie liberal Starbucks drinking side or something, its just such a cultural change

Now i can afford any Apple product i want, but at the same time there's a big cheap-o side in me that cringes when i see the $2500 price tag for a top of the line 17" MacBook Pro. Which is what i am thinking of getting for my home even though i love the new iMac's all in one just one plug to plug in man are they sweet!

The thing is, i love to travel,.. (even though i don't get to as much as id like)
I know conventional wisdom would say, 'if you work from home get an iMac, then if you go on the road buy a MacBook',.. but what my unconventional mind is thinking (since i have a big 22" Apple Cinema display already) is why not get a MacBook Pro and basically use it like my current PC tower that sits next to my desk. Literally just set the MacBook off to the side, hook my Apple Cinema display to it, as well as a wireless keyboard and mouse, and use it as my main home work station without even touching it,.. then if i travel ill have the ability to unhook it and take everything with me. Might sound crazy to drop $2500 on what will primarily be a home work station when i could drop only $1600 on an iMac to do the same thing, but if it keeps me from later buying a MacBook Pro later it will save $1600.
So my first question is what do you think of my above plan from a graphic designer mindset? Would it work reliably? Is it something that should be done? The guy at the Apple store i talked to said the MacBooks are powerful enough to run photoshop and illustrator but will they run it comparable to a new iMac? (I didn't ask the guy at the store that because he doesn't use the programs on a daily basis) The specs are very similar so i think so but id like input from those who have used both.

12-02-2009, 07:22 PM

Macbooks and iMacs use essentially the same laptop components, so a Macbook with external display/external keyboard/mouse (which is exactly how I work with my Macbook) would be just as powerful as an iMac AND you can unhook and hit the road.

Lots of people do just that. About the only thing that would be an advantage from a graphics designer perspective would be the 27" iMac. So for screen size a Macbook/external would be a small compromise, but otherwise would work very well.

Most graphic designers (myself as well when I'm working Photoshop for my photography) have the work in the big external screen, and the palettes/tools in the Macbook's screen. Mine is arranged vertically, but if you have the desk space horizontally works rather well. Also Macbooks are basically plug-in-external-and-it-works with no need to mess with drivers etc.

12-06-2009, 09:18 PM

Are you going to run them as dual displays or just the 22" when you are at home?

12-08-2009, 03:28 AM

I can't give you a complete answer regarding your graphics needs, but as someone that recently switched to Mac, I can honestly say I think it would be worth the money to just get the MacBook Pro. You said you have a large Apple Cinema display, so while at home you would be able to have the advantages of the large display with powerful computer, and when you're traveling, you would still have the same computing power, just with a smaller display. Either way, you are prepared for any work you might need to do @ home or away.

12-08-2009, 12:38 PM

If you have a 22 inch cinema display and are only getting the MBP to have the option to travel, why in the name of Stan would you buy the 17 inch version? Get something that's actually portable? Maybe?

12-08-2009, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by DarkestRitual

If you have a 22 inch cinema display and are only getting the MBP to have the option to travel, why in the name of Stan would you buy the 17 inch version? Get something that's actually portable? Maybe?

I would have to agree with DarkestRitual. While the 17" is nice, it's huge and cumbersome to carry around. Let alone work with when you are mobile. If anything it's really meant to be used as a desktop replacement, meaning you aren't moving around with it very much or at all.

If you need the mobility and don't want to sacrifice the screen real estate then 15" is the answer.