please convince me (considering switching)

ok so i been looking at getting a new computer and i looked at the imac
im getting a BA in graphic design and digital illustration . so ill be useing photoshop iullustrator , painter , and whatnot for my classes alot

i was looking at the 24inch imac pretty much topped out but my issue with that is that i can get a dell for the same price with a duo cor 2.66 prossesor 4gig ram and nvidia 7950 dual gpu thats a 1 gig graphics card

the mac tops out at 256mb

i dont know macs i heard a long time ago that they have lesser specs on the hardware cause the computer works diffrently . is the same still true

im mainly considering a mac cause i know if i get a pc ill waste alot fo time on video games and i know a mac dont support many so i would be spending more time on acctuall school work

if anyone could convince me a topped off imac would be a decent investment at least for 4 years till i graduate id appricate it cause the numbers on the PC are very tempting . a 1 gig graphics card could mun maya very easily while photoshop and illustrator are both open

Well, from what I've been reading, the performance of Photoshop CS3 BETA on the Macs is very, very good. Macs have always been known as the platform of choice when it comes to digital creation - whether it be video, audio, print, and the like.

If you're worried about gaming (or not), you're right. Macs are not the prime choice for games, so this would work in your favor. However, should you find yourself itching to game, you can use Apple's "Bootcamp" program and load a copy of Windows XP SP2, and reboot into Windows for your gaming needs.

I have used PCs for years, built them, watercooled them, game on them, built dozens for friends and family.

November of last year I got a 12" Apple Powerbook to take notes in class. I wanted to get some cross-platform experience.

Here we are over a year later, and in January (after MacWorld), I am selling my custom gaming computer and buying a Mac Pro desktop. I'm going all Apple, because I am that impressed by the usability, ease of use, style, and functionality of the Mac OS.

well when you say macs are very good at media stuff i see theres a huge diffrence between a mac pro and an imac 16 gig or ram should make anything run smooth lol. any other opinions . im seriously considering it cause ive never heard of a unhappy mac user but we will have to see

Watch these:
http://www.apple.com/getamac/

i know , i saw that but thats apple advertising i was looking for user input . but thanks it gives me more to think about

jadefoodog said:

16 gig or ram should make anything run smooth

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That is only kind of true. RAM is only part of what makes up overall computer performance, you can't overcompensate with a massive amount of RAM to make up for insufficient CPU/GPU performance. Additional RAM will only help if you can actually utilize it. I personally could never utilize over 2GB, I only only rarely use more than 1GB.

lol the mac pro also can use quad graphics cards and i assume the cpu dual xeons is just as spiffy . i was just saying theres a wide range between an imac and a workhorse super mac pro .

not complaining though the imac has much better specs than my current xp laptop. its just not often i have this kinda cash on hand so it will be a while before i can make a purchase like this again so i wanna make sure i get exactly what i want

The best way to make a judgment is to try it yourself. Go to the nearest Apple store and just play with it. You will start loving it in no time.

If you're using only Adobe products then you'll be tearing your hair out using CS2 on an Intel Mac. It's so slow under Rosetta . . . if you think you can put up with that until CS3 comes out next year (I'm assuming you don't have a CS2 Mac licence) then go for Mac. But do not be fooled: Windows CS2 runs rings around Intel Mac CS2. I love my Mac but, oh dear, CS2 runs so slooooow.

By the way, on paper a GPU with a gig of RAM sounds good but you won't get much benefit out of it on a lot of systems.

Finally, looking at the big picture if you're wanting a system to last you four years go for a Mac - they degrade much better.

well its dual 512 gpus and if you get another set you can run quad 512 gpus in sli thats 2 gig but i think one 512 gpu would be better than one 256 gpu but thats why i ask

i get student discount on software so the entire adobe suite premium is like gonnabe 400 bucks mac or pc . thats got photoshop illustrator in design dreamweaver acrobat pro and some other stuff. not bad getting a 900 dollar discount .

jadefoodog said:

you can run quad 512 gpus in sli

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Post link if you had it, I have never heard of quad SLI.

not quad sli. its single sli but the acctual cardset is dual gpu so uf you had 2 of them it would be 4 gpu but it would only be one sli

ok what do you mean runs cs2 slower cause im running photshop elements on an xp laptop with 512 memory and 1.4ghz ive yet to order my software for school yet till i order a mac or a pc . oddly enough i found out i can order microsoft office for a mac lol

im getting a BA in graphic design

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If you want a job when you leave uni, get a Mac.

If you're using only Adobe products then you'll be tearing your hair out using CS2 on an Intel Mac. It's so slow under Rosetta . . . if you think you can put up with that until CS3 comes out next year (I'm assuming you don't have a CS2 Mac licence) then go for Mac. But do not be fooled: Windows CS2 runs rings around Intel Mac CS2. I love my Mac but, oh dear, CS2 runs so slooooow

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It's not perfect at the moment, but it's not that bad!

jadefoodog said:

ok what do you mean runs cs2 slower cause im running photshop elements on an xp laptop with 512 memory and 1.4ghz ive yet to order my software for school yet till i order a mac or a pc . oddly enough i found out i can order microsoft office for a mac lol

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Oddly enough, there are lots of wrong stereotypes about Apple.

I can play Quake 4 on my MacBook Pro.
Office has been available for years.

Generally Apple Computers are the platform of choice among, graphic designers, printing, and many other professional fields. Digital creativity is what Apples are for. I use Maya, and Adobe CS2 on my MBP, i find it much easier, and more conducive to productivity. I have a CAD programs, and some of the Adobe software on the PC. And i find the Apple versions to be a little more intuitive.

Apple's can do everything a "PC" can. And they are well worth every penny.

jadefoodog said:

ok what do you mean runs cs2 slower cause im running photshop elements on an xp laptop with 512 memory and 1.4ghz ive yet to order my software for school yet till i order a mac or a pc . oddly enough i found out i can order microsoft office for a mac lol

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Ok a quick rundown here. Macs used PowerPC chips for over 10 years. They recently migrated to the Intel chip architecture. Since the architecture is really not the same, one program that runs on one chip won't run on the other. Unless...

What is Rosetta?

Some programs do run natively on both chips and they are known as Universal Binary or just plain Universal.

CS2 runs slower on an Intel-based Mac because it runs natively only on the PowerPC chip, not on Intel for the Mac. So it relies on Rosetta that will translate the code so it can run on your Intel Mac. Adobe refused to make a Universal Binary version of their Adobe products. But... CS3 will be written in Universal Binary code so all is not lost for you. If you can wait a couple of months before you buy the Adobe suite, you'll be able to have the latest version.

Besides, Adobe has started to make Intel-only apps for the Mac. Soundbooth.

Most people who actually have used CS2 on both PPC, and Intel haven't really seen any noticeable drop in performance.

I wouldn't so much say they refused, as much as they wanted to just finish CS3 for universal. And not bother making CS2 universal when it would be outmoded in about a year. And like you said, they are now making Intel only stuff now.

Personally if you're a designer I'd wait until CS3 is out. PS is running on Rosette with the new Intel Macs and while it's not horrible it's slower than probably you would want. JMO. If that doesn't matter, Just Do It™.

The point is that you need to be using OS X, Photoshop/Illustrator/Quark/InDesign now, regardless of how well they run or not now.

If you're serious about your career, you shouldn't need convinicng to 'switch' - it's obligatory.