Hi all,
After thousands of crash problem with my Photo.PC I have decided to get a Mac, it is a bit expensive for me..but need some help before taking the plunge.
Anybody using Mac Mini over here? (http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Mac-mini-MC239LL-Desktop/dp/B002QQ8CC4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1274019692&sr=8-2)
I know one can get a Mac book but it is out of budget for me now. I also need a decent display. I'm fine with 4gb RAM so this desktop does it for me. Now the questions -
I need -
1. Lightroom, PS CS4 and Autopano Pro. All the licenses are transferable last I checked. So that should not be a problem, or are there any that I do not know of?
2. I've never used Mac before, only thing I'm sure of is it is expensive...there are almost no freebies. So do I have to use all the peripherals from Apple only? Even a mouse costs over 60 bucks so any help here? What about USB cables, FireWire? What works for Windows work for Mac, or not? I told ya, never used it.
3. any other pitfalls I haven't thought of?
Adobe - always generous and customer-focused - can be sticky about transferring licenses from Windows to Macs. And inconsistent. Sometimes Adobe requires you to upgrade to the most current version as a condition to changing platforms; sometimes they don't. Try to talk to a human at Adobe.
Peripherals: most that follow IEEE standards will work as well or better on a Mac as on Windows, and will certainly be easier to install. USB cables are interchangeable. Monitors will work, although all of your color calibration will be lost. Firewire will be fine, although some Windows boxes use different plug form factors than Macs. And, assuming you have a large enough hard drive, you can always run Windows on a Mac either using the included Boot Camp from Apple, which forces a restart to change platforms, or Parallels ($60) or one of its cousins, which allow you to have Windows applications as Mac windows. You are not limited to Apple-only peripherals.
There's a bit of a learning curve. Mac and Windows OSs are just alike enough to be annoyingly difficult to keep straight. But many of us think that, on balance, Macs are easier to use.
I use a Mac Mini, and am really enjoying the benefits. It's no powerhouse desktop, but it get's the job done with little frustration ... I am still happily humming along with CS3 and LR2 versions. The small footprint (size, energy, heat output, etc.) is incredible. I recommend MiniStack drives for your working files. And a fast firewire drive for a Photoshop scratch disk.
It is sometimes nice to buy preconfigured Macs from Apple, but 3rd party vendors can usually offer better pricing for anything Mac related. I have used Other World Computing for many years. http://www.macsales.com/
I have heard the same about transferring between platforms - that you will likely have to upgrade to the latest version to make it happen.
1. Is a Mac Mini an adequate solution?
2. Is there anything I should be aware of in switching from a PC to a Mac.
To address the first question I have a Mac Mini, but I use it hooked up to our TV for my wife to use. If you're looking to cut down on the cost of buying a monitor that is an option. Peripheral wise most any firewire or usb device will work with a Mac. You don't only have to buy Apple products to use with it.
I like the Mini, but rely on heavier lifting with my workstation or laptop. Yeah I'm kind of an Apple fanboy :)
I think Apple makes great products. There is a bit of a premium to the cost, but its worth it.
To address the second question you may have a challenging time bridging the Adobe licenses from one platform to another, but it should be doable. I've not done it so I can't say. What you used on a PC you'll want to use on a Mac. The large applications should be the same, but the smaller applications may not be... but there will always be an equivalent application.
Discussion
3 repliesAfter thousands of crash problem with my Photo.PC I have decided to get a Mac, it is a bit expensive for me..but need some help before taking the plunge.
Anybody using Mac Mini over here? (http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Mac-mini-MC239LL-Desktop/dp/B002QQ8CC4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1274019692&sr=8-2)
I know one can get a Mac book but it is out of budget for me now. I also need a decent display. I'm fine with 4gb RAM so this desktop does it for me. Now the questions -
I need -
1. Lightroom, PS CS4 and Autopano Pro. All the licenses are transferable last I checked. So that should not be a problem, or are there any that I do not know of?
2. I've never used Mac before, only thing I'm sure of is it is expensive...there are almost no freebies. So do I have to use all the peripherals from Apple only? Even a mouse costs over 60 bucks so any help here? What about USB cables, FireWire? What works for Windows work for Mac, or not? I told ya, never used it.
3. any other pitfalls I haven't thought of?
Thanks a lot for your time,
Peripherals: most that follow IEEE standards will work as well or better on a Mac as on Windows, and will certainly be easier to install. USB cables are interchangeable. Monitors will work, although all of your color calibration will be lost. Firewire will be fine, although some Windows boxes use different plug form factors than Macs. And, assuming you have a large enough hard drive, you can always run Windows on a Mac either using the included Boot Camp from Apple, which forces a restart to change platforms, or Parallels ($60) or one of its cousins, which allow you to have Windows applications as Mac windows. You are not limited to Apple-only peripherals.
There's a bit of a learning curve. Mac and Windows OSs are just alike enough to be annoyingly difficult to keep straight. But many of us think that, on balance, Macs are easier to use.
It is sometimes nice to buy preconfigured Macs from Apple, but 3rd party vendors can usually offer better pricing for anything Mac related. I have used Other World Computing for many years. http://www.macsales.com/
I have heard the same about transferring between platforms - that you will likely have to upgrade to the latest version to make it happen.
Good luck!
1. Is a Mac Mini an adequate solution?
2. Is there anything I should be aware of in switching from a PC to a Mac.
To address the first question I have a Mac Mini, but I use it hooked up to our TV for my wife to use. If you're looking to cut down on the cost of buying a monitor that is an option. Peripheral wise most any firewire or usb device will work with a Mac. You don't only have to buy Apple products to use with it.
I like the Mini, but rely on heavier lifting with my workstation or laptop. Yeah I'm kind of an Apple fanboy :)
I think Apple makes great products. There is a bit of a premium to the cost, but its worth it.
To address the second question you may have a challenging time bridging the Adobe licenses from one platform to another, but it should be doable. I've not done it so I can't say. What you used on a PC you'll want to use on a Mac. The large applications should be the same, but the smaller applications may not be... but there will always be an equivalent application.
Make the jump you'll love it.