Looking at getting a Macbook

[tlarkin]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but someone brought in their macbook pro into the store looking for a monitor cable, and it had some crazy messed up port on it. I dunno if it's a standard mac connection or something, but it definately wasn't VGA.

It is a mini DVI out, which you can get an analog adapter for and output to a standard VGA monitor if you wanted to.

The dongle that comes with them looks like this:

 

[Geoff]

That still doesn't take a top of the line GPU. In reality if you are rendering really high quality digital data, you want to probably get a Quadro or some other sort of work station render card.

Gaming cards still will have very small effect. With processors improving so rapidly they will still be the bread and butter of performance with photo or film editing.

Once you dabble into the 3rd rendering world, where you are rendering actual 3D objects and not 2D photos, then the GPU starts to shine.

So, it be may true, but it is also relative and subjective.

No it doesn't take a top of the line GPU or worstation card, but from reviews I've read even people with low-mid ranged video cards noticed a huge increase in the speed while moving about large photos in detail.

While 3D and video work tax the GPU much more, the point I was trying to make was that having a dedicated GPU would help out, especially when using newer products such as CS4.

 

[tlarkin]

No it doesn't take a top of the line GPU or worstation card, but from reviews I've read even people with low-mid ranged video cards noticed a huge increase in the speed while moving about large photos in detail.

While 3D and video work tax the GPU much more, the point I was trying to make was that having a dedicated GPU would help out, especially when using newer products such as CS4.

Yeah I don't disagree, but CS3 just came out like last year so I wouldn't be holding my breath about anything until they get out of alpha stage, out of beta stage and actually release their product.

 

[Geoff]

Yeah I don't disagree, but CS3 just came out like last year so I wouldn't be holding my breath about anything until they get out of alpha stage, out of beta stage and actually release their product.

Photoshop is on an 18 month production cycle, so the final product is due around the end of this fall.

 

[tlarkin]

Photoshop is on an 18 month production cycle, so the final product is due around the end of this fall.

That is ridiculous, because we just bought a site license to CS3 last year for 10s of thousands of dollars. No way we are going to upgrade every 18 months.

Either way, I won't hold my breathe on the requirements until it is released.

 

[Geoff]

That is ridiculous, because we just bought a site license to CS3 last year for 10s of thousands of dollars. No way we are going to upgrade every 18 months.

Either way, I won't hold my breathe on the requirements until it is released.

I don't blame you, but honestly there wasn't a huge difference from CS2 to CS3, and from what I've heard so far theres not much different from CS3 to CS4.

Photoshop CS was released in October 2003
Photoshop CS2 was released in April 2005
Photoshop CS3 was released in April 2007

I guess they don't stick with their cycle too strictly, but they are released fairly close together.

 

[cohen]

It is a mini DVI out, which you can get an analog adapter for and output to a standard VGA monitor if you wanted to.

The dongle that comes with them looks like this:

Has that changed??? Because my friends have got mac book pros and they have the big DVI adaptor... or is the adaptor above for the mac book

Wrong. Adobe Photoshop CS4 is moving more of the graphics work to the GPU, which will allow you to zoom, pan and move across incredibly large images at full detail with little to no lag time (assuming you have a decent video card).

Awesome!!

 

[tlarkin]

pros have DVI out, the Macbooks and iMacs have the mini DVI out, probably due to size and or design restraint by something else of those computers.

 

[Kill Bill]

pros have DVI out, the Macbooks and iMacs have the mini DVI out, probably due to size and or design restraint by something else of those computers.

Ditto. Personally I think the entry level MB can do the photo editing how about you? Also omega That doesnt mean 3D 3d is like in maya/some 3d program where you can texture all around them its not like a photo can be twisted on a desktop

 

[Kill Bill]

Has that changed??? Because my friends have got mac book pros and they have the big DVI adaptor... or is the adaptor above for the mac book



Awesome!!

They didn't change I got my MBP 3 weeks ago and it has a DVI out on a normal computer

 

[mangofresh]

I was wondering if the macbooks (black one) with their intel graphics card can handle games such as world of warcraft and upcoming ones like warhammer. Someone told me that the graphics card that comes with the macbooks are actually pretty good. Thanks

 

[Enjoihcky24/7]

It could handle WoW just fine, but more GPU intensive games might get a little rough.

 

[mangofresh]

It could handle WoW just fine, but more GPU intensive games might get a little rough.

Oh nice. I might get a 4gb macbook and hope that would help too. So you think warhammer would be okay too? And also I heard running windows on the macbook becomes really laggy or slow and running windows on the mac OS is better overall.

 

[Enjoihcky24/7]

After looking into it, it would seem that War Hero should run fine, you may not get the settings to all high though.

 

[tlarkin]

At my old work they gave all the PC guys either Gateways or HPs, and they all had integrated intel cards. One of my co-workers had WoW loaded on his and it ran fine and that was like 2 years ago.

 

[Irishwhistle]

Would a macbook work with my linksys router (or any router for that matter), because I was on the apple website and it said you need an AirPort base... is that just to get you to buy their product? Thanks!

 

[Kill Bill]

Would a macbook work with my linksys router (or any router for that matter), because I was on the apple website and it said you need an AirPort base... is that just to get you to buy their product? Thanks!

No it works with any base station but since it's N ready they recommend buying a N workbus aka airport extreme for the 108MB/S also mango fresh

I was wondering if the macbooks (black one) with their intel graphics card can handle games such as world of warcraft and upcoming ones like warhammer. Someone told me that the graphics card that comes with the macbooks are actually pretty good. Thanks

It supports Shader Model 3 so it is kind of a mid range GPU so gaming will be fine.

 

[realmike15]

i think you're hurting yourself using a Macbook as your photo editing computer. only because the entry level Macbook is a very small LCD, and is not designed for professional photography work.

i'm guessing you prefer the Mac OS and thats why you're only looking at Macs. if you're serious about photographing professionally, look into getting a LaCie monitor. Apple displays are great for general purpose use. but for photography you really need to look into a monitor, with true color representation and uniform contrast/brightness.

maybe get the laptop first then save up for a nice display. even though Apple makes a great general purpose display. you will see a difference between the colors on screen, and the final printed product.

good luck

 

[Kill Bill]

i think you're hurting yourself using a Macbook as your photo editing computer. only because the entry level Macbook is a very small LCD, and is not designed for professional photography work.

i'm guessing you prefer the Mac OS and thats why you're only looking at Macs. if you're serious about photographing professionally, look into getting a LaCie monitor. Apple displays are great for general purpose use. but for photography you really need to look into a monitor, with true color representation and uniform contrast/brightness.

maybe get the laptop first then save up for a nice display. even though Apple makes a great general purpose display. you will see a difference between the colors on screen, and the final printed product.

good luck

No you almost suggesting windows is for photo editing when you said im guessing you prefer the mac os. The Matte MB is fine

 

[Irishwhistle]

No it works with any base station but since it's N ready they recommend buying a N workbus aka airport extreme for the 108MB/S also mango fresh It supports Shader Model 3 so it is kind of a mid range GPU so gaming will be fine.

You said "no" but it sounds like you mean yes it will work. will it? Thanks! I'm pretty convinced that this is the computer for me.