hackR Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Hey RWG... Daughter is entering college in Fall...she will be an Art, Photography, Graphics Design major...much more painting and creative hands-on art work than computer graphics design - at this point...so less a need on high end graphics work... she currently uses an old Windows laptop with an older version of Adobe's Creative Suite product, etc...she will need that stuff again - but probably doesn't need the highest end machine for speed...her college does not have a purchase program - so i will need to sort this out...i believe she'll be able to get student level software at student prices...but that is next hurdle...machine is first... So even though she will do creative work on it, she's still going to be a kid that uses it for the usual email, web surfing, etc... I need a balanced machine - that is equally portable, yet ok for moderate design/creative work... She will be playing College Volleyball, so i expect this device will go with her on trips, etc...so i'm definitely not thinking 17" size - somewhere in the 13-15" size...something she can stuff in a backpack, etc... I know there's quite a few models to choose from...But would prefer some solid Mac advice from users - especially you professional users... budget on the machine is depending on what i need...don't want to overdo it, but certainly would like the machine to last 4 years... looking for machine model, recommended RAM, disk, accessories, other... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtanak Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 You didn't leave much choice 13-15", Mac, balanced yet good for design... 15" Macbook Pro. Souped up on ram and harddisk. 2.66GHz Intel Core i7 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display Backlit Keyboard (English) & User's Guide Microsoft Office Mac 2008 - Home and Student Edition Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter USD 2877.95 (before educational discount) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chronoluvvv Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 does it have to be a Mac ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted June 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 personally, i think she'd still be fine with a Windows device...but you know the creative types prefer Macs... gtanak --> thanks...i agree i didn't leave too much room...and the MacBook Pro 15 is what i was looking at...but geeeez, these are pricey...do i need it that loaded or is there an alternative?... R- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchurch Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 I agree with gtanak. The 15 inch macbook pro is a great choice. What college? if it is an accredited university I can't see why they wouldn't. I actually believe if you show up with a student ID at the store you will probably be good and get a discount. Also if you decided to go with a mac they have CS5 master collection (latest and greatest lol) available via torrent for no cost lol. If you didn't go mac there are some wonderful microsoft choices out there for less money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtanak Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 personally, i think she'd still be fine with a Windows device...but you know the creative types prefer Macs... gtanak --> thanks...i agree i didn't leave too much room...and the MacBook Pro 15 is what i was looking at...but geeeez, these are pricey...do i need it that loaded or is there an alternative?... R- Well ... the creative types go for Macs not because its cool There're many good reasons and for me, the most impt is there's no blue screen of death. Force Quit actually does wonders. Many alternatives. 1)You could go for a mid spec one and add on ram, Hdd etc much later on when needed. The essential is to start with a good/decent graphic card (at least 256mb) and Hi-Res screen is a nice but not necessary option cos you could always calibrate your monitor. Find 'alternate' solutions for your software and with Ed discount... prob you can get it just under 2.2K? 2) You could get a 15" notebook, format it and install Leopard and you have a franken Mac. If you want something that can go for 2-4 years... you have to be prepared to pay upfront. If you want a base model and spend money along the years to upgrade it bit by bit.. you can always start with a base laptop or MacbookPro. COm'on.. its not so pricey if you put up 1 or 2 keepers for sale You prob have change left over hehe ;P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchurch Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 personally, i think she'd still be fine with a Windows device...but you know the creative types prefer Macs... gtanak --> thanks...i agree i didn't leave too much room...and the MacBook Pro 15 is what i was looking at...but geeeez, these are pricey...do i need it that loaded or is there an alternative?... R- Doesn't have to be that loaded... I ran CS4 and have installed CS5 on a netbook (there are some CS5 programs that wont install with less than a 64bit processor) and it works perfectly fine; you can pick up the netbook for a few hundred bucks. Mine was like 600 loaded with memory and every available option I could get lol. I suspect an i5 processor would be fine and memory can be easily bought cheaper outside of apple so don't worry about the memory unless you are getting a deal on it. I would probably just go with the 15 inch base one and add the hi-res display (really a great worthwhile option) one of those is around 1899 without a discount (1789 when I apply my student discount or 1785 when I apply my work employee purchase discount). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzipy Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 Not being a shill. But I have been running Windows 7 for over one year on 2 machine (home and work), never once have I had a blue screen, freeze ups or anything. I used to curse XP and don't even start me on Vista. I have over 5 people in my small consulting firm, all of them on Windows 7 and heavy users, no problems. My wife has Mac and even she has noticed how stable Windows 7 is. Not trying to sell you anything, just giving complete picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mastrmindalliance Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 I'd suggest from experience that if you must buy a laptop for creative work go for as large a screen as possible (and deal with portability with a good case/bag). When you're talking design software small screens hamper productivity and in turn creativity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchurch Posted June 19, 2010 Report Share Posted June 19, 2010 I'd suggest from experience that if you must buy a laptop for creative work go for as large a screen as possible (and deal with portability with a good case/bag). When you're talking design software small screens hamper productivity and in turn creativity. ill agree with this thing but you can get a massive screen for at the dorm or in a room. carrying a 17 inch laptop is for suckers. I did that for a while and it sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted June 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 thanks, guys... i need to share that i am a CIO by trade...but outside of the Design guys who spec their own stuff, i'm very used to the corporate world of Windows - and life cycle/TCO principles...all said and done, i'm now dealing with something you rarely deal with in the business world - a creative daughter!...if push comes to shove, i could probably work her into a Win 7 machine at a much different price point...with a lot of bell/whistles including hi-def resolution in a 15-17 footprint...before i go that route, i'm trying to sort thru the Mac options - in the interest of love...lol...and to keep the peace...definitely want a nice graphic card and not much more than 15" for portability...a college kid won't take a boat anchor away from the dorm...my daughter will be playing volleyball - so it will be the norm for her to travel a lot the Fall semester... in the event she decides Win 7 is a better route - with some arm twisting, of course - i'm thinking i should go for a 64 bit OS version - especially, if she plans to load up CS intensive kinda apps... thoughts/comments?!... as always, my friends, thanks!... R- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtanak Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 CIO - Is that a Chief Intelligence Officer? Does that mean you work in CIA? I'm so far from the corporate world that the last time i wore a suit was ... i can't remember. Anyway... How about: ASUS Republic of Gamers G51JX-X3 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop - (Dun worry about the term gaming, its actually for the graphics card) Product Features Intel Core i5-430M Processor 2.26 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.53 GHz 4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM, 2 SODIMM Slots; 8GB Max 500GB Hard Drive (7200 RPM); Super Multi Optical Disk Drive; Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn 15.6" Full HD 1920x1080 LED LCD Display; NVidia GTS 360M Graphics Engine with 1GB DDR5 dedicated VRAM Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit) Operating System; Bluetooth; 2.0MP Webcam; Backlit Chiclet Keyboard Processor, Memory, and Motherboard Processor: 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5 Cases and Expandability Size (LWH): 14.6 inches, 10.3 inches, 1.6 inches Weight: 7.26 pounds http://www.amazon.com/Republic-Gamers-G51JX-X3-15-6-Inch-Gaming/dp/tech-data/B00361G0ZO/ref=de_a_smtd - $1130 This one is an overkill but hey... since we're at it... ASUS G51JX-3D Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch 3D Gaming Laptop Intel i7-720QM Quad-Core processor with Turbo Boost technology 6GB DDR3 1066MHz , 4 SODIMM Sockets, up to 8GB 500GB 7200RPM HDD; Super-Multi DVD Drive; 802.11 b/g/n Nvidia GTS 360M graphics w/1GB DDR5 VRAM; Windows Home Premium 64-bit Operating System 15.6-Inch HD (1366x768) LED 120Hz Display; 2.0M Webcam; Gaming Backpack and Mouse http://www.amazon.com/G51JX-3D-Republic-Gamers-15-6-Inch-Gaming/dp/B0036RH79G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1277002042&sr=1-4 - $1620 And yeah, of course there's a Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 R! I would definitely stick with the Macbook Pro 15". However, I would think she will be fine with the base model. You can always upgrade the RAM and stuff later. The base model i5 is fast! I think she will do just fine with that one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 I'm not really into computers or their specs, I just use them, and know what I need them to do, but, I do have some advice on the subject. Anything built for gaming, would be an excellent choice, as it provides fast processor, excellent graphics card, and sometimes most importantly, the ability to be run (especially if only using it for graphics, net access etc etc) near 24/7 with no fear of overheating. If desk top publishing (I love that old skool term) is not going to be a crucial aspect of your daughter's course, then the ability to use the computer for graphics is not such a key priority, so neither is screen size. If it might be, then she is going to need a decent screen to be working on. I haven't yet used a laptop which had a suitable screen for actual graphics work (quick photoshop tweaks, maybe, but certainly not for projects running into several hours) my current monitor is 22ins across the diagonal... Windows7 is an awesome package, and very versatile, certainly the best windows OS I've used since Windows 98 (I hated 2000, XP and barely tolerated Vista) I've been running a downloaded version, which recently, suffered the black screen of death, and a "You might be using counterfeit software" message, but, not only did the OS continue to function (albeit with a black desktop) but the online treatments solved the problem, and it is back running at full capacity as usual I hope those bits might be of help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chronoluvvv Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 if you do go the PC route, please don't buy a Dell their quality seems to be deteriorating year after year i've had 3 service calls for mine in the last 3 years i think buying one of those Asus graphic/gaming laptops offer good value for money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metaljesus Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 if you do go the PC route, please don't buy a Dell their quality seems to be deteriorating year after year i've had 3 service calls for mine in the last 3 years i think buying one of those Asus graphic/gaming laptops offer good value for money Well just to confuse matters more, im a freelance graphic designer and video editor and i do 75% of my work on my laptop, I've just gone from an ASUS gaming machine to a Dell 16" XPS laptop and freaking love it. I will never by an ASUS again. Seemingly great value for money re: specs, but soo unreliable and fragile. hackR. I studied graphic design at university in the US and Australia. Go with the mac. Its the industry standard for graphic design (as it is for video production and photograph - though not web design) and if she gets a windows laptop her professors will tell her she has the wrong platform. This is because 5 years ago mac was a bucket load more stable than pc, these days though there is basically no difference (which is why i use the slightly more cost effective PC). That being said though design professors (i studied in NY) are generally stuck in their ways (i had to do typography classes by cutting and pasteing by hand individual letters to make up entire paragraphs!) and like to loudly tell students their opinions as if they are solid facts. So what you really dont want is to convice her to go with a PC, drop $4k inc software, and then have her professor tell her to buy a mac! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metaljesus Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 Oh and re: gaming machines. Video cards dont matter a hoot. Unless you do video editing or motion graphics. Even then they dont matter much. If shes using illustrator, indesign and photoshop, then money is better spent on ram. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asf Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 I use a 15" MBP Unibody 2.53ghz intel core 2 duo, 4gb of ram. you definately want atleast 4gb of ram and lotta hard drive space/added external hard drives. I only have 2.5 terabytes of external space but its good for my fashion work right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dudemeister Posted June 20, 2010 Report Share Posted June 20, 2010 Aplle also has many good deals on their factory refurbished Macs. I have previously purchased refurbed macs, and other than the generic brown box they come in, there's no difference between a new one and that other than the price. You can check their deals here: Apple Refurb Store You might also want to consider (depending on the price) an older model (like the ones they were selling ealrier this years with a Core 2 Duo instead of the i5/i7. While those processors are great, the "relative" performance improvement they offer over the Core 2 may not be worth the money. What I mean by relative is: If the i5 processor is, say, 25% faster, and what you need to do takes 1 hour on a Core 2, it might take 45 minutes on the i5. That's a big difference, but if the task at hand only takes 1-2 seconds, does that 25% improvement make enough difference to justify a few hundred dollars? I work with both photos and video, and I find that most tasks in Photoshop take less than 5-10 seconds, even on large RAW files. It's HD video that can use all the horse power you can give it. Editing video and especially encoding it can be very time consuming. Another CPU hog is 3D rendering, so Programs like Maya, Combustion, RenderMan and Lightwave can and will use anything you can give them. So if your daughter is planning on doing a lot video editing, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, etc., or any of the 3D rendering and animation, then the i5 is something you should seriously consider, but Photoshop is not as demanding and will work just fine on a Core 2 Duo machine. Anyway, take a look at Apple's store, and remember, that things like memory and hard drives can be upgraded after the fact for a lot less than what Apple charges. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Oh and re: gaming machines. Video cards dont matter a hoot. Unless you do video editing or motion graphics. Even then they dont matter much. If shes using illustrator, indesign and photoshop, then money is better spent on ram. +1 I quite agree. The only reason I had a custom-built gaming machine a few years back, was because although I wasn't using them for games, I was leaving it turned on about 18 hours a day, using it for the majority of that time, and found that 'regular' PCs couldn't stand that kind of use without overheating. The computer I had built was built to the specs of an Alienware gaming PC, so while it was designed for very intensive work for a few hours without overheating, it was quite capable of running regular operations for much longer periods without overheating. In the end, the harddrive packed up after about 5 years, and I bought a refurbed PC rather than rebuilding as that was the cheapest option (and the modern components were better than what had originally been installed) but I must admit, that gaming machine ran smooth as silk with whatever I needed it to do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronus Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Yolu can get an external monitor for her to connect the laptop to when she's back at base, so don't worry a huge amount about screen size being enoujgh. I have 3x24" dell monitors... I don't expect you'd go the same route but you can get decent monitors for a good price nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Buddy, I'm offended you didn't ask me first being that I am a graphic designer and a mac IT guy to boot. If I were you I would go with the 13" macbook Pro. Definitely get it from the refurb store as you'll save quite a bit and get the full warranty as well. You could also get an macbook as it is pretty much the same machine, but I think the aluminum casing on the macbook pro would better stand up to four years of use, than the plastic macbook. You'll also want to buy a decent sized LCD and wireless mouse for her dorm, as a portable screen & trackpad just doesn't cut it for prolonged work. Make sure you get 4gb of ram (I think they both ship that way now). Lastly, get an external HD for her to back up on. Kids are prone to overworking laptops and it is more than likely that the HD will not make it through 4 years. Cheap and easy to fix on the MBP, but data is not replaceable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted June 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 UPDATE: I spent some time looking and thinking - I decided to go with the 13.3" screen - for the reasons mentioned in the posts above...Portability is key for now... Soooooo...After Dude's pm, i spent some time checking out the refurb Apple store and ordered one last nite - and got confirmation it shipped (free) today...: Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display 4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM 320GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm 8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 Thats what I've got, she won't be disappointed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted June 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2010 thanks, A...send me a "B" logo and hers will match yours!... R- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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