eleskin
Well-known
Well, it is PC upgrade time for me, and I am considering a new I-MAC for my professional work, including ll of my M8 files. I mainly print 16"x20" , but do go up to 20"x24"in my prints. My guess is the 24" is the best bet, and $1,499 is not that bad, considering the Macbook Pro's are much more (I have a 15" last generation Powerbook G4 that is still going very strong). Also, a desktop is a desktop, and is always built better, and always has an excellent LCD, especially Apple.
How highly do some of the M8 users regard the new Imac? It seems the best bang for the buck out there. How does the new glossy screen work out? I know pro that thinks it is fine. Others sem to like the older mat5t screen.
How highly do some of the M8 users regard the new Imac? It seems the best bang for the buck out there. How does the new glossy screen work out? I know pro that thinks it is fine. Others sem to like the older mat5t screen.
jaapv
RFF Sponsoring Member.
Macpro, I would say. Add an Eizo screen and you are set.
Matt(1pt4)
Established
I use a recent 20 inch iMac at home, and it is perfectly fine for all photo tasks, but at work I use a dual processor Mac Pro with a 30 inch cinema display. That display is amazing. Wish I had the budget for one at home.
mr_phillip
Well-known
I use a 24" iMac at home, and a Mac Pro at work. The iMac's more than good enough for my photo stuff though and, if you feel a bit hemmed in by the 24" display, you can always add a second monitor.
An iMac has plenty of power, no need for a Mac Pro. The screen size just depends on how much desktop space you want. You can always hook up a second monitor, too. I prefer an iMac with a 2nd monitor over the 30" screen. BTW, it's "iMac" not "I-MAC." 
Ricko of Fla
Established
I have a Imac 24 and the problem is the display is too bright. I down loaded a free program called Shades to adjust the brightness down. Or else when printing all the picture come out too dark. You have to play around to get the right brighness which is a pain and uses a lot of print paper doing this.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
I have learned that selecting the correct paper on the printer's dialog box also makes a big difference in how dark the print turns out. For instance, selecting "Glossy photo paper pro" when the paper is not marked "pro" can make it turn out too dark. Switching to "Glossy Photo Paper" fixes it. Then again, if I am using Pro grade paper, then it is appropriate to select "Pro" paper in the dialog box, and the rpint turns out right.
Probably a bit elementary for you Mac experts, but I thought I would add what I've learned.
Probably a bit elementary for you Mac experts, but I thought I would add what I've learned.
Eric T
Well-known
Hard drive space in the Mac Pro is expandable and much greater than the iMac. Of course, that doesn't matter if you use a server of some kind. The iMac with its built-in screen is much less expensive. I use Macs of all kinds at home and at work. I have avoided Windows since 2001. For my purposes, the Linux desktop options aren't ready yet (or I am not ready for them).
bullshark
Member
I'm a Mac reseller, I will say go for the 24" iMac for the best panel. Get the faster CPU and upgrade the video card if you can afford, external HD is necessary, I use Drobo myself.
ruslan
Established
iMac 24" 2.8 great machine,
rya
Established
I am on a 24" iMac 2.8 and a last generation 12" powerbook. I would like to consolidate to a macbook pro and extra monitor (because I frequently move). I do love using it, though. I have issues with the screen brightness as well--I like to work in near dark and the screen is too bright to do that comfortably. The price paid for this sharp and glossy (highly reflective) screen, I suppose.
majid
Fazal Majid
If you get the iMac, get the 24" version, which uses a S-IPS flat panel. The 20" version uses inferior TN panels, not even MVA/PVA. The question is whether you can deal with the glossy display. I prefer matte. The Mac Pro is the ideal machine for digital photo, but it does come at a premium over the iMac.
What brand of computer you use is irrelevant, as long as you have a decent monitor and calibrate it. Currently, that still means either Windows or Mac OS X as Linux ICC support is not there yet. S-IPS panels are the way to go for exacting photo work. LED-backlit displays are even preferable (better color gamut and longer lasting), but still quite pricey. The iMac 24" panel is not LED-backlit, unfortunately, unlike the excellent LED Cinema Display.
The iMac is just a laptop in desktop casing (all the major components apart from the disk drives are laptop-spec), so you might want to revisit getting a laptop vs. a desktop. A MacBook Pro with the option to add a 24" LED Cinema Display is probably a better option than an iMac in the long run.
What brand of computer you use is irrelevant, as long as you have a decent monitor and calibrate it. Currently, that still means either Windows or Mac OS X as Linux ICC support is not there yet. S-IPS panels are the way to go for exacting photo work. LED-backlit displays are even preferable (better color gamut and longer lasting), but still quite pricey. The iMac 24" panel is not LED-backlit, unfortunately, unlike the excellent LED Cinema Display.
The iMac is just a laptop in desktop casing (all the major components apart from the disk drives are laptop-spec), so you might want to revisit getting a laptop vs. a desktop. A MacBook Pro with the option to add a 24" LED Cinema Display is probably a better option than an iMac in the long run.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
I've read the top of the line iMac gives all but the top of the line G5's a darn good run for the money. I'd agree, if the screen is big enough go for the iMac.
javimm
Established
Hey guys.
Don't know if this is of any help to the OP, but I ordered an iMac 24", 2.93 Ghz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, 1TB HD, ATI 4850 and Apple Care. I've spent quite a bit of money on it, 2100 euros. OUCH!!.
I'm a bit tired of the Windows dance. I really hate it, and having to use XP at work and Vista at home doesn't help either, so I decided to buy the iMac.
For what I've read, the 24 panel is very good for photograpy, even being a quite glossy one. I've seen them in some Apple Centers, and certainly looks gorgeus.
I've received it today!!. It's at home in the box, waiting for me to arrive from work. What a long evening I'm having My first Mac. CAN'T WAIT!!
Don't know if this is of any help to the OP, but I ordered an iMac 24", 2.93 Ghz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, 1TB HD, ATI 4850 and Apple Care. I've spent quite a bit of money on it, 2100 euros. OUCH!!.
I'm a bit tired of the Windows dance. I really hate it, and having to use XP at work and Vista at home doesn't help either, so I decided to buy the iMac.
For what I've read, the 24 panel is very good for photograpy, even being a quite glossy one. I've seen them in some Apple Centers, and certainly looks gorgeus.
I've received it today!!. It's at home in the box, waiting for me to arrive from work. What a long evening I'm having
My first Mac. CAN'T WAIT!!until about a month ago i would have recommended a 24" imac, without hesitation. now i'm a bitter mf, having picked up my less than one and a half year imac at the repair shop, after they operated it for faulty motherboard.
well, not so awfully bitter, having been "protected" by scandinavian consumer laws (which basically says that a product should last the minimum of two years). apple's guarantee is only one year, and i don't dare dream of my bitterness had i lived in, say, canada...
(my personal) lesson learned; macs aren't as reliable as i thought they were.
(for some strange reason, having had two before who suffered the same thing (not imacs i must add), but at a later point in their lifetime.)
well, not so awfully bitter, having been "protected" by scandinavian consumer laws (which basically says that a product should last the minimum of two years). apple's guarantee is only one year, and i don't dare dream of my bitterness had i lived in, say, canada...
(my personal) lesson learned; macs aren't as reliable as i thought they were.
(for some strange reason, having had two before who suffered the same thing (not imacs i must add), but at a later point in their lifetime.)
adavis47
Well-known
Between work and family I've used just about everything Mac has made in the last decade. For a long time I used the Mac Mini (2 gigs of ram) at home and it worked fine. You might consider the Mini with an Eizo display and hardware calibrator. I have an Eizo on a Mac Pro, a 20 inch iMac and a Powerbook Pro. I do find the non-glossy display a touch better to work with but don't find any major issues with the gloss display. The mini will now take 4 gigs of ram and has the advantage of not being an all-in-one solution.
I would not advise anyone to buy a Mac without buying the extended warranty, why not? It does raise the price by about 10%.
well, the computer wasn't excactly cheap to begin with. add 10% and it's bloody expensive, imo.
Why - if you have had three bad motherboards - would you imagine that "Macs aren't as reliable as i thought they were" -- I would think you would expect them to be very unreliable, with the bad luck you have had.
a very good question, one i've been asking myself repeatedly. and needless to say without coming up with a good answer.
in all fairness though, my first mac (powerbook) didn't "die" on me until after three years. and it did get somewhat abused while i was using it, i was actually impressed that it lasted that long. the second (also laptop, ibook this time) lasted two and a half years, but it had been pampered, basically. for some reason i didn't take the hint, and continued to think of macs as reliable, quality products, perhaps to justify to myself to keep buying them. my mistake, i think i realize that by now ,-)
Bad motherboards are by the way, according to my dealer, rather rare, more common is bad aftermarket RAM, followed by bad power supplies.
i wish i had a relationship this solid, to a dealer who makes a living selling me things.
-
i still can't stand windows, so apple doesn't need to worry about losing me as a customer. i won't be preaching their sales pitches anymore though.
well, the computer wasn't excactly cheap to begin with. add 10% and it's bloody expensive, imo.
Why - if you have had three bad motherboards - would you imagine that "Macs aren't as reliable as i thought they were" -- I would think you would expect them to be very unreliable, with the bad luck you have had.
a very good question, one i've been asking myself repeatedly. and needless to say without coming up with a good answer.
in all fairness though, my first mac (powerbook) didn't "die" on me until after three years. and it did get somewhat abused while i was using it, i was actually impressed that it lasted that long. the second (also laptop, ibook this time) lasted two and a half years, but it had been pampered, basically. for some reason i didn't take the hint, and continued to think of macs as reliable, quality products, perhaps to justify to myself to keep buying them. my mistake, i think i realize that by now ,-)
Bad motherboards are by the way, according to my dealer, rather rare, more common is bad aftermarket RAM, followed by bad power supplies.
i wish i had a relationship this solid, to a dealer who makes a living selling me things.
-
i still can't stand windows, so apple doesn't need to worry about losing me as a customer. i won't be preaching their sales pitches anymore though.
tkmeister
Newbie
i think imac 24" is great. I hate the new screen though. I have a new 24" cinema display at work and the glare is just horrible. I prefer my old 23" cinema display at home much better.
I have a 2.5yrs old MBP core2duo which I am planning to upgrade to the new 13" MBP. I find a laptop much more useful since I often have to work remotely when I am on vacation.
I have a 2.5yrs old MBP core2duo which I am planning to upgrade to the new 13" MBP. I find a laptop much more useful since I often have to work remotely when I am on vacation.
swoop
Well-known
I use a 24" iMac professionally. It works jut fine. Be sure to upgrade the Hard Drive to the largest one offered. It'll matter in the long run.
b.espahbod
Optophile
Go Get a MacBook Pro 15" (that comes with an integrated SD card reader) what else you need?
if ur not on the go type get a decent Mac pro with Eizo
if ur not on the go type get a decent Mac pro with Eizo