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[OM] Re: Macs r us

Subject: [OM] Re: Macs r us
From: Chris Barker <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:06:20 +0100
Ken

I should have a fondle of one if I were you.  I like the look of the  
new MacBooks (and the Pros); the loss of the FW port on the smaller  
machine is not a snag if you don't need FW Target mode (e.g.  
connecting a MacBook directly to a desktop to transfer files quickly).

The amount of space on a 13" machine is quite reasonable considering  
the number of pixels available, 1280 x 800, on an utterly gorgeous  
screen.  I wouldn't mind having the extra video power with the new  
machine's graphics card, but I have no problem with my current MacBook  
(2.0GHz, 2Gb, 250Gb HDD): dealing with still image files would  
probably gain no benefit from the bigger graphics card.  Indeed, I  
managed a PS panorama of 5 E-3 image files with no problem and in less  
than a minute.

As you have probably read a few times from Jan Steinman and me,  
Aperture is a delight to use.  The drawback over LightRoom is that  
Apple has to update its OS to cater for new RAW files, so we had to  
wait a month or 2 after the E-3 came out to be able to read them  
natively, but there were ways around that.  Aperture takes plugins but  
also allows for the use of an external editor, of course.  It was  
overpriced and perhaps a little immature when it was released, but  
Aperture 1.5 dealt with most of the snags and v2 is a smooth, fast and  
well sorted system.

Your budget seems ample: indeed you could get yourself a refurbished  
MacBook for USD1100, a Mac Mini for USD500, Aperture and still have  
enough for another monitor, perhaps.  You don't need to buy MS Office  
as Open Office is now really nice.  I have nothing MS on either of my  
machines.

Oh, the Mac Mini could be your desktop.  And replacing hard drives on  
the MacBook (if, say, you got one with only 120Gb HDD) takes about 5  
minutes with minimal fiddling.

I reckon it's doable, old bean ... :-)

Chris

On 24 Oct 2008, at 17:34, Ken Norton wrote:

> The new Macbook has a glossy screen which is not a problem for me as  
> I've
> been using one for the past three years and am happy with it, but  
> they've
> also removed the Firewire port. This may or may not be an issue as  
> my only
> Firewire device is the E-1 and if I'm going to do any audio  
> production I
> don't use plug-in devices as I have a real Yamaha digital-audio  
> workstation
> which I trust more than devices without locking mechanisms on the  
> jumper
> wire jacks.
>
> One reason why I'm looking seriously at Mac is Aperture.  Adobe  
> Lightroom
> seems to have instantly become a standard, but I have two issues  
> with it:
> 1. It does not render Olympus RAW files as well as other converters  
> and 2.
> The Adobe Upgrade Treadmill.  I want to "fire" Adobe from my life  
> like I'm
> tempted to "fire" Windoze.  Can you say "software rot"?  Is Aperture a
> dead-end or do you feel that it is a reasonably safe direction to go?
>
> My budget limit for computer plus software is $2000 USD.  I see that
> Aperture is $200, so that limits my hardware cost to $1800.  The  
> Macbook Pro
> has the larger screen, but I also like the idea of a more portable
> computer--one not quite so hefty as I've been lugging around for the  
> past
> three years.  I have a halfway decent CRT still at home, which I can  
> use
> when I'm needing more real-estate, but yet, I'm quite used to doing  
> all my
> editing on a 15.4" screen for the past three years.  The tiny 13"  
> screen on
> the Macbooks are a bit tight for anything other than basic field  
> work and
> I'd have to use the external monitor.
>
> I use my computers for a minimum of three years.  I'm wanting  
> something a
> bit tougher this time--the plastic Gateway I'm currently using has  
> proven to
> be too wimpy for my level of abuse.
>
> Which versions of the Macbook should I be considering and how should  
> I have
> them optioned?  This is new territory for me and if I can't get past  
> the
> heebie jeebies, I'll end up snagging a Lenovo or some other Windoze  
> machine
> with a solid case for less money.  Please keep in mind, my financial  
> limit
> and the fact that this is a solo machine with no desktop computer to  
> shift
> the heavy lifting to.


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