Mac Book Pro vs. PC Laptop?

[Erin Kathleen]

What do you have? Why do you like it? What would you recommend getting? This will be my second computer mostly for processing when I'm on trips, workshops and whatnot. My main computer is a PC and I don't have any plans to change that to a Mac and I'm worried about being able to go back and forth with PS files. Also, Macs are soooooooooo much more expensive than PCs (because I'm willing to live with a lot less than comes on a Mac) and I would have to buy another version of PS (right?) because the one I have now is for PC. BUT I hear that everyone who has a Mac LOVES their Mac and would never get a PC again. What's so great about it? Is it work all this extra investment (knowing this would be my secondary computer? Would I want to end up making it my primary computer? Any other computer advice??

Thanks!
EK

[Peruna]

I believe you mean a Mac Book Pro, not an iBook. My personal preference would be a Mac because OSX, the operating system in Macs as compared to XP/Vista on a PC, is superior in my opinion. Stability-wise, functions, and ease of use.

However, if you plan to keep a PC as your base unit it would be better to get the PC laptop. Makes things less complicated, though cross-platform work is far, far easier these days than it was previously. Regardless, a $2,500 computer is an expensive dip into the Mac waters.

Nevertheless, go to one of the Apple stores here in the Metroplex and mess around with their laptops. They'll show you the features and let you play around with them to your hearts content.

[srwatters]

Remember you can cross license PS from PC to Mac. You just have to call Adobe.

If you want to edit on the laptop, budget an external monitor if you don't already have one that is DVI or HDMI compatible. You can even use an old glass tube (VGA). I'm using a SONY tube and it works great.

The 17" model is a monster. I much prefer the 15.4" size and use my Mac Pro at home

I'm a switcher and rather vocal about 'never going back' so we'll leave my opinion at that.

[kenw]

any decent laptop (mac or pc) is fine for editing on without adding a CRT monitor.

I do it daily, as do lots of others.

[srwatters]

Originally Posted by kenw

any decent laptop (mac or pc) is fine for editing on without adding a CRT monitor.

I do it daily, as do lots of others.

While you and others may do this daily, I have not found many professional photographer that will rely on the color accuracy of a notebook LCD display. Critical editing should be done on a system that reliably presents accurate colors from different viewing angles. Newer technology LED back lit displays are better, but the horizontal and vertical viewing angles are more limited than desktop displays.

It's your choice, but since Erin is a professional wedding photographer who's income is based on the quality of her images, I still say an external display (LCD or CRT) is the best choice for her. YMMV.

[shutterdrone]

It's all about what you like. You can get a PC laptop that performs as well as a macbook pro, and probably for less (then again, maybe not - my T60 w/ 2Ghz dual-core, 2GB, 17" widescreen and some other stuff was more than that macpro, but it also has biometric security) when you go spec-for-spec. If you want OSX because you like OSX, or you like the way Macs look compared to PCs, then that should be your driver. I'm not sure that one can state these days that either are inherently better at processing photos, but I'm sure someone would make that argument. =)

!c

[Erin Kathleen]

Thanks, everyone for your input!! Macs seem to be winning my poll in a landslide, but no one is telling me why. I know people have strong feelings on this and just love Macs. I'm just trying to figure out why they love them so much and which would be better for me right now. If it matters, I have two other PCs in this house and would be going back and forth quite a bit on those...

Scott- I was considering a 15" or even a 13" for the portability. I expect to probably do most WB and exposure correction on my "real" computer whith my amazing monitor. Not sure if this monitor would hook up to a laptop, but I thought it would. I thought that's part of why Brent picked it. That said, Lana is into everything and no long allowed in my office. As much as I might sound like a bad mother, I'd like to at least attempt to work some of the time she's awake when she's playing on her own or whatever. I'd also like to be able to work from my parents' house in Florida so I could get away for a couple days to the beach, so I do need to be able to work on it less than 10% of the time. Do you think the monitor would hold up to that? Do you think a 13" would be too small?? Even if I were getting a PC, would it be smarter to go for the portability or the size? I have a 17" LCD here that rotates (love that) and we're looking at upgrading me to a 19" one soon (if I can find another that rotates and isn't ridiculously expensive) so definitely before I do anything big, I'd use this one...

Thanks so much for letting me know about the cross licensing! That will definitely save me some money!!!

Oh and does anyone know anything about video cards? Brent says I need one with independent memory rather than shared memory b/c Vista+Photoshop will use up all of my 2GB of memory most of these laptops come with and then some so it's better, but I'm having trouble finding that. Any ideas? Anyone know if that helps??

(BTW - Brent is my husband/tech support. I used to be an engineer, but I never was much of a computer geek other than knowing how to put them together and roughly what I needed.)

[Tim-in-TX]

I went with MacBook Pro because it will run both OSX & WinXP. I now run both operating systems with no problems whatsoever, not even a noticeable drop in speed when splitting the RAM.
OSX is used for most programs like Adobe Suites CS2, ITunes, Roxio Toast and web browsing, and I use the XP side for basics like Power Point, Word and a Police Scanner Program (which is a Windows only program).

[CallMeAl]

I had to replace a laptop this past December and I went with the 15" MacBook Pro. My desktop is a PC. When I have to replace the PC, I will replace it with a MAC. The prime reason for my decision is this....Microsoft/Windows. I'm sure some will disagree with me, but MS/Windows just plain sucks. I've had more problems (just dropped off the PC today at the shop for repair) due to MS update issues, hardware issues (not MS fault). etc.

I don't use my computer to play games, or have a plethora of programs...just photography, email, internet etc. They are more expensive...but worth it to me.

Craig

[ddaquaria]

Make sure you are comparing spec for spec. There have been many times where someone is comparing their Pent 4 to my Core 2 Duo MBP 15" and talking about how it cost less....but they are not comparing the same basic specs.

[AndrewCCM]

I like em both. Having said that...You can get quite a bit for your money with a PC version. I have recently configured 5 different Dell notebooks for family members. All have been extremely happy with their performance. Each had different criteria for what they needed it for...none were photography. However, saying this...I would have no problem using one with the upgraded screen/video and maxed out on RAM for editing. I have several friends that have Mac Book Pros and really like them too. I like em a lot and wouldn't mind having one. But in all honesty, if this is primarily for one purpose (Photoshop), either platform will work very well for you. Of course, the Mac will let you run multiple OS's if that appeals to you, but being a MAC and PC user for awhile with PShop on both...I am consistently faster on the PC. That is mainly due to me being extremely fast with the nuances of the platform and the way it works. There are many quirky things that are both cool and annoying on both OS's... It just comes down to preference and $. If $ were a concern and my primary use was strictly Photoshop...I'd get a PC based notebook. If $ was not a concern, I'd probably get a MacBook Pro and run dual OS's on it. I use a Dell 17" Latitude for my primary machine at my office (not for photography).

Not sure if this helps or just adds to the confusion. LOL

[srwatters]

Let me clarify a few things. The cross licensing would be if you are truly 'switching'. If you want to keep the PC platform version, then you will have to buy a new copy.

You can edit on the laptop, but your color may not be as accurate as the desktop system. If you wait just a little bit longer (June 11th), Apple is rumored to be releasing LED back-lit displays for the 15" and smaller MacBook Pros.

I suggest you make a trip to the Apple Store at Willow Bend and have a look see. I'd be happy to meet you there some time since I live just across the toll road from the mall.

[HFMarshburnJR]

For what it is worth, I just went through this exercise on the PC side 2 weeks ago. I am not a MAC guy, so that was not part of the equation. I had recently upgraded from PS Elements to CS3 and it was making my 2 yr old Toshiba laptop cry. The old laptop was also a little heavy, and it would not drive the full resolution of my 22" HD monitor. So my criteria for the new laptop were as follows:

1. Performance (2GHz Dual core processors as a minimum)
2. 2 GB Ram memory as a minimum
3. Tru-brite monitor or equivalent (13-15")
4. 160 GB Hard drive minimum
5. Weight limit of 4.5lbs
6. Windows Vista Operating System
7. Gaphics card capable of driving HD monitor

I ended up meeting all of these criteria with the Sony VGN-SZ430N/B. At approximately $2100 it beats the price you quoted above for the MAC and this machine SCREAMS!!! I would do it again in a heartbeat. I have had quite a few "portable" computers over the last 25 years, and this is the first one that I can truly say that I enjoy carrying around. It also meets all of my photographic needs at this time.

Go PC!!!

HFM

[Mira]

I just got a laptop, which i use for heavy photo editing in PS, but which my husband uses for 3D Studio Max which is an even bigger memory/graphics hog. But there is no way we were going to spend a grand on a computer. I got a Dell Inspiron 1501 with:

15.4 inch TrueLife Wide-screenWXGA display
AMD Turion 64 x 2 TL-50 (1.6GHz/512KB)
1GB, DDR2, 533MHz 2 Dimm
80GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive (I also have a 500 gb external)
ATI RADEON® Xpress1150 256MB HyperMemory video card


Its awesome. And, with the extended battery it only came to 650 dollars. Its super-light and it screams through my hundreds of raw images like a champ. It came pre-installed with Vista but I got rid of that pretty fast (memory hog). And if I ever decide I want more ram or a bigger internal HD, its very easy to upgrade. I couldve gotten 2 gigs ram when I ordered for like 60 bucks more or something. Spending even $1500 bucks on a laptop for photography is loco in my opinion. It is so not necessary - now, if you are a gamer thats a different story. But, if that was the case you wouldn't even be thinking of a mac :) I wouldn't go with Sony either, they unfortunately tend to give the same thing as other brands but for a higher price spec-for-spec. Go with Dell, Acer etc. (NewEgg has great deals on those all the time).

And don't worry, I have never been able to get anyone who recommends Macs to explain why. They are sexy computers, but that doesn't justify the price :)

[zepp]

On the PC side don't rule out the Lenovo/IBM ThinkPAD T60P. I've cut and pasted what I wrote about them in another thread on this forum.


I've never owned a Mac so I can't speak for them. I did look at the new Macbook pro's this past December when I was shopping for a new laptop. I instead opted to purchase another PC based computer for several reason , one being the cost of the platform change since I have quite a bit of money tied up in PC based software. Granted I could have possible run the software in parallel or via boot camp but to me that seemed more like a last resort versus a fully contiguous system.

I opted for a Lenovo/IBM ThinkPAD "T60p". My laptop I was replacing (actually didn't replace, it's still running fine after four years and I am now using it as a back up) is an IBM ThinkPAD T40p. It's never failed me nor have I ever suffered any viruses or blue screens of death or any other major melt downs.

The T series ThinkPADS are solidly built with magnesium reinforced frames (roll cages) to supply added support for the internals. Carbon fiber reinforced cases that absorb shock versus cracking or bending. Two full metal solid as a rock hinges for the screen display. My four+ year old T40P's screen is still as solid as the day I bought it. The hard disk is protected with an air bag type system protecting it from shock. The keyboard is often rated the best in the industry, Macs included. Update of bio's, drivers, and IBM specific software is integrated into the system at the touch of a button. Add on parts are not only available but also very reasonable in price and a snap to install yourself. Both of mine are/were backed by a solid three year no questions asked warranty. Security features are top notched aimed toward business professionals.

I can highly recommend the ThinkPAD "T" series laptops for anyone serious about a solid well built Windows based PC.