Best laptops for graphic design.

[elsephen]

It's really all in what you do and how you much you care about value.

Mac's marketing is unreal. They've basically hypnotized the world somehow with cuteness. I'm amazed by it and think their marketing department is tops... the only other company I can think of that overprices for so little to show is UnderArmor... same thing, and people swear by both- but when it comes down to it, you paid for the trend that is.

I've got a tight budget. Therefore I'll play with a Mac in the store... be unconvinced, and go look for a much better deal.

However, if I did have 2k to spend on a 13" laptop- I'd give it a shot, at least.

I just don't. Would be nice if I did... but as of now they've got a LOT of convincing to do in order to make me overpay.

[VC//]

PC's get a bad rep, with Windows 7 it's a little more stable so I don't think it's that big of a deal. Just get a laptop that has the processor and ram you need to run the programs and the rest is up to you, get a bigger screen, etc.

Mac fan boys will always hate on PC's, it's like an inherited hate they have the moment they go mac.

these mac fan boys you speak of, and their inherited hate. look, i had nothing against pcs at all, it appeared to work fine and everything when i had one.

its just that when i changed, i realised that i no longer ha dto put up with all the crap i got from my pc. youll tend to find that the people that use macs

migrated there from pcs. very few started out on macs and know no different. the pc advocates tend to have a limited experience of macs. perhaps a few

weeks or so. the fact remains, that despite their market dominance, there arent a group of 'pc fanboys' who have left mac for pc in order to take advantage

of their superiority. its almost always the other way round. to characterise people like me as 'mac fanboys' presumes that we are in some sense partisan by

default. well ive spent years working on both, and i chose of my own volition to never use one system again. not because i feel less cool doing it, not because

i am towing some mac party line but because one is noticeably better for what i do. i dont have a problem with people who prefer pcs, lets just not pretend

that i (and most of the design industry) made an arbitrary decision.

Didn't realize you would take it that seriously, I have thought about switching to mac for a while now. Not even sure if AutoCad works on it or if there is a version out yet. I know that years ago, in elementary school we all used Mac's, then when we got our own computer at home, it was a pc and that's all they used in highschool outside of the 1 mac computer that was in the library that was an older slower model that was just there for library info.

I like the Mac books, just a little out of my price range. I don't want to spend near 3 grand on a laptop that I can use and not worry about the performance for a few years. I am sick of my pc laptops though, slow, sluggish, stalls/freezes, and other crap.

The moment Autocad returns to mac, so will I. Until then, I guess I am brainwashed into liking PC's because it's what I remember using the most and longest. I will admit, I've used mac books at futureshop and other stores and I liked the feel of them, how quick the response was, just everything...but I've spent so much fixing my desktop and laptop that I want to use it a little longer before I completely switch.

But then what do I do with all of my psd's, ai's, image library that I have compiled for years that were saved from a pc? Can I move them to a mac/apple laptop???

[Lights Out]

Currently, there is no AutoCAD for the Mac, although TurboCAD is very similar and is even compatible with AutoCAD.

[slapshot]

But then what do I do with all of my psd's, ai's, image library that I have compiled for years that were saved from a pc? Can I move them to a mac/apple laptop???

Those files should work fine if you transfer them from PC to Mac. As far as I know, the only issues that come with cross-platform files would be color management (the way each one interprets RGB files, for example), and text formatting. But if you use .otf fonts, I think that would eliminate that issue.

[oddball]

But then what do I do with all of my psd's, ai's, image library that I have compiled for years that were saved from a pc? Can I move them to a mac/apple laptop???

Those files should work fine if you transfer them from PC to Mac. As far as I know, the only issues that come with cross-platform files would be color management (the way each one interprets RGB files, for example), and text formatting. But if you use .otf fonts, I think that would eliminate that issue.

I've had absolutely NO issues taking my older files and using them on a pc, unless it's an older version of Illustrator and has type, but that's not a Mac issue it's an Adobe issue. Throw in the fact that you now can just take a font and download it and drop it into a Mac, makes life that much better. If you use a Mac for more than five minutes, the next computer you buy will be a Mac.

[andrewharrington]

Aesthetically, Mac has its perks. Compatibility, PC's have its perks.

With regard to compatibility, I find a Windows PC to be an extreme hassle. Setting up your computer on a wireless network or making it work with your new printer (or anything, really) can potentially take hours if you don't know exactly what you're doing. The intuitive, 'drag-and-drop' user interface and 'plug-and-play' compatibility of a Macintosh really sold it for me. It's so easy to add new hardware or software and connect to the internet. You don't need to have great technical skills to efficiently use a Macintosh from the get-go, and getting comfortable, knowledgeable and literate with the Macintosh is, in my opinion, much easier than with a Windows PC. It's a more 'natural' experience if you're a person who becomes easily annoyed by technology that you don't quite understand.

You pay more for an Apple, but you also get more, if the ease of use and the seamless integration are important to you. If they're not, then get a Windows PC, then start saving up for a new one, because the lifespan is about half.

[MattMilone]

Personally, I think it all boils down to price and tech skill. Are you ok with registry edits? If so, a PC will be fine. If that either a) doesn't make sense or scares you, Mac may be your answer. If you are very tech savvy, you can make a PC last you a solid decade, as long as your keeping up with two or three year HD wipes, and using some common sense (like avoiding torrents or spyware downloads). To be honest, price is what made me get a PC for my GD job I started in January. Now yes, most of the field is heavily Mac-centric, and yes, all those things PC things can be annoying, but my boss told me I had two grand to find a laptop that would last me essentially the next ten years. For a Mac Book, I would have got 4 GB's of RAM, Duo Core Processor, maybe 300 GB HD I think? Instead, I dropped the 2 grand on a 17.3 HD screen notebook with 8 GB of RAM, Quad-Core i7 Processor, 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate, with HDMI and SATA outs. I've been working on projects with Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and my browser (Chrome) all open at once . . . without a goddamn hiccup to speak of. So really, you can find a beast of a machine for 2/3's or even 1/2 the price of a Mac. Now if you have the loot around to drop three boxes of ziti on a MacBook with the i7, 8 GB's of RAM, etc., then you probably should. But for being frugal (which is a funny term to use in this situation) a PC can be a big save.

[quantum]

snip... but my boss told me I had two grand to find a laptop that would last me essentially the next ten years. ...snip

Your boss is out of his mind, especially on the last part.

[VC//]

You're lucky if your laptop is still decent after a year and a half.

[JayJaxon]

I think there are a lot of shots taken at Mac and PC for no real reason. I have never used a Mac and never plan to. Why? Because the PC has always done everything I have needed it to do. I can afford a Mac if I wanted one. But I am more comfortable with a PC, and it has never hindered me as a designer or in anything else I have ever wanted to do with it.

[Davidson]

I think there are a lot of shots taken at Mac and PC for no real reason. I have never used a Mac and never plan to. Why? Because the PC has always done everything I have needed it to do. I can afford a Mac if I wanted one. But I am more comfortable with a PC, and it has never hindered me as a designer or in anything else I have ever wanted to do with it.

again, all youre doing is making my point. you admit that you havnt used a mac, so your views regarding their comparison are moot.

just because bud has always gotten you drunk just fine doesnt mean that you might not prefer speights gold medal lager from mighty province of otago.

now im sure there are people out there who have owned or used macs for several years and flat out prefer pcs. im sure they must exist (i used to know one, but he

has since recanted), im just saying these people are far outnumbered by the people who have owned pcs, owned macs and now prefer to use macs.

thats all im saying. you might be happy with your pc, nobody is saying its useless, to reiterate all i am saying is this:

people who have owned macs and pcs, or used both extensively, tend to prefer macs.

[JayJaxon]

I just think it's the same old argument people have when comparing Ford and Chevrolet or Coke and Pepsi. One group goes with the most popular choice and the other will not only go with the other choice, but try as hard as they can to make them feel crappy about the choice they made. In my opinion, if Mac were so much better, then why nickle and dime your customers? If PC were perfect, there wouldn't be frustrated users seeking something different. Neither brand is perfect but each side treats the situation like they are trying to convert the other to their religion. It's not a religion. It's not a way of life. It's just a computer. Some of you guys are really intelligent. That is why I feel it's kind of juvenile to compare the two as if it's a Honda against a Porsche. It's not. It's more like Coke and Pepsi.

Like elsephen stated before, the Mac has been one of those things in the past that I will play with in the store and decide it's not worth me spending so much more money on when I have something that works just fine. Nothing about it blows me away, and quite frankly I don't care too much for the design of the unit anyway. Just because I have never owned a Mac doesn't mean I can't have a opinion on the product. My opinion is that my PC does just fine for me. Granted I have a pretty damn good PC. But it does everything I need it to do and I don't feel the least bit worried that I am missing out because I don't own a Mac.

There have been plenty of guys on here that say it doesn't matter what type of computer you have to be a designer. It matters how creative you are and how well you use the tools you have. That statement is good enough for me to continue to use my PC with confidence. The day my PC decided to go on strike, I'll recant my statement. But for now I'm going to drink my Coke and some of you can continue to drink your Pepsi. I'll be just fine.

[Davidson]

again. only people who have drunk both coke and pepsi can truly say which one they prefer.

there is a great blackadder line in which lord percy compares the spanish infantas eyes favorably to the famous green stone of galviston.

to which blackadders response is "so what you are telling me percy, is that something you have never seen, is slightly less green than something else you have never seen."

nobody said it will make you a better designer. my claim is that it crashes less, its smoother and easier to run, it very rarely goes awry and 'as a computer' it is better. not as a way of life,

not as a religion, but as the job of being my computer and computing the stuff i do, they are superior. and one last time, i know this because i have plenty of experience with both.

no, not owning a mac does not mean you cant have an opinion. its just that having only 'played with one in the store' somewhat invalidates that opinion and your ability to accurately

compare the two.

im fully prepared to accept that some people may well prefer their pc to a mac, im sure plenty do. and i accept that most people will not have had the chance to use both for obvious

practical reasons, however those that have used both tend to prefer macs. that is all. make of that what you will, it doenst matter, its just a computer.

[andrewharrington]

I think there are a lot of shots taken at Mac and PC for no real reason. I have never used a Mac and never plan to. Why? Because the PC has always done everything I have needed it to do. I can afford a Mac if I wanted one. But I am more comfortable with a PC, and it has never hindered me as a designer or in anything else I have ever wanted to do with it.

Picture being married to Roseanne while Scarlett Johanssen is flirting with you every day at work, then going to the pub with your buddies on Friday night and saying, "Well fellas, I would love to give Scarlett a try, but I'm more comfortable with Roseanne and I'm positive she's definitely the best lay the world has ever known."

[vmd9]

I just think it's the same old argument people have when comparing Ford and Chevrolet or Coke and Pepsi. One group goes with the most popular choice and the other will not only go with the other choice, but try as hard as they can to make them feel crappy about the choice they made. In my opinion, if Mac were so much better, then why nickle and dime your customers? If PC were perfect, there wouldn't be frustrated users seeking something different. Neither brand is perfect but each side treats the situation like they are trying to convert the other to their religion. It's not a religion. It's not a way of life. It's just a computer. Some of you guys are really intelligent. That is why I feel it's kind of juvenile to compare the two as if it's a Honda against a Porsche. It's not. It's more like Coke and Pepsi.

Like elsephen stated before, the Mac has been one of those things in the past that I will play with in the store and decide it's not worth me spending so much more money on when I have something that works just fine. Nothing about it blows me away, and quite frankly I don't care too much for the design of the unit anyway. Just because I have never owned a Mac doesn't mean I can't have a opinion on the product. My opinion is that my PC does just fine for me. Granted I have a pretty damn good PC. But it does everything I need it to do and I don't feel the least bit worried that I am missing out because I don't own a Mac.

There have been plenty of guys on here that say it doesn't matter what type of computer you have to be a designer. It matters how creative you are and how well you use the tools you have. That statement is good enough for me to continue to use my PC with confidence. The day my PC decided to go on strike, I'll recant my statement. But for now I'm going to drink my Coke and some of you can continue to drink your Pepsi. I'll be just fine.

this is what I have been saying it's personal preference and skill as a graphic designer has nothing to do with your computer. I have no problem if someone likes a Mac, but I do hat when they try to insult me or anyone else just because we prefer to use a pc. I always find joy sitting in class on my dell and my projects look 100% better than those same people who try to make fun of pc's. I agree that the comparisons on here make no sense and it's exactly like comparing chevy to ford or coke to pepsi.

[GFB]

this is what I have been saying it's personal preference and skill as a graphic designer has nothing to do with your computer. I have no problem if someone likes a Mac, but I do hat when they try to insult me or anyone else just because we prefer to use a pc. I always find joy sitting in class on my dell and my projects look 100% better than those same people who try to make fun of pc's. I agree that the comparisons on here make no sense and it's exactly like comparing chevy to ford or coke to pepsi.

No... are you saying that you actually need talent for projects to look nice? Well, thanks for that update. Let me know when you stumble across the revelation that hey, maybe not every damn graphic design student has any freaking talent.

Here's a comparison for you: Everyone computer owner in the world got in a shipwreck. These "insults" you keep hearing are the people in the lifeboats telling those trying to swim for shore that there's a better way. Sure, its completely possible to swim to shore, but wouldn't it be nice to know that "Hey, maybe instead of doing it this way, there's an easier way out there..."

For the incredibly "snooty" attitude most PC-users hold of us Apple-lites, they seem to be acting like the "snooty" ones. "Ahh, you're a Mac user? Oh, well I don't need a Mac like you do to accomplish what I want to do..." It's getting to the point where if someone starts saying how great their PC is for design, I just shake their hand and say: "Well, have fun with that... I'm going to f'ing row my boat back to shore."

[vmd9]

this is what I have been saying it's personal preference and skill as a graphic designer has nothing to do with your computer. I have no problem if someone likes a Mac, but I do hat when they try to insult me or anyone else just because we prefer to use a pc. I always find joy sitting in class on my dell and my projects look 100% better than those same people who try to make fun of pc's. I agree that the comparisons on here make no sense and it's exactly like comparing chevy to ford or coke to pepsi.

No... are you saying that you actually need talent for projects to look nice? Well, thanks for that update. Let me know when you stumble across the revelation that hey, maybe not every damn graphic design student has any freaking talent.

Here's a comparison for you: Everyone computer owner in the world got in a shipwreck. These "insults" you keep hearing are the people in the lifeboats telling those trying to swim for shore that there's a better way. Sure, its completely possible to swim to shore, but wouldn't it be nice to know that "Hey, maybe instead of doing it this way, there's an easier way out there..."

For the incredibly "snooty" attitude most PC-users hold of us Apple-lites, they seem to be acting like the "snooty" ones. "Ahh, you're a Mac user? Oh, well I don't need a Mac like you do to accomplish what I want to do..." It's getting to the point where if someone starts saying how great their PC is for design, I just shake their hand and say: "Well, have fun with that... I'm going to f'ing row my boat back to shore."

okay? for some people PC's are better, for others Mac's are better. This has been the point I'm trying to get across. I have used Macs before...way back when they had the ugly iMacs and still use them in some classes. But I prefer my dell computers. They are fast, work great for me, and I have no complaints. You can't force someone to like something just because you do...that's stupid! That's like saying if you like the Lions, everyone is dumb if they like a different team. I have never been impressed by anything apple has made. Yes I have an ipod and it crashes every day, I've used iTunes and Safari and they crash (on a Mac) and have even lost lots of work when I've worked on Mac's. But if you like them I can respect that, just don't try to insult people when they don't like the same stuff as you.

[dfwabel]

again. only people who have drunk both coke and pepsi can truly say which one they prefer.

there is a great blackadder line in which lord percy compares the spanish infantas eyes favorably to the famous green stone of galviston.

to which blackadders response is "so what you are telling me percy, is that something you have never seen, is slightly less green than something else you have never seen."

nobody said it will make you a better designer. my claim is that it crashes less, its smoother and easier to run, it very rarely goes awry and 'as a computer' it is better. not as a way of life,

not as a religion, but as the job of being my computer and computing the stuff i do, they are superior. and one last time, i know this because i have plenty of experience with both.

no, not owning a mac does not mean you cant have an opinion. its just that having only 'played with one in the store' somewhat invalidates that opinion and your ability to accurately

compare the two.

im fully prepared to accept that some people may well prefer their pc to a mac, im sure plenty do. and i accept that most people will not have had the chance to use both for obvious

practical reasons, however those that have used both tend to prefer macs. that is all. make of that what you will, it doenst matter, its just a computer.

I am not a designer, nor have I ever posted a concept on this Board, but I have owned both OS. I grew up in a PC/Windows family and moved to Apple in 1999 and have was work/home mixed since 2000. Work was PC, home was generally PC. Since 2001, I've had a mac at home, but used a Windows machine at work.

1-Apple products are/look "sexy", so there is an appeal there. Windows makers, specificfally Dell and HP have tried to lessen that. Laptops are just that laptops, so it is all about power.

2-In terms of reliability, the iPod has been a disappointment. Plus, Apple did have an issue with previous batteries in 2007.

3-There is no HDMI output on the new Macs. Apple has become very proprietary within all lines and products.

4-Ever since Apple switched to the same Intel processors that run PC's the real concrete product advantage has been reduced immensely. The hardware is now more common, so the price should reflect that. Apple does not do that. Apple runs a closed system. Flash causes more browser crashes and poor performance on my Mac than anything else. It's also a perfect example of something that should work better, but it doesn't because Apple doesn't work well with others.

[GFB]

this is what I have been saying it's personal preference and skill as a graphic designer has nothing to do with your computer. I have no problem if someone likes a Mac, but I do hat when they try to insult me or anyone else just because we prefer to use a pc. I always find joy sitting in class on my dell and my projects look 100% better than those same people who try to make fun of pc's. I agree that the comparisons on here make no sense and it's exactly like comparing chevy to ford or coke to pepsi.

No... are you saying that you actually need talent for projects to look nice? Well, thanks for that update. Let me know when you stumble across the revelation that hey, maybe not every damn graphic design student has any freaking talent.

Here's a comparison for you: Everyone computer owner in the world got in a shipwreck. These "insults" you keep hearing are the people in the lifeboats telling those trying to swim for shore that there's a better way. Sure, its completely possible to swim to shore, but wouldn't it be nice to know that "Hey, maybe instead of doing it this way, there's an easier way out there..."

For the incredibly "snooty" attitude most PC-users hold of us Apple-lites, they seem to be acting like the "snooty" ones. "Ahh, you're a Mac user? Oh, well I don't need a Mac like you do to accomplish what I want to do..." It's getting to the point where if someone starts saying how great their PC is for design, I just shake their hand and say: "Well, have fun with that... I'm going to f'ing row my boat back to shore."

okay? for some people PC's are better, for others Mac's are better. This has been the point I'm trying to get across. I have used Macs before...way back when they had the ugly iMacs and still use them in some classes. But I prefer my dell computers. They are fast, work great for me, and I have no complaints. You can't force someone to like something just because you do...that's stupid! That's like saying if you like the Lions, everyone is dumb if they like a different team. I have never been impressed by anything apple has made. Yes I have an ipod and it crashes every day, I've used iTunes and Safari and they crash (on a Mac) and have even lost lots of work when I've worked on Mac's. But if you like them I can respect that, just don't try to insult people when they don't like the same stuff as you.

What do you want to suggest? That when myself or Andrew or Fraser run a Mac it runs flawlessly, but whenever you run one it becomes trash... because that's what it sounds like. I was just like you... I had a Dell laptop for about a year and a half. I didn't want a Mac, and i didn't even want an iPod. I had an iRiver. But after 3 trips to the geek squad in 15 months, I was done. After a buddy of mine got a MacBook, I hesitantly tried it out and I didn't like it. But after discussing with different graphic design professors from various schools, they convinced me to try a Mac. At first, there was an awkward 36 hour period... I didn't know how to right click, etc... but after that, it grew on me. Then I started to like it a little more and more until finally, I realized I could never go back to a Windows. Now here I am, 3 years later.... same computer. I've only had to take it in once... and that was because I burned out the backlight after 2 years of constant use...

I'm on both platforms almost every day at school. I've been a PC-guy. If you don't believe me, listen to Fraser or Andrew.. they know what the heck they are talking about. But just know that when I say that one machine is superior to the other, it's well documented. Now of course some people are going to like an inferior product. Why? The same reason brussel sprouts still exist.

Now, do I care if people like Dells or brussel sprouts? Heck no. That just means you're leaving more good stuff for me.

[vmd9]

...well it's what you think, it's not a fact that they are better. Everyone has opinions...have fun with your Macs and brussel sprouts?