Migrate from Windows?

A lot of the advice depends on how you use Photoshop: large docs or small, lots of layers or few, lots of fine retouching or global adjustments, etc.?

The entire array you mention. Some are used for the web, others are enlarged. The layers can be many is some cases and few in other. Some require few minor adjustments, others are highly stylized.

mikesobay,

I would strongly encourage you to spend some time working on each of those machines before making your purchase. In my personal opinion, neither the iMac nor a laptop are optimal for critical graphics work. The monitor screen in both machines is their greatest weakness, alas not the only one.

What objections do you have to the screens? With the laptop, I would need to purchase a separate, larger screen.

If not a Mac product, should I assume you’re recommending a PC?

And it would not be possible to experiment — Adobe will only allow one cross-platform license per product upgrade and computers are not easily returnable once purchased. I am using CS4 currently on an older PC (1-1/2 years old) with very unsatisfactory performance results.

Some people find the glossy screens objectionable because of the reflective nature, while others (like me), are perfectly fine with them. You can bet there are many professionals who use the iMac or new Mac Book Pro who are perfectly happy. Note that you can connect an additional screen with either machine. (I believe you can go up to 6GB of RAM on the new MBP)

If you routinely work with large files (1 GB+), a better option might be a Mac Pro because of the much greater expandability. Otherwise, I’d say either of the above would be fine for your situation.

-phil

Aside from the gloss/reflection issue, one problem with laptop screens, as I recall, is their inability to provide the same number of colors as a separate monitor.

In my personal opinion, neither the iMac nor a laptop are optimal for critical graphics work.

The point being made is that a (Mac or Win) tower is generally the best solution for heavy-duty data crunching, whether large Photoshop files, video or print production, etc. You have considerable flexibility in monitor choices, can add large amounts of RAM or huge hard drives or RAID systems, can neatly add and connect multiple peripherals, all connected to a box with the faster CPUs.

Laptops and iMacs, while usable for many, are basically compromises due to their form factors and intended uses.

Neil

I’m not completely familiar with the Mac line, but I think that would leave me with the Mac Pro (tower). I think this would be far too expensive (even by Mac standards) and too large to consider at the moment.

The iMac appears to be limited to 4GB but the hard drive can be up to 1T I believe. The new Mac Pro notebook I understand is limited to a smaller hard drive of 320 (?) but can be expanded to 8 GB memory. I also understand a video processor on the new notebook, not available on the iMac, would release memory from processing graphics, thereby speeding up overall processing speed; but I’m not sure if this would result in a noticeable difference.

The sales folks for Mac have said they believe either of these machines would be comparable to the new i7. But don’t know if this is accurate.

A Mac tower is what I would recommend.

The sales folks for Mac have said they believe either of these machines would be comparable to the new i7. But don’t know if this is accurate

i7 references a range of processors newer than the processors in Macs you reference, so in that regard they are not comparable. However when it gets to the operation of any given setup operation may be comparable.

I’m currently considering moving from Windows to either (a) iMac 24-inch:
3.06GHz or (b) the recently released Macbook Pro 17-inch: 2.66GHz

iMacs IMO are poor choices for heavy graphics apps. They have the engineering compromises of a laptop without gaining the mobility of a laptop. Mobility is a huge benefit that for many folks justifies the engineering compromises, and between those two choices I strongly recommend you toward your MBP alternative. I have an older 2.33 GHz MBP and it is excellent. Nothing like a Mac Pro tower, but runs CS3 apps just fine.

…without biased marketing hoopla, would one of the foregoing MAC platforms be better for Photoshop and the Web Design Suite, all CS4, than latest Intel i7 Windows machine?

Both platforms are totally acceptable from an engineering standpoint. Most folks here prefer the Mac OS X user interface (many of us abhor the MS interface) which is the real question to go after when one considers Mac vs. PC.

Heavy graphics apps run better on stronger boxes regardless of platform. Any Mac Pro (MP) tower, from the 2006 2.66 GHz on up is an excellent platform for CS when pumped with 8 GB or more RAM and appropriate hard drives setup, substantially superior to laptops and iMacs, especially moving forward where we are likely to see increasing benefits to larger amounts of RAM.

Does the limitation to 4G in both these products mean I’ll run into problems with memory having multiple Adobe programs open simultaneously?

My MBP runs with its max of 3 GB RAM and I have no problems with the Premium Design CS3. However I do expect 3-4 GB RAM to be limiting as time goes on and apps and OS versions are engineered to take advantage of increasing amounts of RAM. Note that the new 17" MBP will accept up to 8GB RAM (a very good thing), but the cost of those particular RAM DIMMs is currently (and no doubt temporarily) ridiculously high.

And it would not be possible to experiment — Adobe will only allow one cross-platform license per product upgrade and computers are not easily returnable once purchased. I am using CS4 currently on an older PC (1-1/2 years old) with very unsatisfactory performance results.

Macs are easily returnable. Return for any or no reason for 14 days.

I also understand a video processor on the new notebook, not available on the iMac, would release memory from processing graphics, thereby speeding up overall processing speed; but I’m not sure if this would result in a noticeable difference.

Mac OS 10.6 "Snow Leopard" due out by June 2009 will increasingly facilitate utilizing the power of onboard graphics as part of regular workflow. So yes, stronger GPU will be beneficial, especially in the soon future.