Checking out Macs

[avram]

Learned today that the Apple Store in Soho is open till 8 PM weeknights. I went down to check out machines in person, and it turned out one of the sample machines was the configuration I’m thinking of using: 12" PowerBook hooked up to a 20" external monitor. I confirmed that the setup I’m planning would, in fact, work; that you can get the laptop to ignore its built-in screen and just use the external monitor at full resolution.

I also found a different 12" PowerBook with the full 1.25 gigs of RAM and Photoshop CS2 installed, and fiddled around with a big ol’ document (9x6 inches at 300 dpi) to see how it performed. Pretty well. I should go back and try the same thing with a web browser and some more apps going in the background, since that’s what I’ve usually got going on. And I should check how much heat it kicks out.

I think I’ll also get a 4x5 Intuos graphics tablet, instead of just buying a new Graphire like I’d been planning. The TouchStrip looks like it’ll be handy for varying brush size; that’s one of the things I get annoyed at having to break workflow to do in Photoshop.

Oh, and a hard drive. I’ll need a new, larger external hard drive for backups. Damn, this is adding up to real money.

Comments

[gentlyepigrams]

I could have told you that about the monitor. I used to use my TiBook that way.

I'm pretty happy with my Powerbook with Photoshop and other things running, but you probably work on much, much larger files than I do.

[whumpdotcom.livejournal.com]

If you have the extra money, I'd go for the 15" PowerBook. I use a 15" for my work machine with a 22" monitor and like the extra screen space.

I put Mail, iChat, and whatever log I'm tail -f'ing on the PB screen; BBEdit and the application's browser window on the big screen.

I have a 12" PB, but found it a little too cramped for development work. cynthia1960 has it now, but uses it for Mail, iChat, and Web -- check with her.

My groups designer has a 17" which he swears by.

[avram]

I’ve currently got a 15" PowerBook (a four-year-old TiBook), and the thing’s just too big to lug around conveniently. A laptop oughta be portable, dammit.

For working at home, it doesn’t matter how big the laptop is, because my desk isn’t big enough for the open laptop and the external monitor both. For carrying around, I want something light and small.

Actually, in pixels, the screen on a current 12" AlBook (1024x768) is almost as big as that on my old TiBook (1152x768).

[autopope.livejournal.com]

The 15" AlBook is a lot better designed than the 15" TiBook -- and rather less fragile (the screen hinges are recessed, for starters).

The reason I'd go for the 15" AlBook if I was in your shoes is that you can order it with 128Mb of Video RAM rather than the stock 64Mb. The 12" AlBook uses a NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 with 64Mb of VRAM; the larger models use the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700, which gets you stuff like programmable pixel and vertex shading for lighting -- and with 128Mb of VRAM, you get dual-link DVI and the capability to drive an external 30" monitor.

I know you're not looking at a 30" monitor now, but you kept your last Powerbook for four years, so it's a fair bet that you might want the capability in future (if, say, you stumble across a second-hand 30" monitor going cheap in a year or two).

I guess it depends where the trade-off point between portability and graphics performance lies for you -- but as I infer you're looking for a photoshop engine, I think going for a better video chipset and a machine that can take more VRAM (and 2Gb of DRAM rather than 1.25Gb) would have to be worth thinking about.

[avram]

The VRAM argument is a good one, dammit. Now I’m uncertain again.

A 30" monitor would require moving to a larger apartment. Could happen in the next few years, but probably won’t.

[macabee.livejournal.com]

I have to concur with autopope. The 15" is all in all a better way to go if you're using it for creative work. What good is a more portable laptop if it isn't really usable while away from the external monitor. Heck, I am never happy on 1024x768...

[cattitude.livejournal.com]

The 12" is thoroughly usable. I'm only speaking from second-hand experience, but two of my coworkers, road warriors both, have them and swear by them. They're consulting programmers who live in Atlanta and Boston, but who work on-site here in New York a significant amount. They each use the Powerbook as their main computer (with an outboard monitor) when at home. I'm tempted to get one myself, having seen them in action.

I've had bad experiences with external hard drives. I've bought both a LaCie and an Iomega for backup, and they each died just out of warranty when the temperature broke ninety-five. I'd only recommend one if you're going to use it in air-conditioning. YMMV, other models may be better, but right now I'm doing my backups to an internal drive I use for nothing else. The externals have been too fragile.

[jcb.livejournal.com]

processes running in the background don't make no difference at all - cause apple trims the FAT!!! Long live Steve Jobs.