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oscar690_1 · Jul 31, 2003, 06:46 AM

....I need as much as advice as possible on a purchase I have to make, note the HAVE, very soon.

I'm a PR/fine art photographer and about to go solo. Budget constraints mean that I cannot just yet purchase the kit on offer...so my options are to plump for an emac (combo) or the cheapest lcd imac....so here's the rub.....

I'm old enough and ugly enough to realise that there are plenty of issues involved in buying a certain piece of hardware over another but in the instance I really haven't got the time to delve into this descision to the depth I'd like. Can the forum give me as much info as poss to help me with this predicament....I'll give you some for instances:

Awhile back I read about some horrendous probs with the emac screen...is this sorted?

On this forum I've read about having to fit extra memory to an emac at the point of purchase...if this is true, it's exactly the kind of issue that would have bitten me on the you know what!!!

lcd screens.....I know very little about them...would it be a pleasure carrying out my photoshop work on one? In addition am I going to get weird colour calibration results when I try and print out?

Sorry if some of this stuff is basic, it's just I can't afford to mess up on this purchase....so any and all info would greatly appreciated..many thx

edavis · Jul 31, 2003, 10:03 AM

Well, when you ask for free advice, you get what you pay for <grin>

I am on my third Mac in 4.5 years. Most recent is a 1GHz eMac, with an extra 512MB added at time of purchase. This one had a "snap" from the screen 3-4 times per hour. After 30 days, the Firewire port went out, and Apple replaced the entire unit. (Old one shipped on Tuesday, new one arrived on Thursday!)

I love the eMac, and have had no problems with the replacement unit. I would not be so happy with OS X and 256MB though. I strongly recommend maxing out the RAM.

I can't add much about color calibration though...I scan 35mm photos into the eMac and reprint on a Canon i850 printer, and am very happy with the results. I am NOT a pro, though, so don't know if it would meet your expectations.

There ya go, for what it's worth.

Nebrie · Jul 31, 2003, 12:17 PM

<<Awhile back I read about some horrendous probs with the emac screen...is this sorted?

On this forum I've read about having to fit extra memory to an emac at the point of purchase...if this is true, it's exactly the kind of issue that would have bitten me on the you know what!!!>>

The emac problems have been sorted out. Turned out to be a faulty cable or something but they're fine now.

No matter what you decide on, eMac or iMac, neither have enough memory for what you're doing. Just buy the stock configuration then add some cheaper memory afterwards.

oscar690_1 · Jul 31, 2003, 12:36 PM

Can you add memory afterwards on the emacs, without a load of hassle?

So taking it that I fill either of these machines full of ram, can anyone tell me of any other potential pitfalls in trying to use these to professionally retouch/print my photography..........is there one machine I should go for rather thn the other?

Thx for the last two posts people...this is the kind of feedback I need...anymore for anymore?

All the best.....

mitchell_pgh · Jul 31, 2003, 02:29 PM

I would go for the eMac. Save yourself a little money and buy a better G4 tower later on when you have cash. I'm a graphic designer and the iMac LCD looks nicer and will be easier on your eyes, but the color calibration may have issues (naturally there are differing views on this topic... but I'm a CRT person).

If you are starting out on your own, you may want to pick up a few things:

- Applecare (your life and your job will be on that computer)

- DVD Burner (primarily for backups of ALL of your work) You will want to do that on a weekly basis (Full backup) and a nightly partial... OK, you can probably get away with a bi-weekly full backup and an every 3rd night partial backup depending upon the amount of work you do.

- Backup Software for the above burner

- Ram People that max out their RAM are crazy... people that don't upgrade their RAM are crazy (in my opinion) Get an upgrade, but remember that you can always put in more.

Good Luck!

edavis · Jul 31, 2003, 04:37 PM

Upgrading RAM on an eMac is about as easy as anything I've ever done on a computer. You DO need to be able to turn one screw with a screw driver to get the door off of the bottom of the case, then just install the RAM by pushing it into the slot (It will only fit with one orientation, but you'll figure that out if you are competent enough to use a keyboard!). Then put the door back on. That's it.

AlanApple · Aug 1, 2003, 08:06 AM

I think everyone will agree with me that Macs never ship with enough RAM. Thing is, if you're a photographer you are going to need RAM. I would suggest whacking it up to 512k straight away.

I am an Account Manager for a PR company so I might be able to offer some insight.

At home I used an iMac 17" and it is a wonderful machine. Truly excellent. But I am wondering if you should consider another option. An iBook 14".

This would give you portability in case the client needs pictures previewed and sent out sraight away. It will also help you diversify your business as you can take on newspaper work where again it is essential the pictures are sent through quickly.

Just a thought. Do you use a digital camera?

oscar690_1 · Aug 2, 2003, 06:59 AM

...hi all and thx for the posts so far..much appreciated....I still have a couple of weeks to decide so I hope the feedback keeps coming. I think my only issue with the emac will be the quality of the screen, but hey what can one reasonabley expect for the money.....think I'll leave the ibooks alone for now as the current workflow doesn't require one.

Best regards to all

Mrjinglesusa · Aug 2, 2003, 03:35 PM

GO for the 17" iMac. You will NOT be disappointed. The screen is beautiful, it's fast, and 512 MB RAM is plenty in this machine for OS X.

Simon · Aug 3, 2003, 09:16 AM

Originally posted by Mrjinglesusa:
GO for the 17" iMac. You will NOT be disappointed. The screen is beautiful, it's fast, and 512 MB RAM is plenty in this machine for OS X.

I have to second this opinion.

If you have the cash, get the 17" iMac. It's fast, it's beautiful and it's very sleek.

A whole different league compared to the eMac.

Starry Night · Aug 3, 2003, 03:11 PM

G'day,

Imho, and it's just my opinion

, the lcd imac screens are ok, but they seem more like laptop display quality, especially in terms of viewing angle. In my experience, "the sweet spot", in terms of viewing angle, is limited. And the 15" can be just plain blurry given it's limited max resolution. Once again, that's just my opinion.

For what you're doing, the following might be a good approach, especially if you can stretch the spending a little bit:

Get a 1ghz (about $1000?) or 1.25ghz ($1299) Power Mac. Then add a 19" Lacie Electron Blue CRT ($360) which are widely respected amongst photographers for their color quality. With a 1 ghz PowerMac and the display, you'd only end up spending a little more than the 15" FP iMac and come away with a much better display/set up for what you're doing.

The PowerMacs also offer great internal expansion should you need more hard drive space.

Adding memory is *very* easy, never buy it from Apple, go to a place like crucial.com for high quality ram, in fact Apple buys some of their ram from Crucial. You'll save a bunch that way.

If want an LCD, you could try the NEC 1760V 17" LCD (about $400). I have one and it's very good, but the Lacie CRT is probably a better way to go.

The Lacie is going to be a *huge* step up in quality over the eMac display.

Good Luck!

Paco500 · Aug 3, 2003, 04:16 PM

I have to second starry night- Getting a low-end tower (even used or refurbished) with the LaCie display would be an excleent choice. There are enough advantages tp the architecture of the tower that even one with a slower processor could be faster than either an eMac or iMac.

However, between the 15" iMac and eMac, I'd go eMac. Bigger screen, higher resolution, easier color calibration, cheaper RAM and easier to upgrade. It's a great machine at a great price. The iMac is beautiful, and were price and functionality not an issue- it'd be my choice- but given the parameters you've outlined- I'd say the eMac is the better choice,

kenikov · Aug 4, 2003, 01:21 AM

"So taking it that I fill either of these machines full of ram, can anyone tell me of any other potential pitfalls in trying to use these to professionally retouch/print my photography..........is there one machine I should go for rather thn the other?"

It seems that you are a pretty serious photographer. You do realize that there are PCs that are made just for digital photography? Gateway doesn't disappoint in this department. I searched one of my magazines and found what Gateway dubs "The Ultimate Photo PC" which is the Gateway 500s Photo PC. For the starting price of $999US it isn't too shabby, and the Intel Processor with Hyper threading should be faster than the G4 offered in the iMac and eMac, with all the advantages of a tower (easy upgrades). It is a PC made for photos. Check Gateway.com for the computer.

If not, then the eMac seems to be a pretty good choice. I am not a big fan of the G4, but it should be able to handle your needs. The CRT monitor should be great for photos. Great value too.

vsurfer · Aug 25, 2003, 07:49 PM

Originally posted by Starry Night:

Get a 1ghz (about $1000?) or 1.25ghz ($1299) Power Mac. Then add a 19" Lacie Electron Blue CRT ($360) which are widely respected amongst photographers for their color quality. With a 1 ghz PowerMac and the display, you'd only end up spending a little more than the 15" FP iMac and come away with a much better display/set up for what you're doing.Good Luck!

If you're going to get a Mac, I'd follow this guy's advice.

Even after you outgrow the 1.25 you'll have a great monitor to hook into your future 3.5 Ghz G5 when you upgrade CPU in 2006.

I've been using the same Radius 19" monitor for 10 years (and that includes a little 'dusting' from being 3.5 blocks from Ground Zero, too!

chris v · Aug 26, 2003, 06:24 AM

Originally posted by Starry Night:
G'day,

(...)

Get a 1ghz (about $1000?) or 1.25ghz ($1299) Power Mac. Then add a 19" Lacie Electron Blue CRT ($360) which are widely respected amongst photographers for their color quality.

(...)

The Lacie is going to be a *huge* step up in quality over the eMac display.

Good Luck!

As a professional Photoshop user, I have to agree here. I have an LCD at home, and while I can get acceptable results from it for home stuff, if it's critical, I take the files to work and correct them on my LaCie 19" CRT. The difference is noticable to someone who really knows what they're looking at, and if you really are planning on making your living with your machine, don't hobble yourself with an LCD monitor.

I can get close with my LCD, but for *exact* a good CRT monitor is a neccessity.

CV

cSurfr · Aug 26, 2003, 07:00 AM

As mentioned above The LaCie 19" monitor is one of the best, and if you foloow this link: http://www.lacie.com/clearance/products/?id=10010 You can get a factory reconditioned one for a fraction of the new price. Unfortunately they don't come with the hood that the new ones do, but that might not be an issue for you. Good luck with whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

cS

Edit: Found one on eBay if anyone is in the market now...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=21517