!Nomad64 Posted October 8, 2012 Share #21 Posted October 8, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I recently purchased an M9 however, my computer does not seem to do justice to the capabilities of the M9. It has quite a low screen resolution. The computer is more that 4 years old so I am looking to upgrade. Can anyone recommend a good laptop or desktop either Mac or PC? to use with the M9? It mainly depends from the amount of work you're committed to do. If your current machine is a PC and you're a glutton for self punishment you may want to try first to install some Linux distro on it for free and work with Rawtherapee which natively manages DNG files and/or the GIMP with the Ufraw plug-in that enables the DNG management. You'll also want to throw in all the RAM the machine can ingest and eventually upgrade your hard drive with a newer one of larger capacity and possibly more silent. With the monies you're going to save you'll want to treat yourself with a decent 22 or 24" monitor such as Eizo or NEC. Beware because the monitor calibration is not well supported under Linux. If none of this works for you then switch to a Mac as anyone else suggested before. I have a 4/5 years old rig too, powered by a single core AMD CPU, 3 Gb RAM a passively cooled nvidia card, running Debian and paired to a 22" Eizo. This always sufficed to handle the M8 files. I must however say that I always did very little PP, generally limited to adjusting sharpness, contrast, saturation, color temperature, b/w conversion and seldom print. I know nothing of PS, LR and major elaborations, localized contrast, layers, etc. Now the M9 files are almost 4 times as large and the machine hesitates a bit but still manages them. I'm still testing the M9 and am therefore more focused on the outcomes. If as I suspect the larger files will deliver higher quality but this will come at the price of more PP then I'll start considering a hardware upgrade or switching to a Mac myself. Hope this helps, Bruno Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 8, 2012 Posted October 8, 2012 Hi !Nomad64, Take a look here Computer system to go with M9. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
tobey bilek Posted October 25, 2012 Share #22 Posted October 25, 2012 My 27" iMac has the glass screen and it sits right next to a 24 iMac matt. In a darkened room, either works fine. The 24 would not go down to 80 candles, so I got the 27 that goes from off to way to bright that it hurts your eyes. The new Kodak paper needs a 15 black and 235 white. measure it out and screen brightness makes no difference. But I am still glad I got it. i7 plus 16 GB from OWC handles M9 files fine. I stitched 3 M8 files for 30 MP files to see how it would do with a D800 and there was no problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted October 25, 2012 Share #23 Posted October 25, 2012 Hi Tobey, I agree that your system should be a capable machine for some time to come with M9 files. Although depending on how much work you do to files I think you will run into page outs with 16GB of while working on 30MP files. If you are the kind who will use a few layers and adjustment layers whilst having a couple files open and a couple of other programs open then you will start to notice lags and page outs. Frustrating and can lead to crashes. You can alleviate the situation though with an SSD Scratch (if you can put in a second internal drive) or eSata iMac conversion for a fast scratch might be a good idea to get every last drop out of your machine. That way your computer will write to the scratch when it runs out of RAM and reduce the lag quite significantly. Sorry if you already know this but it's just stuff I learned the hard way which helped a great deal. Far better to upgrade an existing system and get the most of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanyasi Posted October 25, 2012 Share #24 Posted October 25, 2012 I am currently using a Mac Mini with 16 gb of RAM and solid state and internal hard drives. Programs and operating system go on the solid state drive. I also use a Drobo system for backup and two Eizo monitors. I would give serious consideration to the new Mac Mini released this week (not sure if they are for sale yet) Mike Campbell of Apple Insider wrote: A pair of Mac colocation companies performed teardowns and benchmark tests of Apple's newly released Mac mini, finding that the small format desktop's performance is approaching that of legacy Xserves and 2010's Mac Pro. Given that sort of comment, I am no longer waiting for or desire an updated Mac Pro. The size of the Mac Mini is a real selling point for me. Previously, I had an iMac, which is a nice machine, but I don't like the built-in monitor, both from calibration and repair standpoints. Much easier to bring in a Mac Mini for repair. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gshay Posted October 25, 2012 Share #25 Posted October 25, 2012 My 27" iMac has the glass screen and it sits right next to a 24 iMac matt. In a darkened room, either works fine. i7 plus 16 GB from OWC handles M9 files fine. I stitched 3 M8 files for 30 MP files to see how it would do with a D800 and there was no problem. I agree with the I7 and OWC memory with lifetime warranty, now have 32GB RAM running and it like flying Mach 3 plus. Apple approves of doubling the memory to 32GB, priced better then Crucial. G- Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickp13 Posted October 25, 2012 Share #26 Posted October 25, 2012 Mac Mini, Eizo monitor. Others have disagreed and they may be right, but I never could calibrate my iMac. Compared to the Eizo, it was too bright and over saturated--none of which could be reproduced accurately. +1 for a mac mini (i5, 8gb ram, 750gb internal HDD), with an eizo CG monitor with matt screen + huey pro or similar color calibrator. quick, extremely quiet, tiny footprint - hard to beat. runs 64 bit everything (PS and NIK packages) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheikhrafiq79 Posted October 25, 2012 Share #27 Posted October 25, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) i strongly advice to u , go for mac Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruhayat Posted October 29, 2012 Share #28 Posted October 29, 2012 15" Retina Macbook Pro gets my vote, too. Max out on the RAM rather than the SSD storage, if you have to choose between the two - you can always add an external hard disk later, but the RAM on this new Mac is fixed. With 27" external screen, mouse, keyboard and Thunderbolt or Firewire hard drive that you connect to when working at a desk or at home, it makes an ideal both mobile and desktop solution. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickgrafixstop Posted October 31, 2012 Share #29 Posted October 31, 2012 It doesn't matter. With an unlimited budget, the Mac Pro speced out with a lot of memory, dual screens and a full load of hard disk is impossible to beat - if you have the software. Creative Suite runs fine on an Imac (either screen size), but again, load it up. If you're budget constrained, get the smaller screen and more memory. Add external hard disks and your off and running - literally. The PC's graphics cards are getting better as are the screens - but still not as good as Apple Then there's the "opportunity" to work with Microsoft's programs, if you hate yourself enough. The applications, though, have pretty much reached parity aside from a few header records for storage formats. I'm old fashioned enough that I like to do editing from a desktop machine with a mouse rather than a touch pad, a decend keyboard and a large monitor. It's hard to beat the Apple Pro laptops for image quality, but you might prefer three Intel based computing equivalents. All we need now is a thread on an appropriate computer bag with enough room for an occasional camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted November 11, 2012 Share #30 Posted November 11, 2012 The 27 iMac screen is fine, I am not impressed with the 21 for photo work. The 27 hold 16 GB ram. Fill it up from OWC for $250. 10 minute installation. I have the i7 processor which is no longer available. M9 files do not phase it . To save some money, a Mac mini works. Then get a pro screen. One can work around a slowish computer with a second or two wait. There is no work around for a screen that will not calibrate properly or is off color side to side. The $300 Best Buy ones are not acceptable. They look pretty in the store, but wait. Like a Corvette with 4 cylinder engine. You will be disappointed. Even the 27" is not perfect, however I calibrate it and it is pretty close and good enough so that I when I send files to a pro lab, I order the economy prints which they do not adjust in any way. They come back perfect. They are soft proofed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted November 11, 2012 Share #31 Posted November 11, 2012 I've got a MacBook Pro Retina 15" The thing that makes it fast is the SSD (Solid State Drive), and the quadcore processor. It's a great computer for on the go. At my office I've got a 27" apple screen with a MacPro with 32GB RAM and also a solid state drive. I use Aperture 3 and Photoshop CS5 on my MacPro and the same setup with CS6 on my MacBook Pro. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyalf Posted November 12, 2012 Share #32 Posted November 12, 2012 Question to Mac-ers; is it as easy to map NAS drives onto Mac as with a PC? I.e. see the NAS folders as disks on local machine, use NAS folders for LR, use backup client on locale machine to backup NAS folders towards the sky (no, NOT Mac sky), etc. Edit: Local machine - NAS communication through "n" WiFi. Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marioalessi Posted November 27, 2012 Share #33 Posted November 27, 2012 The MacBook Pro Retina's and the MacBook Air's SSD storage can be upgraded. The RAM however is soldered onto the motherboard. Performance Upgrades; FireWire USB SATA Storage; Memory, more at OWC has SSD upgrades and external cases for the SSD cards that are in them currently. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonel Posted November 27, 2012 Share #34 Posted November 27, 2012 I recently purchased an M9 however, my computer does not seem to do justice to the capabilities of the M9. It has quite a low screen resolution. The computer is more that 4 years old so I am looking to upgrade. Can anyone recommend a good laptop or desktop either Mac or PC? to use with the M9? It makes no difference for the computer. Get a good spec Dell or iMac Was does make a difference is the monitor Make sure it's an IPS panel. Dell make a good 24" one, I would also recommend a 27" eizo or the new Apple 27" either built into an iMac or separate. Dont have less then 16gb of memory (32 is better) and I would recommend a minimum of 3TB or 4TB hard disk with an additional plug in external backup hard disk of the same or higher capacity I definitely would not recommend an apple retina laptop. They have soldered parts so are completely non-upgradeable, and have poor memory and hard disk options. I would also not recommend the ageing specced mac pros which don't even have thunderbolt ports. Lastly avoid any computer with intel integrated graphics (eg the 3000 or 4000). A latest Nvidia or ATI card should be in the computer you buy. Although it would seem these are required mainly for 3D games, in fact they are faster for 2D as well as having better quality rendering. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 27, 2012 Share #35 Posted November 27, 2012 I am not convinced about Thunderbolt - I think it is a dead end. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonel Posted November 27, 2012 Share #36 Posted November 27, 2012 I am not convinced about Thunderbolt - I think it is a dead end. Apple did keep firewire alive for many years! Unfortunately, if you want to use the new apple 27" monitor it only takes thunderbolt connections. I fundamentally agree with your feeling here though. It might be better to buy an Eizo, Dell, Nec, etc. monitor and have broader compatibility if you choose to switch system in the future Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 27, 2012 Share #37 Posted November 27, 2012 Apple has a thunderbolt to firewire adapter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert blu Posted November 27, 2012 Share #38 Posted November 27, 2012 In a few weeks the new i.mac 27 should be on the market. Not sure about how the "improved" monitor with "75 % less reflections" will perform. Curious to see it. Tired to wait for the new Mac Pro... robert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonel Posted November 27, 2012 Share #39 Posted November 27, 2012 In a few weeks the new i.mac 27 should be on the market. Not sure about how the "improved" monitor with "75 % less reflections" will perform. Curious to see it. Tired to wait for the new Mac Pro...robert Ugh! The worlds first soldered and non upgradeable desktop I think a future Mac Pro or Mac mini, with a decent graphics card, might be the only Apple options left ...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgenper Posted November 27, 2012 Share #40 Posted November 27, 2012 .... Tired to wait for the new Mac Pro... Well, so am I.... My present MacPro is from 2007, and while providing nice heat for my feet, it has reached retirement age. So (have a 30" Cinema Display in excellent condition, so an iMac would be one screen too many), I´ve just ordered a MacMini with 16 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD. I opted against a FusionDrive after reading what ArsTechnica and Lloyd Chambers have to say about them; I´ll have a large drive in a fast cabinet beside the Mini. Looking forward to see how much an improvement it will make... and planning to get a pair of cozy slippers.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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