buying new MAC/graphic designer

[Bockelman]

I just graduated college and I want ot buy a mac to do freelance graphic design work on in Illustrator and Photoshop. What kind of computer would you recommend on a low budget?

 

[jimbopalmer]

How Low?

http://lowendmac.com/macdan/03/0319dk.html

http://lowendmac.com/macdan/03/0304dk.html

but for your use

http://lowendmac.com/macdan/03/0306dk.html

May make most sense I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[Bockelman]

do you think its a good idea to buy used cant raelly spend more than a thousand!

 

[jimbopalmer]

of the 4 macs I own, only one was purchased new (Apple offered me $1000 off if I turned in my PB 5300), two are from ebay and one was a factory refurbished box. If you go used, have a mac savvy friend help you understand the buzzwords, (an ebay savvy friend would be a help as well)

I confess I design my macs from the screen back, first I buy the monitors I want, then the mac I can afford to drive them. my desktop (bought refurbished in 1996) drives dual 20" monitors bought used, one color, one grey scale; My laptop 14 " screen can drive dual external monitors as well, for me that is what I need in a Mac, screen space. I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[Zelandakh]

Why do you need a Mac? Photoshop and Illustrator work just fine on a PC. eBay is always a good place for inexpensive computers, but find a friend who knows what they are talking about so that you don't buy a heap.

Where are you based and what is your budget?

 

[PTmon]

On a budget I'd buy at least a B&w g3/400. Upgrade cards can be added later. I'd spend money on an extra video card (ATI 7000) and one good 19" or better monitor. The other monitor can be a cheapie 15", used for holding all the pallets of photoshop or illustrator. No matter if you run OSX or 9.2.2 on your machine, lots of ram will be important. I'd concider 512megs bare minimum. jimbo gave you some good links to check out.
Best of luck,
PT

http://mahon.homeip.net/remember

 

[Stoy]

Off the subject, but as a new and self-taught (teaching, really) graphic designer two things; definitely get a nice big monitor, I have a 17" and really wish I had gone with a 20". Your monitor is not a place to save money. I can't wait till I have enough money to buy a 20" Cinema display. That might be a while.

Also, some graphic designer friends of mine pointed me to the Graphic Design Book Club (

http://www.graphicdesignbookclub.com).

Maybe you already know about it, and/or being right out of school you are not quite ready to hit the books again, but when the time comes it is a good resource.

What I know.

 

[Tommaso]

I personally think if your on a budget to get a PC. For five hundred bucks you can get a PC that will run loops around a thousand dollar Mac. All the same programs are available and cheaper too. Im a PC tech, but have done freelance graphic design fo five years now. Mac's are better for graphic design only because of their stability, but even that is getting close. PC's are the cheapest they they have ever been because of the AMD vs Intel war. Unfortunately there is no war going on to force down the price of the Mac. I have used both, and can honestly say that PC's are the best bang for your buck. If you got the money buy a Mac, but i'm sure you will be happy with a PC.