InDesign on a Mac MINI 2

[mpadgett]

Does anyone have any production experience with InDesign on a Mac MINI? If so, how does it perform?

My reason for asking is that my wife, a magazine Creative/Art Director (MAC and Adobe CS products), is losing her job. She will be doing some freelance work soon so we've got to get outfitted with a workstation and software.

I'm a Systems Administrator (Windows) in the IT Dept. for the company I work for. My wife and have a mild battle going on concerning which platform she should work on. MAC or Windows? If she goes with a Windows platform she has a built-in IT guy and our hardware investment is lower. If she goes with a MAC platform (which she is being adament about) she has no IT support (at home) and the hardware investment is considerably higher.

So my real question is if a MAC MINI will be a reasonbly good performing machine for InDesign work? Thanks!

 

[spamjim]

And if you really want to quibble over the number of viruses on one platform or another, recognize that it only takes one exploit to take a system down.

The first link I posted has Adobe recommending the use of anti-virus software.

The second link I posted shows how a Mac was exploited in a security contest prior to a Windows computer.

Statistics suck when you get hit by one bolt of lightening. Do not think this is a selling point for either platform. It is another red herring.

 

[spamjim]

Correction:
The first link I posted has Apple recommending the use of anti-virus software.

 

[spamjim]

Spamjim, I find it offensive to say what I post as "nonsense" and I hope you understand that.

You are right. Perhaps I should have prefaced my previous post to note how I did not intend a personal attack to you by stating:

With no offense to Eugene...

 

[spamjim]

Let's not get caught up in why or why does what virus attacks

The reason we do get caught up in such is to illustrate a matter of credibility. How is mpadgett supposed to trust you about the rest of your posts when you make such a blatantly silly statement about closed/open source software? I'm trying to help you out by letting you know where your misconceptions lie. If you want to be believed, stick to the facts.

 

[mpadgett]

Wow, it's interesting how this thread has transformed from its original entry. I do appreciated all of the replies though. It is helping.

We know that the work can be done well on either platform (Win or Mac). Fundametally, I don't care what platform my wife uses. I'm just trying to be smart and prudent regarding the financial investment requied to outfit her with the tools to do the job.

 

[spamjim]

Further info regarding Eugene's screenshot at

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/2348/96883971.jpg

:

What you see displayed as TTF may actually be OTF in the fontfile.

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/otspec/otff.htm

OpenType fonts may have the extension .OTF or .TTF, depending on the kind of outlines in the font and the creator's desire for compatibility on systems without native OpenType support.

So with all this distraction debunked, mpadgett can get back to the simple difference to the cost of a computer and the aesthetics of the OS.

 

[mpadgett]

What Mac computer do you guys use?

 

[spamjim]

I'm still using a G4 from 2003 and using older Adobe software on it. I would not dare to try CS4 on it, if it even meets the specs. I keep my newer Windows system current with Adobe software.

Any Mac that you purchase today (with at least 2GB RAM) will run InDesign well enough. You may need to nitpick system capabilities based on your wife's workload and how efficient she may be. The issue in comparing models involves how long that particular Mac might last into the future. The shortest lifespan of the Mac line will come with a base model Mini. Maybe you want to test the waters with a Mini and wait until your wife pulls in greater profits to afford a better system.

 

[mpadgett]

My thought was to use a MINI (as I spec'd earlier in the thread) if it was going to perform adequately. And me not being a Mac or a CS user, I don't have a feel for how it'll perform.

I'd probably be agreeable to an iMac also. Their specs are actually close to the MINI. They as well as the Mac Book Pros are Intel Core 2 Duo based. I just can't personally justify a $2500+ Mac Pro if the Quad Core Xeon processor is needed to run CS.

 

[samjoy]

I went through this with my partner long time ago, I build install configure windows machines and my partner bought a mac laptop. Dont ask me why when I can trouble shoot any pc she could have bought. It was a pain trying to share bits and pieces across platforms and it eventually became redundant, shes an event manager and everyone dealing with her was on pc, again, why did she buy the mac.Anyway Im a graphic designer and run my main work system on a pc that I paid £500 pre built, works great but I dont have it online and have a second pc for all net and itunes bla bla, I deal with jobs that i have to send to other mac users and never have to deal with the issue of whether Im on mac or PC. I have just bought an imac and run both systems, I got the mac because although I can troubleshoot windows, when I get real busy I cant spend the time assing about with it,although I can fix problems I could be earning money while trying to work out why the machine isnt booting or mouse doesnt work.
My advice from experience;
1.You will loose giant amounts of money playing/tweaking/fixing windows while you should be earning money and making progress.Of the 8 pcs Ive owned all have had many problems over time, my business cant afford to stop and meddle with windows or hardware nowadays.
2.She wont bother you every five minutes about this and that to do with windows. When problems come you wont be in the mood or at home to fix it and it will be your fault for the rest of the time that she bought a pc, life between you will become harder.
3.Making a saving of money (within reason) while buying a computer isnt worth thinking about, she will sit and use it for years, not worth being bothered about a few hundred quid here and there now.
4.The mac will just WORK no assing about no glitches no phone calls, no moody mrs, she will begin a successful business and own her own skyscraper.

 

[eugenetyson]

TTF may have OTF, but not always.

And I wouldn't trust a word out of Microsofts mouth.

Spamjim, you're not the only one around here with an opinion.


I know I'm right to a certain extent. And a lot of Mac fonts won't translate to Windows and vice versa.

That is a fact. That is why OTF was invented.

And not everyone has OTF fonts.

http://www.doozler.blogspot.com/

 

[eugenetyson]

Spamjim, I find a lot of what you post on here to be completely untrue and unfounded based losely on basic knowledge.

The OP can trust what I say because I am one of the MVP on this forum

http://www.tek-tips.com/tipmasters.cfm?pid=818

http://www.doozler.blogspot.com/

 

[spamjim]

eugenetyson, you need to take a breath and relax. You are making a big deal out of nothing.

1) Who cares about MVP? I used to be known as 'jimoblak' on this forum. I am right beside you on that silly MVP list.

2) I am not posting opinions. I am posting the facts. If you have an issue with facts, post evidence to demonstrate why your opinion is relevant.

Microsoft and Adobe developed OTF so it would be a bit insane to be contrary to or questioning of the authoritative info from Microsoft about OTF/TTF.

And not everyone has OTF fonts.

His wife will have OTF because that is what is available on the market today. She's not going to be buying ancient TTF/PS fonts today.

And a lot of Mac fonts won't translate to Windows and vice versa.

So you are claiming that one is screwed with older fonts regardless of platform. How does that help in choosing a platform? If his wife comes across old platform-specific fonts, she can use a font conversion tool, just like we used before we had OTF. FontForge is free and nifty and cross platform. There are other commercial font conversion tools as well.

The mac will just WORK

To confirm whether or not this is nonsense as well, visit the Apple support forums and browse the issues being discussed.

 

[MarcusStringer]

I used to be known as 'jimoblak' on this forum. I am right beside you on that silly MVP list.

Hey Jim...I wondered where you went...

Marcus

http://www.midlandtypesetters.com.au