As much as I like the user interface of Macs, they're expensive and I imagine I can get more bang for my buck with a laptop. What are you guys using? Any suggestions?
I used Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6 on my Mac, I imagine I'll be using the Creative Cloud on the new one.
Posted Feb 3, 2016, 11:03 PM UTC
I imagine I can get more bang for my buck with a PC
FTFY. Yep.
What do you mean by dying?
I revamped my Early 2011 MBP by replacing my ram for 16 GB Ram, replacing the original HDD for a 480 GB SSD and replacing the cd drive for a 2 TB HDD.
I did all this for less than $200.
If you want to stick with laptops, it's hard not to just stick with another MBP. Someone mentioned the XPS lineup, and I feel that's one of the few options to really pick from on the PC side.
Yes, there are cheaper laptops, but for editing, screen+SSD are going to be top priorities. And for the most part, pricing gets closer. But you do have a better chance at getting a deal on a PC
I'd personally get an XPS as I tend to prefer the windows side (actually, would want a SP4, but mostly out of novelty). But overall... I don't have one because a desktop was way cheaper and portability isn't a priority :)
Building a PC would be ideal, that or check multiple retailers for a good deal. Some places do their own builds for pretty good value.
If you are going mobile though...Asus have some great high end models and there is the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book
If you want to stay portable, I would suggest either a MBP or a Dell XPS, both have good color accurate screens when calibrated, and sufficent clout for processing. That is what I would do if I was in the market for a new photo computer. I currently use my custom desktop for processing simply because my 09 17" MBP is real long in the tooth.
I am wait for Apple to update the MBP's and I will probably be getting the high end 15, I have discovered that it is very nice being able to process/review in the field.
I picked up a 15" Dell m3800 for about 1100 last year. Comparable MBP was over 2 grand. Really happy with it.
If you want a laptop, it depends on your needs. If you want light, I'd go for the Dell XPS. If you want powerful, the ONLY (no, MacBooks don't have that) laptop I found to have over 90% AdobeRGB coupled with 100% sRGB is the HP ZBook 17 G2. The MacBook has sub-par AdobeRGB accuracy.
If it's desktop, then custom hardware all the way. You can outperform any Mac at any pricerange (assuming same price for Mac and Desktop).
I'd say there's a small chance your actual components are dying, if anything is dying I think it's the hard drive. Buy a nice Samsung 850 Evo and replace your HDD. I love my custom built PC (you can also turn it into a Hackintosh) but this would be a cheap way to bring new life into the damn thing.
Ask a mac guy, get a mac answer. Ask a PC guy, get a PC answer. Who do you want to ask?
Someone who owns both, like me.
Or someone who has PC, Mac and Hackintosh like me.
What are you currently invested in with all your other tech? Do you have an iPhone and apple play and all that other shit? Stick with Mac if you do.
If you want to switch or streamline your ecosystem get a pc.
Or you can explore the r/hackintosh option
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...sometimes with more force than you might be comfortable with. Those intel push pins can be intimidating to a first-time builder.
Also, spend some time research power supplies.
All of that being said, nothing gives you the combination of performance, flexibility and longevity that you can get from a well designed custom desktop.
And if you don't want to spend time researching power supplies, just get a Corsair. 550-750 Watts is more than enough for most people. Modular systems are amazing.
See the problems is, Corsair also has horrible low end PSU's like the CX and CS line. I've got a Seasonic M12II Evo. Doesn't have the efficiency of the higher end Seasonic(Seasonic being one of the best if not the best manufacturers), but it has all the other qualities like excellent ripple control and all the safety features. I'll gladly pay a few percents more for energy costs but have the high end quality to make sure my other components won't ever be damaged by a crappy PSU.
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