Thread: New computer Q's

I think it's getting to be time for me to buy a new computer. I'm currently using an older Macbook Pro 2.4ghz intel core 2 duo w/ 4 GB ram, and it's getting so that it's painfully slow to even use for web browsing, to say nothing of trying to edit photos in lightroom.

I think that most of what I do on the computer could be handled with a chromebook or similar netbook-ish type computer, the glaring exception being photo editing, possibly video editing, and multiple monitor support, all of which are really important to me.

I've had a good experience with mac and don't really want to go back to Microsoft, but I'd consider it if it made sense. I don't use iTunes, don't have an Iphone or any of the other things that would tie me to apple, so it wouldn't be a difficult switch.

Anyway, is there anything I should consider besides the current crop of curent MB airs/pros and imacs?

If you are thinking about getting a Mac, and not a MB Pro or Air, Id wait until the fall when the new mini/imac etc are released.

Originally Posted by samthaman

I think it's getting to be time for me to buy a new computer. I'm currently using an older Macbook Pro 2.4ghz intel core 2 duo w/ 4 GB ram, and it's getting so that it's painfully slow to even use for web browsing, to say nothing of trying to edit photos in lightroom.

Using a similarish setup, same gen alubook 08 with 8Gbs, 5400rpm pos + Lion. It is on my "on-the-road" comp for photoediting (lr3+ps3).
Gets stuff done, but obviously could be faster. Snappy when doing normal stuff but when processing 40gb of photos, it starts to wheeze...
Not bothered to update yet, will see if it can pull through a year before upgrading. Thinking of ripping out the dvd player and putting the hdd there and putting in a 256mb ssd.

Fiddled a bit with the new rMBP and it was smoove, but what I have heard the gfx in those machines are a dog, they cant run the retina properly and their performance is not what
peeps expected.

Try to reinstall the os, check the hdd (it might be shitting the bucket) upgrade the memory to 8 or even 16gb if that was possible on your machine, and throw in a ssd. Those would make 3-400$ total, and you would practically get a new machine for 1-2 years.
Unless you work with the machine & are impatient, then get something else..

Most of the time surfing the net can be done on any computer. The speed limitation typically is the cable or DSL connection not a few years old computer unless you have the start of hardware issues like a failing hard drive. The Photoshop and local stuff is where you will see the biggest improvement, along with being able to have more software open all at the same time and multitasking.

As for the Mac vs PC and Microsoft OS, the price is most always higher for initial purchase of the Mac, but if you love the interface and want to stay with Mac then price out a few systems from the Apple Outlet as well as new.

There always will be new stuff coming, if you want to make a move now, ask about things like if the system you are wanting to purchase can handle the new OS coming this fall. (I know that Microsoft has announced Windows 8 release and you should check with some Mac experts to see when the next Apple announcement is going to happen.)

OK this is from a Hack who spends 16 hours a day on a Lap -Top.

You own a Macbook Pro ? I had one Circa 2007 it was nice but did not work for me because I had to use Parallels to run about 70% of what I do for work.

But even an old MAbook pro is a REALY NICE machine. How about Shove as much RAM in it as is possable today.

And reinstall the whole thing as if it were new.

Just read the posts above mine.
As the experts are saying, just upgrade and refresh your existing EXPENSIVE Machine

Originally Posted by samthaman

I think it's getting to be time for me to buy a new computer. I'm currently using an older Macbook Pro 2.4ghz intel core 2 duo w/ 4 GB ram, and it's getting so that it's painfully slow to even use for web browsing, to say nothing of trying to edit photos in lightroom.

Like others said, there's nothing wrong with you machine that more RAM and a fresh install wouldn't fix. A SSD is a nice upgrade too although I'm not sure how much it benefits photo editting.

good info, always great to hear that the cheap fix will probably work. I believe that i've maxed out my ram at 4GB, but if someone knows otherwise I'm all ears.

Is it possible to do an OS re-install if your dvd drive is totally non-functional? This computer hasn't been able to detect a dvd for years now. I guess that's more of a question for google...

I think for photo editing, what I really need is a really fast external drive and an esata connection, but if any other photographers/videographers want to chime in, I'm all ears

OK so step 1 spend 70 bucks on a new CD/ DVD / Blueray Drive?

Are you really saying the who thing might not be legit?

This place will tell you how much ram you can stuff in your specific machine:

http://www.everymac.com/

Upgrading your OS to Lion doesn't require a new drive. Perhaps ditch the drive altogether and install a 2nd HDD? That's the next thing I'll be doing to my machine from 2006 (A1211 MacBook Pro). It runs fine with 4GB of ram, a 128GB SSD, and a weight watchers take on Lion (I really don't need Mandarin, etc...) and regular cleaning of the cobwebs, software I never use, etc.... Just like your car or your house, maintain the damn thing.

I have an 08 MacBook Alu I upgraded to 8Mb ram and a 500Meg hard drive for less than 200.00. Granted there are a few features of Mountain Lion I don't have like mirroring but it has added a few years till I need to get an new one.

Originally Posted by MTT

OK so step 1 spend 70 bucks on a new CD/ DVD / Blueray Drive?

Are you really saying the who thing might not be legit?

what? 789

Originally Posted by samthaman

what? 789

I meant replace the CD DVD drive,

However I googled this and apparently replacing the Optical drive in a macbook pro is (An Ordeal)? who wodda thought??

yeah It looked pretty complicated and since I haven't missed it, I don't really want to replace it. I did see that it's possible to replace the optical drive with a solid state drive, which would probably be pretty awesome for editing and battery life, but thats more money.

it looks like to upgrade the OS to Lion i need to first upgrade to 10.6 (i'm currently on 10.5), to upgrade to 10.6 I need a disk, but to upgrade to 10.7 i can just use to app store .... ugh.

Originally Posted by samthaman

yeah It looked pretty complicated and since I haven't missed it, I don't really want to replace it. I did see that it's possible to replace the optical drive with a solid state drive, which would probably be pretty awesome for editing and battery life, but thats more money.

it looks like to upgrade the OS to Lion i need to first upgrade to 10.6 (i'm currently on 10.5), to upgrade to 10.6 I need a disk, but to upgrade to 10.7 i can just use to app store .... ugh.

Money but a price point faw below the cost of a new machine that is even close to the Macbook? I thinks thats the general theme here.

I really don't know but what would they do for you at a Mac Store? How much to refresh my machine dude?

http://www.macsales.com/

Go there and price out an SSD to replace your optical drive and find out if you can add more RAM and what it would cost. Doing that stuff and doing a clean OS install should buy you a couple more years on your computer.

Or go here http://www.apple.com/recycling/ and see what you'd get for your machine. If you'd rather get a new computer at least you can get some cash from your old one, or of course you can just sell it yourself to someone looking for an older machine.

Originally Posted by benfjord

http://www.macsales.com/

Go there and price out an SSD to replace your optical drive and find out if you can add more RAM and what it would cost. Doing that stuff and doing a clean OS install should buy you a couple more years on your computer.

Or go here http://www.apple.com/recycling/ and see what you'd get for your machine. If you'd rather get a new computer at least you can get some cash from your old one, or of course you can just sell it yourself to someone looking for an older machine.

It looks like the biggest upgrades I could do would be to add a 4GB of ram stick for 100 to bring the total to 6GB (even though apple says it only supports 4), and replace both the current HD and optical drive with solid state drives (though I don't really need that much onboard storage)

does $134 for 120GB Mercury Electra 6G SSD 2.5" Serial-ATA 9.5mm 6Gb/s Solid State Drive. seem like a deal?

It looks like the OS re-install might be the crux of the issue here.

Can you install the OS with an external DVD drive? USB external DVD drives are cheap and you might be able to borrow one.

Note: I'm a windows guy. Don't know if this works in MAC land.

You shouldn't need an optical drive to install the OS. That's how I've done the last couple Windows 7 installs. Installs super fast that way, too! You'll obviously need to use another computer to create the image if you're getting it from a disc, though. Pretty sure that Lion has been distributed mostly online anyhow, so no problem there. Check these guides out. There are many others on the interwebs if this one's not any good:

http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-...ash-drive.html
http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-...usb-drive.html

I'm with just about everyone here. I'd do a fresh install first and foremost. A Core 2 Duo, while old, is still no slouch, and a MBP with one should have ZERO problem web browsing or photo editing. If my crappy little HP Pavilion lappy from 2007 with its slow 1.7 ghz AMD Athlon, and a whopping 2gb of ram (upgraded from 1gb) can hang with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, then your MBP should definitely be fine with a bit of tweaking. What helps is that I replaced the stock hard drive with a much faster WD Scorpio Black (still not as good as SSD), and I upgraded from the crappy Vista to the fantastic 7.

There are too many improvements coming in the next few months from both PCs and Apple for me to buy one now. Windows 8 is about to be released in a couple months, which will bring more touchscreen capability to the forefront. Ivybridge processors are finding their ways into more computers, and especially the various Ultrabooks like the new Asus Zenbook coming out (drool). A new Mac Mini's coming out, and I'm assuming a slew of improvements in the rest of the Mac world. Yeah, you paid some big bucks to get your MBP in the first place, I'd squeeze some more life out of it, if I was you.