I really need a Mac for my graphic design career. After some conferences now I understand the true advantage of Macs over Windows based computers: Color Management. This is a very important thing for me since most of my work its going to be sent to offset and mass printing (CMYK) but I need to work in a custom colormatchRGB and Color Lab.
I can get a device that configures my desktop monitor to EMULATE (yes, just emulate) the Mac color management. But I need the real thing.

*Stop blabbing idiot, ask your bloddy question*

My question is: All the Mac monitors are preconfigured for those settings or I need to spent a lot of money in a G5 + Display?
For OSX, what it is more important, processor or RAM?
Do I want to wait months for a new hardware revision that includes Tiger?

I dont have a lot of money. Maximun I can spend $2,200

I can't honestly answer the first question. As for RAM vs. CPU, I'd say RAM is more important. Even for tasks that don't take advantage of AltiVec, my 600Mhz machine with 1GB seems much faster than my 800Mhz machine with 384MB. You wouldn't be waiting months for Tiger. Once it starts shipping on the 29th, all machines will include it. Even if you buy one today, you'll be eligible for the upgrade free + shipping (about $20).

For that amount of money, I'd recommend an iMac G5 with as much RAM as you can afford.

edit: I just configured a 20" iMac G5 on the Apple Store site with 1GB of RAM and an AirPort Extreme card: total $2203.

Sanctified if your looking for a Mac for image editing. Go with the Mac Mini, slap a fat hard drive in there and 1gb of RAM, nice flat 19in CRT monitor, and booyakow, you're set

An iMac would almost be perfect for you and your budget if you want to use a mac. Don't settle for the low end G5.

The iMac G5 is likely to be updated very soon, and it would be perfect for what you want. The screen quality of the 20" iMac G5 is almost on par with the 20" Apple Cinema Display. I've compared both side-by-side and there is very little difference between them.

Calibrating the screen will most likely have a significant impact if you are going to do print work. ColorVision makes the Spyder2, I plan to get one soon to calibrate my ACD and PowerBook.

RAM makes more difference than CPU speed. A 20" iMac G5 with 1GB RAM and Tiger will not disappoint you.

1) If anything, invest in a color calibration tool if you will be doing all that work.

2) I'd go with RAM over CPU.

3) Buy now, Tiger will be $10! NOT $20 like everyone else says (see below). If wanting to get a low-end G5 or an iMac, wait a week or so until after the NAB Conference.

From apple's store under "hot deals" (refurbished)


From Dell's small business store:


From Crucial.com



Total: $2,214

It's $14 over budget but you end up with:

• Dual 1.8 GHz G5
• 1.25 GB RAM
• 80 GB HDD
• GeForce FX5200
• SuperDrive
• FireWire 800
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 19" LCD (1280x1024)

It still has full a full warranty and qualifies for applecare, it's also significantly more upgradable and faster than anything else mentioned in this thread (so far). If you want to go through rebate hell you can sometimes find really great details on Dell's site. I don't have time for that kind of hoop jumping, but if you do then more power to you.

Don't forget the cost of software.

if you are in school, there is always the Apple EDU store, and if you want, the higher priced the mac, the better discount you would recieve with the Apple Student Developer Connection discount, that's if you are a student.

With all the upgrading he is basically better off getting an imac or refurb powermac.

CRTs aren't that great anymore. Most LCDs now surpass the quality of CRT plus you don't have the bulkyness.

Getting to the point. $2200 is a good amount. I would recommend waiting until Tiger is shipping (I know I am hitting myself in the head right now, oh well) because apparently there will be an update to the imac and powermac line within that same week. Check thinksecret.com for more info.

Either a high-end 20" iMac G5 or a refurbished Power Mac G5 should work extremely well for you. Buying an Apple display (either by getting the 20" iMac or getting an Apple Cinema Display) will assure you the best color calibration, but you can always fine-tune a third-party display.

WTF are you people talking about. He is going to be doing graphic desgin. What is up with al the flat panels?

Get a refurbed 1.6 or 1.8 G5 and add RAM to at least a gig. The get a REAL graphics deisgners monitor like the Lacie ElectronBlue. I have never worked with or in a place that takes design seriously that has switched to an LCD. I used to create and author DVD, before that I was Operation Managers for an advertising agency and now I am the IT Manager of a large printing firm. We have a room packed full of G5s with 1.5GB Ram and Electron Blue Monitors. You cannot get proper colors on an LCD. The corners are always a little brighter or darker and color always shifts with viewing angles.

The thing is that Im doing graphic design. LCD's are the worst option for this.

Memory matters most, my uncles 800Mhz with 1GB of ram performs at the same speed as my 1.35Ghz eMac with 256MB (only the 800Mhz doesnt do Quartz Extreme)

How about this?

A 1.25ghz Mac Mini with 1gb ram $882
A LaCie electron19blueIV $379

Harddrive will be no problem since the devices has an USB 2.0 port and I have an external drive box and a 200gb drive

A decent Graphic Design equipment for just $1261

Now I was thinking. I have 2GB Ram in my current machine (4 512 sticks) I can order a G5 without RAM upgrade and put the sticks on it.

unfortunately it only has 1 ram slot. but you would be better off getting the 256 standard and then getting the 1gb stick from crucial etc. cause its a fair bit cheaper. even sticking one of your 512 sticks in there will keep you going until you get the gb stick

Thanks for clearing that up. In the past they have charged $20 for Up-to-Date, which is the information I was going on. Nice that they have lowered the price.

A 9200 or FX 5200 will not run Core image apps smoothly on high resolutions.

Might want to wait a while for the next revision with 9600 or above.

Core Image does absolutely nothing for Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Maya, After Effects, etc.
It's unlikely any of the big cross-platform graphics applications will ever be updated to take advantage of it, and even if they are it's likely to be a few years coming. We already know that Photoshop CS2 will not use them and it will be a couple years the one after that ships.

how long for the Apple revision cycle? I need to know to see if I can wait for the minimac Radeon 9600 revision

the MacMini is a new product so there is no predicted cycle

theres rumours flying about right now though,
... http://thinksecret.com/news/0504macs.html
"low end" g5 pmac at 2ghz

hope its true.

very good monitor I have one But if it was me I would look around ebay or somewhere and try to get a good G4 or G5, You really want a lot of ram when you are working with graphics......and I the most you can get in a mini is 1GB....2GB is so much better I upgraded a while back and was blown away If you do look at G4s don't get a quicksilver it has a max of 1.5 GB of ram

Apple's revision cycle is usually in the 6-8 month range for all machines.

Depending on your LCD. There are LCDs that have better ways of producing colors then a CRT does. I have a Samsung 173P and it looks amazing on my PC... it even looks better then the built in LCD on my imac.

However I will be honest and didn't pay attention to the detail about your graphic work.

But please (as I am a pretty new apple user) explain this to me. If LCDs are so bad then why has Apple abandoned the CRT (except for the eMac) in all of their high end solutions in favor of their LCD line (or LCDs in general). Considering Apple is the platform of choice for graphic development you would think they still produce CRTs for their high end. Instead their Powermac DP 2.5 comes with a DVI / ADC card, both inputs are not supported by a CRT.

I truly believe that any high end 17 inch (like the 173p by Samsung or Apple's displays) have better quality then those of a CRT.

As long as it is standard DDR 400Mhz memory (non-ecc), you shouldn't have a problem.

Relating to the purchase of a G5, I'd wait till the conference. If Dual 2.0Ghz become the low end, then there will most likely mean that 1.8Ghz will become the low end, single CPU model.

That coupled with the Lacie CRT would make a great workstation.

isnt the 1.8 already the low end model?? soyou are kinda contradicting yourself sayng the 2ghz will be the low end and then the 1.8 will be. at the moment the 1.8 is single low end and the 1.8 dual is the DP low end. however we could see a 2ghz single as the low end. i think that is what you meant. and that certainly would be nice for what your doing but doesnt leave much room for software in your budget if you are wanting to get software withing that amount.

The 1.6 is the lowend model for the Powermac.

i think you mean imac not powermac as the lowest end powermac has a single 1.8ghz and to explain what Fizical said is the powermac could have a single 2ghz processor as their lowest end in future

mac mini isn't going to cut it for graphic design. Not by a long shot. THey are severly underpowered and there is very little upgradability when it comes to ram, graphics card.

If you are a serious graphic designer (or will be), then get a powermac G5. Period. Preferrably Dual G5 but at least a single with 1 GB of ram.

i dont think mac mini is the wise option for you i think macssuck!! said the right think a refurb g5 with a good crt(electron blue one of the best) and add ur own ram
i think thats the way to go with ur budget!
respect