Best Mac system for web design/graphic work?


Recommended Posts

I work as a freelance web designer and have given thought to moving over to the Mac platform as my primary platform for graphic/web design. Right now I'm strictly using a PC (antiquated P4 1.7GHZ) for workstation duties, but I do happen to have a Mac mini as well...but that little fellow isn't up to the challenge I'm sure. So my question is which particular hardware line would be the best solution for my needs, in terms of performance, bang for the buck, etc.? If I go with the G5 iMac, I would need no less than a 20" screen, which means I have to pony up $2k. On the other hand, the entry level PowerMac sells for $500 less than the 20" iMac, but I wouldn't be getting the display.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

I'm in NO hurry at all to make a purchase. In fact it will probably be a couple months (still have to recoup from Uncle Sam picking my pockets.) My main concern is choosing the correct hardware line for my needs. I seem to be getting more bang for the buck in the iMac G5, but on the other hand I get strange vibes about using a consumer desktop for professional work, but maybe that's just the elitist snob in me. :shifty:

problem with getting an imac is that in a few years time when the imac is no longer the shizzle, you're going to have a really good screen in it that you cant re-use.

Heh...well now you know my dilemma. Another point I should probably bring up is the quality of the iMac?s screen. How good is the 20? screen for doing design work. I mean brightness/contrast/color calibration and saturation, etc.?

Heh...well now you know my dilemma. Another point I should probably bring up is the quality of the iMac?s screen. How good is the 20? screen for doing design work. I mean brightness/contrast/color calibration and saturation, etc.?

585794250[/snapback]

i doubt it would be as good as the cinema screen, no idea though as i have not seen one.

thing is though, once the powermac needs upgrading you'll save money by having an awesome 20" screen ready and waiting.

im having the same dilemma over getting a powerbook, arg, portability or long term value, i have no idea what to do....

I haven't seen either in person (yet) so I have no basis in which to form a judgment. This is really a mind numbing decision. Each piece of hardware is soooooo nice, and the new G5 towers are going ALL Dual-processor, although I?m betting the entry level PowerMac is going to jump in price by $200. Ah..decisions decisions.

I haven't seen either in person (yet) so I have no basis in which to form a judgment. This is really a mind numbing decision. Each piece of hardware is soooooo nice, and the new G5 towers are going ALL Dual-processor, although I?m betting the entry level PowerMac is going to jump in price by $200. Ah..decisions decisions.

585794971[/snapback]

Then why do you want a Mac so damn bad if you've never used it! There is no point in it. I think it's smart to use Windows because you have IE, and FireFox on the same system to make sure the page works. You get the same software on a PC to. Plus you'll save yourself some $ that you can spend on a awesome monitor which has the same picture quality as a Mac (if not better).

Just my thought on this!

I do have a Mac; a Mac Mini that is. Not a bad little system, but it's hardly something you would want to use for serious design work. And I already have a PC, so testing out my page layouts and templates isn't a problem. I'm not talking about DUMPING the PC, just moving my workload over to the Mac side of the fence.

Outside of the base memory, and possible because of Flash *points to your avatar* for normal page design, believe it or not, I'm using a G3 600MHz iBook w/ 640MBs of ram. I use BBEdit and Transit for FTP. For viewing, I've strictly stayed with Firefox due to W3C standards. You don't need much power unless, like I pointed out, you're doing somehting a little more than just normal page design.

I've even been able to use Photoshop CS on this thing just fine. A little slow at times (I multitask like a maniac) when I have multiple apps open.

Either system would work fine for you. The PowerMac has some serious benefits and you can get a refurb for pretty cheap. If you plan on keeping this computer for a while go with the PowerMac.

As for the screen quality of the iMac, I have a 20" Cinema Display and the iMac G5 screen is almost as nice. You are getting a quality screen with the iMac.

Both the iMac and PowerMac are due for revisions soon.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • They thought value of their goods would forever only drop like it used to and didn't account for sudden increase in price because of all the Ai hype. Tough luck Samsung, don't try to weasel this one out. Also American customer protection laws are a**. In Europe, you need to be compensated for a functioning product of same or better characteristics (not same price point as when it was originally bought!) if it can't be repaired and when you receive a replacement product your warranty starts from scratch because you received a different item than you previously had and old warranty thus cannot apply to it anymore. If your actual item was successfully repaired, warranty gets extended for the period the item was in service. If item is repaired to a significant extent, warranty also starts over from scratch because major part of it was replaced. Americans need to fight to get this kind of consumer protections because they are constantly getting screwed over.
    • Microsoft releases new Windows 11 Media Creation Tool with the latest updates by Taras Buria Patch Tuesday updates arrive every month, bringing users new features and security updates. To make sure customers have access to the most recent images, Microsoft also releases updates to the Media Creation Tool app, its official utility for Windows 11 installation. Today, the company pushed new ISOs to Media Creation Tool, allowing you to create images with the June 2026 Patch Tuesday updates. With the latest update, the Media Creation Tool now downloads KB5094126. It is Windows 11 version 25H2, build 26200.8655, which is also available via Windows Update. Note that the app itself remains on the previous version, which you can check in Properties > Details. The only change is that it now downloads a more recent Windows 11 build, so the only way to check is to download an ISO. The June 2026 Patch Tuesday update is a special release for Windows 11, as it brings a new performance profile to make the operating system more responsive and snappier when rendering various user interface surfaces, including the Start menu, quick settings, and more. It does so by spiking processor speeds for a brief moment, resulting in higher loads for a second or two. The so-called “Low latency profile” is rolling out gradually, but you can force-enable it with the ViVeTool app. Other changes include webcam improvements, Task Manager updates, shared audio support, and more. You can download the Media Creation Tool app from the official Microsoft website using this link. Besides MCT, Microsoft lets you download Windows 11 ISO as a file directly from the official Windows 11 website. However, you will need a third-party app to write it to your USB drive. Check out this guide if you want to know how to do that.
    • Louis Rossmann suing Samsung over "990 Pro SSD warranty scam" by Sayan Sen Back in 2023, if you recall, Neowin reviewer Robbie Khan had a dispute with Samsung over his 990 Pro SSD, which was rapidly losing its health. After significant back and forth, the tech giant had finally released firmware to "stop" the issue. Interestingly, its previous flagship at the time, the 980 Pro was also facing problems leading to two consecutive sets of firmware fixes. Three years later, it looks like a similar conflict has now broken out between tech repair entrepreneur YouTuber Louis Rossmann and Samsung, as it has escalated into a threatened lawsuit after the company allegedly refused to appropriately replace a failing 990 Pro SSD that remained under warranty. According to Rossmann, a 4TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe SSD purchased for approximately $330 less than two years ago, began experiencing major hiccups and issues, even though he claims it had been operated under ideal cooling conditions. It was installed in a RAID 1 array and cooled by a heatsink and dual high-speed fans. However the drive reportedly started dropping out of the array, exhibiting controller-level failures that eventually became not useable in any meaningful way. Rossmann said Samsung’s support process was marked by delays and confusion from the very start. After initially contacting the wrong regional support channel, he was redirected to Samsung’s memory support division where he submitted detailed diagnostics, logs, and proof of purchase. Rossmann runs a repair company and owns an ACE Lab PC-3000 machine, which is a professional-grade data recovery equipment. As such, he had been confident in his diagnostics. Samsung even seemingly acknowledged that later. Regardless, Rossmann claims that his initial support ticket was automatically closed before a full 24-hour response window had elapsed, forcing him to reopen the case and resubmit documentation. The controversy however intensified further from here after Samsung accepted the drive for warranty evaluation but later returned it with a repair report stating that the drive had passed its testing and that the SSD had been verified as functional. Rossmann strongly disputed those claims citing that his own independent testing on PC-3000 showed write speeds reducing to as low as 40–60 MB/s before the drive failed entirely. Samsung subsequently informed him that the SSD had been reset and reflashed, passing internal stress tests. However, the company also stated that replacement units were unavailable due to an industry-wide memory shortage and suggested that a refund process could be initiated if further testing confirmed the fault. Thus, to settle, the company offered a refund of $330, the amount that was initially paid by him to make the purchase. Here, Rossmann pointed out the seeming hypocrisy of the tech giant as in how no Samsung drive was apparently allocated for warranty replacements, but they were abundantly available for retail sales especially when using business accounts. As you can see, Rossmann is indeed right, there are Samsung 990 Pro 4TB SSDs on Amazon currently for $950 (shipped and sold by first-party Amazon US itself), and they are also available on Samsung's own store too, albeit for an even higher price of $1100. Thus Rossmann argues that Samsung’s inability or unwillingness to provide a replacement while the same model remains available for purchase at significantly higher market prices reflects a failure to honor its warranty obligations. He has issued a formal 60-day notice and says he intends to file suit in Texas small claims court, asserting that companies should face greater costs for denying legitimate warranty claims than for fulfilling them. You can check out the full video titled "Samsung's 990 Pro SSD warranty policy is a scam; I'm taking them to court," at the link below. Source and image: Louis Rossmann (YouTube) As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases
    • Was it too much to ask to show the icon in this article?
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      davidbazooked earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Jamswaz earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Jamswaz earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rookie
      Marzoid went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Community Regular
      coch went up a rank
      Community Regular
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      509
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      185
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      158
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      83
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      75
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!