Laptops :: Best Macbook Pro Options For Web Design Student?
Aug 21, 2010
I am finally buying my first Mac (as well as my first laptop) and need some advice as to what I truly need (as opposed to what I covet) - not just for school but for professional internships as well.
I will be using Adobe Creative Suite (CS5), with Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop and Illustrator, but I am also an interior designer and use drafting and modeling progams such as AutoCAD and Revit or similar.
I have settled on a 15" Macbook Pro because I wish to be an ambidextrous platform user, but here are a few things I am undecided about:
-Intel Core i5 or i7 processor?
(I believe the i5 is packaged with NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB GDDR3 memory and the i7 with 512MB GDDR3 memory)
-4GB of RAM or 8GB?
(should I start with 4 and add modules later if I need them?)
-500GB Hard Drive: 5400rpm or 7200rpm?
-the standard 1440 x 900 display or the Hi-Res 1680 x 1050?
(after reading other posts here, it seems that the gloss screen will be better for me than the anti-glare)
I am a bit stuck between getting the 13" or the 15" because I don't know whether the 15" is really worth �500 more as this will be my first Mac and I don't know too much about them..
I will be carrying it around campus a lot and using Photoshop/Illustrator a lot.
one of my main concerns is whether the screen will be big enough in the long run..
I am running Vmware Fusion with XP Professional. I finished downloading the Solidworks Student Design Kit (which took 5 hours ) and was installing it. During installation it stated there was an error and restarted. Now there is an icon that says "Solidworks Design Kit" but when I click it, nothing happens.
Do you know if MS Office for Mac 2008 has language options? Or does it come in English only?
I'm referring to the interface language as opposed to spell/grammar check settings on MS Word for example. I want to install MS Office in the German language, but I am here in the US. Any advice on how I can get the German version here?
Looking at the 2012 13" model with 2.5Gzh I5 chip and 4GB RAM, any one know if this will work ok for designing on using the latest Adobe CS6 design standard suite? ALso can the 13" be connected to a standard DVI monitor using an adapter for the thunderbolt port.
Just got from Best Buy where they told me that my 17month computer (logicboard) has to be replace. I;m trying to access my files other than the one shares thru my XP computer but with no luck.
We have been a Mac family for a little over 2 years. We have 2 iMacs and one MBP (eldest dd's). We are ready to buy another MBP for our next child who is heading off to college. In this day of trying to pinch every penny, I am wondering if it is ok to buy #1, or do we not worry about another $250 and get #2.
He is going to study journalism/broadcasting---I know the field of study can make a difference on what to get.
If i walk into Apple store with my NUS card, do I qualify for the student discount on a Macbook Pro or do I need to provide other proof that I'm a student?
This fall I will be attending the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) at the University of Virginia. I am very interested in getting a 15" MacBook Pro, but unsure of exactly what level of specifications I would need.
If you try configuring a new macbook pro through the education store, I get all the usual student discounts and stuff. Now, like usual, they also have the option to get microsoft office preinstalled on my laptop too. However, clicking on it, does not add to the price at all (like its free....) but I can't see any promotion of this being free. Is this just my browser being weird or is this legit?
Trying to decide which laptop to get for work. This will be my primary computer, and I'll be hooking it up to a 27" cinema display at home. I currently have an iMac 24" 2.8 core duo 4gb, but I need the portability of a laptop to work on at the office, and I don't want to keep the iMac and sync with the new laptop, I just want one machine to work on. Don't really want to spend over $1500 on the laptop, unless it is a significant upgrade. For work, I use some adobe cs5 apps, mostly photoshop, and every once in a while I use premiere to edit video off my canon t2i. The kicker is, I need to get something within 2 weeks. Like everyone, I'm anxious to see what the new MBP's are all about, but I have a feeling they'll definitely be more than $1500, considering the new air's are more than that when beefed up to 4gb, 256gb. I already ordered a cinema display as they are on sale, so figured might as well get that component. Here is what I'm thinking for choices.
My grand daughter has a class in Website design and they are telling her that she must use a PC format in the course. She has a MacBook with Leopard. If she installs MS XP, what else will she need in terms of software and is Parallels necessary? I also wonder why she cannot use the Mac as a Web design platform?
I purchased my Macbook in September of 2007. I was born and raised on Macs so I am familiar with the products.
1) They keys are leaving severe imprints on the screen. I have researched that they now sell products to prevent this - but I was not *warned of this at the purchace time. I presume that this is a design flaw as a $1400+ computer should not damage the screen - I guess that there not there is not enough space between the top and bottom. I do not slam cover when I close nor do I carry it around in a backpack full of book squishing the computer. Please advise.
2) The outside of the white cover (of which I purchaced and used religiously the $60 plastic protective piece) is changing colour and there are 'scratch' like marking all over the top and bottom.
3) The bottom of the keypad keep chipping off, I have had to replace this twice and am looking at a third time. Fortunetly Mac acknowledeges this defect and cover the service fee.
I have genuinly enjoyed all the macs I have had over the years, but am downright frustreated with this Laptop!
I am planning to buy the base new 15" MBP. I am going to use it for graphic and web design work along with doing other stuff like browsing, email, music, watching movies, etc. The programs I plan to use are:
- Adobe CS4/5 (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash) - Coda + Transmit - iMovie and GarageBand (slight movie and sound editing, nothing too large) - Windows XP under Parallels Desktop for testing pages on IE
I am also planning on getting the 24" ACD to hook it to the MBP. This will also be my main and only computer. Would the base model be enough for this? I currently have an 20" iMac Intel Core 2ghz and while it feels kinda slow when working on comps and large files in Photoshop it pulls through, so I am thinking that the base new 15" MBP would very much smoke my current iMac.
I'm considering buying the MBAir 13" - I'm a graphic designer and was wondering if it'll be able to handle programs such as Photoshop and InDesign? I'll probably have two of Adobe's programs open at once as well as my web browser, I'm worried that it'll lag the laptop. I'd get the MBP but I bring my laptop with me in between classes and it's pretty heavy.
EDIT: just to clarify, I already have a 15" MBP but I had to get it fixed a few weeks back and it hasn't been the same since. It's laggy and I have to restart it a lot, every once in a while it even turns it self off without warning. I thought I'd rather spend more money on a new one rather than getting it fixed again.
i was just wondering i am planning on get a macbook but a refurbished one. Im planning on getting the lower end model but I am just getting started on web design. The question i have is it going to be sufficient enough with the task Im going to be doing. Meaning Multi-Tasking
I was planning on getting a macbook NEXT fall, not this one, but I was thinking about just getting the new macbook pros, the screen is bigger, and I get the mileage on the gfx card, as well as Graphic Design if I get interested in.. ( i could see this happening)I heard that the BUS or watever it is is being reduced tho, exponentially minimizing SSD effectiveness?Wat do u think about my buying choice? I hate to wait, i could use 4 school if I move and dont take the imac use for the Community College i go to until next fall
I'm a graphic designer looking for a new home office computer. I work in print media mainly, using CS5 (Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign), and have been considering the Macbook Pro 13" for its combination of performance and portability; a 24" monitor will be connected to the MBP. I could go for the Macbook Pro 15" for better performance but I really like the portability factor. So my true question is: Is the Macbook Pro 13" suitable for this type of work?
What would you guys recommend the best External DVD drive for MBA to keep ? The apple slim drive for MBA has very poor feedback on apple site, $79 its somewhat of a steep price to pay for a device WITHOUT emergency eject, esp. if it gets stuck on an airport while travelling (say I shut my comp. down and tossed it in the case in a hurry along with the drive and CD/DVD runngin in it), I hear that the jam is perm. and cant get the disk out since it has no emergency eject. Any other brands that ppl have used ? Good price, but MORE importantly thin profile and relative nicer look to go with the air.
How well does carbon fiber handle it? I wouldnt want to see a laptop made from the same material as the iPhone 3G. Could this be solved with an external anntena but that would sorta kill the concept.
I just got my first Apple product, a 13.3" MacBook Pro, and have been loving every minute of it. I'm using it mainly for work (systems development and graphics design).
1) Salesperson from Apple shop strongly advised against keyboard protectors citing it causes overheating; he recommended regular vacuuming and blowing with compressed air instead. Is this true? 2) Will I see a noticeable performance increase with a 7200rpm HDD? Will a larger capacity and faster spinning speed of 7200rpm degrade battery life? How about heat issues? 3) I'm thinking of getting a matte screen protector to reduce glare and reflection. Will the matte screen degrade image quality and brightness. I seen several sellers (from HongKong) selling cheap ones at US$6 to US$9 with shipping on eBay, are they safe to use?
I was writing an email in Russian when I had to leave my computer - so I locked it. When i came back, I tried to log back in. A shocking surprise: Mac was using a Russian layout and I have found no way to switch back to English to type my username and password (which are in English). I tried:
- resetting the PRAM (booting while holding option+Command+R+P)
- booting in single user mode and adding an admin user with empty username/password
- booting in single user mode and messing around with /var/log/CDIS/.custom (turned out it was set to "English" anyway)
I booted in a normal mode and started trying all random key combinations in hopes to switch to English. I frustration, I typed my password in the password box -- while using the Russian layout -- and voila - I was logged in. What happened was: when I added another layout, I had no idea that I needed to check a box to "Show input method on login screen" in a menu that is completely different from "Languages and Input" menu (in the Accounts-> Login Options). So when computer got locked, it wanted me to use the language I used last to login without providing an option of switching. I argue this is not user-friendly.
When I did select that box to show languages at login, I discovered something else: the username box wants you to use the language you used last by default (i.e. Russian), but the password box wants you to use English (that's why I was abke to login at all). Also: when focus is on the password field (and the language box show an American flag), when I go to switch the language, it shows a list of three Russian layouts of which only one is enabled -- and no English at all!
The line just get ripped or teared even when carefully wrapped around the plastic corners. Apple won't replace it for it is considered "physical" issue. Yeah, you got it right, Apple. It is a physical design flaw! No wonder so many websites selling third-party Adapters. I know Apple's products are nice and beautiful, but they should not be encased in glass container to be admired! They are supposed to be used in the REAL WORLD! Come on, Apple. Fix your badly designed products, already!
I am curious to know if L2/L3 cache impacts the performance of a macbook being used for Design and Drafting purposes. Of course this involves retrieving and real-time changes that will be made on a server and/or the macbook itself. Secondly, how significant will the functioning depend between a 3mb and a 4mb L2/L3 cache?
I'm wondering if the notebook is powerful enough to do digital video editing, some web site design, image manipulation and digital art? I was thinking of using the Mac Pro a long with a graphics tablet and secondary monitor via an USB external graphics adapter for a three monitor setup. I would bump the ram and possibly get an SSD using the original internal hard drive as an external.
