Some Mac questions

[dmdigital]

I'm considering moving to the dark side and replacing my worn out PC with an iMac.

Just wondering:

Does the iMac suffer from only having one disk (no separate scratch disk) when doing large edits in photoshop? If so, is there a way around this?

Is it worth getting 4GB of RAM over 2GB?

Is the wireless keyboard good or are there better alternatives? (I'd get the wireless mouse, don't think I could use a mouse with a cord anymore)

I'm assuming there's at least one unbiased Mac user on the forum (obviously there's no 4wd marque biased owners on this forum :lol: ) who will be able to give me some sound advice.

[incisor]

I'm considering moving to the dark side and replacing my worn out PC with an iMac.

Just wondering:

Does the iMac suffer from only having one disk (no separate scratch disk) when doing large edits in photoshop? If so, is there a way around this?

Is it worth getting 4GB of RAM over 2GB?

Is the wireless keyboard good or are there better alternatives? (I'd get the wireless mouse, don't think I could use a mouse with a cord anymore)

I'm assuming there's at least one unbiased Mac user on the forum (obviously there's no 4wd marque biased owners on this forum :lol: ) who will be able to give me some sound advice.

external firewire drive works not too badly as a scratch disk on big edits.

i use 4gig of ram, is cheap these days, just do it, but not the genuine stuff from mac, wayyyyyyy to dear.

i use a gigabyte wireless keyboard and mouse, very nice, the mac ones isuck imho.

yell if you want price and availability etc etc ;)

[dmdigital]

Thanks inc, forgot that you sell this stuff.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

I'm afraid to say I don't know enough about that stuff to help but whatever INC says = good.

You'll find yourself thumping your head and "DOH"ing when you realise all the MS Poo that you've been putting yourself through.. that you didn't have to...

This is a great forum (http://mactalk.com.au/).

[Turtle61]

As Inc said, external Firewire discs are the way to go for high speed multimedia work and as a secondary scratch disc. USB is just too slow.

Pack your Mac with as much RAM as possible but do not get it installed as an option as it works out very expensive. There are a number of on-line places for quite cheap reliable RAM (about to get some for my MacBook Pro)...

Can't comment on keyboards - always used standard Mac stuff. It just works for me.

Inc, do you sell / can you get Mac RAM? PM me if you can get a good price....


Cheers

--Irek

[MacMan]

Does the iMac suffer from only having one disk (no separate scratch disk) when doing large edits in photoshop? If so, is there a way around this?

I have no problem here.

Is it worth getting 4GB of RAM over 2GB?

YES

Is the wireless keyboard good or are there better alternatives? (I'd get the wireless mouse, don't think I could use a mouse with a cord anymore)

The wireless keyboards don't have the extended keypad. I ordered one before I realised, and reckon it's a dumb mistake by Apple. Now have wired. Wireless mouse good, but hungry on batteries.

I'm assuming there's at least one unbiased Mac user on the forum (obviously there's no 4wd marque biased owners on this forum :lol: ) who will be able to give me some sound advice.

I have a PC in the office which is only turned on to help undo some of the cr@p that MS Office does to its documents when my clients send me files. The current Macs are beaut machines to use, although it took months for Apple to come out with a firmware patch that allowed my machine to run crash free.

[cartm58]

recently acquired a factory refurbished iMac with 4 gig mem for $1800 on ebay compared to $3000 from Apple with 12 months warranty, cannot b ehappier with it and ease of performance

only use iMac and precious pc for email, net access, digital photos and ipod synching my itune library.

everything you do on a iMac is just so much easier and simpler than a pc

[p38arover]

everything you do on a iMac is just so much easier and simpler than a pc

Maybe one needs a Mac brain? I find them as frustrating as hell to use. I get cranky everytime I have to help my wife 'cos I cannot work out how to use the Mac.

I've got to the point now where I just say I can't help

[dmdigital]

Thanks all, I'm pretty much sold on one as a desktop. My biggest problem now though seems to be a dodgy WiFi router:mad:

Network to ADSL modem keeps dropping out, keeps loosing WiFi to both laptops, Desktop wasn't picked up....aaaarrggh!

But I did like my wife's response: "Why don't you just go online and order a new one?"

Hmmm... let me think... Oh yeah it keeps dropping out on me and will probably do so halfway through the payment screen. :wallbash:

[abaddonxi]

<SNIP>although it took months for Apple to come out with a firmware patch that allowed my machine to run crash free.

Just remember that sentence.

Macs are great, but they're still computers and still have problems.

Install xp service pack 2 or 3 on your computers, that's last weeks forum recommendation for fixing wireless problems. I've used it twice already!

Cheers
Simon

[dmdigital]

Just remember that sentence.

Macs are great, but they're still computers and still have problems.


I've been dealing with computers for 28 years. Thankfully they have become smaller, but unfortunately not any less problematic. I don't believe Mac's a re less problematic, just different.

Let's bring back the 8" and 10" floppy disks and punch cards, after all we have now got external/removable hard drives again - OK so they don't weigh upwards of 20kg's!


Install xp service pack 2 or 3 on your computers, that's last weeks forum recommendation for fixing wireless problems. I've used it twice already!


Or Vista SP1... strangely all the problems started after I installed all these, several days after. To many PC's affect for it to be the OS's, was hoping it was radio interference, but the fact that the router is also having problems with N/W comm's to the desktop and my NAS (both wired through a switch) suggests something is flakey.