[elevatormusic]

i'm applying to all art colleges this year (i'm a senior this year), and they all say that a mac is the standard for graphic arts, so i plan on buying a mac computer after deciding on which mac would be best for what i'm studying.

but i know absolutely nothing about mac.

the current computer i have is windows XP 2000. it's really old, slow, and loud (the fan). i was thinking about getting a cheap computer because this one is so old. but instead of getting vista, i was thinking about getting a mac because i wanted to get used to it before i go to college and buy one. i dont wanna take time just getting used to my new computer.
also, my current computer wont let me install photoshop from my CD. it works on my dad's vista laptop, and i have no idea why it wont work on mine. it worked on mine two years ago, but after i got a virus, and took it to the computer store to get it removed, it wouldn't let me install it after that.

so should i buy a cheap mac? but i know that mac is already expensive, and i wont really find a cheap one unless i buy it used, which i really dont mind, as long as it's not as old as mine.

lol i'm not entirely sure what my question is, but any advice would be good. :D

[iota]

I switched to Mac about an year ago. I don't have much experience using Vista, so I can't say much about it compared to Mac OS X. Personally, I love Mac computers. I would definitely say that the switch is definitely worth it, even if Macs are a bit pricier.

As for getting used to the new interface, I wouldn't say that's a big problem. It is different, but it's fairly straightforward and simple.

[JANG.]

lol i'm not entirely sure what my question is, but any advice would be good.

ahaha. <333

i think getting a used mac would be a good idea. (: my sister got a mac for college during the summer, and it's a little different, but not something that you couldn't adjust to within a short amount of days. i have a windows vista laptop though, and i love it, but with graphic arts i guess macs would be the better option. the minor differences shouldn't be any trouble at all.

and about the PS installation, how far do you get before it stops you from installing it? do you type in the serial number and everything?


edit - - - -

omg, i just realized i was no help at all, haha. i practically repeated what the person above me said. x)

[cluu1]

just go buy a pc then install mac on it
then you have both!!
won't have cost so much either

just buy mac osx buy itself

[elevatormusic]

thanks acrylicLOVE. we have ONE mac lab at my school, but i've only been in there about 3 times. i went to the mac store, and the mouse had no buttons on it, but i could still right click. is that a special mouse? because the one at my school wouldn't let me right click, and my friends were looking at me like i was stupid.

lol meena <3 you had some helpfulness there...i think XD i put in the serial number, and it's fine until 60%. skdfnskldj but it works on my dad's vista T_T

cluu1 can i do that? i had no idea o_o

[HamSTA]

@cluu1: you could also have a windows OS on a mac as well

@orangebubbles: since you are doing art i would recommend a mac more because its alot more user friendly with all the art and media applications
and yes you CAN right click
but its not really a click
more like it senses yuo have your finger on the right side of the mouse more than the left when you click it thus acting like a "right click"
but that is from the newer none transparent mac mouse

me i'm a PC user so i know almost all the ins and outs with a PC so i'm going to stick with it
but i would love to have a Mac for all of its art applications =]

[cluu1]

@cluu1: you could also have a windows OS on a mac as well

@orangebubbles: since you are doing art i would recommend a mac more because its alot more user friendly with all the art and media applications
and yes you CAN right click
but its not really a click
more like it senses yuo have your finger on the right side of the mouse more than the left when you click it thus acting like a "right click"
but that is from the newer none transparent mac mouse

me i'm a PC user so i know almost all the ins and outs with a PC so i'm going to stick with it
but i would love to have a Mac for all of its art applications =]

i know that you can use windows on a mac
but the operating system is not the point
it's just that macs
cost SOOOOOO much

it would just be cheaper to buy a pc and install mac on it

[DKYang]

Installing Leopard on a PC that was not created by Apple? I HIGHLY don't recommend that at all unless you can deal with the problems. There are drivers for Windows, but not for Macs. So don't even think about doing that unless you're ready to face problems and willing to fix it yourself, because Apple will not support you. There's a reason why Leopard is only on computers made by Apple and not on other computers. Easier said then done.

[khy27]

Can I renew this topic? ^^
I own a Macbook, and have installed Windows on it. Even though it's not too fast (it's a laptop after all), if you buy the desktop, it should be fine.
I love Macs! I enjoy it a lot more than Windows because I'm a very sloppy/messy person on my computer (meaning I got viruses all the time), and Macs are practically virus-free.
Programs on Mac are really cool. Any graphics program is really really user-friendly.

[erure]

Have you considered getting the Mac mini? Or maybe a used MacBook... Don't forget, you can get a student discount if you're a college student on Mac computers...

[apparition]

the mac minis are outdated and underspec. if you were to follow erure's suggestion, well, id wait to the next refresh of mac minis.

but for a student like you, id probably recommend a laptop. maybe like a 14" one from say acer, hp, toshiba. you can probably get a decent one for under $999CDN. very fast, portable and compatable with everything.

if you're gonna swing the other way, a mac is like $1500CDN(?) for a 22" imac, or maybe $1350CDN for the new, decent models of macbooks. they do have the older $1100 plastic model, but it is probably too weak for your needs. id actually recommend putting some money into something half decent.

i work at a computer store, and we sell both pcs and macs. its good that you have options.

edit: apple does sell refurb imacs that may be okay.

[hangook/korea]

if you're getting a mac for graphic design make sure it is powerful enough to handle ps, etc. A mac mini or a last gen macbook won't cut it.

Installing os x on a pc is not as easy as it sounds.

[dot1q]

^ Mac Mini is capable of more than handling PS (I'm assuming Photoshop)... and then some...

Difference between Mac and PC? The real answer? ... Marketing. Nothing more and nothing less. Both equally competent operating systems in their own right.