Go Back    Forum > Digital Life > Computers

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
  #1  
04-19-2012, 07:43 PM
Sossity Sossity is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 434
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
I ran into someone selling an upgraded mac mini, it has an i7 processor, 256mb ATI video card, a 240gb solid state drive, a 500gb standard drive, & 16 gb of ram. It runs mac os lion.

they wanted about 1,500 for it, is this a good deal?

would it be powerful enough for me? I do photography, graphic design, a little video editing. Would it last me awhile?

the reason I looked because, I have a monitor & keyboard already, & I dont like the shiny screens of the imac, & how difficult they are to upgrade. A mac pro is just too big for my desk & too expensive.
Reply With Quote
Someday, 12:01 PM
admin's Avatar
Ads / Sponsors
 
Join Date: ∞
Posts: 42
Thanks: ∞
Thanked 42 Times in 42 Posts
  #2  
04-19-2012, 08:14 PM
admin's Avatar
admin admin is offline
Site Staff | Web Development
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,310
Thanked 654 Times in 457 Posts
Q: Is the Mac Mini a good desktop for graphic design ?
A: Absolutely. You'll mostly be using Adobe software, which runs quite well on OS X. (Even a tad better than it does on Windows.)

Q: They wanted about 1,500 for it, is this a good deal?

A: I wouldn't call it a "deal" -- no. However, it is a fair price for the SSD and 16GB.

I'd say the biggest question is whether or not you need an SSD or 16GB of RAM. I'd imagine not. Even if you have a half dozen Photoshop documents open, with dozens of layers, and expand your undo history to 100 entries, you'll be hard-pressed to even use 8GB of RAM. You could probably find a Mac Mini for under $1,000, and then add your own pair of 4GB RAM sticks (8GB total) for about $50.

In fact, I'm so confident of this, I'll look for you real quick...

-- Kingston 1066 Mac RAM under $50 here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B001PS9UKW
-- Corsair 1333 Mac RAM under $50 here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B002YUF8ZG

Directly from Apple.com, you can get a 2011 Mac Mini with an i7 upgrade, 500GB, and 4GB of RAM for $899.
Customize it here: http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MC816LL/A?

IMPORTANT: Swap out the RAM yourself. Paying Apple $200 for the upgrade is ridiculous. You simply twist off the bottom panel, undo the RAM clips, and swap out the RAM. It takes more skill to scramble eggs or use a blender, so don't pay $150 extra just because "swapping RAM" sounds scary. Sadly, that's what most people do, and is one way companies like Apple make money from fear.

Understand that the 2011 Mac Mini has no internal CD/DVD optical drive. That was discontinued after the 2010 model. You'll have to buy an external DVD burner, if required. This non-slim LiteOn is only $50 from Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106338

So an i7 with 8GB RAM, 500GB internal HDD, and external DVD burner would only cost $1,000.

- Did this site help you? Then upgrade to Premium Member and show your support!
- Also: Like Us on Facebook for special DVD/Blu-ray news and deals!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
04-20-2012, 12:13 AM
Sossity Sossity is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 434
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
thanks for the tips, & well I went ahead & got it, there were other people looking, so I though I would jump at at it. I hope I did not make a bad buy. Would this work for any video editing or conversion? or even video game design, I have read that this is a growing trend the graphics industry.

I just hope this will last & not get dated too quickly. I have just read that there is a new processor out tat the end of this month called ivy bridge. Oh well, there will always be something better around the corner, someone told me & you play that wait game indefinitely.


I ask about the video games because I heard a disheartening story about someone in my neighborhood, who had just graduated from college with a graphic design degree. She went to apply to a local legoland for a job, & there were over 300 applicants, & a huge line. She did not get the job, & I was told that she ended up applying at a mac Donald's or somewhere, & did not get that job, because she had put that she had gone to college on her resume. Apparently, places like McDonalds do not want to hire someone they think is just going to move on. So she has now removed her degree & college credentials from her resume so she will not get rejected for other jobs.

I hope after all is said & done, & when I finish with school, that It will give me an advantage in the job field. At least that is what I have heard over the years in high school.

I have read that schools are out of step with modern times & that is part of the reason why students have a hard time finding jobs.

It seems people at this forum have some real world experience, that is why I like coming here with my questions. So what trends should I look out for in design? I am originally a fine artist, (painting & drawing) but have been told graphic design is better & easier to find jobs. I wonder if I am going in the right direction. I want to have relevant skills for the future.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
04-20-2012, 12:42 AM
kpmedia's Avatar
kpmedia kpmedia is offline
Site Staff | Web Hosting, Photo
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,311
Thanked 374 Times in 341 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sossity View Post
thanks for the tips, & well I went ahead & got it, there were other people looking, so I though I would jump at at it. I hope I did not make a bad buy. Would this work for any video editing or conversion?
It really depends on the workflow. A Mac can vary from a great video tool to the wrong/useless video tool. Generally speaking, you'll need to be doing higher-end video work, such as editing ProRes or Avid HD. It's also functional for DV work. In other words, you can "make movies" with it, if you're shooting the footage yourself with modern gear.

Quote:
or even video game design, I have read that this is a growing trend the graphics industry.
I'm not aware of any Mac-based video game workflows. Most of that is Java/C++ for the coding, or using Windows- or Linux-based rendering apps for the graphics. I know people who work at Nintendo, as well as some smaller indy programmers, and could ask if it's really important to know. From what I've seen, however, it's all Windows or Linux software. I have a book on game design here purely for inspiration, because it has some great info on UX and interfaces.

To learn a bit about 3D design, look at the freeware tool Blender.

Games are also more than just design and coding -- look at Angry Birds or Farmville as good case studies on modern games. If social media ends up being more than a fad (the jury's still out), then it's found a way to change the gaming industry long-term. I read a business editorial just yesterday on this very topic. EA's $60 console games now have to compete with $1 iPad games, so how will that shake up that industry? What does it mean long-term to employment? (It's a hint that some bloated gaming firms may have go more lean in order to survive.)

Quote:
I just hope this will last & not get dated too quickly. I have just read that there is a new processor out tat the end of this month called ivy bridge. Oh well, there will always be something better around the corner, someone told me & you play that wait game indefinitely.
Something new is always coming. Focus on now.

Quote:
I hope after all is said & done, & when I finish with school, that It will give me an advantage in the job field. At least that is what I have heard over the years in high school. ..... I have read that schools are out of step with modern times & that is part of the reason why students have a hard time finding jobs
Let's hope so. You're part of the millennial generation, which has been heavily devastated by the recessions that happened from 2001-2008 -- most all of it fallout from the Bush-era incompetence, be it in the response to the Middle East, or to domestic financial policies (taxation and regulation, especially). Granted, some of it started under the Nixon through Clinton administrations, but it was heavily exacerbated under Bush II. Neocons and conservative will, of course, head-in-sand and refute the facts, but that's to be expected from politicians and pundits who largely live in a world divorced from reality. (Note that nothing was made worse under Obama. It's an election year, so the misinformation seems to grow daily.)

As such, huge numbers of adults in their 20s, and even into their early 30s, have been massively screwed up for the rest of their lives. Their ability to find an entry-level job and "move up the ladder" has been delayed for as much as a decade. By the time you graduate college, the recession may have fully recovered, but you'll be competing for jobs with older applicants. The good news here is that at least jobs will be available. And from your point of view, that the age difference won't necessarily reflect any experience. So you'll really need to be above average to find work.

Quote:
So what trends should I look out for in design? I am originally a fine artist, (painting & drawing) but have been told graphic design is better & easier to find jobs. I wonder if I am going in the right direction. I want to have relevant skills for the future.
Design is nice, but it's largely useless as a sole skill. "Starving artist" is still true. The trend is to be able to merge talents, and keep good at two or more areas. Video games are an example of a talent marrying coding/CAD to design. Web design alone is almost worthless, but the ability to learn online marketing and web design is making lots of people moderately wealthy. (And I don't mean that semi-spammy "affiliate marketing" crap, but actual marketing for companies on a contractual basis.)

My advice is to be unique with multi talents. Don't have the same two talents as everybody else.

While I'm not a career counselor, one of my best friends is, at a very large university. And we talk about stuff like this weekly. Check your school's career center for advice. If you have some specific questions you'd like asked -- we get together for dinner every weekend -- then let me know what those are. Start a new thread on that topic in the general discussion area, if you want to proceed on it.

- Did my advice help you? Then become a Premium Member and support this site.
- Please Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter

- Need a good web host? Ask me for help! Get the shared, VPS, semi-dedicated, cloud, or reseller you need.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
04-20-2012, 01:17 AM
Sossity Sossity is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 434
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Thanks for the responses, by the way, I am 36, so I am not sure what generation I fit into or how this will affect me & how the job market will affect me at my age.

Well I just found out that my epson perfection 4490 flatbed scanner is a bit dated, & will not work with my new computer, mac used an app called rosetta for older hardware & software that worked with power pc. But with mac os lion, this support has been dropped since mac has gone to intel processors.

In another thread I was suggested that I get a current scanner, so I just hung with my older one until I needed an new one, since the 4490 is not broken. Well now, I am finding I may need to get another one. I need it to work with windows xp, mac os snowleopard & especially mac os lion.

My new pc has mac os lion on it.

can anyone suggest some good not too expensive models?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
04-20-2012, 01:37 AM
kpmedia's Avatar
kpmedia kpmedia is offline
Site Staff | Web Hosting, Photo
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,311
Thanked 374 Times in 341 Posts
Ah, yeah, then you're part of generation Y in age -- but in the same employment situation as the millennial generation.

Are you sure the 4490 doesn't work in Lion?
See this: http://esupport.epson-europe.com/Vie...id=328166#toc2
Check for drivers here: http://www.epson.com/support/lion

The Epson Perfection V600 is an awesome scanner. I know it works in Snow Leopard, and I've not seen any complaints regarding Lion.
$210 shipped is outstanding: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B002OEBMRU

- Did my advice help you? Then become a Premium Member and support this site.
- Please Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter

- Need a good web host? Ask me for help! Get the shared, VPS, semi-dedicated, cloud, or reseller you need.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
04-21-2012, 12:35 AM
Sossity Sossity is offline
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 434
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
thanks for the instructions, I managed to get the mac to see & update the scanner. I also went to epson support & downloaded the epson scan software.

Is the epson scan software good? it is free & I have always used it with my 4490.

also, does anybody know of inexpensive firewire 800 extension cables? my mac only has one firewire port. i have a few firwire external hard drives that I use.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
04-22-2012, 06:07 AM
kpmedia's Avatar
kpmedia kpmedia is offline
Site Staff | Web Hosting, Photo
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,311
Thanked 374 Times in 341 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sossity View Post
does anybody know of inexpensive firewire 800 extension cables?
This topic has been continued in your other thread: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/comp...on-cables.html
Thanks.

- Did my advice help you? Then become a Premium Member and support this site.
- Please Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter

- Need a good web host? Ask me for help! Get the shared, VPS, semi-dedicated, cloud, or reseller you need.
Reply With Quote
Reply




Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Time to get a new desktop metaleonid Capture, Record, Transfer 7 02-06-2012 07:25 PM
High performance HP desktop: What motherboard does Intel i7 use? alijayadv Computers 3 12-06-2011 10:04 PM
How to get work as a graphic designer. fzgfaq Web Development, Design 4 11-18-2010 04:38 AM
VBulletin custom graphic icon by forum name kpmedia Website and Server Troubleshooting 1 01-04-2010 03:27 AM

Thread Tools



 
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:35 PM