> From: "Ken Norton" <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> ... for the first time in my life, I'm seriously considering
> purchasing
> a Mac.
Welcome to the bright side of The Force!
> The new Macbook... removed the Firewire port.
This may not mean much to you, but consider that most decent external
drives use FireWire. It really is *much* faster and more reliable than
USB2. Also, many vidcams use FireWire, as well as better scanners. And
don't write off audio -- the best pro-level audio hardware is all
FireWire, and is a fraction of the cost of a stand-alone. Perhaps your
Yamaha will age well, or perhaps you'll want a wider selection down
the road.
More importantly is something called "target disk mode." You can hold
the "T" key down at boot, and a FireWire equipped Mac will then look
like a disk to any other FireWire device plugged into it. You may only
have one Mac, but this means that if you get hosed somehow, your buddy
with a Mac can easily recover (and possibly restore) your disk. Non-
FireWire Macs can't do target disk mode, as far as I know.
> One reason why I'm looking seriously at Mac is Aperture... I want
> to "fire" Adobe from my life like I'm
> tempted to "fire" Windoze. Can you say "software rot"? Is Aperture a
> dead-end or do you feel that it is a reasonably safe direction to go?
Aperture is WONDERFUL! I teach photography classes, and show all
student assignments in Aperture. Several of my students have been
impressed enough to switch to a Mac based on what they saw in class.
Aperture has replaced about 85% of my Photoshopping, and what it won't
do is handily done by Photoshop CS. So I am officially off the Adobe
upgrade treadmill, and have been for what, over four years now since CS?
Aperture won't do stuff like flaming text. In fact, it won't do text
at all. I recently wanted text on an arc, and resorted to Photoshop
CS. But Aperture's philosophy is to stick to photography. I can do
most of the texty things I need to do with Pages.
(Incidentally, if part of this impending switch is a protest against
monopolies, ditch Microsoft Office while you're at it, and get the
wonderful iWork package, which for only $100 or so, replaces Word,
Excel, and PowerPoint with very capable substitutions that are fast
and intuitive, unlike the clutzy OpenOffice alternative.)
> The tiny 13" screen on
> the Macbooks are a bit tight for anything other than basic field
> work...
And don't under-rate the value of FireWire. Such things are often
perceived as value-less when you haven't used them, but priceless
afterward.
And go for the bigger screen. I have an old (4 years?) 17" PowerBook
that is still going strong, and I have no need to retire it.
> I use my computers for a minimum of three years.
Another reason for going to The Bright Side of the Force. ADC, and
independent market research firm, says Macs are in typically use for
nearly twice as long as PCs -- something the "Macs are more expensive"
crowd always seems to overlook.
> Which versions of the Macbook should I be considering and how should
> I have
> them optioned?
Go for the Pro (for the FireWire) and the largest screen you can afford.
Get minimum RAM. Aftermarket is available and much cheaper. Get the
smallest disk you think you'll need for your applications and "must
have" stuff, then get a 750GB or 1TB FireWire-800 external for your
Aperture library.
I can't stress the difference between FireWire and USB-2 enough. I'm
willing to admit that perhaps it's a Mac thing -- that USB-2 works
acceptably on Windoze boxes -- but my experience with USB-2 external
disks have been dismal, and my data is too important.
:::: Jan Steinman, EcoReality Communication Steward: http://www.EcoReality.org
::::
:::: 2152 Fulford-Ganges Road, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1Z7, Canada
250.653.2024 ::::
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