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My budget for the new computer is somewhere around $1500. I am ready to go in and spend enough to get the right computer. I will be working online, doing photography work in Photoshop and Aperture, doing some small amounts of web development and programming for the theater where I work, some games.
As for the software I will be using: Adobe Photoshop CS4, Apple XCode bundle, Firefox . . . erm, I don't know what else. Probably Microsoft Office.
I do play some games, but nothing too crazy, so that's not much of an issue. Probably the most computer-frying game I would play is Minecraft.
I have a quite substantial classical music collection and a similarly substantial photography collection that will need to be stored and accessed on the computer readily.
I was looking at this guide to the best new desktop computers - is anything there the type of thing I am looking for? I have used plenty of desktops and laptops, but this is my first experience actually shopping for my own desktop and now I'm a little overwhelmed.
Thanks in advance for any replies, advice, recommendations, and jokes!
For $1,500 you should be able to buy an iMac with the basic RAM, plus the software you have mentioned. I would also buy an external DVD-CD drive. You could buy additional RAM (if you want) from Crucial.
By the way, I use Macs and CS4 for photography work at home, and PCs at work for work stuff other than photography, but since I am not into gaming I can't help you there.
Aperture is only available for Mac, so that narrows down your choices to an iMac, which is a good choice for photography. The new models are absolutely gorgeous.
I also work in the theater and do light Web development. My dream setup would be a new MacBook Pro and a Thunderbolt display. That way I would get the monitor space plus portability. Unfortunately it’s beyond your budget—and mine too.
I wonder how many posts until some genius chimes in and suggests the OP build their own desktop without realizing how stupid it would be.
That is actually my preference. But I would not recommend it for everybody, especially at the speed new products are coming out and the price drops it is hard for us tinkerers to compete with the premade, preloaded ones.
Since the OP wants to use aperature, the choice is pretty much limited to an iMac. My only recommendation is to add an external HDD for plenty of storage.
The External HDD's in the 3 TB range have become affordable. Although for MAC are higher than for Windows. however one compatable with MAC can be had for $350 and under. 1 and 2 TB are considerably less.
That is actually my preference. But I would not recommend it for everybody, especially at the speed new products are coming out and the price drops it is hard for us tinkerers to compete with the premade, preloaded ones.
Since the OP wants to use aperature, the choice is pretty much limited to an iMac. My only recommendation is to add an external HDD for plenty of storage.
The External HDD's in the 3 TB range have become affordable. Although for MAC are higher than for Windows. however one compatable with MAC can be had for $350 and under. 1 and 2 TB are considerably less.
WD makes several large hard drives, sold at Sam's Club and other stores. These cost the same for Macs and PCs (around $129.00 for 2TB up here, but cheaper at your side of the pond). These drives are plug and play these days, but I reformat them before using. By the way, you can connect a PC formatted drive to a Mac, and it will be recognized. http://www.staples.com/cat_CL160403 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...20and%20higher
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You answered your own question
