CS3 on MacBook and iMac?

[EMKoper]

Hello- I am wondering if anyone has any words of wisdom on how well CS3 functions/runs on the systems below? My PowerMac (2x 1GHz MDD) has about had it... and looking to possibly replace with both an iMac and MacBook. I mainly use Illustrator and Dreamweaver, Photoshop as needed... (only home and hobby use... not for work)

I am considering:

MacBook: 2.0 GHz, Core Duo, 2GB RAM (entry level unibody)
iMac: 20 inch, 2.66 GHz, ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO

Thanks,
Eric

 

[a cat *miaow*]

I've been working on heavy photoshop files for about a year on a 2.16Ghz macbook and an external display.. (also running browser/itunes etc).

Of course it's not going to match a desktop but it fits what I need.

But, Number one thing you need to do.. Take the RAM up to 4GBs. I was using it with 2gb for a while and the performance leap is amazing - even more than I expected.. was a completely different machine.

I'd definitely go for the laptop rather than imac.. but that's my preference, either way it'll see you good.

 

[tMac85]

those will both work just fine. great actually. especially on the imac.

 

[0098386]

I used to edit a very large Photoshop file (70k by 30k px, hundreds of layers) under CS3 on my MB. Took up most of the Ram and the temp scratch file was big but it ran really well. CS4 seems to be even quicker.

You'll be reet.

 

[EMKoper]

Thanks, sounds like either will meet my needs... I am actually thinking of getting both rather than a new power mac which would be a similar cost as both. And, with only one CS3 license, there would be a little debate in my mind on which to run CS3 on. Personally, I am becoming a huge fan of laptops to work things on the move and the thought strapping myself to a desk in one place to work/play seems a little archaic right now... I'll likely buy the laptop first... try it out and maybe not upgrade the desktop and save the $. I do get the feeling that other things (outside the scope of this question) would be better suited for a desktop ... like video processing, DVD recording, etc.

Good news, though, from what I am hearing!

 

[mlblacy]

Max ram out and you will be more than fine. I have a first gen 24" with 3gb of ram, and it runs the CS stuff fine, even on very large files with tons of layers. With 4gb, and the faster processors than mine, you will be good to go.

Unless you are crunching a lot of video, the iMacs make good workstations at a fraction of the cost of the pros.

michael

 

[primalman]

Not to try to talk you out of what you want to do, but why not get a MacBook Pro and a larger external display to have one machine but keep your portability? You would have a powerful machine [way powerful enough for CS3] and an even higher-resolution display for desk work.

Just a thought.

 

[primalman]

Thanks, sounds like either will meet my needs... I am actually thinking of getting both rather than a new power mac which would be a similar cost as both. And, with only one CS3 license, there would be a little debate in my mind on which to run CS3 on. Personally, I am becoming a huge fan of laptops to work things on the move and the thought strapping myself to a desk in one place to work/play seems a little archaic right now... I'll likely buy the laptop first... try it out and maybe not upgrade the desktop and save the $. I do get the feeling that other things (outside the scope of this question) would be better suited for a desktop ... like video processing, DVD recording, etc.

Good news, though, from what I am hearing!

If you read the license carefully, adobe had for several versions allowed for an installation on a desktop and a laptop owned by the same user when it is generally assumed that the user only uses one of the computers/licenses at a time. Check the EULA.

And just FYI, I do a bunch of video edits, Motion/After Effects and DVD encoding on both a newer MBP and an older PowerBook G4. The iMac uses mainly laptop components [processor, logic system] so you are not going to get much difference out of it over a MBP, IMO.

 

[EMKoper]

If you read the license carefully.... so you are not going to get much difference out of it over a MBP, IMO.

Great input! I'll start looking into that other option as well... I priced out both the MacBook and iMac with a little extra memory, and I choked a little on the total. The MBP might be a better route, I admit and will look into it...

And better feel for the brightness / color of the MBP display versus the macbook? versus the iMac?

(and I'll look into the license.... thanks)

 

[obeygiant]

I've got a black macbook 2.2ghz with 4 gb of ram. I run CS3 on daily basis with no problems. If I have safari and 2 versions of Lightroom open the fan will kick on and it will sputter now and again.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Great input! I'll start looking into that other option as well... I priced out both the MacBook and iMac with a little extra memory, and I choked a little on the total. The MBP might be a better route, I admit and will look into it...

And better feel for the brightness / color of the MBP display versus the macbook? versus the iMac?

(and I'll look into the license.... thanks)

While I can't comment on the display difference between an iMac and a MacBook Pro, I will tell you that my 2.4GHz iMac with 4GB RAM runs CS3 exceptionally well. In fact, I've timed it and PS opens faster on my iMac at home than it does on my 2.8GHz Mac Pro at work (though both are fast, I have no idea why the iMac opens faster).

As for the license, the previous post was absolutely correct. Adobe states here:

If you own, or are the primary user of a single-user Adobe product that is installed on a computer at work, you can also install and use the software on one secondary computer of the same platform at home or on a portable computer. However, you may not run the software simultaneously on both the primary and secondary computers.