Need help choosing a display to use with 12" ibook

I apologize in advance if this topic has been covered earlier. I'm contemplating purchasing a monitor to use with my ibook and something that could be used later with a new Mac Mini or Power Mac. I can't bank roll a Mac monitor... they're beautiful but trés expensive. So I'm looking for some other brand. The question I have is what type of monitor should I buy. I know I want a LCD (17" pref), Id like to spend less than $400, and VGA would be nice so I don't have to purchase an additional adaptor. Is there anything else I should be aware of? What about monitors with a DCI connection? Are they difficult to connect/need expensive adaptor? Any advice or recommendations you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Laura

Keep in mind that the iBook does not support extended desktop mode. This means that you can only use an external monitor for mirroring your main display. Since the resolution of the iBook is very low (1024 x 768), virtually any display will support it.
If you want to use an external monitor with another system later, consider getting a large CRT display, rather than an LCD. While LCDs have their attractions, such as power consumption, weight, and size, these are not the main characteristics of a good display. For another five or ten years, you'll be better off with a good CRT display. (This is my personal opinion, naturally. I was drooling over the 30" Apple Display myself, but generally, I'm not entirely satisfied with the current state of LCD technologies.)
P.S. There's a trick to enable extended desktop mode for iMacs and iBooks: http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html You may want to try that, too. Beware! It's highly addictive!

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Hi,
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{code}
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There's this as well:
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AFTER PAINT.ACOUSTICAL.1..9" MEMBRAIN                 1 AFTER PAINT
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AFTER PAINT.ACOUSTICAL.1..9" MEMBRAIN                 3 1
AFTER PAINT.ACOUSTICAL.1..9" MEMBRAIN                 4
AFTER PAINT.ACOUSTICAL.1..9" MEMBRAIN                 5 9" MEMBRAIN
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BEFORE PAINT.ELECTRIC.2..45 caliber MEMBRAIN          4
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{code}

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Charles,
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http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1514
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=mac+os+x+tiger+retail+10.4
See Tom's, (Texas Mac Man), great info on where/how to find/get Tiger...
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15305521#15305521
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http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MAU4S7500G16/

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I'm trying to set up a dual monitor for my new iMac. I'm using a second display I used with my old G5. My iMac recognizes the second monitor but the monitor won't turn on. Power button doesn't do anything on the monitor itself.

I'm trying to set up a dual monitor for my new iMac. I'm using a second display I used with my old G5. My iMac recognizes the second monitor but the monitor won't turn on. Power button doesn't do anything on the monitor itself.

If it won't turn on then the monitor is dead (power supply?, video circuits?). Not worth repairing.
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Windows doesn't detect iPhone: http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1538
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Actually I have been doing further research and I personally would either go with the 2.6GHz NON RETINA MBP or cough up the cash and go all out on a 2.6GHz RETINA MBP and upgrade the RAM to 16GB and upgrade to 768GB Flash storage, I am a student as well so will get a discount which will help.
My fears are that if I get the Retina model I will not be able to upgrade it even further, I want to keep the computer for at least a good 5 years, during those 5 to 8 years will the current upgrades be enough to keep up with the top games and programs etc? Also I have read that repairing the Retina display model is very diffcult and it can malfunction commonly, so I am guessing I should get apple care on top of it just to be sure with this particular model?
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If ANYONE needs help choosing mba 13 vs mbp 13 look here

most helpful review ever (i got mba) from cnet
Hope this helps
oh and what will you be getting
copied from http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20082192-1/macbook-air-vs-macbook-pro-which- apple-13-incher-should-you-buy/
That glut's been lessened a little now that the white MacBook has been discontinued. The MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are the only two MacBook product lines left, and they represent two different solutions to same problem. The unibody aluminum Pro used to be considered thin, but it's--relatively--thick at 1 inch, and weighs over 4 pounds. The Pro offers better specs, while the Air, which has just been recently updated, leans toward light weight and quick booting as its advantages.
There's more to consider, though: the 2011 13-inch MacBook Pro and new 13-inch MacBook Air have become more similar than they've ever been before, for several reasons--performance, battery life, and a Thunderbolt port.
Two 13-inch MacBooks: which do you choose?
Let's put them side by side and compare. (Note: For additional price-based consideration, we're throwing the higher-end 11-inch Air into the chart comparison, since its $1,199 price matches the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro.)
11-inch MacBook Air (2011)
13-inch MacBook Air (2011)
13-inch MacBook Pro (2011)
CPU
1.6GHz Intel Core i5
1.7GHz Intel Core i5
2.3GHz Intel Core i5
RAM
4GB
4GB
4GB
Storage
128GB SSD
128GB SSD
320GB HDD
Weight
2.38 lbs
2.96 lbs
4.5 lbs
Screen resolution
1,366x768
1,440x900
1,280x800
Battery life
276 minutes
406 minutes
402 minutes
Price
$1,199
$1,299
$1,199
Size: How quickly things change: in March, the 2011 MacBook Pro was the newest laptop in Apple's stable. Now, it's the oldest. It's obviously far heavier than the 13-inch Air, by over a pound and a half. Edge: Air.
Performance: Last time, we recommended the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro as the best all-around Apple 13-incher in terms of price, design, and performance. The MacBook Air has caught up fast. Its price and base RAM/storage specs are still the same, but the new Air has a dramatically faster second-gen Core i5 CPU that makes for a far better computer. Benchmark results are so close they're practically indistinguishable: despite the Air having a lower-speed CPU, it performs nearly identically to the Pro. The 11-inch Air's no slouch either, and it's nearly as good, its performance lag likely being due to having less RAM and a .1GHz slower processor. Edge: Tie.
Battery life: Again, nearly the same. The MacBook Air lost the battle in the spring, but the new, more power-efficient second-gen Intel Core i5 CPU has evened the comparison. Both 13-inchers netted around 6 hours and 40 minutes. Edge: Tie.
Extras: The 13-inch Pro wins on features, but it's a narrower win than you'd expect. A larger hard drive and a DVD-burning optical drive are the larger Pro's advantages, along with an HD Webcam. Port-wise, the Pro adds a FireWire port and an Ethernet jack, and that's it. However, the Air has a higher-resolution 1,440x900-pixel display, while the Pro, oddly enough, has a 1,280x800-pixel screen. Edge: Pro.
And now, case by case:
Best value for the money: Pro. Unless you truly value size and weight above all else, the 13-inch Pro offers more features, ports, and hard-drive space, along with an optical drive. The advantage is narrow, though; narrower than it's ever been.
For the coffee-shopper and frequent traveler: Air. Obviously, size is key. The Air's tiny, and now it also has improved battery life. Some people, though, might prefer the even smaller 11-inch Air, although it doesn't last as long on a charge.
Student who wants to save money: Pro. Last time, we said to get the white MacBook, the king of value. You're out of luck on deals this time. The $999 11-inch Air is the cheapest, but sacrifices valuable storage space. The $1,199 Pro's technically a good value, but more expensive. Educational discounts currently have the entry-level Pro at $1,099 and the entry-level Air at $1,249. Does a difference of $150 affect your purchasing decision? Alternatively, perhaps consider the $499iPad, or a Windows laptop.
Money is no object, best computer: Air. We would have said the 13-inch Pro a year ago, but you might as well consider splurging on a 256GB 13-inch Air with an upgraded 1.8GHz Core i7 processor, and get a Thunderbolt-connected storage array along with a Thunderbolt Display to dock with. It'll cost a fortune, but you said you were rich, right?
Executive with expense account: Air. See above. The MacBook Air is finally as fast as the 13-inch Pro, so there's less of a sacrifice between size and speed.
Conclusion: Very tough call. Now it's a split. We give it to the 13-inch Pro on a technicality, for now, for the average person looking to replace an everyday laptop. The 13-inch Pro still a bit more of a value, even though the Air is arguably a better pure portableMac. The Air did earn an Editors' Choice Award on CNET, while the 13-inch Pro didn't, but that's also a matter of accomplishment for its size class: the 13-inch Air is the best thin MacBook, while the 15-inch Pro is technically the better larger-form MacBook. Even though Apple's Web site suggests that new users start with the MacBook Air, technically, if you're considering a 13-incher, you should start with the $100-cheaper 13-inch Pro.
Are an optical drive and extra hard-drive space worth the added weight? With networked hard drives, external peripherals, and cloud-based storage, is the 13-inch Air more your style? Sound off below, let us know what you'd prefer.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20082192-1/macbook-air-vs-macbook-pro-which- apple-13-incher-should-you-buy/#ixzz1THuDcaFP

Hmm, I'm much more interested in comparing performance benchmarks... your review seems to infer that there's not much difference between the Air Pro, but I'd want to see examples, comparing typical processor and disk R/W activities.

Need help choosing optimal hardware for a laptop that will run AE CS5

BACKGROUND INFO (Questions listed below)
I need some help figuring out the best hardware configuration for a new laptop. I’m a student at a design school and I will be using the laptop to mainly run After Effects and to a lesser extent Photoshop and Illustrator. I don’t need to worry about 3D rendering software or Premier Pro. I am primarily interested in getting the best performance during editing. I am not looking for the best performance for final output. I would prefer to sacrifice final output times for better editing/interface performance.
I will be working with standard definition content and perhaps HD up to 720p on occasion. I do not need to operate in resolutions higher than 720p. My projects are generally animation and use many sources and many layers.
I’ve been reading up on optimal hardware configurations for CS5 but my understanding is still a little foggy and I would like to use this thread to figure out how to build the best machine for my budget. The budget is about $1400 to $1600 CANADIAN after tax.
I DON’T need help finding the laptop. I will search for it on my own. I just need to understand the best hardware to purchase within my budget.
I realize that it is probably impossible to buy the laptop I want with the hardware configuration I need “off the shelf”. Instead I will be looking for a good base model (~$900-$1100) and I will purchase the necessary hardware upgrades separately. I will not be purchasing a Mac.
Right now I’m thinking of a machine built something like this:
- 15”-16” screen (17” models are too big/heavy)
- Mid to high end i5 processor OR entry level i7 quad core
- 8GB RAM (I would go to 12GB, but it’s hard to find a 15”-16” laptop with 3 memory slots)
- SSD to replace HDD (However, if possible, I would like a laptop with dual HDD support or swap the optical drive for another HDD. If I had access to 2 drives, I would have and HDD/SSD combo).
- Medium/high end NVIDIA GPU to take advantage of OpenGL while editing.
QUESTIONS
1) Does the “Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously” option enhance general editing performance (applying filters, scrubbing through the timeline, reverting history states)? Or does it ONLY help speed up RAM previews and final output? Does it reduce the length of RAM previews?
1b) Is this option even necessary to enable on 64bit systems? (As far as I understand it was used to solve a problem where 32bit systems/software would only recognize 4GB of RAM per instance of AE).
1c) If I turn this option on to help with RAM previews, would I be hindering general editing performance in any way? Or does this option have basically zero drawbacks?
2) How come “Actual CPUs that will be used” will read 0 even if the sum total of RAM assigned to the CPUs plus the RAM reserved for other applications is less than the total available system RAM (on a 64bit system)? For example, I currently have 4GB RAM and 2 installed CPUs. I have 1.5GB reserved for other programs and when I set 0.75GB per CPU both CPUs are used. However when I set 1GB per CPU then 0 CPUs are used, even though the total RAM adds up to only 3.5GB.
CPU
3.) Considering the fact that I am more concerned with smooth performance while editing rather than final output speeds, would it be better to get a dual core i5 clocked around 2.5 or a quad core i7 clocked around 1.8?
4.) What is the difference between an i3 and an i5 processor even if they are clocked at the same speed? How does an i5 460M compare on the grand scheme of things?
RAM
6.) Should the quantity of RAM that I get (8GB vs 12GB) be based on the number of cores in my CPU? If so, how should I be calculating optimal RAM based on # of cores. Should I also be counting threads, or just actual physical cores?
STORAGE/SWAP
7.) Should I replace the HDD with an SSD? I'm looking for snappy interface performance while editing. I would think that if the RAM fills up it would be best to have the SSD for scratch/cache.
8.) What performance benchmarks are most important when considering an SSD for After Effects? (4k writes? IOs per second? Max read/write?)
9.) I can afford the OCZ Vertex2 120GB SSD. Would this be a good choice if an SSD is recommended?
10.) Would it be better to have 8GB of RAM and an SSD, or 12GB of RAM and an HDD? Explain why.
GPU
10.) After Effects utilizes OpenGL to enhance editing performance. I will not really be using Premier Pro, so catering to the CUDA Mercury Engine is not a concern. Do high end gaming cards provide significant gains in OpenGL performance? Or do OpenGL performance gains taper off around the mid-range GPUs? (i.e. can you justify buying a high end GTX 260M graphics card for enhanced editing performance versus an "entry level" dedicated card like the 310M?)
11.) What hardware specs are most important when considering a GPU for editing performance in AE? (Memory size? # of Pixel shaders? Core speed? Shader speed?)
Thanks so much for any answers you can offer to these questions.

Please make sure that you've read through this page and what it points to.
> 1) Does the “Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously” option
enhance general editing performance (applying filters, scrubbing through
the timeline, reverting history states)? Or does it ONLY help speed up
RAM previews and final output? Does it reduce the length of RAM
previews?
It only increases rendering speed for RAM previews and rendering for final output. In After Effects CS5, it doesn't decrease the length of RAM previews. (In CS4, it does.)
1b) Is this option even necessary to enable on 64bit
systems? (As far as I understand it was used to solve a problem where
32bit systems/software would only recognize 4GB of RAM per instance of
AE).
You misunderstood. Yes, it's still relevant on 64-bit computers. Moreso, in a way. (I'd rather not spend my entire Sunday writing out detailed answers to satisfy idle curiosity, so I'm not going to give all the technical detail to that answer.)
> 1c) If I turn this option on to help with RAM previews,
would I be hindering general editing performance in any way? Or does
this option have basically zero drawbacks?
It takes a small but nonzero time for the background processes to start up when they need to be used and shut down when they're done. And as they sit waiting, they take up a little bit of memory. So, it's not exactly correct to say that there are no downsides to leaving it on. But it's close. I leave it on.
> 2) How come “Actual CPUs that will be used” will read 0 even
if the sum total of RAM assigned to the CPUs plus the RAM reserved for
other applications is less than the total available system RAM (on a
64bit system)? For example, I currently have 4GB RAM and 2 installed
CPUs. I have 1.5GB reserved for other programs and when I set 0.75GB per
CPU both CPUs are used. However when I set 1GB per CPU then 0 CPUs are
used, even though the total RAM adds up to only 3.5GB.
4GB - 1.5GB for other software leaves 2.5 GB for After Effects.
If you have 1GB assigned per background CPU, then the foreground takes 1.2x that = 1.2GB. That leaves 1.3GB for background processes, which is enough for one background process. There's no point in starting only one background process to do rendering, so it doesn't bother. (Note: When background processes are rendering, the foreground process isn't rendering.)
> 3.) Considering the fact that I am more concerned with
smooth performance while editing rather than final output speeds, would
it be better to get a dual core i5 clocked around 2.5 or a quad core i7
clocked around 1.8?
Get the quad-core. That gives you a greater total number of cycles. And After Effects works very well with mutliple processors, even beyond Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously multiprocessing. An entirely unrelated sort of multiprocessing (multithreading) spreads work out to multiple processors.
> 6.) Should the quantity of RAM that I get (8GB vs 12GB) be based on the number of cores in my CPU? If
so, how should I be calculating optimal RAM based on # of cores. Should
I also be counting threads, or just actual physical cores?
The optimum amount is the amount that you can cram into the computer. I'm not kidding. Spend your budget on RAM until you have 4GB installed per processor (and I'm counting the virtual processors due to hyperthreading). If you have a quad-core, that's 8 CPUs with hyperthreading, so the optimum amount of RAM installed is 32GB. You can work with less, but you did ask about optimum. For HD work (i.e., 1920 pixels across), you're OK with more like 3GB installed per CPU. That's what I have at home: 24GB in a quad-core. You're going to assign 2/3 or so of the RAM to After Effects, so 3GB installed per CPU is 2GB per core for HD work in After Effects.
> 10.) Would it be better to have 8GB of RAM and an SSD, or 12GB of RAM and an HDD? Explain why.
12GB of RAM. Because After Effects likes RAM. (If you're thinking of deliberatly using virtual memory to swap memory to the hard disk, don't. That's a performance killer.)
> 10.) After Effects utilizes OpenGL to enhance editing performance.
Not really. If you're on a limited budget, don't even think about the GPU until you've already got the most RAM, the fastest CPUs, the largest number of CPUs, two fast hard disks, and a couple of good monitors. Then, and only then, should you even consider getting soemthing beyond a non-stock graphics card. Yes, OpenGL can be used to accelerate some things, but that's only for the low-fidelity preview renderer. (Pardon the bluntness, but I want to make sure that you heed this.)

Need help Please. Which play nice with macs? Palm Treo's Or Tmobile MDA?

Hi all, I post on here from time to time, but hardly anyone ever answers my questions. Here's my dilema. I bought a Tmobile MDA over the weekend that runs microsoft windows mobile 5.0. And while playing with it have noticed some things about it that i think are'nt that good. For example, I like the fact that its a windows os, but think that it's flawed. I have done quite a bit of research but don't think that it's active sync software is even compatible with mac osx. so have'nt even tried to mess with it. now i'm still in the 14 day window and am thinking about returning it. but here's the thing....
I know that tmobile has EDGE, and it's considerably slower than verizon or sprints EVDO. (since i've researched it i know that edge is around the 70-170KBPS range when EVDO has 300-700KBPS) And tonight i was messing with this tmobile MDA and finally got it to work to connect to the net with it using bluetooth and it's "modem" ability to connect it to the web. But it S U C K S! i went to and did a bandwith test and i was only getting like 12.1-27.1kbps download (after running 2 tests) dude, it feels slower than dialup!
so with that bullet against it, comes the compatible part. I can't sycn this thing with my mac for NOTHING! do any of you out there have a palm treo? (either verizon, sprint, or att.... carrier X?) How does it sync with your mac? is it hard? any extra software i need to get/buy? have any of you used it to connect to the net? and if so, how's the speed? And here's an even bettter question... How long did it take to config it to work using the phone as a modem? Did you use bluetooth? or serial link? was it easy to config? Where did you find the instructions?
I know these are a lot of questions, but this is a large investment for me. I mean this thing ain't cheap and it does'nt really play nice. I don't mind paying a little extra, for some peace of mind, and knowing that it won't crash often and will work with my mac. Anyone out there got any other suggestions? I would really appreciate it. I would like your opinion on which one is the easiest to use that plays nice with a mac, and has a interface that's almost as nice. Thank you so much for your time. I will be following this post closely and comment you all back for your replys
Mac Book Pro 1.83 GHZ 512 Ram Mac OS X (10.4.5)

It really is a toss up cause Ive owned two Treo's and Ive read extensive reviews on Windows mobile devices and it seems to me like they're pretty similar in the way of hardware and software(minus the fact of using different operating systems). So I think the determining factor really ought to be more focused on how much you're willing to pay, and the level of support you get for each device. I recently got rid of my Treo 650 due to an interesting touchscreen problem and got a windows mobile device(should come tomorrow)
in the way of syncing with a mac:
The Treo is extremely simple to set up and use with a Mac(keep in mind Im not talking about the 700w/wx)in every aspect. Palm provides OSx compatible software(though its almost impossible to get rid of after installation). However, in my experience, Palm does not really do a good job in the customer service department. While they have a rather extensive support page for each device(some of the info is outdated), that's pretty much all you get unless you don't mind spending hrs scouring various forums. Talking to customer service is a joke. Like I said I had a problem with the touchscreen and the best the rep could give me was "try a hard reset" and "send it in for repair".
I have yet to experience what windows mobile will be like. At the very least with syncing, theres syncing software made by people who had OSx in mind(ie: Missing Sync or Pocketmac) who will probably be able to help out a lot more in this area and possible also be able to help out with the other issues you mentioned.
a good place to check out would be howardforums.com, you'll probably get better answers there.

Need help choosing a display to use with 12" ibook

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