13 inch Macbook Graphic Design question.

I work as a graphic designer and need to purchase a new Macbook Pro. Going to be running the Adobe Creative suite and possibly final cut pro. Really unsure wether to purchase the 13 inch and then buy an external monitor for home use or the 15 inch and no external monitor. Is the 13 inch model capable of running these programs? and will there be a great difference is speed of the two models?

You don't specify which parts of CS you are going to run. Are you going to be running programs like Flash, Premiere Pro, After Effects, or are you just going to use InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.? The first set are quite intensive, the 2nd set are not as intensive. The current 13 model is only dual-core, vs the 15 which is quad-core, and has hyper-threading (for 4 physical cores, 4 virtual cores). I would get the better computer, and tack on a monitor later.

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Best way (folio/bounding) to display a printed portfolio? (Graphic Design question)

Hi all,
Apologies if this isnt posted in the correct forum (but I wasnt able to find any mainstream graphic design forums, I know there is ultrashock but that's more flash based, if anyone could point me to some would be great.)
Any how my question is what is the best portfolio type (paper/binded folder/display sheets) to display printed graphic design work in to potential clients or employers etc?
I had been using protective sheets, but then a client of mine showed me what someone else had done for them and it was displayed in a huge thick A3 bound portfolio (you couldnt see or tell how each peice of paper was bound to the edge). I'm thinking that's what I really need and really professional type looking folio presented like that, but I don't know of what you would call that type of folio/bounding etc.
Any help would be great

I prefer to do wire-o because you can change the pages out as your portfolio changes. I also like to have vellum slip sheets in-between because it looks more professional as well has assure that the prints do not stick together. I prefer to go with printed plastic transparent covers with an emboss as well as foil stampings with double hit blacks consisted of gloss UV coatings in patterns of textiles, but that gets costly.
Other then that, I think you will have more success creating an on line portfolio. Most people don't have the time to look at hard copies, but it's good to have a back up hard copy for face to face situations.

2013 MacBook Air for graphic design?

I've been looking at the new 2013 13-inch MacBook Air for quite some time now. I'm a graphic designer, so I'll be looking to use Adobe CS6 (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat) and Aperture. Also of course, the general things such as Safari, Mail and iPhoto.
I have the new 27-inch iMac at home, which serves as my main machine. 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz, 32GB RAM (8GB at the moment - upgrading soon), 1TB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX with 1GB. I love it!
I absoloutely love the MacBook Air - it's a lovely design, so lightweight and the new 12 hour battery life is just epic!
If I were to get the MacBook Air, I would definite upgrade to these specs;
- 1.7GHz dual core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz (although I'm told the i7 will drain battery quicker, and isn't much faster?)
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB Flash Storage (or possibly 256GB - bare in mind, I have a 1TB external hard drive).
So I guess the big question is... Will the new 2013 13-inch MacBook Air, with these specs, be sufficient for my needs?
Thanks in advance!

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
The problem of the MacBook Air is the GPU, and Adobe apps don't support the GPU of your MacBook officially because it's an integrated GPU.
Sincerely, if you want to use that type of applications, the only valid Mac is the 15-inch MacBook Pro. It includes a quad-core processor, 4 GB of RAM (with the possibility to add up to 16 GB), a 500 GB HDD (with possibilities for bigger HDDs and SSDs) and a NVIDIA GPU which will work with your applications without any problem. Also, you can modify the RAM and hard drive without voiding the warranty.
If you want to give the MacBook Air a try, buy it and see if your applications work properly. You have 14 days to return it if it doesn't work as you expected, but to be sure, go for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air is designed for home tasks

Which new MacBook Pro is best for a graphic design student?

Hi there, I was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice on which new MacBook Pro to get. I'm a graphic design student who would like to be able to use Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator at the same time, while also web browsing (I tend to have a million windows open). I won't be using the computer for any video work or heavy gaming.
Here's what I do know: I'd like the retina display, and I need the 8GB of memory (do I need more?). Other than that, I'm not too sure about what specifications I need. I'm not super knowledgeable about all of this, so apologies if these are very elementary questions. Any help would be much, much appreciated. Here are my main questions:
1. Would you recommend getting the quad core i7, or is i5 fine? For i5, do I need to pay attention to the difference between 2.4GHz and 2.6GHz?
2. What exactly is PCle-based flash storage, and would you recommend 256GB or 512GB?
3. What's the difference between Intel Iris Pro and Intel Iris?
Thanks so much!

1) Depending on which software you'll be using most of the times a quad core has more benefits (since it's more future proof). Not all software supports multiple cores (and thus rendering the extra cores of the quad "useless" if it's not supported).
2) PCI-e is what we use in desktops to attach for example a graphic card. Previous hard drives used a cable to connect it with the motherboard (in the old days we used IDE, now recent hardware uses SATA3). Basically because it's directly connected to your motherboard (there's more to it but to keep it simple) this will allow it to read and write faster from and to it. (Double the speeds of your regular SSD)
3) I reckon (haven't checked into it) that the base core speeds are clocked higher on the Iris Pro and probably has more dedicated ram to it.
What a graphical student wants would be most likely a quad core CPU with a dedicated graphics card. The extra is storage is nice if you reckon you'd need it. (I mostly work on cloud but keep my current projects on my drive because then I'd have faster access to it).

I've got a MacBook pro 15' running 10.6.6. I want to use an external monitor for my graphic design work running Adobe software and thought I'd try an HD TV. I ran a Mini Display to HDMI lead to the TV but the picture quality was disappointing.

I've got a MacBook Pro 15' running 10.6.6. I want to use an external monitor for my graphic design work using Adobe software and thought I'd try an HD TV. I ran a Mini Display to HDMI lead to the TV but the picture quality was disappointing. I also tried a Mini Display to VGA lead and that wasn't much better. I tried all variations of resolutions in System prefs - Displays but nothing helped. Am I getting something wrong? Thanks all.

In addition to pixel density, you are up against the translation driver card in the TV.
If you read the fine print of computer-resolution-capability in the TV user guide, you will see a chart as tall as the manual page. At the top is the smallest resolution capable, at the bottom is the full use of the 1080p in the TV.
Mac falls into the top 25% of the page, maxing out at 1366x768 often. This is because the TV control card is expected to do too much of the work, but is not designed for computer-monitor processing.
I looked at the resolution charts on 2 TVs before deciding to buy a 1080p LCD monitor that has a TV interface/connector. Computer monitor first, TV second. But the thing is only 27 in. Good thing TV is not as important to me as it is to others.

Is it possible to upgrade the graphics card in my aluminum 13-inch Macbook (Late 2008)?

My 13-inch Macbook (Late 2008) currently uses the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB graphics card, but I want to upgrade it, so that I can play games at a higher quality. Is this possible? If so, what graphics cards are compatible with my Macbook (Late 2008)?
Thank you.

The graphics card on a MacBook is part of the logic board not a separate card so it can't be upgraded.

Does the standard Intel HD Graphics 4000 in the 13 inch Macbook pro stand up to other graphics cards with dedicated memory ( 1GB of memory for instance)?

Does the standard Intel HD Graphics 4000 in the 13 inch Macbook pro stand up to other graphics cards with dedicated memory ( 1GB of memory for instance)? I need a laptop for college and the Engineering program suggests a dedicated video card with minimum 1GB of video memory.

I have a Intel HD 4000 in my Mac Mini (late 2012), and it's okay for what I need it.
However:
- there were a few issues with flickering on the video output to external monitors. These were solved through a firmware update that came with OSX 10.8.3 - for the majority of the users. There is apparently still a small group of users that still has issues. You can read long threads about this here:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4472316?start=0&tstart=0
and here
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4490924?start=0&tstart=0
So for most of us (me included) this issue is solved, but it seems that certain displays / monitors don't work well with the intel HD4000, don't know if there is a pattern or a list of monitor models...
- there was an issue with the color calibration on the HDMI output. No matter how much you tried to calibrate, the results remained unsatisfying. All light colors were crushed to white, wrong contrast, ...
You can read about this here:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1482487
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4480354?start=0&tstart=0
The same firmware update improved this a little, good enough for me, but I can imagine it's not good enough if you do graphic work and need reliable colors from your monitor. On HDMI output, the thunderbolt/MDP output is fine. So it's mainly a dual monitor setup issue.
If it's for graphic work, I'd go for a Mac Book Pro with dedicated GPU !

Forum for graphic design related questions?

Does anyone know of any good graphic design discussion forums? I'm looking for a place to ask questions about typography, color, layout, etc.
Thanks in advance.

Not as much activity on soem of these, btu here are some good ones
http://typophile.com/
http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/
http://www.howdesign.com/forum/

New 2015 MacBook for Mobile Graphic Design?

I would love to buy the new MacBook. I am a graphic designer who is slowly moving over to front-end web development. I'm sure that even the 1.1 Core M in the new MacBook is more than capable for front-end web dev, but occasionally I do a bit heavier photo editing and design, specifically in Photoshop. I'm not looking for lightning speed here, as I have a hefty machine at the desk for heavier workloads, but I would like for the MacBook to be able to suit my mobile needs for at least a few years, and I hate being tied down to a desk. I'll upgrade every 3-4 years regardless, but will it last even that long, and will I just run into stress over the lack of speed? Obviously we can't know exactly how this thing will perform until tests are done, but I'd love to hear your opinions. Thanks.

Very few people have gotten their hands on the new MacBook and so far I've not seen any benchmark tests. The Intel Core M was designed to be extremely energy efficient and to run cool and aimed especially for tablets and Windows dual use computers. The MacBook also ships with only a 8GB RAM option. I have no doubts about the suitability of a new MBA for your tasks but the MB? I'd suggest taking a wait and see attitude.

I want to buy macbook air 4th generation i5 but i want to use it for graphic design it is suitable for that or not

i want to buy macbook air 4th generation i5 but i want to use it for graphic design it is suitable for that or not i will use corel draw ,photoshop ,and illustrator in windows 7 it will work properly in 4th generation i5 mac air

Hi T,
Either of these will give you the info you seek:
http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php
http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro 15" Snow Leopard Quadcore icore 7 with 8Gb of RAM and Im a Webpage Graphic Designer but why is my Macbookpro is so slow!?

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro 15" Snow Leopard Quadcore icore 7 with 8Gb of RAM and Im a Webpage Graphic Designer but why is my Macbookpro is so slow!?
I'm opening like Skype, AIM, Chrome the Memory Hog, Adobe Photshop and Illustrator... Its so slow! I tried Onyx, CleanMyMac, iFreeMemory or just purging but still i still have to restart to get it back to normal after closing all the applications... im not really impressed with the memory swapping thing,Even though my inactive RAM is like 2GB its so SloW! Anyone knows how to fix this problem?

It's hard to say why your machine is slow, but that machine with 8 GB of RAM should not be slow. Could be any number of possible problems. Try taking a look at the Mac OS X Speed FAQ.

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 Originally released June 2012 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1440-by-900 resolution 4GB memory 256GB flash storage 720p FaceTime HD camera Intel HD Graphics 4

Is $1019 a good price?

Can you tell me why you don't think its a good buy? Someone bought it that must have thought it was a good buy? You?!!!
I had a macbook pro, spilled an entire latte on it. Cannot afford to drop another 1500 on a new one. I understand the air is a great machine. And for someone that is hard on equipment (aside from liquid!) with no moving parts its a better option. This one is priced at $929 - good?
Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Originally released June 2013
13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1440-by-900 resolution
4GB memory
128GB flash storage
720p FaceTime HD camera
Intel HD Graphics 5000

2012 MacBook Pro 13" i7 for Graphic Design?

I want to get a computer for Graphic Design. However, the price for the 15" models are too much for me as a student. Would the new 2012 MacBook Pro 13" with i7 processor work great for programs such as Adobe CS6, iTunes (mainly video watching) and iMovie?
Also, I will eventually upgrade to 256gb of Solid State so keep that in mind.

You can never change, at least not unless Apple says they will do it for you. As of now, they say "what you buy is final".
If you want to risk needing to buy a new system if your needs grow, then feel free to buy it -- it is your money.
But, as wjosten said, all we can give is opinions.
Retina displays are nicer ... when zoomed in ... than hi-res 15 in displays. I know that because I looked at them in the store.
But I do not design graphics, so cannot tell if that extra edge is necessary for the task.
Retina may work out just fine for you, or may not.

This Question is at least 2.5 years old. But still an issue. I have an early 2008 and mid 2010 13 inch macbook pro running iTunes 10.7. Itunes on both machines doesn't recognize blank cds or allow me to import from a music cd when I insert it.

I have an early 2008 and mid 2010 13 inch macbook pro running iTunes 10.7. Itunes on both machines doesn't recognize blank cds or allow me to import from a music cd when I insert it.

iTunes does not use the .xml it uses the .itl
If you are sure your old library file migrated across (does the file size and modification dates suggest it has?) start iTunes while holding down the option/alt key and guide it to the .itl file to get it to use that one.

What should my next mac be? Graphic Design Student.

Right now I am still rocking the 2.26 Ghz Intel core 2 duo macbook pro 13". I upgraded the memory to 8 gig and it still runs fairly well.
I am still in college, and have recently adopted a minor in graphic design so I have been using heaving software on my mac which I can tell has slowed it down a lot. I have mostly been using Adobe products (Photoshop, illustrator ect..) and it seems to be doing alright. However I have also been starting to use Maya for 3D animation and well it hasn't been holding up too well. Also the 13" screen isn't exactly ideal for design aspects.
So right now, I'm trying to figure out what I should do. My options are the following,
Option 1:
Keep my 13" macbook pro to take to and from school- and purchase a 21.5 in Imac for use at home.
Option 2:
Or sell my 13" macbook and upgrade to a 15" macbook pro.
If I got with option 2, my next question is:
Should I go with the 15 in 2.6 ghz processor, or should I go with the 15in 2.3 ghz processor with a retina display?
Storage isn't too big of a deal because I use an external hard drive to store most of my files.And with the student pricing they are both the same price.
Any help or recommendations would be phenomenal!

I would go with option 1 with a little catch. Upgrade to SSD on your 13 inch so you can take advantage of the 8GB and SSD speed.
Once you get home, you can do the rest with your new Imac.
If you go with option 2, you're stuck with 1 machine. That's why I went with option 1.

13 inch Macbook Graphic Design question.

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