Graphic Design major needs help choosing a Mac!

I'm a Graphic Design student, and I'm about to purchase my first Macbook Pro. I need to know the minimum specs my Mac needs, without sacrificing performance. I'll be running multiple Applications/Programs simultaneously without stalling or crashing. (ie: Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Internet with lots of tabs, music, and occassionally whatever program they'll use for my animation class.) I have a MyBook external terabyte, so saving large projects won't be an issue. Also, I kind of want to have an internal CD/DVD drive, but if that sacrifices performance way too much, I can get an external.
I've been offered this used MBP that is one year old, for a reduced price, http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/ (See the specs for the 13" for $1199), but will it be enough? Even if I buy more RAM and install it myself, will the processor be fast enough? Will everything else be enough?
Here's the link comparing all the new MBP's, http://www.apple.com/why-mac/compare/notebooks.html , some of which can be upgraded for an additonal price. Is it necessary to purchase one of these? Which one? Is Retina Display necessary? Performance is more important to me than money, but I don't want to just get an excessive amount of GHz, RAM, etc...that I won't even need. Can anyone help?

Your link to the Best Buy MBP does not work for me but I looked on the best but website and found the only 17" MBP, model MC725LL/A, which is an early 2011 MBP. It does not say which CPU it has, a 2.2 GHz or 2.3 GHz. Either way the price is the most attractive.
If this is left over and not an open box, it probably represents the best value in that respect. I would establish if it is really new and what CPU it has before committing any funds. I note it has Snow Leopard as the OS which has been supplanted by Lion and Mt. Lion. You might think that this is a negative, but it really is not. You may always install Mt. Lion at a later date ($20) if you feel you have to. I have a late 2011 17" MBP which came with Lion and I have also installed Snow Leopard on it. Snow Leopard is the most efficient OS that Apple has offered and I do not consider obsolete by any means.
Though Apple says that 8 GB RAM is the maximum, all 2011 MBPs will accommodate 16 GB. I have that in my MBP.
There is one point that you should seriously consider. That Is the Glossy vs. the Anti-glare display. It would be best that you go to an Apple store and look at them side by side in order to make an informed decision. I have a MBP with the Glossy display, my first one, which I like but the second one I got has the Anti-glare and that in my opinion is the more practical. The newest one is also Anti-glare. I have heard it said by serious photographers that the colors are more accurate on the Ant-glare displays. It may be worth the price differential, but you have to decide. (That is another item that should be determined with the Best Buy option)
If you have any additional questions, just ask!
Ciao.

Similar Messages

Web Design/Graphic Arts Student needs help choosing a Macbook.

First post on board so greetings!
I have went back through all the archives and read every post I could on purchasing a Macbook for Web Design/Graphics but would like more info.
Being a first time Mac user I am a little overwelmed by the all the guru talk. I will be going back to college next month for mainly Web Design/Development with Graphic Arts thrown into the program. The College has Mac Desktops to use but some of my classes will be online and I would like the portability of a Macbook to work from home with.
I will be having to use Adobe Creative Suite (all 10 programs within it) and Autodesk 3ds Max. Being that I will be dealing with graphics I am willing to pay for the 15" Retina Screen. I have read that the Quadcore I7 processor may be over kill since alot of programs will never use the extra cores but with technology changing all the time I don't want to have tot upgrade in 2 years.
So I'm looking for suggestions and will gladly add more info to help make my choice...
Thanks in advance!

lespaul75 wrote:
First post on board so greetings!
I will be having to use Adobe Creative Suite (all 10 programs within it) and Autodesk 3ds Max.
I don't want to have tot upgrade in 2 years.
welcome to the ASC-
I would buy quadcore, with RAM maxed out and the largest HD for your specified needs.
Web Design/Graphic Arts you will have many software packages running simultaneously to do your work.

Need help choosing a mac

Hi all
new to this forum so hi everyone! :-)
I,m looking for the most powerful mac I can use with some older tech to build up a 24 track home studio.
I have three motu 2408 audio interfaces with a motu pci324 card which will give me the 24 audio channels i,m after and I,m going to be using logic audio 6 with the 7 upgrade.. I have osx 10.3 to go with it and so now want to buy a mac G5 to run it all.
I,m looking for the fastest processor possible with the maximum amount of ram so the machine doesn,t slow up when all 24 channels are going but the machine must have a pci slot for the 324 card... most of the machines I,ve sen onlime appear to have pcie (express)slots which I believe are incompatible with my card..
can anyone help?
cheers.

G5 ended being sold about 9 years ago.
the oldest Mac Pro (Intel) that I would recommend would not run anything older than OS X 10..6.8.
10.3 came out when the G5 came out and was more like the final beta in the path to a decent OS X OS.
A Mac Pro uses PCIe while G5 used PCI-X
The 'best' G5 was surpassed by even the lowest Mac Pro in 2006 while today there have been a lot of improvements in both processors, SSD (which are great for audio), memory and PCIe 2.x and above.
If you want a PowerMac G5 there is a forum for PowerMacs, they are nice 'space heaters' and far from being quiet.
Spend some money on new hardware, even if PC hardware, and newest or close to in software suites and plug-ins, ones that will be supported.

Please help me with portfolio.I am new in graphic design.I need portfolio done immediately soon as possible otherwise my design advisor will not let me register for fall. I need 15 or 10 artworks to show.Please help me

Please help me with portfolio.I am new in graphic design.I need portfolio done immediately soon as possible otherwise my design advisor will not let me register for fall. I need 15 or 10 artworks to show.Please help me.

Farooq,
If you look at the first one, you should be able to align quite easily as follows, View>Smart Guides being your friends:
1a) ClickDrag the top flower with the Selection Tool (black arrow) so it is clear of the pointy part;
1b) Click an empty spot on the Artboard to deselect, then ClickDrag the top flower by its bottom Anchor Point (Smart Guides say anchor when you are close enough to grab it) down to snap to the top Anchor Point on the pointy part (Smart Guides say anchor when you are close enough);
1c) Do the same for the boroom flower.
If you look at the third one, to get the triangles and the hexagon sized and aligned precisely, you may, creating them with stroke and no fill:
3a) Click with the Polygon Tool and select a suitable/chosen Radius and 6 Sides, then Object>Transform>Rotate by 30 degrees (or use the Rotate option in the Transform palette), you may Object>Transform>Reset Bounding Box to have it look nicer;
3b) Click with the Polygon Tool and select the same Radius and 3 sides, then deselect and ClickDrag the top Anchor Point to snap to the top Anchor Point of the hexagon;
3c) Object>Transform>Rotate by 180 degrees clicking Copy, deselect, and ClickDrag the bottom Anchor Point to snap to the bottomAnchor Point of the hexagon;
3d) Select all and Ctrl/Cmd+G to Group (for alignment purposes, you will know why if you try without grouping, see below).
To create full symmetry, you may use circles rather than almost circular ellipses; you may:
3d) Click with the Ellipse Tool and select a suitable/chosen Width = height;
3e) Object>Transform>Move a copy vertically by the Height (= Width) twice (or you may Ctrl/Cmd+D to repeat), to get three circles over one another with no gaps;
3f) Select the topmost and bottommost ones and Object>Transform>Rotate a copy by 120 degrees twice, to have all the seven circles precisley touching one another; you may Group them, but it is not necessary.
To have everything aligned, just:
3g) Select everything and click Vertical Align Center and Horizontal Align Center in the Align palette; you may click the pointy group or the circles ojnce more before aligning if you want to keep it in place (that will make it the key object that the other set is aligned to).
These ways may also help you further.
Edit: About half an hour after midnight here. High time to attend to other duties, before the sun is up.

I need help choosing a new MBP (previous one was stolen)

Hello everyone, I need help choosing my next macbook pro because my previous one (15" Core i7 high res anitglare screen) was stolen . As you probably tell I spent a lot of money on my previous one and now I am a broke college student that doesn't have $2,400 to drop on a replacement.
So this is where you come in... because of budget reasons I have been looking at the 13 inch macbook pro but I just cannot bring myself to spend $1200 on a laptop with old technology (Core 2 duo processor) not to mention it is only 2.4ghz. I am not really sure what to ask about it I think i just need some good stats or other convincing information to allow me to buy it.
I know about the student discount and the refurb. macs, are there any other reliable ways to get a less expensive MBP?
I am a converted PC user and I LOVE macs, please don't let my budget make me revert back to a PC...

Like you’ve already said refurb is a good option.
I know it’s a bit late now but let me point you in the direction of Prey Project.
Prey Project is an open source program I use on my MacBook Pro, it’s a program that can track your computer and phones if stolen using GPS / Google Maps etc to give you location of it.
It will also take pictures of who is in front of it, log what they are doing etc.
Check it out here http://preyproject.com/ this such an amazing program that is free to use, will work on Apple, Windows, Linux and Android phones.

Graphic Designer here, need to convince my company i need a mac (not a pc) !

Hey guys,
I'm looking for the ultimate guru's for a Mac vs. PC debate in a corporate office/firm setting. Basically, trying to convince CEO and IT why I need a mac. I'm a graphic designer for a land development firm. Work close with Landscape Architects and Civil Engineers.
I'll take concept sketches and/or AutoCAD files (that are converted for me) and pretty them up in photoshop or illustrator, do planned development books in InDesign. Web services are offered, but it's not the primary vs. print.
I'm currently working on a Dual-Core Xeon Dell workstation windows XP. Years ago up until 04' I was all about PC, but now have been accustomed to my mac.
At home, I've got a Dual Dual-Core Xeon 2.66 that I love dearly, multitasks very well.
I need to write up a report how this will communicate how I do my job better if i had a mac in the workplace instead of PC. I know that's a far-fetched statement, but trying to sell them on having me use a mac for my services while the entire office can cope with their PC network. I would appreciate any elaborate feedback and insight.

Welcome to the Apple Community Frank.
If you aren't using iCloud Keychain, it may be asking for your admin password. Where exactly are you looking.

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.)

RMBP 13" vs MBP 15" for graphic design major?

I'm going into an art school that requires a MacBook Pro, because my major is graphic design.
I'm also interested in studying animation and bit of architecture/drafting.
I'm told that a 15" MBP is recommended for graphic design students, because the larger screen will be more convenient when working.
My problem is that 1. it is a bit pricey and 2. it's too heavy to carry around campus and elsewhere all day.
I was also told that 13" rMBP would be better, because of the retina screen, portability and speed.
The problem is, does the retina screen work well with photoshop and other applications, and how would my work look on the regular MBP and vice versa?
And as for the optical drive, is the absence of it an issue?
Thanks for your time everyone, if you have any suggestions then I would love to read them!

I'm of the opinion if your in the 15" market and need a powerful machine, a Mac is the best choice as you get OS X along with it and the ability to do many things well, including running Windows and virtual machines, thus having the best of everything and plenty of options.
Anything below the 15" MacBook Pro you can get for a fraction of the price for performance on the "other" platform if all one is going to do is basic junk.
Despite the "Pro" name, the 13" doesn't have the extra dedicated graphics processor (nor four cores) like the 15" has. You'll need it to play most all 3D games or rendering 3D fast. Some developers have tried to work with the Intel HD graphics for 3D games and the results have been terrible as it's so underpowered compared to the dedicated graphics.
You'll need to check with MathLab for the minimal hardware specifications.
8GB of RAM isn't going to make much of a performance difference, just run some things a bit faster, able to run more things at the same time.
128GB SSD is a joke, you'll burn that up in no time and be on external drives a lot. Most people need 500-1TB of on board storage space now.
Really sorry you bought such a under performing machine for your needs, perhaps if you asked here first you would have gotten a better assesment and advice.
You purchased based upon price and weight, which doesn't jive with the performance you require.
The 13" is a cramped little screen with annoying reflections that will spend more time on your chest than on your lap or desk.

Need help choosing processor and display for X240 please

I'm about to purchase an X240 today or tomorrow and, after doing multiple forum searches and reading a 67-page X240 thread elsewhere, I would really appreciate some help choosing a processor and a display. If it makes a difference, I've decided on:
*Windows 7 Pro 64 bit
*8GB of RAM
*256GB SSD
I intend to use the laptop for viewing/editing Word documents and Powerpoint presentations, streaming movies, and streaming recorded lectures. I'm not sure what lecture viewer/player my school uses yet, but I do know that it has options to play the lectures at accelerated speeds (1.5x, 2x, etc.) and that I will definitely need to use this feature. I'm not computer literate enough to discern whether the processor type has any effect on this. I will use an external drive if I need to download and save any lectures. I also plan to do some infrequent and basic photo editing with Windows Photo Gallery and MS Paint. I'm willing to pay extra for a smoother/faster experience, but I don't want to go with the i7 processor if it's overkill for my purposes or if there are other significant trade-offs besides price.
As for display, I'm torn between the regular HD (1366x768) IPS Non-touch, regular HD IPS Touch, and FHD IPS Touch. Re: HD vs FHD, I've been using a 1280x800 13.3" non-IPS display for the last 6 or 7 years, and I'm pretty happy with it except for the limited viewing angles. Wouldn't regular HD on a 12.5" screen be a step up in resolution? A lot of the reviews of the regular HD on the X240 express disappointment with the "low" resolution, but I don't know if it's really that bad, or if people just have much higher expectations/standards than I do. I'm leaning towards regular HD because my glasses are so strong that increasing the sharpness of what I see also has the side effect of making things appear smaller (minimization error), so I'd probably have to mess with text/DPI scaling if I went with FHD, which isn't a perfect solution from what I've read. I'd only consider getting a touch version if I need FHD (since it doesn't come in non-touch), or if it somehow makes the HD display sharper or more vibrant--I have no intention of actually using touch features.
Apologies for the length, and thanks in advance for any advice! :-)

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?
I am assuming that they they will bring out the new models out next year and all the chinks and bugs of the current Retina model will be fixed so to speak, of which I have read there is a few... Would it be worth buying the NON RETINA MBP and then selling and upgrading to an improved RETINA MBP model next year?
Finally if i back up my files on a hardrive would I have to use the USP SUPER DRIVE to install files onto the RETINA MBP or can i directly do this without the USP SUPERDRIVE?
Thanks

I need help choosing RAM for MSI PM8PM-V 7222 VER. 2.0 MB

hey everyone as you know my MB is in the subject and i need help buying ram for it. on the MSI website it says it can surpport max. 2GB so 1GB in each slot? it only has 2 slots also what DDR and MHZ clock, DRAM fequency etc does the ram have to be and both single sided or double sided or 1 single and 1 double?
thanks

Quote
also what DDR and MHZ clock, DRAM fequency etc does the ram have to be
http://global.msi.eu/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=1&prod_no=1039
Quote
• Supports DDR2 533/400 memory interface.
Check the memory support list for best compatibility:
http://global.msi.eu/uploads/test_report/TR10_1039.pdf

I'd like to buy a G3 Mac Desktop! "Need help Choosing which one!"

Hey Apple community its me again with a new problem.
after fixing a ibook G3 Clamshell, i've been longing for the simpler days when OS 9 was the best you could own.
so i'm posting this same question in all discussion that apply.
i'm currently using a eMac usb 2.0 running OSX 10.4.11/OS 9.2.2 and its great but i still love the feel of OS 9 its self.
so now i'm asking you guy for help tracking down the best G3 Mac Desktop in here and in various G3 laptops in their discussions.
And thanks guys!

Get a copy of this program Mactracker.app
http://mactracker.ca/
I have version 5.3 which works on 10.4.11.
There are some machines what will run Classic but will not install from the independently sold 9.x cd. You have to install via the restore discs that came with the machine. There may be a workaround if you have Classic with all the updates applied on another machine. You can copy over via target disk mode or swap harddrives.
iMac g3
you can also run classic on the first iMac g4.

I'd like to buy a G3 Mac Notebook! "Need help Choosing which one!"

Hey Apple community its me again with a new problem.
after fixing a ibook G3 Clamshell, i've been longing for the simpler days when OS 9 was the best you could own.
so i'm posting this same question in all discussion that apply.
i'm currently using a eMac usb 2.0 running OSX 10.4.11/OS 9.2.2 and its great but i still love the feel of OS 9 its self.
so now i'm asking you guy for help tracking down the best G3 Mac Desktop in here and in various G3 laptops in their discussions.
And thanks guys!

The last, best iBook G3 is the 900 MHz.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/ibook/stats/ibook_900.html
A 14-inch model came out at the same time, but I would stick to the 12-incher because it's a bit easier to find parts for the (less rare) 12-inch model.
I would not buy any used Mac which did not include the original system discs that came with it when it was new. Also good to have would be the upgrade disc(s) for any software upgrades which have been installed.

Need help choosing how to extend my existing home network to my detached garage?

I have done as much research as possible on this scenario but cannot seem to match the ideal solution with my wants. Perhaps I simply just do not understand networking as well as I thought I did. Either way, any helpful information or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Objective: Extend my wireless network to my detached garage.
My current ISP provider is Time Warner Cable. I have RoadRunner Extreme, which in my area gives consistent speeds of 50 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload when I am connected via ethernet cable. When I upgraded to the "Extreme" package i found out I was forced to use their Motorola SB6580 ... its a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem + wireless router. I was able to access the Motorola's setup options on the internet and I disabled the wireless function. This has allowed me to use my Time Capsule as the primary router to provide wireless access on my home network. I have not had any issues with this setup and is my preferred way to operate.
I have recently moved my home office to the 2nd story of my detached garage and need to extend my wireless network to meet the demands of all my gear. I have decided to achieve this goal by going with one of the following 3 options:
1.) enable the wireless function on the motorola modem making it the primary router. move my time capsule out to the office and use it in bridge mode. However I do not think I understand bridge mode correctly. I thought the secondary router (in this case my TC) in bridge mode needed to be connected w/ an ethernet cable at all times to enable this feature? If I understand similar networking discussions I will lose the ethernet ports with this option? If this isnt called Bridge mode once i take away the ethernet cable what is it "technically" called?
2.) buy a 2nd airport extreme base station and create the same type of wireless network extension setup. The difference here is I would leave my motorola's wireless features disabled, use 2 apple products that speak apples to apples wirelessly and relieve myself of all the headaches involved with a neopolitan setup. This seems like the obvious choice b/c Apple products are much more user friendly, but I dont want to spend the $200 on a new router if I can achieve a comparable setup by just enabling the equipment I already have.
3.) use either of these 2 scenarios above & go buy a 150' ethernet cable to join them together. if this is the case wouldnt a $50 hub suffice on the end of the cable? I dont necessarily need to have wireless, just reliable connectivity. I can access the existing wireless network now, but download speeds are not great and things really start to slow down when i have multiple clients connected. I would rather not have to drill through exterior walls, bury conduit and install learn how to install data wall plates, but i will if this is the pros far out way the cons.
Current modem/router placement: if standing @ the front door of my 1 story house facing out towards the street my motorola modem/router is in the front right-hand corner of the house.
Distance location of the detached garage office setup: if standing @ my front door my my work area is in the far back left corner of my property. it is approx 175' from the router and on the 2nd story of the garage. I said 150' cable earlier b/c i could relocate the router to a bedroom on the opposite end of the house, however this would eleminate the current wired status of the items connected to it and I would prefer to keep them wired in.
clients connected in the house: (4) apple tv's; Roku; Xbox; Wii; Playstation 3; (2) Lenovo laptops; iPad; (2) Blackberry's; (2) iPhones; iPod touch; (2) wireless netowrk printers; (2) smart tv's ... a handful of these are currently wired into the time capsule now which provides an uninterupted viwing experience for the MLB package. This of course trumps all opportunity costs involved with moving the router. There is nothing more frustrating than a screen buffering in the botton of the 9th inning after you've sat there for 3 hours.
clients connected in the office: (2) 27" imacs; apple tv; iPad; network printer; Wii; Harmony Link universal remote; Mac Book Pro ...
I have approx 5TB of digital media that is shared over the network via shared iTunes libraries that I would like to access as well. iCloud helps with all of our household gadgets as far as acessibility but with all the backups going on simutaneously it also creates headaches when you need the throughput. I need to do a better job of managing those settings. nonetheless, I would like some guidance on the best way to extend my current netowrk, suggestions for better scenarios i did not mention and thus am probably not aware of and any networking 101 schooling if it doesnt sound like i understand the way bridge mode/network extension works. sorry for the long post and thank you for your time & help.

Ethernet beats all other solutions hands down..
A single ethernet connection from wherever is the closest point in the house to the garage office... wins. You can plug a router working as AP and switch or pure switch on to it. Get a cabler in to do the job.. and they can probably figure it out and do the whole job whilst you scatch your head.. yes you will pay for it.. but a cabler knows how to do it. And most likely leave the inside network exactly as it is. Since office is important to be reliable.. there is one and one only reliable method.. ethernet.
If the garage and house are on one electrical circuit.. which is doubtful if it is a separate building then EOP adapters can often work well.. They do not handle earth leakage protection, breakers (rather than fuses) or meters at all well.. but if they are simply all connected to power.. behind the same meter and using old fashioned fuse box.. EOP rated at 200mbps or some now are 500mbps can work reasonably well. Speed about the same as wireless at its best but if it works when installed will generally not change with the weather, moon, and wind direction which wireless is liable to do.
Wireless bridging.. hmm avoid if possible. For reliable connection no.. apple products can do wireless repeater but as you mentioned that turns off the ethernet ports except for the Express.. that is the only unit you can use as a bridge and plug a switch into it. Why Apple why??
So if you want to bridge two points by wireless buy specialised wireless bridge.. that means an AP in the house plugged into the existing network.. and AP unit perhaps on the outside of the garage.. or in windows if you have a window in the house that looks at a window in your office. Look at products from companies like ubiquiti.. they are not too expensive but professional equipment and designed for precisely this kind of work.
Hence the reliability is dramatically better than domestic stuff.. and will require a lot less work to maintain the link.
Conclusion.. wire it.
Unless you rent the house.. an investment in ethernet cabling install once properly and forget .. beats every other solution even if it costs x5 as other solutions.

I need help choosing a monitor! PLEASE HELP!

I getting a brand new mac mini from ebay and i am deciding between a 15-inch or a 14-inch LCD display. I was just wondering, if both of the displays have a resolution of 1024 x 768, is that the pixel count too? so does that mean the pixels on the 15-inch are just bigger or something? i need to know because the 14-inch LCD is $40 cheaper than the 15 inch....Thanks everyone!
also, since i've already decided on getting an apple keyboard, do you think the mighty mouse is really worth $49? i like to stick with apple products so that's why I'm wondering.
~CHRIS~

It doesn't necessarily mean the pixels themselves are bigger or smaller. It could also be the dot pitch (or distance between pixels) is bigger or smaller. If the native resolution is 1024x768 then you are correct, there are physically 1024x768=786,432 pixels. A 15" screen with the same resolution as a 14" screen may appear slightly less sharp but objects will appear larger. It's a tradeoff. Generally I would choose the larger monitor just because it is easier on the eyes when reading small print, etc.
Hope that helps,
-CW

Need help choosing a new macbook

I want to buy a small lighter macbook. I have a 15" macbook pro. i do like it despite the MANY times it has been in for repair.
I need the smaller one for travel etc. I don't think I want the Air b/c it doesn't have a burner.
That leaves the 13" Macbook. I am on my computer many hours everyday. I do have too many photos & would like a great way to edit, save, store. I also download lots of music. I have a website and store that all on my desktop b/c my Macbook Pros burner ha not worked more that it has. I have to take it for repair again.
I would spend whatever to have everything I need in it.
Pls help me choose macbook and and things i should have configured on it.
thx!

hello!
the white MBs have always been dependable for me and every at my school. they work great and the new updated graphics card in the white MBs seems to be the thing you need. if you have a ton of stuff on the MB pro, the hard drive may not be big enough on he white MB, but for the price difference of an upgrade to the aluminum one, you can buy a TB of space on an external HD. not bad. the white MB has a SuperDrive. my flute teacher has a silver MB and it has a hard time picking up AirPort signals because of the metal, so the white one is better if you intend to use the AirPort frequently.
hope that helps a bit!
-MD55
p.s. here's a great case if you intend to carry around your laptop. i have it in pink and i absolutely love it!
here's the link: http://store.apple.com/us/product/TS701ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA2Ng&mco=MjQyMzA2Ng&p=3& s=topSellers

Graphic Design major needs help choosing a Mac!

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