Graphic Designer on a budget looking to buy a MacBook

Hi there Apple Community,
Basically my story is that I'm giving up my job and running off the Australia on a working holiday visa and I need to get myself possibly a second hand MacBook so that I can still continue free lancing whilst I'm out there.
I've always worked on Macs in my working life but I've always had a Windows OS in my personal life so a MacBook would be my first venture over to Apple (for my portable computing anyway) I'm not the most tech savvy person I know the basics like HDD and RAM but processors and speeds of things and I'm lost! I'm just wondering if anyone could supply me with what specs I'd need to carry on doing what I need to do. I'd be using The Adobe Creative Suite as well as some Video Editing software and Web Design. My budget would probably be around the £600 Mark as I am saving for my trip.
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks. 

JDingwall wrote:
a MacBook would be my first venture over to Apple.
My budget would probably be around the £600.
I'd be using The Adobe Creative Suite as well as some Video Editing software and Web Design.
Well for that your not going to get a new machine.
A used MacBook Pro Early 2010 - Early 2011 with Snow Leopard (must be Snow Leopard) and you can install a free, older version of CS2 suite here.
https://www.adobe.com/downloads/cs2_downloads/index.html
iMovie comes free on Mac's with OS X 10.6 installed with the machine/factory 10.6 install disks, but not if installed with the 10.6 white retail disks. So make sure of that when you buy used.
There is the free LibreOffice suite for all your "office" needs.
There is some free open source web design software or RapidWeaver.
10.6.8 is your best bet for a lot of free software on MacUpdate.com, once you cross over to OS X 10.7/10.8 it's all expensive after that and "AppStore" this and that. also CS2 won't work, so you have to buy CS6 $$$$$.
That's the best I can do for you, Mac's new cost close to $2000 by the time you add in tax, VAT, AppleCare etc.,etc. and the 13" is not a good machine for graphics work, it's like a cheap office type laptop. IMO you shoudl buy a Windows 7 laptop since your used to it and it's supported until 2020, that's the most cost effective route.
Mac's are generally more expensive to maintain and replace, other costs. It's like they targeted you as rich and soak you at every turn.
Apple upgrades OS X annually now, so all your third party software thus needs a paid upgrade annually, it's not a budget choice platform at all.

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