Macbook replacement with PC??

Don't lose those screws...
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frankbreau
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:47 am

Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by frankbreau »

Over the past couple of weeks my laptop has started to develop some kind of hardware issue, probably with the graphics card. At random times, i get a crazy technicolor plaid pattern over a random portion of the screen that eventually goes away. I fully intend to keep it until it dies, but backing everything up almost daily is getting to be old.

Current laptop is a 2008 15" macbook pro with 2.2 ghz intel core 2 duo processor, 4 gig ram and a NVIDIA somethingorother graphics card. On its 2nd (maybe 3rd?) hard drive, 2nd motherboard, 2nd battery, broken optical drive, and covered in priceless stickers. Graphics card acceleration no longer works with any of the photo editing programs i use. It was pretty much top of the line when i got it, and the specs still don't look that bad 8 years later.

I no longer need the portability of a laptop, so i'm looking at a few options, in this order of probability.

1) another mac laptop similar to this one
2) 27" 4K imac desktop
3) build a desktop PC
4) buy a windows laptop

I'm looking at the current apple lineup and am kind of underwhelmed. The macbook pros seems to be 5-600 dollars more than competing windows laptops, even though the hardware on the windows machines is better. You have to spend upwards of $1700 to get an imac with an SSD.

My main need for the machine is to run adobe lightroom. I have a good sized photo catalog i need to transfer over, and while I know it's doable to move it from mac - PC it doesn't sound easy. I'd love to have an SSD to run the OS and applications on, but HDDs for my bulk storage (or even a network attached storage) would be fine.

My only recent experience with windows is my work computer, which struggles to run basic office programs and needs to reboot 3-4 times a day to install security patches. So.. not the best experience windows has to offer.

Are those really my two options? Pay more money for an inferior computer, or deal with a buggy science project that works pretty good most of the time?
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by kevm14 »

Dream machine:
https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/ms ... dio_103116

Probably about the best monitor in the business right now, 3:2 is pretty much perfect for photo editing, somewhat underpowered even at the 3 grand entry price. What's not to like?

Ok that is probably out of your budget but if you end up at a Microsoft Store, check one out - you will be properly impressed. All the artistic types are swooning over this right now. Bring some photos to the store and look at them on the Studio. You will need a fainting couch.

Slightly more affordable:
https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/ms ... ook_103116

This line exceeds all the MBP options at this time in specs and also has a lot more going on (real digitizer, removable screen). Still pricey, because this is the refreshed "Performance Base" model. Pretty serious GPU.

We may be there now:
https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/ms ... ook_103116

Cheapest model with dedicated GPU: $1,649. You can configure them cheaper with Intel graphics but you may want to look into whether that would be satisfactory.

Various other OEM options:
https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/ms ... ices_Pctab

I don't know enough to recommend a specific one but let me skim the list and see if anything jumps out.

Eh, not really. I think we can probably narrow in on a spec range:
256GB+ SSD (recommend fast external for photo storage since you are going to be limited by even the largest SSD)
8GB RAM absolute minimum. More like 12 or 16.
CPU, probably late model i5 or i7
GPU, you may want something dedicated but the Intel stuff may cut it for your needs
Screen: you want something good, and not just a regular 1080p display. Something with gamut range, too.

For all in ones...I dunno, probably the same specs apply as they are laptop-grade anyway. Except you trade a bigger screen for portability.
frankbreau
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:47 am

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by frankbreau »

That surface studio is sick. I'd love to see one in real life. $3K though... ouch.

I'm messing around with pc part picker. Something basic with i7 3.3 ghz and 16 GB ram, 250 gig SSD, 2TB HDD is about $900. Could always add a graphics card later on. A decent monitor will jack that price up significantly.

Comparing that to imac, you get 3.2ghz i5 processor, 8gb RAM, and 1TB fusion drive for $1900. That does include the 27" retina display though.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by kevm14 »

Your best bang for the buck would probably be a more conventional PC that you can upgrade at will, and add whatever monitor you want. The Windows all in ones tend to have touch available which has some use cases. Then there's the digitizer/pen situation which is another thing (yes there is Wacom).

A late model PC running Win 10 won't really resemble your work computer in any way.

If you could wait, I would wait for the next refresh of the Surface Studio. Better GPUs, current gen CPUs and hopefully SSD options (they are hybrid drives now but CAN be upgraded and I think you can actually run two drives which is ideal really).
Adam
Posts: 2240
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:50 pm

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by Adam »

Here is a 27" 4K display for under $400:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... C4Z55P9852
Adam
Posts: 2240
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:50 pm

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by Adam »

The 5K displays are only a little bit more:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 0ZX2MA6280

/s
bill25
Posts: 2583
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 2:20 pm

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by bill25 »

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-inspir ... Id=5606600

As posted previously, I basically got this with a 512 HD, 12 Gig RAM, and i7. It is still really good for what I do. It easily runs a couple VM's (not doing much but still good for what I need). It has a really nice display, (HD, not 5K). I opted for the 13 inch screen for portability. If I am going to do anything that requires a bigger screen, I will attach a monitor. It has a backlit keyboard, which is actually awesome. Overall, I like it. It isn't a supercomputer but I got it for $750 6 months ago. I don't think Apple makes a computer for $750. LOL.

Also, I never use the tablet option. It is weird that the top folds over and the keyboard would be exposed on the bottom. Sounds dumb. I didn't get it for the 2 in 1 option, it was a good package and on sale, and functions perfectly as a laptop which is what I wanted.

I have had good luck at this price point, it isn't the discount 200 laptop, but it isn't the gaming 3K laptop either. My last was an i5 4 Gig RAM HP that was 650 7 years ago that I still use but is clearly getting old and also may need a hard drive soon. Everyone has their own opinion, but I would rather get a new laptop for 700 every 6 years than get a laptop for 1400 plus and have to use that hardware for 12 years. It is really a lot to do with what you want to do with it. Image editing and video obviously require more so I can understand wanting to pay or buy more to support that.
frankbreau
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2016 11:47 am

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by frankbreau »

That's awesome. $700 is a lot easier to swallow than 3K. The price premium for buying a 5K monitor over a 4K monitor is more than that entire laptop. Come to think of it, a 5K monitor costs more than a 1998 buick riviera.

I'm probably not going to do anything in the next couple of months unless I need to. It looks like any of this stuff will run photo editing stuff pretty easily, and video isn't much of a requirement for me.
bill25
Posts: 2583
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 2:20 pm

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by bill25 »

I haven't used Lightroom but I found this:

https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-move-a-L ... vice-versa

It sounds like the catalogs are compatible. I can't say that for the rest of the files, but maybe this helps a little.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Macbook replacement with PC??

Post by kevm14 »

I like that Dell but you would want to read up on the screen to see if it is adequate.

Comparison of a similar Inspiron 7000 series to the XPS 13.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaDFo_GRe0U

She confirmed my suspicions. You get full sRGB on the XPS and also the choice of three displays: a matte 1080p non-touch, a 1080p touch and a QHD touch. I guess they are all Sharp IGZO panels. You can step up to the XPS 15 for full adobe RGB gamut in 4k which is pretty high end.

If you thought you were going to be connected to an external display for photo editing, then you can take that into account. The Inspiron doesn't have USB 3.0 but it does have USB-C. The XPS has USB 3.0.

I think the differences are typical for a higher end consumer level machine (Inspiron 7000) vs an ultrabook class machine like the XPS.
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