We need a new Mac here. Thought it might be easy just to get another 27 inch iMac but they only seem to make 24 inch ones now. Could there be an alternative? I think 24 is too small after using a 27.
I just had to replace my Mac at home. I had the 27 inch (bought it new in November 2010), didn't want to do the 24, but didn't really have a choice.
Got the 24", and it's waaaaayy better than the 27". I like it and so does my wife.
Don't miss the extra large screen, works great, super fast, SSD drive.
Happy camper
^-^
Personally I would look at the more powerful options out there with M3 Pro chips. Even an M1 or M2 Pro or Max will be an amazing upgrade. I have 14" MacBook Pro M1 Max with 32 gigs of RAM and it is a speed demon, Apple's new chips really make the Intel Macs look antiquated and feel very very slow. I was thinking about going with a 24" iMac for work, but not sure I want the smaller screen, 27" is like the perfect size. I am guessing Apple with have something in the 32" category next year for some new iMac Pro.
I got the Mac Studio M1 with 64 gigs of ram, it's good to get as much RAM
as your company will allow
I just bought a new 24" iMac with the M3 chip, 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD about two weeks ago. The screen is a bit smaller but really isn't an issue. I could still do Prepress on it if I wanted to. I don't. :P The thing is FAST!
With Apple care and tax it was a bit over $2200 but I have a 10% military discount with Apple so it is 10% more than that at the regular price.
If you want the 27" display you will need to get a:
Mac Studio, starts @ $1999.00 with Apple M2 Max with 12‑core CPU, 30‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine and 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB SSD and the 27" Studio Display, starts @ $1599.00 with standard glass and tilt stand so the base price is $3598.00 not including Apple Care and tax.
Edit: There are cheaper ones with fewer USB ports (2 instead of 4), lower end M3 CPU, less RAM (8 GB), smaller SSD either 256 mb or 512 mb and the lesser keyboard (I sprung the extra $30 for the keyboard with the number pad).
Quote from: wonderings on November 30, 2023, 11:40:37 AMPersonally I would look at the more powerful options out there with M3 Pro chips. Even an M1 or M2 Pro or Max will be an amazing upgrade. I have 14" MacBook Pro M1 Max with 32 gigs of RAM and it is a speed demon, Apple's new chips really make the Intel Macs look antiquated and feel very very slow. I was thinking about going with a 24" iMac for work, but not sure I want the smaller screen, 27" is like the perfect size. I am guessing Apple with have something in the 32" category next year for some new iMac Pro.
The Pro Display XDR is 32". Starts at $4999.
Also they don't make the iMac Pro anymore.
With the 24" iMac you could always buy a 27" or larger display and connect it to the Thunderbolt port. The USB and Thunderbolt ports are just regular USB C ports. Then use the 24" display as secondary monitor.
Also on the Mac with M1, M2, or M3 they say you need about half the RAM as you needed with the Intel Macs so if 32 was enough for the Intel Macs 16 should be enough on the M3. I have no proof other than Apples claim though.
When I get bloated files with lots of pages, I wish I had more than 64!
That's funny. They don't make a Pro computer anymore but they have a Pro display for only $5,000. :lmao:
QuoteMac Pro is a game-changing combination of Apple silicon performance and PCIe expansion for specialized workflows. And every configuration comes with the incredible new M2 Ultra — our most powerful and capable chip ever.
From $583.25/mo. for 12 mo. or $6999* (https://www.apple.com/mac-pro/#footnote-1)
oh they got 'em alright....
Quote from: David on November 30, 2023, 02:08:14 PMQuoteMac Pro is a game-changing combination of Apple silicon performance and PCIe expansion for specialized workflows. And every configuration comes with the incredible new M2 Ultra — our most powerful and capable chip ever.
From $583.25/mo. for 12 mo. or $6999* (https://www.apple.com/mac-pro/#footnote-1)
oh they got 'em alright....
That is a Mac Pro. They don't make the iMac Pro any longer. Also the M3 chip is out now so they are lying about "with the incredible new M2 Ultra — our most powerful and capable chip ever". Also be sure to get the $4,999.00 monitor to go with that beast.
Quote from: Tracy on November 30, 2023, 01:57:41 PMWhen I get bloated files with lots of pages, I wish I had more than 64!
Are we talking about those PDF's with 10,000,000,000 paths of high resolution vector objects? That probably has more to do with the CPU than the RAM.
Huh! I thought it was the RAM
yes those are the files! ;D
Quote from: Tracy on November 30, 2023, 03:02:32 PMHuh! I thought it was the RAM
yes those are the files! ;D
Well I mean more ram would not hurt it any but those files send your CPU usage through the roof.
Wow, after reading all this I am amazed how little I know about the new Macs. Still chuggin along with a 2015 Imac with 32GB of ram. It's getting painful to use.
Earlier this year we bought 2 new Mac Studio's (M1 Max with 64GB) and put 2-27" displays (not Apple) on them. Operators are happy. There are less pixels than the older 27" 5K iMacs than we used to have but it's still better than they had (iMac and a 22" secondary).
The whole switching of processors and having to try and decide which one reminds me of the old PowerPC days and also the switch to Intel. This seems to be way better. And yet still crazy to think that there are satellites still in space working with 68000 chips, which were in my first Mac.
I am a bit afraid of all the side issues that will come up. Networking, 3rd party plugins and that sort of thing. I researched most of them and found out the highest OS we can go to is Ventura.
I think everything will be ok except for Quark, but we'll have to keep the old one just to run that. To ask the client to update Quark and buy a new computer...not happening.
Haven't been able to find out if FieryXF that drives our Epson will still work. The server runs on a Windows 10 computer that's hooked up to CWS on the Mac. I reached out to the EFI communiity but have not heard back yet.
Mac mini with a 3rd party monitor?
Can't believe I am saying Mac mini... :o
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 01, 2023, 05:18:29 AMWow, after reading all this I am amazed how little I know about the new Macs. Still chuggin along with a 2015 Imac with 32GB of ram. It's getting painful to use.
files get bigger and bigger and bloatier and bloatier
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 01, 2023, 07:27:49 AMI think everything will be ok except for Quark, but we'll have to keep the old one just to run that. To ask the client to update Quark and buy a new computer...not happening.
Is Quark not dead yet? My coworker picked up a side job for a magazine layout and she will work with a group of designers. The guy running it had them vote which program they will use. I thought she was going to say Quark or Indesign. No! It was between Indesign and Canva! I told her I wouldn't have taken the job. The fact that you are with 6 other designers on a shared layout would have been enough for me to pass let alone Canva. Indesign won but there were "designers" who voted for Canva. I guess she can see how it goes. I would have told that guy I'll do the entire layout and everyone else can work on ads.
Quark is not dead until our client dies. He's 80.
Canvahhhhhh....noooooo. Worse than Quark if that's possible.
I was shocked by getting a beefed up mini myself but they are working just fine. Although I remember saying the same thing when I first got my first iMac. It wasn't a tower, "professional" Mac. But haven't looked back. And now think the same about the mini/studio. We don't worry about color on screen too much. We proof it and know what moves we need to move from there.
The other thing we did for compatibility reasons, was to setup the old iMac either next to the operator or in a spot where they can remote into them if need be for the software they would not run on the new system. Since we are in a production environment, not everything gets updated right away. But there are times where the computer needs to be and we have to fight all the other issues for a bit. That's how we get around it. FYI.
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 01, 2023, 07:40:47 AMMac mini with a 3rd party monitor?
Top of the line Mac Mini with the M2 chip, 32 gb of RAM which is the MAX you can go and a 1 TB SSD is $2,200 plus you still have a buy a monitor, keyboard and mouse.
I still roll with an iMac (late 2011) at home and CS5.5 because that's the only machine at home with CS on it (that runs) for home projects and side/freelance work. I have 5.5 for Windows, but all my OS's are too new that it won't run or install on any of them.
My main Windows 10 is a quad 3.1ghz with 32gb RAM and 2 32" 1080 TV monitors. When I was working from home during Covid, it's what I used.
I'm still working on building a gaming rig that's got a quad 3.3ghz and 16gb RAM (only 2 slots on that board I think - it's in the shop) but it has a kick ass 3gb video card.
3 x late 2012 iMac 27" at work. Stopped updating Adobe 2 yrs ago as it won't run on those Macs.
Apparently its not a priority.
Quote from: scottrsimons on December 01, 2023, 08:45:07 AMI was shocked by getting a beefed up mini myself but they are working just fine. Although I remember saying the same thing when I first got my first iMac. It wasn't a tower, "professional" Mac. But haven't looked back. And now think the same about the mini/studio. We don't worry about color on screen too much. We proof it and know what moves we need to move from there.
The other thing we did for compatibility reasons, was to setup the old iMac either next to the operator or in a spot where they can remote into them if need be for the software they would not run on the new system. Since we are in a production environment, not everything gets updated right away. But there are times where the computer needs to be and we have to fight all the other issues for a bit. That's how we get around it. FYI.
Yo, beef up the mini, beef up the mini, yo, yo.
Sorry, Sunday night, a few brown pops in, my bad. ;D
Actually, if anyone has a working mini, I'd consider buying it... for the right price...
I think this might be a dumb question but....
Is there any way to hook up an older Imac to use only as a monitor to the new one? We have another 5k one sitting around here that doesn't shut down on its own like the one I am using.
I'm sure somebody would have mentioned this already if it was possible.
Quote from: Joe on November 30, 2023, 01:13:06 PMI just bought a new 24" iMac with the M3 chip, 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD about two weeks ago. The screen is a bit smaller but really isn't an issue. I could still do Prepress on it if I wanted to. I don't. :P The thing is FAST!
With Apple care and tax it was a bit over $2200 but I have a 10% military discount with Apple so it is 10% more than that at the regular price.
If you want the 27" display you will need to get a:
Mac Studio, starts @ $1999.00 with Apple M2 Max with 12‑core CPU, 30‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine and 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB SSD and the 27" Studio Display, starts @ $1599.00 with standard glass and tilt stand so the base price is $3598.00 not including Apple Care and tax.
Edit: There are cheaper ones with fewer USB ports (2 instead of 4), lower end M3 CPU, less RAM (8 GB), smaller SSD either 256 mb or 512 mb and the lesser keyboard (I sprung the extra $30 for the keyboard with the number pad).
You think the max 24GB of RAM would be enough? Strange they don't offer room for expansion. I'm using 32GB on the 27 inch circa 2015 now. Sounds like I could more than likely get used to the 24 inch size.
If the M3 chip and the hard drive are so much faster maybe the iMac doesn't need as much?
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 04, 2023, 06:50:59 AMI think this might be a dumb question but....
Is there any way to hook up an older Imac to use only as a monitor to the new one? We have another 5k one sitting around here that doesn't shut down on its own like the one I am using.
I'm sure somebody would have mentioned this already if it was possible.
For newer iMacs basically no. For older ones yes.
How to Use an iMac as an External Monitor (https://www.wikihow.com/Use-an-iMac-As-an-External-Monitor#:~:text=The%20iMac%20acting%20as%20a,between%202011%20and)
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 04, 2023, 07:32:44 AMYou think the max 24GB of RAM would be enough? Strange they don't offer room for expansion. I'm using 32GB on the 27 inch circa 2015 now. Sounds like I could more than likely get used to the 24 inch size.
If the M3 chip and the hard drive are so much faster maybe the iMac doesn't need as much?
Using the new M series CPU the new Macs RAM is unified memory. Apple claims you don't need as much unified memory as you did on the old traditional RAM. That argument has had much debate. Unified memory is built into the CPU so whatever you buy is all you can ever have without buying a new machine.
What is unified memory? Memory is RAM; the SSD is Storage. "Unified" is the term Apple uses to denote that the CPU, graphics processor, RAM, and storage are on a single chip. Very efficient. That also means that none on those can be changed after the computer leaves the production line.
Why Apple uses integrated memory in Apple Silicon — and why it's both good and bad (https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/06/28/why-apple-uses-integrated-memory-in-apple-silicon----and-why-its-both-good-and-bad)
Just remember the new Macs with the M series chips can never be upgraded. Not the RAM...not the GPU....not the SSD storage.
And to be honest if I were still in Prepress and making decisions on what to buy I would have to consider using a PC. I'm not a fan of disposable Macs.
Quote from: Joe on December 04, 2023, 07:49:16 AMAnd to be honest if I were still in Prepress and making decisions on what to buy I would have to consider using a PC. I'm not a fan of disposable Macs.
That is the current thinking of anti Mac management atm. The PC's they run on business side have a life expectancy of around 15 minutes, but on the upside they are cheap (compared to Mac).
They can't understand why we can't use them. So in the meantime, the best course of action is to do nothing. Our adobe stuff stopped upgrading at 2021 version (still paying full price for Adobe subscription though), Macs are late 2012 and running 10.14 Mojave, latest they can run is 10.15 Catalina and I just don't have the energy to update 3 of them and then troubleshoot all the associated issues that will arise, for the limited improvement that will come from it.
It is expected that a replacement PC will last the same amount of time as the Macs did without upgrading, we all know that is not the case, but that message is being received poorly.
Going PC will resolve some networking issues, but that is all I can see them doing. My opinion is it will be a backwards move, but I'm not paying the bills.
In reality for Prepress work on a Mac you probably need the Mac Studio, $2599 with 64 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD with the 27" Studio Display minimum $1599 so $4198 + you need to buy a keyboard and mouse. That is crazy compared to what we used to get the 27" iMacs for. My old place owners would faint at the thought of buying 10 of them.
Hmmmm, about $6500 Canadian. I don't think that will go over well here. :o
I'll ask what the budget is.... then slot in the best available Mac for that price. Simple. ;D
Decent alternative 3rd party monitor that could be calibrated "pretty good" for prepress work might help. So used to the Mac monitor being so good though.
We have 5 Apple/Mac workstations here.
I have the Mac Studio M1 Max / 64GB RAM / 1TB.
Our other 4 are all the exact same 2018 i7 Mac Mini's / 64GB RAM / 500GB SSD.
All with 27 inch BenQ or older NEC monitors.
All running Ventura... because we always have to wait months for Kodak to modify Prinergy for the latest Apple macOS.
I would look into getting the M1 or M2 Ultra for hopefully a lot less than an M3.
Maybe from Amazon or eBay or OWC.
I also would not hesitate to buy used from the right reseller....like OWC.
I rarely buy new... all the Mac Mini's we have were bought used for 1/2 the price and none of them have had a problem.
This also makes the owners here very happy!! Just a little more work for me hunting them down on eBay or OWC.
I have had the Mac Studio M1 Max for a year and half and it has been flawless...however at times i wish i had gotten the Ultra for that extra power when working on some of the larger jobs we get here.
Also if you work from a server, as we do there is really no need for anything more than 1TB of storage in fact 500GB is more than enough.
We will keep the Mac Mini's for another year or so as they will run macOS Sonoma and I think that will be it for them.
Then it will be Mac Studio's for everyone.
Quote from: Joe on December 04, 2023, 03:47:36 PMIn reality for Prepress work on a Mac ... $4198 + you need to buy a keyboard and mouse.
DAMN, I'm glad I got out of prepress when I did ... I was "that guy" who suggested everyone gets a Mac, after process improvements and vendor changes netted us a huge budget cut, but even I couldn't sell a $4k price tag!
When your the only one in prepress you should be able to get a high end MAC
It helps to have speed.
I understand when there are multiple Macs needed having a budget.
Quote from: RMPrepress on December 05, 2023, 08:24:20 AMI would look into getting the M1 or M2 Ultra for hopefully a lot less than an M3.
Right now the M3's are not available on the Mini's or the Mac Studio. When Apple just released the new 24" iMacs with the M3 the price did not go up. Still the same as the 24" M1 iMacs were in price. The biggest issue with the new iMacs is the max RAM is 24 GB and the Mini max RAM is 32 GB. Anyone that needs more than that will have to go with the Mac Studio (which starts at $1,999.00 with no monitor keyboard or mouse) or the Mac Pro (which starts at $6,999.00 with no monitor (YIKES)). Apple does have some Mac Studios on their refurbished page but the discount is not at a big discount.
Quote from: Foozball on December 05, 2023, 08:25:03 AMDAMN, I'm glad I got out of prepress when I did ... I was "that guy" who suggested everyone gets a Mac, after process improvements and vendor changes netted us a huge budget cut, but even I couldn't sell a $4k price tag!
Same here.
Quote from: Tracy on December 05, 2023, 08:35:38 AMWhen your the only one in prepress you should be able to get a high end MAC
It helps to have speed.
I understand when there are multiple Macs needed having a budget.
There are 14 people in prepress where I used to be. Imagine updating 14 Macs at these prices.
Wow, that's a big department. How did you all get along? I can barely get along with myself. The most we ever had was 2.
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 05, 2023, 09:18:07 AMWow, that's a big department. How did you all get along? I can barely get along with myself. The most we ever had was 2.
We all tolerated each other. ;D I still keep in contact with a few of them.
This monitor looks like it could be decent for a hack like me. 1300 dollars cheaper than the Mac one.
https://www.amazon.ca/BenQ-PD2700U-27-Inch-Professional-Monitor/dp/B07H9XP92N/ref=sr_1_11?hvadid=671287153908&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9000808&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3055680762795381979&hvtargid=kwd-498689599152&hydadcr=1498_13637772&keywords=benq%2B27inch&qid=1701791953&sr=8-11&th=1
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 05, 2023, 10:02:24 AMThis monitor looks like it could be decent for a hack like me. 1300 dollars cheaper than the Mac one.
https://www.amazon.ca/BenQ-PD2700U-27-Inch-Professional-Monitor/dp/B07H9XP92N/ref=sr_1_11?hvadid=671287153908&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9000808&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3055680762795381979&hvtargid=kwd-498689599152&hydadcr=1498_13637772&keywords=benq%2B27inch&qid=1701791953&sr=8-11&th=1
I'd go for it. I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078HWN5CX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and it's fucking awesome.... to go with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099MZCZ6F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Yeah If I had Joe 8) here with me, I would of went with a cheaper monitor
it's the CPU and RAM that's important.
altho not hating my monitor ;D
Quote from: Tracy on December 06, 2023, 08:19:04 AMYeah If I had Joe 8) here with me, I would of went with a cheaper monitor
it's the CPU and RAM that's important.
altho not hating my monitor ;D
I'm sure it is a nice monitor. I'm not sure if it is $1599.00 nice though. But then again I started on one of these.
(https://i.etsystatic.com/13703953/r/il/4c5b9f/3591077197/il_1588xN.3591077197_kool.jpg)
The glory days... happily burning up my retinas on that monochrome 9in screen...
(https://retrodisks.com/12-large_default/dark-castle-800k.jpg)
I could go for some Hard-hat Mack right about now, I know that was on an Apple IIe but still on topic I think.
My first work Mac was... a Mac IIfx. I don't have a pic as they had not yet invented the camera at that time.
Great news, just had the update approved. This is what they decided on.
hopefully you got the upgrade
stone.JPG
Not sure the budget extends that far. ;D
Dayum Æsop!
Kinda ancient ain't it? Couldn't they at least get you to the 17th century Cyano Doubleburndablack?
I believe they think Guttenberg is yet to invent moveable type yet.
It seems red tape came first.
I went into the Manistee, MI historic museum to talk to them about the house we are restoring and found this beaut! Sent it to the ex hub (pressman) bc he's looking for a new job. ;D
(https://i.ibb.co/VTc8Qtn/IMG-2809.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5LgVn6p)
Crap, can't see it. We have all the red tape here.
Quote from: born2print on December 07, 2023, 09:49:21 AMCrap, can't see it. We have all the red tape here.
How about now?
(https://i.ibb.co/VTc8Qtn/IMG-2809.jpg)
Quote from: Joe on December 07, 2023, 09:59:03 AMQuote from: born2print on December 07, 2023, 09:49:21 AMCrap, can't see it. We have all the red tape here.
How about now?
(https://i.ibb.co/VTc8Qtn/IMG-2809.jpg)
nope
impressive firewall, yes? Muat be a doozy of a harmful image!
I think I worked with that guy.... :o
Quote from: born2print on December 07, 2023, 10:10:37 AMnope
impressive firewall, yes? Muat be a doozy of a harmful image!
How about now?
IMG-2809.jpg
Quote from: David on December 07, 2023, 10:17:51 AMI think I worked with that guy.... :o
I thought that was you!
We had one of those in the lobby of the shop I worked at in Fresno; Webster Publishing (MidCal Print/MidCal Copy). I never grasped how it actually worked.
First of all, NEVER put your hand there!
It's like a TX two-step.
The ink roller applies to the round platen (which turns a bit each time)
The platen comes forward/down to ink the raised type
The raised type goes back/up to the substrate...
well something like that...
I saw it on Rockford Files :))
It's really barely different than a Gutenberg press, all of that complication is simply to automate the inking which was done by hand, directly to the raised type prior to that.
most of the guys that operated those had at least one short finger on their working hand. :o
Quote from: born2print on December 07, 2023, 11:34:15 AMFirst of all, NEVER put your hand there!
And the guy in the photo has his hand in there.
where's OSHA when you need them?
C:-)
Yeah, like what's a can of gasoline doing on the floor there? Cleaning type?
Quote from: born2print on December 07, 2023, 11:34:15 AMFirst of all, NEVER put your hand there!
I was going to point that out
He would point it out but he doesn't have a hand anymore. Really hard to point without a hand.
I fed on an old "Johannesburg" press that was converted over to diecut plastic ... steel on steel, no safety stops, had to manually raise (wind) the pile, and my fingers still get twitchy (scared) when I think about it.
how about a 2021 iMac pro with 128GB of RAM? Offer from a guy who has serviced our Macs in the past. Good guy, trustworthy. About the same price as the cheapest new Studio with 32GB of RAM. That means we won't have to buy a monitor at least.
He tells me its the 18 core with the Xeon processor. ?
do you mean i8?
Is it a 27 inch?
8 Core....18 core does not sound right...but i could be wrong.
Storage amount?
Not sure what I mean to tell you the truth. ;D
I'm a prepress worker.... my brain has become a bit "mushy".
Quote from: RMPrepress on December 12, 2023, 10:58:14 AMIs it a 27 inch?
8 Core....18 core does not sound right...but i could be wrong.
Storage amount?
Not sure about that. We work off a server so I don't think it's much of an issue. Surely more that this 2015 iMac that still has over 700GB of free space.
Oh, and yes, it's a 27 inch.
Ask him to send you the specs.
It appears it probably is an 18 core 2.3GHZ.
For prepress work it may be more beneficial to have more GHZ than cores, but i am pretty sure you would be fine.
i.e. The old 3.33 or 3.46 6 CORE was much better than the 2.4 8core etc...for prepess anyway.
Still an Intel CPU = dead end soon.
That is true...but still get 3 years out of it I would think.
Perfect, I will be retired by then. ;D
Maybe....depends on how soon software vendors plus Apple completely abandon them.
Good point. Point well taken.
When making these decisions I always factor in that in prepress we are almost always 9 - 12 months, (sometimes longer) behind on updating to the latest macOS on our Mac's. Due to Kodak and Enfocus etc not being ready.
So even though the 2021 iMac may stop supporting the macOS that comes out in 2025 or 2026 you would still have another year of viability.
Plus you that 27inch display!!
that i8 thingy does matter
for instance the i5 is a crappy computer, the i7 is much better
yeah get the specs!
There is no i8 CPU. Only odd numbers. i3, i5, i7, i9. The number they were talking about was either 8 core or 18 core except I don't think there is an 18 core for the iMacPro. The link below shows you can either get it with 8 core or 10 core.
What Is a CPU Core?
A single modern CPU typically has multiple cores. Each core is its own processor. Simultaneous multi-threading, called Hyper-Threading by Intel, splits each physical core into two logical processors. Each logical processor lets your operating system run two separate tasks. For example, an eight-core CPU appears as a single CPU with 8 cores and 16 logical processors.
Here the specs for the iMac Pro with an 8 core CPU with 128 GB of RAM via OWC.
Apple 27-inch iMac Pro (Retina 5K, Late 2017 - 2021) (https://eshop.macsales.com/configure-my-mac/UAQA1LS6XXX2XXA) $2199.00 which seems like a good price. Apple used to have some on their refurbished site and they were asking $4K-$5K for one.
That's useful info, Thanks Joe!
Would anyone compromise on the 27 inch BENQ on the mac studio versus the 27 inch Apple display? Maybe it's not a compromise.
About 1300 cheaper.
https://www.amazon.ca/BenQ-PD2705UA-Calibration-Uniformity-DisplayPort/dp/B0BTTVDKPS
I would compromise if I knew it was a good monitor
Joe's your man! ;D
Quite a few people have told me they are very good. But yes, if Joe knows, Joe knows. ;D
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 13, 2023, 09:42:27 AMWould anyone compromise on the 27 inch BENQ on the mac studio versus the 27 inch Apple display? Maybe it's not a compromise.
About 1300 cheaper.
https://www.amazon.ca/BenQ-PD2705UA-Calibration-Uniformity-DisplayPort/dp/B0BTTVDKPS
Joe is not sure. :rotf:
We had a 24" BENQ monitor at work for an office computer. No issues with it for a couple of year before I left. Never had one on a Mac for Prepress though.
@RMPrepress mentioned he had them in this post: December 05, 2023, 08:24:20 AM (https://www.b4print.com/index.php?topic=10369.msg327353#msg327353)
So maybe Joe don't know. That's ok, he knows too much already.
And forgetting more and more stuff everyday!
You've forgotten more than I know. (i think i mentioned that before). ;D
We have 6 BenQ Monitors.
All 27 inch.
SW271C
SW2700
Excellent mid to high level monitors meant for what we do in prepress and for designers and photography.
I would recommend also getting the software to calibrate.
It is usually available as a bundle with the monitor.
They come with shades too which we do use.
If we get a new Mac soon the OS will have to go back to Ventura. I think this can be done by erasing the drive and reinstalling the OS..... have never done it before but I don't think it's brain surgery on a brand new computer. But then again, I can manage to turn anything into brain surgery.
Apple can make that a bit complicated if you buy new from them or a reseller.
If Sonoma is installed you will have to download the Ventura installer from apple.com.
Or i use this site for my apple OS downloads....very handy for messing around with old Macs etc.
https://mrmacintosh.com/
Cool, thanks.
My new iMac from Apple came with Ventura on it. I updated it to Sonoma because I don't have to worry about prepress software anymore. :P
Lol, I took a deep breath and went from Big Sur 11.7.9 to 11.7.10 this week! :thumbsup:
Just found out we'd have to get one with Ventura installed. Hard to believe but this guy owns 2 Mac repair stores here so I have no need to question him.
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 14, 2023, 10:58:42 AMJust found out we'd have to get one with Ventura installed. Hard to believe but this guy owns 2 Mac repair stores here so I have no need to question him.
You mean he says you can't downgrade to Ventura? I can think of no reason why that would be true.
True you can't install an older version over a newer version but you should be able to wipe the hard drive and install the older version. You will need to have a bootable USB drive with older version of installer on it to install after you wipe the hard drive. You do need to delete all partitions on the hard drive and re-partition the hard drive as a single partition and then let the Mac installer re-partition the drive when it does the install. Macs are weird lately where they end up with two partitions named Macintosh HD but only one will display on the desktop as you Macintosh HD. It gets complicated though.
If this guy is a mac expert there should be no reason why he cant make sure you get whatever macOS you want on the Macs he is selling to you.
It sounds like he is telling you that the Macs he is offering you will have Ventura loaded as the macOS.
Quote from: Joe on December 14, 2023, 11:23:33 AMQuote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 14, 2023, 10:58:42 AMJust found out we'd have to get one with Ventura installed. Hard to believe but this guy owns 2 Mac repair stores here so I have no need to question him.
You mean he says you can't downgrade to Ventura? I can think of no reason why that would be true.
I didn't either actually. Just going by his info. He's trying to find a new earlier build to get Ventura installed.
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 14, 2023, 12:01:51 PMQuote from: Joe on December 14, 2023, 11:23:33 AMQuote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 14, 2023, 10:58:42 AMJust found out we'd have to get one with Ventura installed. Hard to believe but this guy owns 2 Mac repair stores here so I have no need to question him.
You mean he says you can't downgrade to Ventura? I can think of no reason why that would be true.
I didn't either actually. Just going by his info. He's trying to find a new earlier build to get Ventura installed.
I mean that has Ventrua installled right out of the box.
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 14, 2023, 12:01:51 PMQuote from: Joe on December 14, 2023, 11:23:33 AMQuote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 14, 2023, 10:58:42 AMJust found out we'd have to get one with Ventura installed. Hard to believe but this guy owns 2 Mac repair stores here so I have no need to question him.
You mean he says you can't downgrade to Ventura? I can think of no reason why that would be true.
I didn't either actually. Just going by his info. He's trying to find a new earlier build to get Ventura installed.
The link posted earlier has the earlier version of the OS (Ventura).
https://mrmacintosh.com/
Screenshot 2023-12-14 at 12.21.52 PM.png
Quote from: scottrsimons on December 01, 2023, 08:45:07 AMI was shocked by getting a beefed up mini myself but they are working just fine. Although I remember saying the same thing when I first got my first iMac. It wasn't a tower, "professional" Mac. But haven't looked back. And now think the same about the mini/studio. We don't worry about color on screen too much. We proof it and know what moves we need to move from there.
The other thing we did for compatibility reasons, was to setup the old iMac either next to the operator or in a spot where they can remote into them if need be for the software they would not run on the new system. Since we are in a production environment, not everything gets updated right away. But there are times where the computer needs to be and we have to fight all the other issues for a bit. That's how we get around it. FYI.
Is remoting on a Mac hard? I tried it once there was some bizzare command line in terminal. Couldn't get it to work, got frustrated and gave up. The microsoft remote works great from Macs to pcs.
Quote from: Joe on December 14, 2023, 11:29:05 AMTrue you can't install an older version over a newer version but you should be able to wipe the hard drive and install the older version. You will need to have a bootable USB drive with older version of installer on it to install after you wipe the hard drive. You do need to delete all partitions on the hard drive and re-partition the hard drive as a single partition and then let the Mac installer re-partition the drive when it does the install. Macs are weird lately where they end up with two partitions named Macintosh HD but only one will display on the desktop as you Macintosh HD. It gets complicated though.
I whacked up my Mac a few years back trying to do this. I had 2 or more HDs mounting. I would rather have somebody who knows what they are doing handle it.
Quote from: Joe on December 14, 2023, 10:00:02 AMMy new iMac from Apple came with Ventura on it. I updated it to Sonoma because I don't have to worry about prepress software anymore. :P
Called Apple support to find out if they could tell me how to find a new one with Ventura installed. You know, maybe by the serial number or something. I was told i would have to buy one, open it and boot it up and see. Really? How many attempts may that take i wondered... 1, 2, 500?
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 16, 2023, 02:48:51 PMIs remoting on a Mac hard? I tried it once there was some bizzare command line in terminal. Couldn't get it to work, got frustrated and gave up. The microsoft remote works great from Macs to pcs.
I know in the past, M$ Remote Desktop was ok, if bloated. I use a program called Jump Desktop, (https://jumpdesktop.com/) it's paid but single license fee with unlimited installs (no stupid yearly fee) and very reasonable. I had to have the IT folks we use set up my access to get through our Sonicwall device but it works like a charm. I can get to all of the devices, Windows & Mac when necessary.
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 16, 2023, 02:48:51 PMQuote from: scottrsimons on December 01, 2023, 08:45:07 AMI was shocked by getting a beefed up mini myself but they are working just fine. Although I remember saying the same thing when I first got my first iMac. It wasn't a tower, "professional" Mac. But haven't looked back. And now think the same about the mini/studio. We don't worry about color on screen too much. We proof it and know what moves we need to move from there.
The other thing we did for compatibility reasons, was to setup the old iMac either next to the operator or in a spot where they can remote into them if need be for the software they would not run on the new system. Since we are in a production environment, not everything gets updated right away. But there are times where the computer needs to be and we have to fight all the other issues for a bit. That's how we get around it. FYI.
Is remoting on a Mac hard? I tried it once there was some bizzare command line in terminal. Couldn't get it to work, got frustrated and gave up. The microsoft remote works great from Macs to pcs.
MAC to MAC? Use Screen Sharing that is on all Macs in the OS. Really easy if are you doing it to Macs in the same location but if you want to do it from a Mac at home to a Mac at work you will have to port forward in your router settings.
You can also use Chrome Desktop which is free from Google. You can do Mac to Mac, Mac to PC, PC to Mac, or PC to PC from anywhere and you don't have to mess with router/firewall settings.
Or go with Slappy's suggestion but as he said you will have to do the port forwarding in the router there too.
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 16, 2023, 02:59:15 PMQuote from: Joe on December 14, 2023, 10:00:02 AMMy new iMac from Apple came with Ventura on it. I updated it to Sonoma because I don't have to worry about prepress software anymore. :P
Called Apple support to find out if they could tell me how to find a new one with Ventura installed. You know, maybe by the serial number or something. I was told i would have to buy one, open it and boot it up and see. Really? How many attempts may that take i wondered... 1, 2, 500?
You can tell the first time you boot it what version of OS is on it. I got my M3 Mac about a month after Sonoma came out but it still had Ventura on it. The longer amount of time it is from the release date of the OS the more likely it is to have the latest OS on it.
I mean I would do the install of Ventura for you except you are in Canada and it is freaking winter time. :freezing:
:lmao:
Thanks for the offer but yeah, there is a distance issue here.
The powers that be agree that we need someone else to set this up so there's no pressure except if the old Mac dies.
My do it yourself confidence is not great these days since i tried to change a clothes dryer belt watching a youtube video. Parts all over the floor, totally lost but it looked easy on youtube. Miraculously i managed to eventually get it done but it was not pretty.
Hey, it had to be better than a friend of mine who did the same thing but decided that the belt needed to be lubricated. I don't remember what he put on it (this was before YouTube days), but I guess you know how that turned out.
Quote from: Possum on December 17, 2023, 05:54:34 PMHey, it had to be better than a friend of mine who did the same thing but decided that the belt needed to be lubricated. I don't remember what he put on it (this was before YouTube days), but I guess you know how that turned out.
:ohno:
Could you Armor-all the seat of my dirtbike while yer at it?
I remote in to my Mac at work all the time from home using Apples remote desktop.
It works flawlessly everytime.
We have a Palo Alto firewall and their VPN app called Global Protect is fantastic.
Never have an issue connecting to our work LAN from home.
Don't say that too loud, you know what will happen.
You Tube can be great sometimes, but also a clusterf--- sometimes. When I had my '03 Chevy, the headlight went out and there was also a recall about the same time (turn signal malfunction). I asked them if they could change the bulb during the recall fix and they told me it was $200 for 2 hours of labor. 2 hours of labor to change a bulb? I watched a YouTube and you had to take off the grill and some of the front end to even get to the bulb. First time it happened, I did it in 45 minutes. Second time about 20 because I knew what I was doing.
I also used YouTube to fix my XBox 360 when the DVD-ROM wouldn't eject. Basically, I learned how to take the case apart, removed the drive and replace the little rubber band that used friction to spin and open and close the drawer; it would build up with dust and slip (or stretch out). Basically YouTube taught me to boil some water, drop the band in (to clean it and make it shrink) and replace it. I've done it three times (one for each of my 360s).
I tried to use YouTube to replace bearings on my old dryer, but it ended up resulting in me purchasing a new dryer.
I guess one thing is trying to decide if the guy who posted the video knew what he was doing to begin with. I watched some videos of people replacing some rot on the bottom of their outer door jamb and they all looked fairly similar, so I had a little confidence. I replaced a 2 ft. section with something made of poly so it won't rot again. I'm not handy with carpentry and I didn't have the best tools for the job, but it sure beats paying somebody else to do it.
On the other hand, I finally found a deer antler in my yard after almost 30 years here, and wanted to know what to use, if anything to preserve it. Every video I saw said something different. I just took a guess and used Murphy's Oil Soap. Seemed to do well. I now have it attached to a slice of cedar tree I had and hung it for a key rack. Then I found an even bigger antler and still don't know what I'm going to do with that.
I also used YouTube to fix my XBox 360 when the DVD-ROM wouldn't eject. Basically, I learned how to take the case apart, removed the drive and replace the little rubber band that used friction to spin and open and close the drawer; it would build up with dust and slip (or stretch out). Basically YouTube taught me to boil some water, drop the band in (to clean it and make it shrink) and replace it. I've done it three times (one for each of my 360s).
That trick works for turn tables as well :thumbsup:
Quote from: Possum on December 18, 2023, 12:56:10 PM. Then I found an even bigger antler and still don't know what I'm going to do with that.
Do you have a dog? They love to chew them and they're great for their teeth.
Or if you know someone who makes knives, they make great handles.
No, I don't have a dog, but thanks for the tips. Actually, since I've waited this long to finally find one, even though I do see deer at least once a year in my yard, I'm going to think of some way to hang it. It's a 7-point, while the one that holds keys is a 3-point.
The Antlers I found about 30 yrs ago. They were attached to the head when I found them, and the head was attached to the rest of the deer. ;D
He's just joking, I see nothing!
Back to Mac, is anyone actually running sonoma with adobe apps? Our tech guy now says he is having trouble downgrading to Ventura. Ahhhhhhhhhh!
:drunk3: :drunk3: :drunk3:
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 22, 2023, 01:47:17 PMQuote from: pspdfppdfxhd (https://www.b4print.com/index.php?msg=327677) on 12/22/2023, 1:47:17 PM
Back to Mac, is anyone actually running sonoma with adobe apps? Our tech guy now says he is having trouble downgrading to Ventura. Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Do my Adobe apps work on macOS 14 Sonoma? (https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/macos-sonoma-compatibility-common-issues.html)
I know, i looked at that, looks very iffy. Just another fine shit show shaping up here looks like. Guess i went to the wrong place to get this done. Really pisses me off when they say they can do it then say they can't. >:(
Got a bonus, would have liked more ;D but, need a new ipad. Man, they are expensive now! Looking at an ipad air 5th gen, 90 bucks off this week at bestbuy. My present one is about 5 years old and really struggling with all the video ads that keep coming up more and more these days. Might get it. It has the M1 chip.
Quote from: Joe on December 14, 2023, 11:29:05 AMTrue you can't install an older version over a newer version but you should be able to wipe the hard drive and install the older version. You will need to have a bootable USB drive with older version of installer on it to install after you wipe the hard drive. You do need to delete all partitions on the hard drive and re-partition the hard drive as a single partition and then let the Mac installer re-partition the drive when it does the install. Macs are weird lately where they end up with two partitions named Macintosh HD but only one will display on the desktop as you Macintosh HD. It gets complicated though.
Okay, picking up the new Mac tomorrow, its going to have Somona installed. I am wondering if i should trust the Mr.Macintosh method with the bootable drive i looked at on gasp...YouTube... We are closed this week but i have to get this done. Or just give Sonoma a go and see what works and what kind of work around we can do with the other iMac we have as a backup. I foresee a LONG day tomorrow. >:( :o :o
What is "the Mr.Macintosh method with the bootable drive"?
Not yet....but i would give it a try before going through the exercise of downgrading to Ventura.
How to on making a bootable USB...after you download the latest Ventura installer.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/101578
Also these...I have used a couple they make it real easy BUT they are third party not apple approved sort of speak.
https://www.macworld.com/article/671308/how-to-create-a-bootable-usb-macos-installer.html
Quote from: Joe on December 26, 2023, 03:22:27 PMWhat is "the Mr.Macintosh method with the bootable drive"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3W4RZbiFIc
Not sure if this link will work, let's see.
Yup.
Quote from: pspdfppdfxhd on December 26, 2023, 03:29:27 PMQuote from: Joe on December 26, 2023, 03:22:27 PMWhat is "the Mr.Macintosh method with the bootable drive"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3W4RZbiFIc
Not sure if this link will work, let's see.
I would test if the apps you use will work on Sonoma before downgrading.
Yes, will do that first. I have a fully operational iMac to use just in case of a disaster. A clone of the failing one. What could go wrong? It's all good. No worries and and all that crap. ;D
I would recommend starting from scratch on that new Mac, in lieu of a Migration from a Time Machine backup or Mac to Mac migration.
Reloading apps and settings etc. may take awhile but I think its worth it.
Just cleaner and you dont bring problems over from the old Mac to new one.
That said I have done it both ways without much of a problem.
Quote from: RMPrepress on December 26, 2023, 04:20:15 PMI would recommend starting from scratch on that new Mac, in lieu of a Migration from a Time Machine backup or Mac to Mac migration.
Reloading apps and settings etc. may take awhile but I think its worth it.
Just cleaner and you dont bring problems over from the old Mac to new one.
That said I have done it both ways without much of a problem.
Agree with the above.
On the old Mac go into the Contacts app and clean them up if needed and then export them as a .csv file and copy it to the desktop of the new Mac. Then back at the old Mac go into email and clean out what you don't need and EMPTY THE TRASH and quit out of the email app. Then copy the Mail folder from Macintosh HD\Users\~\Library to the desktop of the new Mac. On the new Mac open the Contacts app and import the .csv file you exported from the old Mac. Then setup the Apple Mail with your email account and then import all of the Mail from the folder on the desktop you copied from the old Mac. Boom you have all of your contacts and email from the old Mac. This is assuming you use the Apple Contacts app and Apple Email. If you use something else you are on your own. :P
Thanks for all the wise and experienced commends. Tomorrow i will give it a go.
So I get into work and a co-worker had dropped off the Mac and lo and behold, it's running Ventura. All that stress and worry for nothing. I've been here for about 8 hours and pretty well got most things up and running. Go figure.
Thanks everybody for their help!
Well, I ordered 2 new Minis for here and I'm making a Ventura Installer on USB via the instructions from RMPrepress above, so maybe I'll benefit from your paranoia! ;D
Quote from: Slappy on December 27, 2023, 02:52:07 PMWell, I ordered 2 new Minis for here and I'm making a Ventura Installer on USB via the instructions from RMPrepress above, so maybe I'll benefit from your paranoia! ;D
Hope ya do! :))