B4Print.com

We've hit the critical threshold for needing new hardware, due to the state of Software requirements, and I've got to present prices to the Higher Ups, like this week.

Since Apple has (for now) scrapped the 27" iMacs and all that's new are 24" models, I'm leaning towards Minis with decent 3rd party monitors. Kinda spoiled by the 27's 4k screens, even though ours are 5 years old now.

In the Mini camp, I guess I'd go Intel, 3.2GHz i7 & 16GB RAM. I dislike that the GPU offerings are basically no choice. The 10GB Ethernet is interesting, we have fiber connection being installed now but realistically, probably overkill. Roughly $1699 from Apple as spec'd.

Oddly enough, Costco locally had some 27" iMacs the other week: 3.1GHz i5, 8GB RAM and only 256GB storage. $1749 if they're still available. Little underpowered for my liking.

Darkhorse might be the Mac Studio, as Costco sells the base configuration for $1849.
M1 Max chip 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 32GB of unified memory.

I pick none of the above until I see what Apple announces June 6 at their Worldwide Developers Conference. Some think they might announce a 27" iMac with the M1 chip. I'm skeptical though as that would draw people away from their Mac Studio hardware. If they don't release an M1 27" iMac I would just go with the 24" M1 iMac for prepress work. Plenty of horsepower with just a slightly smaller screen than the 27".

But the M1 Mac would depend...are you using software that isn't available for the M1? Might be a deal killer. Does Pitstop have software for the M1 iMac? I don't know.

I personally would avoid buying anymore Intel based Apple products if at all possible. Dead end sooner than you might think.

If you go with an Intel 27" iMac do yourself a favor and don't buy one with an i5 cpu. Minimum I would go is an i7. Would prefer an i9. 32 gb RAM minimum. 512 gb SSD minimum.

A year and a half ago I got a 27" iMac with an i7. I had no options. M1 hadn't come out yet. And i9s weren't available. Every time I ordered one, it got canceled. I kept making purchases until one stuck. I'm very happy with it. Upgraded to 72GB memory and added a second monitor. Only thing I didn't want was a hybrid HD but I do have one at work and it works fine. For home I have 2 externals I use for backup and art storage. No issues with Adobe apps.

It's this one...

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-27-imac-with-retina-5k-display-latest-model-intel-core-i7-3-8ghz-8gb-memory-512gb-ssd-silver/6200723.p?skuId=6200723

Shame this whole industry HAS to get mac.


Looking at a PC for my private endeavours right now, and for 3.5k you can get the best i9, 64 gig 3200 mhz ram, gih-tier geforce 3080 with 16gb of vram, water cooling....


OR you could get a quadro, or a radeon, or a ryzen, like, whatever you want.

But since the M1 is out at least the things are at decent speed

I have 27" i7 & a 27" i5

huge difference

Over the past year or so i replaced 4 x 2012 Mac Pro's with the 2018 Mac Mini.
All bought used on ebay or from OWC for anywhere from $850.00 to $1,100.
All 4 of them are the fully loaded version i7 6-Core, 3.2GHZ w/turbo boost up to 4.6GHZ, and 64GB RAM.
They are more than capable for daily prepress work.
We use 27" NEC and BenQ monitors.

We also have 2 x 2012 Mac Pro's running Big Sur via OpenCore...no issues just a little extra work getting it installed.
Save a lot of money and keep the beloved 2012 MP going!!

For my cybersecurity class, the M1 was not recommended because under extreme duress it overheats and shuts down when taxing the CPU. I had an M1 PowerBook Pro, but I was told unless I had an additional cooling unit to not use it. I ended up getting a refurbished Dell Latitude i5 for class. I would go with the Mac Studio M1 - it doesn't have the issues the PowerBook Pro has.

Quote from: Tracy on May 31, 2022, 11:12:19 AMI have 27" i7 & a 27" i5

huge difference

Quote from: RMPrepress on May 31, 2022, 11:25:10 AMOver the past year or so i replaced 4 x 2012 Mac Pro's with the 2018 Mac Mini.
All bought used on ebay or from OWC for anywhere from $850.00 to $1,100.
All 4 of them are the fully loaded version i7 6-Core, 3.2GHZ w/turbo boost up to 4.6GHZ, and 64GB RAM.
They are more than capable for daily prepress work.
We use 27" NEC and BenQ monitors.

We also have 2 x 2012 Mac Pro's running Big Sur via OpenCore...no issues just a little extra work getting it installed.
Save a lot of money and keep the beloved 2012 MP going!!

for prepress, of course it is enough. we run all the rips on a dedicated xmf server.

But I'm also a designer – complex illustrations, big dtp layouts, large images, all of that takes significantly more time while I'm waiting for the beachball.

Not to even mention 3D.
It does go a little faster/takes a little less time on the newer i7s tho.


Still nowhere near the "bang for the buck" as with pcs.

Quote from: DigiCorn on May 31, 2022, 11:22:13 PMFor my cybersecurity class, the M1 was not recommended because under extreme duress it overheats and shuts down when taxing the CPU. I had an M1 PowerBook Pro, but I was told unless I had an additional cooling unit to not use it. I ended up getting a refurbished Dell Latitude i5 for class. I would go with the Mac Studio M1 - it doesn't have the issues the PowerBook Pro has.

That has got to be the most interesting Cybersecurity class ever!

Quote from: RMPrepress on May 31, 2022, 11:25:10 AMWe use 27" NEC and BenQ monitors.

About that... could you tell me some more about which models they are, how much sRGB(or more) they cover, and their refresh rate?


Would be greatly appreciated

Quote from: bornrd on May 30, 2022, 11:46:21 PMShame this whole industry HAS to get mac.


Looking at a PC for my private endeavours right now, and for 3.5k you can get the best i9, 64 gig 3200 mhz ram, gih-tier geforce 3080 with 16gb of vram, water cooling....


OR you could get a quadro, or a radeon, or a ryzen, like, whatever you want.

But since the M1 is out at least the things are at decent speed

You will still need a monitor, keyboard and mouse in addition to that price. For that kind of money you can get a:

Mac Studio (https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-studio) ($1999):

Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
Front: Two USB-C ports, one SDXC card slot
Back: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 3.5 mm headphone jack

and a Studio Display (https://www.apple.com/displays/) ($1599)

TOTAL: $3598.00

Quote from: Joe on June 01, 2022, 06:10:07 AMYou will still need a monitor, keyboard and mouse in addition to that price. For that kind of money you can get a:

Mac Studio (https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-studio) ($1999):

Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
Front: Two USB-C ports, one SDXC card slot
Back: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 3.5 mm headphone jack

and a Studio Display (https://www.apple.com/displays/) ($1599)

TOTAL: $3598.00

Bit of left field thinking, is this possible?

We have old 3 x 27" late 2012 3.4 Ghz Intel i7 32GB ram machines. Is it possible to hook a Mac Studio to them and just use the old Mac as a monitor?

I'm guessing not but worth asking the question.

Edit: Should have done a google search first.  Yes you can but it is suggested as a short term solution and not something you would do as a permanent setup.

Link to the article I read if you wish to see the process and the reasons not too.

https://www.lifewire.com/use-imac-as-monitor-with-target-display-mode-2260906

You have to use target display mode to do it. And it has to be another mac to do it. And it can't be a 2014 model or newer.

Or you could get one of these:
(https://cdn.pugetsystems.com/images/submersion/V3/gallery/thumbs/front_angle.jpg)
https://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php

But then you'd have to evolve a fish that breathes mineral oil to put in there.

Quote from: Joe on June 01, 2022, 06:10:07 AM

Quote from: bornrd on May 30, 2022, 11:46:21 PMShame this whole industry HAS to get mac.


Looking at a PC for my private endeavours right now, and for 3.5k you can get the best i9, 64 gig 3200 mhz ram, gih-tier geforce 3080 with 16gb of vram, water cooling....


OR you could get a quadro, or a radeon, or a ryzen, like, whatever you want.

But since the M1 is out at least the things are at decent speed

You will still need a monitor, keyboard and mouse in addition to that price. For that kind of money you can get a:

Mac Studio (https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-studio) ($1999):

Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
Front: Two USB-C ports, one SDXC card slot
Back: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 3.5 mm headphone jack

and a Studio Display (https://www.apple.com/displays/) ($1599)

TOTAL: $3598.00

Well, that actually seems kinda fair.

Should be fine for most Graphic Design work

Quote from: bornrd on June 02, 2022, 12:20:58 AMWell, that actually seems kinda fair.

Should be fine for most Graphic Design work

But WHY NO USB C

Quote from: bornrd on June 02, 2022, 12:27:06 AMBut WHY NO USB C

Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
Front: Two USB-C ports, one SDXC card slot
Back: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 3.5 mm headphone jack

Quote from: bornrd on June 01, 2022, 12:23:41 AM

Quote from: RMPrepress on May 31, 2022, 11:25:10 AMWe use 27" NEC and BenQ monitors.

About that... could you tell me some more about which models they are, how much sRGB(or more) they cover, and their refresh rate?
Would be greatly appreciated

BenQ SW2700PT Display...https://www.benq.com/en-us/monitor/photographer/sw2700pt/specifications.html

NEC PA272W Display (discontinued)...https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1006641-REG/nec_pa272w_bk_multisync_pro_27_gb_r.html

Those are two monitors we like, they are excellent monitors for the money.  They are both mid-level monitors so the viewing angles are not perfect but for the money we can live with that.
They are matte finish anti-glare monitors...i don't know how prepess folks can stare at those gloss finish Apple monitors all day.
They both have calibration applications and Ben Q makes great videos on how to use the app.

Quote from: RMPrepress on June 02, 2022, 06:56:08 AMBenQ SW2700PT Display...https://www.benq.com/en-us/monitor/photographer/sw2700pt/specifications.html

NEC PA272W Display (discontinued)...https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1006641-REG/nec_pa272w_bk_multisync_pro_27_gb_r.html

Thank you so so much!!

Quote from: RMPrepress on June 02, 2022, 06:56:08 AMThey are matte finish anti-glare monitors...i don't know how prepess folks can stare at those gloss finish Apple monitors all day.
They both have calibration applications and Ben Q makes great videos on how to use the app.

Makes me miss my old double LaCie monitor setup, when I first got to the US ... :kickass:

Quote from: bornrd on June 02, 2022, 07:07:35 AM

Quote from: RMPrepress on June 02, 2022, 06:56:08 AMBenQ SW2700PT Display...https://www.benq.com/en-us/monitor/photographer/sw2700pt/specifications.html

NEC PA272W Display (discontinued)...https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1006641-REG/nec_pa272w_bk_multisync_pro_27_gb_r.html

Thank you so so much!!

Here is one more that i highly recommend, https://www.adorama.com/bqsw270c.html

I would be checking ebay for deals on those or similar monitors.  I have even bought a couple of used ones if the condition and seller are both excellent.
I have used Adorama many times for monitors over the years as well as BandH.

Quote from: RMPrepress on June 02, 2022, 06:56:08 AMi don't know how prepess folks can stare at those gloss finish Apple monitors all day.

There hasn't been glare on the glossy iMac monitors since around the 2012 iMacs.

I hear that Joe.
I just find the Matte screens to be much easier on the eyes.

Here is a good article on the long standing matte vs glossy screen debate...
https://www.benq.com/en-us/knowledge-center/knowledge/matte-vs--glossy-screens--which-is-better-for-you.html

In the end it's whatever you get used to using and/or prefer that matters.

I hear ya...The glare was horrendous on early iMacs and you could not view anything on it unless you were directly in front of it. Since the 2013 iMacs were released they still have the glossy glass but the actual display screen underneath the glass is not glossy and there is no glare, well there is if the computer is powered down, and you can view from the the sides as well as in front.

Quote from: Joe on June 02, 2022, 06:02:25 AM

Quote from: bornrd on June 02, 2022, 12:27:06 AMBut WHY NO USB C

Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
Front: Two USB-C ports, one SDXC card slot
Back: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 3.5 mm headphone jack

Jesus.

Things are starting to get to me.
I need a vacation soon :D

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078HWN5CX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this monitor for my wife to work at home with, and it's pretty awesome. Has speakers built in, too.

Specific Uses For Product	Personal, gaming, business
Refresh Rate	60 Hz
Brand	BenQ
Screen Size	28 Inches
Total HDMI Ports	2

---

About this item

• High resolution 4K monitor: 28-inch LCD TN 3840x2160 resolution
• Eye Care comfort for extended sessions: Proprietary brightness Intelligence Adaptive technology adjusts brightness for comfortable viewing; low Blue light and zero flicker technology prevent headaches and eye strain. This eye Tech makes images easy On your eyes
• Smooth game play: AMD Free Sync for smooth game play, eliminating tearing and broken frames; HDR technology offers greater brightness and contrast level for vivid images; 1 mms GTG; 60Hz; 10-bit displays 1. 07 billion colors
• Get connected: HDMI, DisplayPort input for multi-device connection. VESA wall mount
• Hear the action: built-in speakers x 2, Headphone jack
• Integrated cable management system: neatly hides cables inside monitor stand; VESA wall mount
• Connectivity Technology: Hdmi 2
• 3 Year Manufacturer Warranty

That is a GREAT price for that monitor.

Quote from: Joe on June 01, 2022, 06:10:07 AM

Quote from: bornrd on May 30, 2022, 11:46:21 PMShame this whole industry HAS to get mac.


Looking at a PC for my private endeavours right now, and for 3.5k you can get the best i9, 64 gig 3200 mhz ram, gih-tier geforce 3080 with 16gb of vram, water cooling....


OR you could get a quadro, or a radeon, or a ryzen, like, whatever you want.

But since the M1 is out at least the things are at decent speed

You will still need a monitor, keyboard and mouse in addition to that price. For that kind of money you can get a:

Mac Studio (https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-studio) ($1999):

Apple M1 Max with 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
512GB SSD storage
Front: Two USB-C ports, one SDXC card slot
Back: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10Gb Ethernet port, one 3.5 mm headphone jack

and a Studio Display (https://www.apple.com/displays/) ($1599)

TOTAL: $3598.00

I'd have a difficult time justifying that much for a gaming monitor for home, and I enjoy it! I like the BenQ models, had forgotten about them for some reason up until now.

Yeah I won't be spending $3,600 anytime soon for a home computer and monitor to do email and web surfing. ;D

Quote from: DigiCorn on May 31, 2022, 11:22:13 PMFor my cybersecurity class, the M1 was not recommended because under extreme duress it overheats and shuts down when taxing the CPU. I had an M1 PowerBook Pro, but I was told unless I had an additional cooling unit to not use it. I ended up getting a refurbished Dell Latitude i5 for class. I would go with the Mac Studio M1 - it doesn't have the issues the PowerBook Pro has.

Damn I love this place ... my wife's new job started today, she's 15mins into her first meeting, her Mac just shut down with 50% battery left ...
(I read the above post last week)
Looking at her Mac, ... and yeah that new case she loves that matched the desk, THERE'S the overheat cause!

Thanks to you all for this thread! ;)

thinking about one of these, might need a new monitor to go with...

(https://e5ce463uma323hyvrr4xumqs-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/quantum_computer_IBM-265x300.png)




LOL

Quote from: David on June 06, 2022, 10:25:10 AMthinking about one of these, might need a new monitor to go with...

(https://e5ce463uma323hyvrr4xumqs-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/quantum_computer_IBM-265x300.png)




LOL

Definitely need the Pro Display XDR ($4,999.00 to $5,999.00) to go with that beast.

...and a quantum mouse!

I have NO IDEA what that picture is ... looks like some kind of Holy Grail, cue Indiana Jones ...

IBM Quantum Computer.

saw it on TV the other day, thought it would be perfect for editing all those pdf files in Illustrator with 2 pixel images placed.



:afro:

Looks like a chandelier you see on cruise ships
they sway with the ship

Reminds me of the 2020 show 'Devs' quantum computer, even though that was just a prop. Cool show though.

(https://media.architecturaldigest.com/photos/5e46de0e4ad6c70008b98372/master/w_1600,c_limit/DEVS_SET_033.jpg)

So would the cards all bounce faster with that computer, when I beat solitaire??

Yes...plus you can watch a 2 hour movie in 17 seconds.

New MAC got here on Friday ... apparently when I pointed out our BEST operators all had a Mac, then  talked about and a sizable budget saving we've been tracking for the past 1.5 years ... someone was listening!

Are Thunderbolt 4 ports much (any?) different from USB 3?
I need a dock for my headset, cat6 cable, 2nd screen, etc ... they're pretty expensive, and massive overkill for the mundane things I'm plugging in to it. Also thinking about just getting a conversion cable to step down and use the old Hub.


For those who may want to say go with the new thing/s ... I have a reputation for stability, I plug my shit IN (old school), and it works so well, I'm not going to mess with it!! ;)

I need a new Mac soon, starting to see some glitchies

I need want a new Mac. Hard to justify without a job though.

We needed new Macs about 4 yrs ago, currently have 27" late 2012 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 with 32 gb of ram.

The solution 12 months ago was to upgrade ram from 8 to 32 Gb, didn't notice a difference.

Currently they are very seriously looking at replacing with PC's in 2025, that might be my cue to retire

Quote from: madbugger on September 13, 2022, 03:49:43 PMWe needed new Macs about 4 yrs ago, currently have 27" late 2012 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 with 32 gb or ram.

The solution 12 months ago was to upgrade ram from 8 to 32 Gb, didn't notice a difference.

Currently they are very seriously looking at replacing with PC's in 2025, that might be my cue to retire

Valid reason!

Ugh! PC

lol, almost 4 months later and I've made NO progress towards getting new hardware.

:donotlook:

I should of thought harder, before asking about NEW hardware in a Printing forum! ;)

Besides being prepress manager here at our medium sized shop, I handle all the IT too.
This has allowed me lots of leeway on decision making on this matter.
That doesn't mean i just go wasting money though.
I made our 2010 - 2012 Mac Pro's last as long as possible by updating them all with Metal capable GPU's and RAM upgrades...almost all of which i bought used.  I also used Open Core on two of the MP's to allow them to run Big Sur.
I am still using a loaded 2010 Mac Pro running Monterey 12.6 by using Martin Lo's method of OpenCore.
Here is a link to Martin's posts on the mac rumors forum.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/activate-amd-hardware-acceleration.2180095/page-53?post=28255048#post-28255048

However that is not feasible for a whole prepress dept. as it can be time consuming to keep these old MP's running.
So, we finally replaced 4 Mac Pros over about a year and half by buying the maxed out 2018 Mac Mini's used from ebay and OWC.  Sometimes if you are watching you can snatch one of those Mac Minis for around $1,000 or so.  New they are almost 2,000.
I tried to time all that with Kodak finally releasing Prinergy 9.5 because as we know we could not run Monterey and for a long time Big Sur anyway so a new Mac was kinda useless.

It might be an easier sell to ownership to spread the purchasing of new (or used) Mac's over a period of time rather than all at once.  This also allows for easier and gradual installment and troubleshooting too.

Quote from: Slappy on September 13, 2022, 07:31:10 PMlol, almost 4 months later and I've made NO progress towards getting new hardware.

:donotlook:

Probably for the best. The stuff you bought then would be obsolete now. Hell, the stuff you buy today is obsolete by the afternoon. I recommend going for the brass ring because if it takes them 4 months to pull the trigger, then it's 4 months more they'll get out of the latest and greatest when it's time to upgrade.

Those maxed out 2018 Mac mini's are fantastic and are still sold on Apple's website and they will run the next two versions of Mac OS at least.
Also knowing that Kodak takes a full year or longer to keep up with Apple leaves another year or so before we would worry about updating the OS anyway.
So thats at least 3 - 4 years plus the year we have had them running.
So we should get five years (maybe longer) total usage time for 4 used mac mini's at a total cost of just under $5,000 dollars!
I would think any owner of a company looking at hardware expenditures would be thrilled with that.

Apple doesn't make the 27" iMac anymore, you can get it from resellers I guess

I'm looking into this, Joeeee! can you please look?  :-*

looking into the cheaper one if it's good enough

Tracy, you do realize the Mac Studio has the M1 CPU right? Is your software (XMF and any other software? - Adobe Creative Cloud will run on the M1 system) compatible with the M1 CPU? If so the $1,999 one should be OK for prepress. That comes out to $3,598 with the Studio Display ($1,599) and the Mac Studio ($1,999)! :o

You can still get 27" iMacs from Apple on the refurb store: Apple Refurbished 27" iMacs (https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/27-inch-imac). They have Intel CPU's...which is eventually a dead end. (I wound not buy one with the i5 CPU though. I would insist on either the i7 or i9.)

ok, thanks for looking I have no clue what the m1 cpu is, but I will look into it.
besides creative cloud will everything else work? pitstop etc? whew! glad I asked
I really want to get it if it will work, I have another 27imac that has my XMF plus the server itself
I don't have a license so not worried about it going on the new Mac.
I will look into the m1 I'm sure I will have more questions
Thanks Joe!!

The M1, and soon the M2, are Apple processors. Your old iMacs have Intel processors. Adobe Creative Cloud and Pitstop 2022 both work on M1 processors. Not sure what else software you use so I don't know if it will run on the M1 chip or not. Apple does have 24" iMac's with the M1 chip. And you can get them in select colors. Green, Yellow, Orange, Pink, Purple, Blue, and Silver.  iMac 24" (https://www.apple.com/imac-24/)

I will try and make sure all my programs will work, Kind of want the new since they will pay for it!
Thank you, Thank you! I would not have known what to look for.

sheesh I may need to reconsider this, I will see if there are any other intel options
I really need a 27" monitor, I can't see going with a smaller monitor

Well the Mac Studio with the 27" Studio Display will get you there since money is not a problem. ;D And since money is not a problem go for the 32" Pro Display XDR for only $4,999.00 plus the $1,999.00 for the Mac Studio. Get two of each! :rotf:

;D They are allowing about $4000
which I'm really in shock about!

You can get a really good 27" iMac on the Apple refurb site with an i9 Intel CPU for under 3K. Just remember they are a dead end eventually but would be good for a few years.

https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/27-inch-imac

Note: Refurbished iMacs from Apple carry a full one year warranty and you can get AppleCare for 3 years on it if you prefer.

Refurbished 27-inch iMac 3.6GHz 10-core Intel Core i9 with Retina 5K display (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G0ZXYLL/A/Refurbished-27-inch-iMac-36GHz-10-core-Intel-Core-i9-with-Retina-5K-display?fnode=1aa0077e40243325ea141b499e0b0f392d402f37dc711039aae670b220e1ad12e3c1878d6239fada9f21f1f2e445d817293a893f0a3042c752d5ecb77d515ff764d10b5b6c17ebef7ce22b5a026fc549) - $2,519

Refurbished 27-inch iMac 3.6GHz 10-core Intel Core i9 with Retina 5K display, 10GB Ethernet (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G11VZLL/A/Refurbished-27-inch-iMac-36GHz-10-core-Intel-Core-i9-with-Retina-5K-display-10GB-Ethernet?fnode=1aa0077e40243325ea141b499e0b0f392d402f37dc711039aae670b220e1ad12e3c1878d6239fada9f21f1f2e445d817293a893f0a3042c752d5ecb77d515ff764d10b5b6c17ebef7ce22b5a026fc549) - $2,599.00

Refurbished 27-inch iMac 3.6GHz 10-core Intel Core i9 with Retina 5K display (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G11P7LL/A/Refurbished-27-inch-iMac-36GHz-10-core-Intel-Core-i9-with-Retina-5K-display?fnode=1aa0077e40243325ea141b499e0b0f392d402f37dc711039aae670b220e1ad12e3c1878d6239fada9f21f1f2e445d817293a893f0a3042c752d5ecb77d515ff764d10b5b6c17ebef7ce22b5a026fc549) - $2,739.00

All 3 with 32 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD.

Since I'm always going the way of the do do I think I may bite the bullet and try the M1, Yikes
I don't want to get anything that is a dead end!
I was checking out my computer the only thing I see that might not be compatible is command workstation 
and Office, and I think Office is coming out with a compatible version too.

Thanks for showing me what to look for
I'm scared!  ;D  :-*

If you have any apps that worked on Big Sur on an Intel Machine, the M1 should be able to run them. I know Office 365 was intel and had to be installed with Rosetta, but they did come out with a Universal version later on. Same with Adobe. If you have Office 365, it'll install the Universal version.

We have M1 Mini's here at our shop and they are very fast. Got them and 27" 4k monitors for about $1,000 total (already had mice and keyboards) when the M1 Mini's came out and haven't had an issue. Though originally XMF hadn't had a version that would work on Big Sur or M1 at the time and now they do. I think, but could be wrong, that XMF supports Monterey too now.

Hey cool Aaron, yes I'm running Big Sur!
good to know someone is running M1

I get to purchase the computer today! I'm getting the Mac Studio M1 with the 64gb unified memory
not sure why they don't call it RAM but oh oh well, I'm going to get the Apple Care
should I get the Apple Care on the Monitor too? I think so
I'm going with the 512gb ssd storage

Quote from: Tracy on October 06, 2022, 11:48:09 AMI get to purchase the computer today! I'm getting the Mac Studio M1 with the 64gb unified memory
not sure why they don't call it RAM but oh oh well, I'm going to get the Apple Care
should I get the Apple Care on the Monitor too? I think so
I'm going with the 512gb ssd storage

Color me jealous! I would get the Apple Care. For the price you are paying for the hardware the Apple Care will be worth it if you ever need it.

Quote from: Tracy on October 06, 2022, 11:48:09 AMI get to purchase the computer today! I'm getting the Mac Studio M1 with the 64gb unified memory
not sure why they don't call it RAM but oh oh well, I'm going to get the Apple Care
should I get the Apple Care on the Monitor too? I think so
I'm going with the 512gb ssd storage

We just bought my coworker one exactly like the one you are buying, also bought him a 32" Samsung monitor along with a Thunderbolt multiport adapter, he's had it since April and loves it, will probably buy another next year to replace one of our folding carton workstations, unless they update the new iMac to have more ram than the measly 16gb the current one has. Hope it goes well for you!!!

Quote from: Tracy on October 06, 2022, 11:48:09 AMI get to purchase the computer today! I'm getting the Mac Studio M1 with the 64gb unified memory
not sure why they don't call it RAM but oh oh well, I'm going to get the Apple Care
should I get the Apple Care on the Monitor too? I think so
I'm going with the 512gb ssd storage

They don't call it RAM so they can claim it's something special and proprietary so they can charge you up the wazoo to replace it when it goes tits up.

Macs based on Apple's M1 silicon, has a different type of RAM to what's gone before. This is what Apple is branding 'unified memory', where the RAM is part of the same unit as the processor, the graphics chip and several other key components.

Which in short means you better buy a machine with plenty of "unified memory" because you can't add more later on. 64 GB is plenty. 32 GB is plenty right now but probably won't be in a couple of years so better to get 64 GB now than have to buy a new computer in a couple of years.

Quote from: Possum on October 06, 2022, 12:48:08 PM

Quote from: Tracy on October 06, 2022, 11:48:09 AMI get to purchase the computer today! I'm getting the Mac Studio M1 with the 64gb unified memory
not sure why they don't call it RAM but oh oh well, I'm going to get the Apple Care
should I get the Apple Care on the Monitor too? I think so
I'm going with the 512gb ssd storage

They don't call it RAM so they can claim it's something special and proprietary so they can charge you up the wazoo to replace it when it goes tits up.

Replacing it means a new computer.

Thanks for responding! I always think I'm going to make a mistake  :)
yes getting the 64gb unified ram  ;D I need it to fix some crappy bloated files

and Thanks @EmptyWords good to know someone else bought one, sheesh 32" monitor! wowee!
I could never go below 27 at work, I have a 24 at home  ;D

At work I have dual 24" but I would love bigger. They suffice I guess.

LOL, I shouldn't complain about my "48inch" monitor I guess  ;D

I have never done the 2 monitor thing, it would be nice, so many tools sitting out.
I'm happy to get a new computer before my computer goes out, because that is a big freakout!

I had a 27inch go out and I took it to the Mac store, I needed a new computer NOW so we had to buy a new computer
Apple couldn't fix the under warranty computer I brought in, so that is when I got 2 brand new 27" iMacs!!

We've had dual monitors for so long that I don't think I could cope without.

Definitely at least 2 monitors... actually 3 works even better.
2 x 27 inch and 22 inch here.  3monitorsetup.pdf
A lot less time spent moving apps and windows around.
Work smahtah not hahdeh...I'm from New England...we don't use the "R" up here...LOL.

need a bigger desk....


LOL

LOL...you mean biggah!!

;D  Moah biggah!
what part of New England?
Boahstan?

New Hampshah...few miles ovah the Mass. bohdah. ;D

I pahked a cah dere once.

Hey! I've been to New Hampshah!
I've been to Lake Winnipesaukee, My dad went to Laconia High School

Holy cow! I ordered the new Mac, he let me update the CPU core thingy to one step better, 64gb ram
and I got a new keyboard and mouse and the monitor.
Not sure what's going on but this is not typical!!

You should have tried for the 32" monitor!  >:D

Quote from: Tracy on October 11, 2022, 10:51:44 AMHoly cow! I ordered the new Mac, he let me update the CPU core thingy to one step better, 64gb ram
and I got a new keyboard and mouse and the monitor.
Not sure what's going on but this is not typical!!

Need to ask for a raise, apparently they are flush with cash.

8)

;D  I know, I'm so used to getting the minimum
I'm going from 16gb of ram to 64gb, huh, I wonder if they want me to work faster?  ;D

Probably want 4 times as much work as you are doing now. 16 gb x 4 = 64 gb!

Well with 64GB, you definitely need a couple of extra monitors to keep all those apps up and on screen all the time.

whoa! I'd be watching movies or somethin  ;D

can that setup be configured to work as one screen? 

I'm pretty sure you will need a device called a video wall controller to make them work as one.

Quote from: scottrsimons on October 12, 2022, 07:49:13 AMI'm pretty sure you will need a device called a video wall controller to make them work as one.

I'm fairly certain I have seen this option in AMD Catalyst or NVIDIA GeForce.

so I'm needing to remove a device off my adobe account in order to use my new Mac
I have it activated at home, and I want to keep it that way, I have a Mac that I only use for XMF
so I don't really need it there, I just need Reader or something to view the pdfs of a Preflight from XMF

I know how to deactivate but I actually need to remove it, I guess this would be uninstalling the Adobe from that computer?
so I already have 3 devices hooked up, I don't have the computer yet, I got the monitor and mouse tho!

You can have it installed on every computer in the building as long as only two are activated (signed in).

But if you want to remove the apps open the CC app from the menu on upper right and click on each app and uninstall. When all apps are uninstalled go to your applications folder and uninstall the Creative Cloud app. If you still have CC app folders after all that manually delete them.

Cool I did not know that!

I got the new Mac up and running, it was the easiest install I have ever done
used the Migration assistant.
not done yet but going really wells so far

Now that you said that, be sure to de-install Murphy's Law 2.0

shhh!

Quote from: Tracy on October 19, 2022, 01:56:01 PMI got the new Mac up and running, it was the easiest install I have ever done
used the Migration assistant.
not done yet but going really wells so far

oooohhhh, that's not gunna end well. ;D ;D ;D

JINX!!!

Watch out for falling anvils Tracy.

Quote from: bornrd on June 02, 2022, 12:27:06 AM

Quote from: bornrd on June 02, 2022, 12:20:58 AMWell, that actually seems kinda fair.

Should be fine for most Graphic Design work

But WHY NO USB C

I picked up a usb c wall mount charger for our in home ipad and iphone charging from Costco. Wow, they are so much faster! Came with a decent 6 foot cord as well. 

I cannot figure out how to get the plus sign on the window like I have on my other Mac
see screen shot + sign on the right, to add a folder in the same window, I CANT FIND IT!!

yeah the plugs are kinda confusing, lightning to lightning C to lightning C to C
I think they are going to eventually all go C?

Nevermind I think I got it :angel:

actually no, I got it to work but when I click on the + something called recents pops up
I will get it tho, carry on
I got it! thanks guys! hee hee

When viewing a folder in the Finder go to the View menu and select "Show Tab Bar" and you will get your + sign back.

Screen Shot 2022-10-20 at 9.34.30 AM.png

When you create a new tab it will go to the folder you have specified here in your Finder preferences.

Screen Shot 2022-10-20 at 9.32.17 AM.png

OMG! I just found it! Been fighting it for about 30 min
Thanks Joe!  ;D

IF there are 2 updates to a program like illustrator 26.5 and 1 for 27 do I need to update to the 26.5 first?

Good question and I think the answer depends / changes.
I just go ahead and do all the steps.

I believe not, the 27 update should have all the previous updates applied.

But I could be wrong, it happened once before - I thought I was wrong, turned out I wasn't.  ;D ;D

probably not, if you have the CC license, let it do the work and just click update.

Ill just do them all, except I already did the indesign

I always tell it delete old versions when new ones are released like this week all apps released the 2023 versions so when it prompted me to update the old version and install the new version it uninstalled the old versions and deleted the notifications for updates to them.

Yeah I do that too, you may have already taught me that Sifu!  ;D

The new keyboard is black, Mouse is black, cords are black and the cords have like a fabric on them
even the little apple stickers are black 

Won't look as dirty after a couple of years now.

Was the free turtleneck black?

I didn't get a turtle neck  :'(

Here you go...




(http://www.stancsmith.com/uploads/4/8/9/6/48964465/depositphotos-200585112-l_orig.jpg)

Quote from: Tracy on October 21, 2022, 02:22:08 PMI didn't get a turtle neck  :'(

Ask for a refund.

Something new I learned this week. Apple gives veterans and active military a 10% discount on all purchases. I wish I had known about that about 20 years ago. I could have saved a lot of money. :(

Quote from: Joe on October 21, 2022, 02:56:16 PMSomething new I learned this week. Apple gives veterans and active military a 10% discount on all purchases. I wish I had known about that about 20 years ago. I could have saved a lot of money. :(

we all knew that before; we just didn't tell you

Quote from: DigiCorn on October 21, 2022, 10:25:03 PMwe all knew that before; we just didn't tell you

Gee thanks buddy! >:(

Quote from: Joe on October 21, 2022, 02:56:16 PMSomething new I learned this week. Apple gives veterans and active military a 10% discount on all purchases. I wish I had known about that about 20 years ago. I could have saved a lot of money. :(

sheesh that is nice, I will have to remember that for my dad

So on my new Mac I have to put in the password for my servers (Raids) but I don't on my other Mac
how do I set it up to not need the password? 

you should be able to do that when you connect to the server. It should ask if you want to store the password with Keychain. After that, it won't ask for it again.

Quote from: Tracy on October 28, 2022, 09:11:31 AMSo on my new Mac I have to put in the password for my servers (Raids) but I don't on my other Mac
how do I set it up to not need the password?

Quote from: David on October 28, 2022, 09:23:13 AMyou should be able to do that when you connect to the server. It should ask if you want to store the password with Keychain. After that, it won't ask for it again.

What he said...what OS is on that Mac? Maybe new "security feature" that won't let you save the password of network shares.

I will try the keychain next time, it does ask me, I have never used that, not sure why my other Mac doesn't ask me

I'm on Monterey, Enfocus said not to update to Ventura, sheesh just got the thing I don't want a new OS

thanks guys!

keychain is great.

That's how I find login passwords on other Macs (you do need an admin password, makes it easier) when the "user" forgets what jacked up phrase they used for the password when they first logged in to a website or server and can't remember what they picked.

8)

I did it!

yeah I experienced that just recently, salesman has the office subscription under his name (why)
took me all week to get it, he had to redo his password 

Your old Mac had that password stored in the keychain for sure.
On this subject...
I hope you know you can have all your needed shares mount automatically when you start your Mac?
Applications too if you want.

System Preferences/Users and Groups/Login items...drag shares and applications right into the window.

Just checking to make sure you are not missing out.

Yep, I have 4 servers automatically mount on start up, however I have stopped having software startup. It takes long enough as it is, and if you have to do a couple of restarts to troubleshoot issues (2012 model mac's, we need to do this a bit more often lately) you can almost go to lunch and come back before it has fully started.

I am not a fan of all my apps launching on start-up, it's would take ages just to boot up.

I also quit all the running apps before I shut-down or re-start, just so they won't re-start at launch (which seems to be a default now-a-days).

I'm with you both... I have about a dozen shares that mount at start up and one app, Outlook.
i used to have Acrobat and one or two more.
Although I will say that SSD's certainly took a lot of the waiting away for startup items.
Acrobat is still painfully slow at finishing to launch, must be all the plug ins...I guess.

I found just dragging the network shares to the login items to be a little unstable. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. I was admin over 20 Macs when I was working and certain people didn't know how to remount them if they somehow lost one or more so I created an AppleScript to do it and saved it as an app and then put that in the startup items and showed everyone where it was so if they lost their shares they could just double click the app to remount them.

Quote from: Joe on October 28, 2022, 02:36:17 PM...created an AppleScript to do it and saved it as an app and then put that in the startup items and showed everyone where it was so if they lost their shares they could just double click the app to remount them.

Cheater



LOL

Quote from: David on October 28, 2022, 02:37:53 PM

Quote from: Joe on October 28, 2022, 02:36:17 PM...created an AppleScript to do it and saved it as an app and then put that in the startup items and showed everyone where it was so if they lost their shares they could just double click the app to remount them.

Cheater

LOL

Creative laziness! :rotf:

Back to the original question...

With the news that Apple is not likely to bring the M2 Mini to market before 2023 what would you buy if you had to buy now? I'm getting pressure to buy before year end (budget available) but my options appear to be bad and worse.

Side note, we are looking to replace several aging 27" iMacs all with 24" second monitors.

If you have the money Mac Studio and Studio Display. If not 24" iMac with the M1 chip but only if 16 GB of Ram is enough (same with Mac Mini) as that is as far as you can go with them for RAM. It is a real shame Apple doing away with the 27" iMacs.

I just got the Mac Studio, fastest computer I have ever had, but I was only working with 16gb of ram before.
I got the one with 64gb of ram, with processor upgrade of 1 step up.

I start my 3 Macs up in the morning, and pretty amazing how much faster the Mac Studio is up and running.

I finally ordered the 1st of 3 we'll need. Went with the "Base" Mac Studio:

10-core CPU with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores
24-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
32GB RAM, 512GB Drive (I wanted a 1TB but that makes it a "custom" and takes 2 week to deliver)

Gotta get a monitor too, eying up the BenQ PD2700U. We don't need anything super color critical, so that looks pretty.
Mac arrives tomorrow, maybe I'll hit up Microcenter this weekend for a monitor to see how it drives.