I’m going to be an airline passenger for umpteen hours (days, actually) next month, and I’d like to pass the time there in the same way I do at home: retouching/creating with PhotoShop. I’ve never had a laptop, but it seems like now it would be appropriate.
But how can I handle all the brushwork, lassoing, and detailed touch-up with that terrible laptop mousepad? It doesn’t seem usable.
I looked into the tabletPC, but besides being over-priced, it lacks features, including resolution or the ability to write to CDs or DVDs.
Anyone with coach seating experience intensively using PS?
My experience has been as a PC user, but maybe MAC has a solution to my problem.
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The 15" PBG4 is a superb solution. More $ than the average laptop but you get it all including wireless, DVI out for second digital LCD… Just go to Apple’s site and look around or better still an Apple retail store (if there’s one in your area).
A Wacom Graphire may be a good idea as Chris mentioned but if that takes up more room than allows in coach, try a good wireless "mini" sized mouse.
hmmmm… well, billie gates had that idea and they now exist but are not selling well because it really isn’t that great a tool (good maybe).
I doubt it and hope not. Usually when BG has a "vision" it’s average. Kinda like when he once made mention as to why would anyone need more than 64k of ram… so much for a vision of the future.
Going back to the original question, the Mac notebooks are way behind the desktops on performance, but they are genuinely portable computers. Practically everything you need is built into one box. Hard disk performance isn’t good. You can add an external FireWire disk but that’s an extra box to carry and another drain on the juice. Drawing with the trackpad is frankly awful. But it’s adequate for rectangular selections, cropping, and applying image adjustments and filters.
I think it would be foolish to discount tablet PCs. True, they have not taken off like a rocket, but they are gaining in sales and users love them. Apple would do well not to miss this boat. A tablet Mac would be ideal for someone like Larry, no?
Say what you want about Bill Gates but Microsoft has been a moderately successful company over the years.
Yes BG is superwealthy, but not because of innovation, no matter how often he likes to use the word. They have a (IMO mean) business model that is very profitable. Illegal all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the GWB administration squelched that problem for them. The EU looks like it will penalize Billy a few billion for his transgressions, but yes, a nasty business model can be very profitable. Personally I define "successful" by more than just monetary measurements – but that is why I am not rich. Oh well.
I would be a candidate for a tablet Mac, but it would have to have the power of a high end G4 TiBook, so my guess is that the cost may be too high to allow a large enough market to make it worth Apple’s trouble.
Say what you want about Bill Gates but Microsoft has been a moderately successful company over the years.
Ed, not even SJ would dispute that. In fact BG + MS are extremely successful as a business, but truthfully not from being groundbreaking innovators. I still think laptops will always out sell Tablets.
Any how, regarding the 1.5Ghz PB, it’s performance obviously can’t be matched to a G5 but make no mistake with max ram it has very acceptable and respectable performance, I’d say enough performance for anyone on the road/air/rail.
its worth considering a powerful desktop replacement laptop like the dell inspirons…over 3gb p4’s tonnes of ram, fast gfx cards…ok the drives arent fast, but u get firewire, usb 2, ethernet etc high res monitor good battery life…basically its a desktop replacement…bit on the heavy side, but not that expensive.
I’m pro Mac… so I’d say stick with a PowerBook or even an iBook… I know the power isn’t as much, but my less powerful eMac does all I need it to do in photoshop and even Director… so I wouldn’t be concerned with power for working on a plane… Look for battery power and things like that, with travelling, portability and convenience win out…
Since the space issue is a big deal, I’d go w/ a 12" model, but my 15" did fine last time I was on a plane.
The solution to your real question is prob going to be a tablet… I bought the cheap little Macally IceCad… $40. Not as good as a Wacom… but less than half the lowest Wacom, and if you like it, then sell it and go for a Wacom once you get used to it…
its worth considering a powerful desktop replacement laptop like the dell inspirons…over 3gb p4’s
Truthfully if you configure the top line inspiron to meet the features of the 1.5 G4 PB it’s only $4.00 less and almost twice as heavy and far from sleek.
The PB 1.5Ghz does not lag behind to the inspiron in processing ability. We (my next door cube friend) has one with 2.8 P4 and belive me the 1.5 converts large RGB files to CMYK atr least 45% faster than the inspiron (both running 1 gig ram 75% allocation).
I would just get the PB and enjoy the additional SW that comes with iLife. In the long run you will not regret it.
Admitedly the only appealing offer with Dell is the free additional ram but not worth it if it means giving up OSX and the whole Mac features.
Use a 2 button mouse etc no problem, run a second high end CRT or DVI LCD (pure digital) right from the built in video card (get the 128MB ATI $50 more online at Apple).
