Macbook or Macbook Pro for photography?

Question

I am an avid photographer and I take many photos and they're big. (10.2MP Nikon D40x). I'm geting a Mac for the upcoming school year and would like to know which one I should get. I don't do very much editing, ie. no photoshop, but I do like to make minor changes. My biggest thing though is storage. So how many GB do I need? Do I need a Pro to work with my photos? I'd much rather get a Macbook, but will it be enough? Any info would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

Glad you asked! This is exactly the kind of question I wanted to answer.
Any of the new Macintosh computers have plenty of power for photo editing. If you are doing professional video editing then you will need every bit of processing power you can get. But if you are just doing text editing and photo editing, then don't know worry about it.
Storage is the first obvious thing due to file size. 80 Gigs or more should get you through a couple years of school. You don't use the 10 MP setting for every photo do you? Also, get an external drive for backup copy of your files. You never know when a computer might hickup and erase the internal drive.
In addition to storage, the two other things to consider are RAM and monitor size. When you are editing a photo, the file is stored in the RAM memory. The RAM also stores information for changes being made to the file until you Save the file. Image editing programs such as Photoshop can use hard drive space as extra memory if needed. But RAM processes data MUCH faster. A 10 MP image is about 96 megabytes when opened in an editing program. Start adding layers in Photoshop, and you could end up with several times that amount. Get a computer with 1 Gig or more of RAM and you will be all set.
A large monitor is extremely helpful for your convience when editing large photos, especially when you want to zoom in and edit some part of the photo. I wouldn't dare try to edit large photos on anything less than a 17 inch monitor. I can guarantee you will get frustrated and regret it very quickly.
The problem is that the MacBook is only available with 13 inch display. You can get a MacBook Pro with 17 inch display starting at $2600. If you or your parents have the cash then I say go for it. You will love it.
You can also consider getting a used notebook computer. Just be sure of what you want since you usually can't return a used item.
Are you sure you need a notebook? You can get a 20 inch G5 iMac for half the price of a MacBook Pro and you don't need to worry about dropping it or leaving it somewhere.
By the way, as a student you can get software such as Photoshop at greatly reduced prices. Look at the ads in the back of Macworld magazine or search on the internet for Education Software.
A final note: You may find this hard to believe, but I am doing professional photo editing at home on an old Blue & White G3/450 megahertz with 1 Gig RAM. At the company where I work, I am using a G5/2 gigahertz with 2 Gig RAM. I have found that they do Photoshop tasks such as Opening, Editing, and Saving in about the same amount of time.
Here is my setup: G3/450 1 Gig RAM 80 Gig drive - $85 + $30 shipping Ebay, 80 Gig external drive - $45 + $12 Ebay, ViewSonic G810 21 inch monitor (used & factory certified) $120 + $30 shipping Ebay, Microtek ScanMaker scanner - $35 Local Clearance Sale. Total hardware investment: $357
Hey, let's be creative in everything including our shopping.

Answer 2

Either will do nicely, but the MacBook Pro is likely the better choice.

You should get a BIG Firewire External hard drive though, your images are huge..