Computer: Seeking Mac advice

[saberlancer]

Seeking advice..thks
I use a macpro at work and would like to get an apple for own consumption at home.

1. Does any professional retoucher here uses a macbookpro for your work?
Is the screen adequate for high-end retouching? its only 17" but is the screen quality same as for imac display?

2. Non-apple monitors being much cheaper, anyone using them as external for your macbookpro instead of an apple display? How abt color management then.

Thks.

[Markzebra]

1 no the screen is not adequate - incidentally the current imac screens are ever worse, and have different tonal values top and bottom - truly the worst mac screens I have seen for a long time.

2 You need to buy a calibration device - Eye One or Spyder or something

If you are learning, then everything is OK and you don't need to waste your money. Go and and get a few drinks instead. Or buy your girlfriend some flowers maybe - or a puppy

[DiamondsDr47]

http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/03/....display.suit/

[DiamondsDr47]

Cheaper?!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...G&A=details&Q=

[saberlancer]

Thks for the replies.
The lawsuit thingy is quite a surprise to me.

[Markzebra]

Its not the number of colors thats the main problem - its the fact that the screens are inconsistent - generally they seem to have a completely different midpoint gamma top to bottom

[gholmes1936]

Originally Posted by Markzebra

Its not the number of colors thats the main problem - its the fact that the screens are inconsistent - generally they seem to have a completely different midpoint gamma top to bottom

Is this true for the 20's as well as the 24's? Need to know as I am in the market soonest.

[DiamondsDr47]

It's only 20's, dell also used to play this game...

[sirespen]

I use the small macbook attached on a 20' cinema display and it works fine. Btw. my macbook display is really really bad.

[saberlancer]

Originally Posted by sirespen

I use the small macbook attached on a 20' cinema display and it works fine. Btw. my macbook display is really really bad.

Ist u posted this and next u said it crashed!!...lol..

[flice]

I'm very interested in learning what conclusion you come to in this case OP.
I was thinking about doing the same thing as you because of the tight economy in the start-up phase.
But I don't wanna compromise quality over cheapness...

Could you by any chance get to see some of the products up close?
I worked for a retoucher once and she would open 4 copies of the same image and positioning them so the screen was filled. Then she would look for inconsistencies...

It bugs me I can't remember the brand, but she had a salesguy from some company up once presenting a screen that in europe costs £ 2000. He was praising it and so on, until she did the 4 image trick and it looked like shit.
Fortunately he was a decent guy so he immidiately called the headoffice to complain, but it goes to show that even though you pay a lot of gold, you can't be sure until you've tested it yourself.

[sirespen]

lol but generally it works fine For me it was the cheapest and only solution. :P