PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini

Posted by: blitz

PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 21/11/2005 13:48

I'm kind of getting into this MacMini thing and now wondering about whether it can run PhotoShop CS. The Adobe site shows at a minimum a G3 with 384K memory. I have 1GB installed and just curious about whether it will feel sluggish when editing. Any help would be appreciated prior to purchase.
Posted by: matthew_k

Re: PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 21/11/2005 16:03

I've got 1.5GB in my 1.67gh powerbook and it does fine with CS2. I'm sure it's not as fast as a G5, but I don't hesistate to open photoshop. I'm not sure how "heavy" a photoshop user I am, I'm usually just converting raw files and adjusting levels and cropping. Photoshop is really a mac applications, it makes full use of the altivec instruction set, and at least in the past always been quicker than much "faster" windows boxes.

Matthew
Posted by: blitz

Re: PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 21/11/2005 16:58

Thanks for the reply. Another question... what are people using for keyboards and mice for Macs? Do the Logitechs give any more functionality (as in contect sensitive menus) than the one I bought from Apple with the mini? It looks good but a right button would be nice.
Posted by: matthew_k

Re: PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 21/11/2005 17:06

Well, if you want to keep the look, your only option is a Mighty Mouse from apple. It's not bluetooth and it's expensive.

Any other USB mouse will work just fine, context sensitive menus and all. At work, I've got it hooked up mini -> usb/ps2 converter > ps2 to kvm -> intelimouse's ps2/usb converter -> MS intelimouse. I love my forward and back buttons on the mouse, with this setup they took some software to get going, but they work now.

Keyboard wise, it's the same thing. Whatever you like, as long as it's USB. If it's PS2, you can always get a converter for ~$10.

Matthew
Posted by: hybrid8

Re: PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 22/11/2005 04:30

Both Microsoft and Logitech have mice that match the Apple look far bettter than any of Apple's Mice ever have. Same goes for keyboards.

But, I can't recommend Logitech's Bluetooth mice. I have one and I really *want* to like it but I can't. There's no software driver support for it from Logitech so you're stuck using the generic bluetooth support built into the OS. That means you don't use any of the extra buttons for anything other than Expose (maybe a couple of other things in recent OS versions). That's not the worst part. Unfortunately moue cursor scrolling rate and smoothness are abysmal. Love the way the Logitech MX-900 feels in the hand too. I'm assuming the same scrolling problems will happen with their newer portable model.

MS Mice don't have these issues from what I've seen. And MS software support for the Mac has been pretty stellar since the first Intellimouse as far as I'm concerned.

Recently I had a chance to play with their new wireless notebook laser mouse 6000 and it was simply amazing - in terms of cursor movement. What still sucks about all mice in Mac OS is scroll wheel performance. You just can't get the scroll wheel set to move text as fast (or as much if you want to look at it that way) as with Windows. And MS has seen fit to remove the clicking (the detents) when rotating the wheel. Backward move.

Bruno
Posted by: thinfourth2

Re: PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 22/11/2005 06:23

I have a mighty mouse that came with my G5 and i like it. For the Powerbook i have a microsoft bluetooth mouse and it is also very good.

slight O/T [rant] "Why is it so difficult to buy a decent mouse now that has a cable I don't want wireless my mouse stays on its mouse mat which is 8inches square why the hell do i need wireless for that, Now don't start me on wireless keyboard for desktops {/rant]

As to keyboard i would not go beyond the apple keyboard i have one for my G5 and a bluetooth one for the powermac.

As to running photoshop it will be fine, it won't be the snappiest thing on the block but i think to general working you won't have any problems.
Posted by: blitz

Re: PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 22/11/2005 11:07

Thanks for the info. Before the last two posts, I had my kid pick up a Mighty Mouse for me. I'll give it a try.

Kind of a bummer but there is no upgrade path from Photoshop for Windows to Mac. Is this correct?

From Adobe's site...

Quote:
To install this upgrade successfully, you will need a licensed version of any version of Adobe Photoshop, on the same platform as this purchase.
Posted by: RobotCaleb

Re: PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 22/11/2005 14:18

Quote:
And MS has seen fit to remove the clicking (the detents) when rotating the wheel. Backward move.


*shrug*
I have removed the click-stops from all of my Logitech mice. I haven't used one of the MS ones, but I did walk by one and scroll the wheel. I didn't like the way it felt. On my Logitech ones I get very smooth scrolling. Virtually no resistance. Just the way I like it, I guess.

Oh, and I also removed the weights from the Logitech mice. I do consider myself a gamer, maybe that's why I want lighter mice.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: PhotoShop CS on Mac Mini - 22/11/2005 18:04

The clicks had nothing to do with "pixels" anyway. It was just arbitrary feedback. Personally, I prefer the non-click to click. But, then, I prefer an actual third button to a wheel.