Upgrading to new Mac Pro with old Adobe Programs

[sean_mcclellan@adobeforums.com]

So we all know that someday Adobe will have graphics programs that will be optimized for the new Intel based macs. My question is: at what point is the new mac worth getting and running the outdated programs like Indesign? I am sure the speed gain on something like a G3 or G4 would be worth it, but what about my Dual 2 gig G5? Would InDesign run slower, faster or about the same? I am sure the highest end G5 would not be worth the slow down, but there must be some tests someone can do to determine where the break point is in switching. I did notice that switching from a G4 800 Powerbook, to the Mac Book Pro, InDesign ran a bit faster just because the 800 was pretty far behind. So that might give a little bit of an idea. I am so ready to have that spinning ball to be a thing of the past in InDesign (or maybe at least see a little less of it). I would also imagine that the faster graphics card would contribute something to the speed, since each generation is better and faster.

[Mike_Rempe@adobeforums.com]

A dual 2 gig G5 isn't exactly a relic...Personally I would sit tight and watch and see what the intel macs do. Fill up all those ram slots on your G5, it's a beast. I am wondering if the next version of Creative Suite is going to be geared for intels, I heard it's due around the first of the year. I just bought CS2 6 months ago, I am always a year behind anyway.

[peterpica]

You may well take a speed hit with Photoshop. Haven't heard anything about InD or others. I'm in same boat with a dual gig G5 and am awaiting my financial position EOY before deciding regardless of software bumps (and bruises).

[Scott_Falkner@adobeforums.com]

Upgrading now will cost you now, but benefit you little to none if your work is primarily in Cretive Suite applications. I suggest you wait for 13/5/10 (the version numbers of the next Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop).

[Thomas_Phinney@adobeforums.com]

Here I thought you meant that October 13, 2010 would be the ship date of Adobe Creative Suite 5.

T

[sean_mcclellan@adobeforums.com]

Thanks for the advice. Guess I will wait. Do you think 1.5 gig of ram is enough to be running ID2, photoshop, acrobat, distiller, Mail, iTunes and Firefox? I have a wierd screen freeze on redraw and have major image overlap if I run more than two large ID2 docs at the same time-- then have to quit and start over.

[Buko@adobeforums.com]

Do you think 1.5 gig of ram is enough to be running ID2, photoshop, acrobat,
distiller, Mail, iTunes and Firefox?




If you have a G5 I think 4 gig should be minimum

[Brutus_Maximus@adobeforums.com]

Adobe's help desk operators are apparently fielding lots of calls about MacTel issues. They've now taken a hard line about supporting the new platform: <http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20060907081235462>

[JohnO@adobeforums.com]

Depends what you do with all the apps. If you're working with massive psd's
and 300-page docs, then maybe more RAM is necessary. OTOH, I run many more
apps than you with a third of your RAM and the Adobe apps are fine.

(I run Windows...so maybe buko's Mac has more overhead? Just guessin'. )

-John O

[Mike_Rempe@adobeforums.com]

Check your font organization and the amount you have activated if your cpu is dragging...I noticed alot less hang-ups once I got font doctor.

[sean_mcclellan@adobeforums.com]

I am not using any font management except the OSX. I do a weekly paper with 2 sections 16-24 pages long with huge number of imported stories, graphics, pictures. Each file is usually 20-40 megs. Wish it was a speed demon it is supposed to be. It would be nice if the RAM issue would help, but still looking for a little more input. Crazy about that hard line Adobe is taking. An now they are waiting for Leopard to be released to have all issues taken care of. Apple rep. told me yesterday that Leopard is now summer instead of spring.

[Buko@adobeforums.com]

I'm usually running the entire Creative Suite 2 with 70% RAM allocated in Photoshop. In addition I have Safari, Mail, Spamsieve, Textedit, Word, Address Book, Quickbooks Pro, Zinio Reader, Dictionary, Quicktime, iTunes, Filemaker Pro, Livemotion running at the same time. I never have more than 50 or 60 font active at any one time.

I use a dual core 2GHz G5 with 4gig of RAM 10.4.7 everything runs just fine very rarely see the SBBD.

Can you even put 4 GIG of RAM in a Windows Box?

[Jeffrey_Smith@adobeforums.com]

Buko, I see you mentioned Filemaker Pro, do you mind if I ask how you are using Filemaker, if you are using any database templates like Creative Pro Starter Kit, and how do you like the application?

[Bob Levine]

> Can you even put 4 GIG of RAM in a Windows Box?

Like the Macs, it depends on the machine.

Bob

[Fred_Goldman@adobeforums.com]

Yeah, but Windows XP doesn't recognize it, so what's the use.

[Bob Levine]

The O/S will grab what it needs and the applications will still have the
rest (up to 2 gigs) available.

I haven't checked on what the various flavors of Vista will be capable
of memory-wise.

Bob

[Fred_Goldman@adobeforums.com]

Really? You mean the programs can still recognize the 4GB even though the OS doesn't?

I read somewhere Vista can recognize something like 16GB.

Here's a link, it looks like it depends on which edition:

<http://winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_ff_x64.asp>

[Bob Levine]

No. But if you have more than two, the full two will still be available
to the programs. Example...I have three gigs and Photoshop will still
see two gigs, so I am getting use out of it.

There's also a three gig switch you can enable with XP Pro to get it to
"see" three gigs instead of two. XP64, though unsupported will use about
all you can feed it, too, I believe.

Bob

[Fred_Goldman@adobeforums.com]

I'm using XP Home and it's recognizing all three Gigs. I've never gotten that high in usage, but it's showing up in Task Manager and My Computer properties. I thought the limitation was three. (At least that's what they say all over the Dell forums

[JohnO@adobeforums.com]

> Can you even put 4 GIG of RAM in a Windows Box?

Most newer motherboards can take 4G, but Win XP apparently can only use 3
GB, as Bob noted. When I dig around in the expert hardware groups about this
limitation, the typical comment is something like "why would you ever need
more than 3?" And this is from hardcore big-system snobs, who you'd think
would demand a lot more if it would help.

Memory management has long been an area where MS had a big advantatge over
Mac (allocation was always automatic, never manual) so maybe there's
something along those lines where Win gets more from less. Beats me, but I
don't hear a lot of complaining about that 4 GB limit.

-John O