Speed of Aperture to Edit photo with Macbook Pro

<p>I am planning to buy the new Macbook pro 13" (deal with the budget, because the WITH memory Graphic card is almost double up the price of this 13")<br>

I am using it for my outdoor or outstation photography assignment<br>

I will use it to do simple adjustment of the photo and also create slide show<br>

2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo<br /> 160GB Hard Drive<br /> 2GB DDR3 SDRAM<br /> NVIDIA GeForce 9400M<br>

This is the WITH memory graphic and NOT SHARED<br>

My question is, I will install the CS4 to edit the photo<br>

and I also will install the Aperture 2 to edit photo in batch<br>

I know with the spec I have, it is under power<br>

I know I can install the CS4 and also the Aperture 2 in this notebook<br>

But, I need to check the speed of using it with Aperture 2 and also CS4?<br>

Loading the photo to the notebook is not using the on board Graphic card, but, will it be slow response when I apply adjustment to the photo? I mean do I need to wait for few second after I did a tuning of any adjustment like Exposure, level, or contrast...etc?<br>

And how long it will take to export a photo from my RAW file?<br>

Will the photo that I export can get similar result as NX2? (because if I export the photo in LR, I cannot get the same result as NX2 in term of sharpness, without any adjustment but direct export the RAW, this might because of LR cannot read some of the Nikon camera RAW setting)<br /> <br>

The CS4 will it be slow in this machine?<br>

I am using NX 2 in windows, and it is really slow....Export a photo take me 5 to 15 second<br>

After apply an adjustment, it take me few second to reflect the changes.<br /> <br>

NOTE<br>

I am using D300 and I only shoot RAW<br>

Any advice?<br /> </p>

<p>I'm curious about the same. I'm currently happily using a Mac Pro desktop that's 3 years old with a NVIDIA 256MB graphics card. I'm hoping that the 9400 is similar in performance to my older desktop graphics card. I know that there are other factors but the CPU should be plenty and the memory should be more than enough as well at 4GB.</p>

 

<p>Yes, 4GB will be great, but I am thinking of get the 2GB package, and change to 4GB my self, it is much more cheaper I get the 4GB RAM outside.<br>

Will it be working fine?</p>

<p>Consider using Aperture only for editing, it will save you more than a few steps which means faster. Aperture was made for editing fast, and since you say you will do only simple adjustment and slide show, I think you will just be making more work for you and the computer if you go from CS4 to Aperture. Just do it in Aperture only. Then the machine you get will be plenty fast.</p>

<p>I have the previous MB model (not "pro"... ), basically the same computer I see... 2.4Gb Core2Duo, same Graphic card, same DDR, mine with 4Gb RAM. I`m not an expert, I can tell you about mine.</p>

<p>I wonder about your savings on 2Gb of RAM after buying the computer, CS4 and Aperture. If you have time to do it, great. You`ll need a graphic tablet, a Mighty Mouse or whatever.</p>

<p>Yes, there is a lapse of time every time you make an adjustment. It`s not long enough to be very annoying unless you were in a hurry. My 3.08Gb iMac is noticeably faster, but the MB works to me.</p>

<p>In Aperture, it´ll take more time the awkward importing procedure (open files, select pic, choose destiny, etc,) than the importing process of one pic. One NEF takes near 20 seconds to open in Aperture in this way. Same on NX2 takes near 15 seconds or less. Batch importing is not an issue, you need to let it work while you go to the bathroom or make a phone call.</p>

<p>Working with Aperture is very different than with NX2. I prefer NX2 because has selective tools that Aperture lacks. In the other side, Aperture has good subtle tools for overall adjustments (sharpening included). I know better NX2 and it`s easier to me to get what I`m looking for, resulting colors in Aperture are a mistery far from my knowledge.</p>

<p>The issue with the MBP 13" is the screen size. I find this a great tiny portable computer with a too much bright, highly reflective, directional, extremely small screen for image processing work. If you have another <em>much bigger </em>screen, it`s OK.</p>

<p><em>"... computer with a too much bright,... "</em> I wanted to mean too much <em>contrasty</em>. </p>

<p>Not sure if your model has been tested, but some results here: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Memory_Benchmark/Apple_MacBook/ <br>

You get the general idea.<br>

Snow leopard will only cost 29.00 to upgrade when released, and will take advantage of 64 bit depth, share processing with the video card and alllow Aperture to use more RAM. All contribute to speed and are compelling reasons to get the extra 2GB of RAM. <br>

Upgrading the RAM yourself is less expensive than buying new from Apple and very easy. Did it myself on three family laptops in 20 min. You just need a #0 phillips. See their install videos.</p>

<p>I am editing photos on a macBook only 2ghz and it's fine. the upgraded graphics card doesn't, imho, affect photo editing as much as gaming. Upgrade the ram yourself, it's easy, simple, and cheap. I suggest theupgradeplace (google it).</p>

<p>BUT... in my experience, unless the MacBook had the word "pro" at the end, you are not getting an accurate enough display for real critical color work. For family/vacation/casual photos (most of what I do), it's fine, but often I use an external display as a secondary reference.</p>

<p>After read all the reply, I understand what I should do already<br>

Yes, I will still get the model that I mention and upgrade the RAM my self<br>

And I think I should wait for the Snow leopard, since just now already near September.<br>

I do not know why people like LR and there is so many pro using it,<br>

For my self, when I shoot half body portrait, I move the focus point to the eye and then shoot.<br>

Sometime, there is some hair on the face or the forehead.<br>

If I import such photo with LR, if I did not do any adjustment, no matter the preview or exported photo, when I zoom to view the face, I found that the hair is just like some blur string.<br>

But, surprisingly, if I view by NX or export with it, I can really see the hair clearly, not blur.<br>

And also deal with my technical skill, some of the photo I shoot, there is blank area in the histogram, I need to use the Level tools to adjust out the blank that I found that I cannot do it with LR.<br>

Then come in to my mind, Aperture 2 allow me adjust Level, which is great!<br>

I want to get a Mac is because of Aperture, there is some argument of which one better Aperture or LR, for me, I will think both also good, just see which one meet your needs only. And 13" is convenient and light for my outstation assignment.<br>

Aperture may disapoint me (I hope not), but atleast in Mac machine, I can have both, Aperture and LR with different OS.</p>

<p>It should run them just fine. I have the same Mac and it runs CS4 just fine. I bought 4 gigs of ram which you can do yourself very easily. I bought this ram and it works great. It is tested to work in Macs. Don't buy ram from Apple, they are a rip off. Easy to do, you will need a very small set of screw drivers if you don't have them to take the back off. But other than the ram your system will run just fine. I've been using Capture NX 2 lately on a trial and am considering buying it. The more I use it, the more I like it.<br>

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146878<br>

Mushkin makes excellent ram. One of the top manufacturers along with Corsair, OCZ, etc.</p>

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