Mac users....Some advice please?

Question

I currently have a an Imac and have problems with vertical lines on the monitor, they are multiplying so rapidly I can hardly see/read what's on the screen. I also have issues with slow start up, not waking from sleep, and it will not prompt for password at startup even though I have it set to do so. It is about 4 yrs old. I keep thousands of pictures on it and use it primarily for working in Photoshop. I guess it's time to get a new one??
Can I get away with the base options available on the 24" Imac or should I upgrade a step on each option?

Processor 2.8 GHZ or 3.06

Memory (I assume I want a bunch since I have so many pictures) 2GB or 4GB?

Hard drive 320 GB or 500 Gb?

I don't know much about this stuff but I want to avoid the problems I'm currently having.

Also, any advice on how to solve the problems I am having?

Answer 1

I have some ridiculously great advice for you. Don't buy another Mac. Time to move on to a more professional type of computer called a PC. Ever heard of it? It does some great things such as Photoshop, video editing, internet browsing, and a lot more than some Mac could ever do. It supports 10x more software, and is 100x more customizable than a Mac. Graphics outdated? No problem, buy a new one. Need more RAM? Buy a few sticks and pop it in. Need a new Processor? Ok, buy a new one and pop it in.

Answer 2

What is the OS version, how much space is left on your HD, and when is the last time you did some housekeeping on it?



Vertical lines on the monitor can be from a number of causes, one is A RAM problem, or overheating.



The iMacs are temperature critical and they have a problem with dust build up. Along the bottom is an air intake vent, and along the top is an exhaust slot. Try cleaning the dust off the intake, vacuum it if possible.



Once you have done that go into your utilities folder and run the Disk Utility and select Repair disk. After that finishes running, click on the Info icon at the top and then scroll down the resulting list until you can see a line that says "Smart Status". If that says "Verified" then the disk is functionally ok, but probably needs work.



Next run "Repair Disk Permissions". At that stage, without additional third party software, you have done as much as you can. If you have less than ten percent free space on the disk, start deleting and compacting files to increase room. Under ten percent things slow down quite a lot with Photoshop®.



If all that doesn't get you a performance improvement you might need to visit a technician. If you take it to an Apple shop they will invariably tell you that you need a new system. Usually you don't.



Good luck.

Answer 3

Since you use Photoshop the 3.06 GHZ may be better but the 2.8 is so darn close I defy anyone to tell the difference. The graphics card would really make the difference here (I think that's why the 3.06 GHZ may be necessary to comply with the better graphics card)



Go with 4GB of RAM. Buy it separately and not from Apple (very pricey) Crucial is great and I bought 4 GB for about $60 from them.



If you have thousands of images, go for the 500 GB drive. Even that will seem small after awhile. External drives can easily be added.



As far as your current problems, make sure your up-to-date with the Software Updates. If it's running slow you can try to run disk repair (repair permissions) in the utilities folder. Best of course is to re-install OS X if you can. You won't loose anything and it can fix a lot of issues. The vertical lines are worrisome. Could be a bad display. If that goes, you might as well get a new Mac. Check if you need a new firmware update. I think I might recall a monitor issue like this that was fixed with the firmware updates. Software update would not address this so check on Apple's website about the firmware updates for your Mac.

Answer 4

I have bought the mac complete insurance policy basis/powder in a single and to be sincere I would not endorse it. I apply it to best of my basis to get a soft conclude however I observed by way of utilising it as a basis it did not combo good and it appeared so crap I ended up washing it off. I bought it low-priced on vacation in America however I'll no longer be shopping it once more. I even have the mascara which isn't very well both, it relatively smudges and is going on too thick. The simplest factor I used to be inspired with used to be the Lipglass (gloss) I purchased however total I could say check out less expensive manufacturers like rimmel and maybelline in your basis. I have attempted Clinique, YSL, Ruby & Millie, advantage, as good as mac and feature no longer favored any of them, might be it is simply my dermis variety or whatever however I could say preserve your cash for whatever else :)

Answer 5

How critical is price here? And how much are you willing to do yourself? If price is an issue, I'd say go with the best CPU you can afford, but ignore the hard drive and RAM. Then get an external hard drive, which is cheaper than upgrading the internal drive, and go someplace like newegg.com and buy additional RAM from them. Again, cheaper than buying through Apple.