I'm using a Canon 7D and now shoot RAW files almost exclusively, as this offers a better file (image) quality with more possibilities for editing.

I'm using Canon DPP for most of the editing with a little CS3 if necessary.

Since using the RAW files my Mini Mac is struggling to process the images.

Looking to sell the Mini Mac for something more powerful.

Like the look of an IMac, but it looks expensive for the spec, especially as I already have a good monitor / keyboard/ mouse etc.

Can anyone recommend where to buy used Mac Pro as the original purchase cost is a little out of my price range?

Or any other alternatives in between?

is it not possible to beef up your mini with extra memory?

ebay, gumtree, mac refurb store

already has 2gb , relatively slow processing of a batch of images.

if its any consolation my new 13" macbook pro (top spec out of the two) takes a silly amount of time with 7D raw files too..

only trouble with going with second hand mac is their tendency to blow up, depending on how on your mini is u can slice it open and put 4gig of ram in, might be worth trying before getting a whole new machine?

will it take 4gb?

processor 2ghz intel core 2 duo
2gb

try a demo of capture one. it's quite fast and a lot more efficient than DPP
could be a cheaper way of getting more performance than a hardware upgrade.
would consider more ram too
capture one produces a better file IMHO.
(i'm assuming it's an intel mac mini you are using)

think you'd have to check on how much ram it will take, depends on age and chipset, looks possible on the wikipedia link

The new iMac's are stupendous. A mate recently bought a top-end 27" with 4Gb RAM and a 1.2Tb h/drive. An American analysis of the components reckoned that what you're getting is a top end monitor with a free computer, the Mac was $1600 and it was compared to a Dell LCD monitor that was around $1600 without a computer. It is a lot of money, though, and I'm sure you could find a good G5 Tower going cheapish in a sale of bankrupt stock somewhere. Maybe google secondhand G5 macs, there must be good well specced stuff out there.

G5 is a backward step from any intel machine, not just on performance but on software availability.(no snow leopard cs5/captureone 5)
my first gen macbook was faster at processing raws than my (then)2 year old G5 with more ram and writing to a second drive.

get screwed over into buying applecare or you will be stitched up should it fail after ONE year. Or buy a higher specced PC for less?

just googled capture one – been looking at the tutorials – looks good, might download trial version and see if there is a slight improvement (in speed / processing).

IMac looks to be more affordable , even if its not the perfect answer.

get screwed over into buying applecare or you will be stitched up should it fail after ONE year. Or buy a higher specced PC for less?

Had a mac for perhaps the last 5 years, use a pc at work.

To be honest, I can't think of any good reason to go back to a pc.

I know that there are supporters for both systems, but I had endless issues with formatting hard drives and updates etc with a pc.

Mac is more expensive, but its always worked for me.

Build a Hackintosh, tis easy!

wish I could have said the same, totally let down by Apple.

Just by way of an update – bought a 21 " iMac for the Apple refurb shop – does what I want it to do.

Monitor quality is excellent.

Buy a higher specced pc for less, as someone else above said! You can then choose to either run Windows 7 or hackintosh (which is now really easy and requires no hacking). Personally I prefer windows 7, see no real advantages to using snow leopard which is definitely not any quicker.

Or you could get a second hand iMac off ebay. My mate got his for about £600 and seems quite pleased with it.

tom i'm asumming you did not read the ost directly above yours

oops no I didn't. Well not properly anyway. I thought that was someone else replying with their own experience 😆

No problem – couldn't face the prospect of buying another pc in the end.

Yep, I know its a controversial topic – but in the end the whole (more expensive option) made sense to me.

are you selling your Mac Mini?

"MrNutt – Member – wish I could have said the same, totally let down by Apple."

UPDATE.

Apple are repairing his machine FOC outside of the warranty period.

stevemorg2

I did post it up for sale in the classifieds – but nobody responded.

Sold on Ebay for £389

Isn't the mac mini due and upgrade about now – seems to be the rumour… I'm waiting before buying one

Probably is due an upgrade – I had two previous incarnations when I couldn't afford a more powerful machine.

Good for what it is, but like all Apple products – expensive for what you get.

It's worth noting that installing VMWare, or Parallels on the iMac will allow the installation of any flavour of MS OS you fancy, so Win 95/2000/XP/Vista/7 can all be installed and run at the same time as Snow Leopard, allowing files to be copied across platforms.