Brian

Buy it!

Those specs are fine, but make sure that model can be upgraded to 32GB!! There are a few iMac models, both 21.5" AND 27" that are locked in at 8GB of RAM. This means no extra memory slots and RAM soldered to the motherboard. People think they are getting a good deal, because they cost A LOT less but in reality, they are getting suckered. When it comes to today's Apple line-up, it's a "Go-Big-Or-Go-Home" proposition. That said, since 1984...the Apple Macintosh Line-Up has ALWAYS been expensive!

Do you know how to repartition and format the HD for use with the Mac? I can help if needed.

I'd save up for the A$2799 27" iMac. (US $1799 iMac). Whatever you do, SKIP the 21.5" iMacs. Waste of money.

Yeah, you would save a bunch. The problem is, converting and copying things over from a Mac to a Windows box could be a real pain. Specs are similar. Check out the threads in the Windows section on what to look for.

As for the Video RAM, it's 2GB. Hardware Manufacturers like to say that 2000GB is 2GB, Microsoft says that 2048GB is 2GB.

If you have a Best Buy Credit Card and want to do 12 Months Same as Cash, here is the laptop (or one similar) at Best Buy: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-15-6-laptop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-metallic/4637109.p?id=1219785906403&skuId=4637109

I'd SKIP this one. For the love that is Good and Green, DO NOT BUY A TOUCHSCREEN LAPTOP!!! They are a real BITCH to calibrate. I would avoid one at all costs. Buy this one: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1183450-REG/asus_gl552vw_dh71_i7_6700hq_16gb_1tb_windows_10_64_960m_15_6.html

Australia prices SUCK. My condolences. Here is the iMac specs that you should be looking for: Basically, you are looking for last year's A$2799.00 model.

Hey Dave, check out the "Refurbished Mac Store." I believe this is the Australia store. I'm thinking this is where you are looking. Have faith, Apple will get stuff in stock from time-to-time. But what you see listed is what they have. So if you do find a good deal, and have the funds, BUY IT!! Because they are 1st come 1st serve and that iMac could sell out from underneath you. http://www.apple.com/au/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

Damn. That's a sweet deal. I'd click buy.

By default, a Mac will READ a Windows Drive, but NOT WRITE TO IT. So either you'll need to NUKE that EHD (clear off EVERYTHING) and format it for use with the Mac, or purchase a fresh external HD and format it for use with the Mac. There are programs out there that will allow you to go back and forth, but I personally don't trust them. From my POV and the way I personally do things, I pick a format (Mac OR Windows) and stick with it. Let me know what you want to do. Nuke that drive and set it up for a Mac, or if you want recommendations for an External HD, in which case I will need some sort of budget to go by.

To install the Crucial Scanner, head to your system preferences and look for Security & Privacy. Look for a padlock towards the bottom of the window. Click it and it will ask for your admin password (the one you log on with if you are the only user.) Set the security setting to "Anywhere." Close out the Window and reboot. Then try running the Crucial Scanner. 24GB is fine. There is a difference between 8GB and 24GB. That said, RAM is cheap now, so if you want to buy two 16GB kits and Max it out to 32GB, go for it. But if money is tight, go with 24GB. Now I'm sure you are thinking, "Is there a major difference between 24GB and 32GB?" My answer, "Meh." There is a minor difference, but it's not as earth-shattering as going from 8GB to 24GB.

There is a reason that it's $600 less. It's not upgradable. AT ALL!! Apple is trying to sell to the masses. To get the "better" Macs, you need to "Go Big or Go Home." While it's fine to purchase last year's model, you are looking for the $1799 27" iMac from last year. NOT the El Cheapo one.

Wait!!! DO NOT BUY THAT IMAC!!! That's the LOW END CRAPPY 27"!!!!

For a MBP built for photo editing, you start at the $2500 model and tweak things. Honestly, it's silly to spend $3600 on a MBP, because that's the price-point you are looking at with a MBP.

See comment below.

Oh, one more dirty secret. Adobe Photoshop and LR are not designed to take advantage of the Intel's i7 architecture that makes it so fast. In fact, there is only about a 5-7% performance gain between a i5 and i7. So it doesn't surprise me that you really aren't experiencing earth-shattering performance gains. LR and PS rely more on RAM and the video card GPU / VRAM for a performance boost. I don't think LR 5.3 has this feature, but I could be wrong. Make sure "Use Graphics Processor" (or similar wording) is checked in PS preferences and LR preferences if it's an option.

I'd increase the RAM to 32GB and install a traditional 4TB 7200 RPM HD. So look to purchase two 16GB kits (which will take it to 40GB) from Crucial. The 4TB drive is for the Ps Scratch Disk and your files and photos. You install the programs on the C Drive, which is probably a SSD.

What version of Windows are you running?

You really REALLY want to get a eSata card to and use that eSata port on the ProRaid. I know USB 3.0 is rated to 5Gbps, but from what I've experienced in person, that's a lab test result. I'd start with a eSATA to PCI Express card. They retail for about $25-$30. In addition, RAID0 will be the fastest, but there is no redundancy going that route. You mentioned LR. Just to let you know, the more photos you have in a catalog, the slower it runs. This is especially true if you have 30,000+ photos in a single catalog. I know Adobe touts LR being this awesome photo management thing, but the catalog file way of doing things sucks. Once it gets bloated, things slow down to a crawl. As for why things haven't changed when using a SSD, I'd create a new catalog and put that on the SSD and not the RAID EHD. (Just as a test.) See if running 100% off the SSD drives helps things. If not, it could be a BIOS setting that needs to be tweaked.

"...plugged in via Firewire to USB 3.0..." There is your problem. That's the bottleneck.

Good to know!! Thanks!

It's the model line that I recommend. I believe Damien has a Asus ROG, and a buddy of mine (in real life) has one, has a GORGEOUS display. I would have no problems buying that laptop and would purchase it myself.

I'd get the 3rd one in that list. The one with the two extra slots. That laptop goes up to 64GB, so it's a tad more "future proof." Entry Level Cameras are starting at 24MP these days. So that will require more horsepower going forward. Having the ability to upgrade to 64GB is a good thing. Even though it's not needed now, in 3-5 years, who knows?