Brian

Fresh off the presses!! This article will probably be updated / tweaked over the next few days, but here is what Mac I would buy if I had an unlimited budget and was using Adobe Photoshop or other Adobe Programs: First things first, Macs are not "Better," they are just different. Apple still charges you a premium for their products and people gladly pay for them. This article is not meant to discuss the "Whys" you shouldn't buy one; this article is for the folks who want one and want to know what I would buy. While I agree that going the Windows route you could get a Computer, a new Lens / go on a trip somewhere, or pay for all of Damien's classes AND still have money left over...or you can just buy a Mac, will not be discussed in this thread. Now that's out of the way, I'd also like to add that the word / phrase "Cheaper" and "Macintosh" can no longer be used in the same sentence. Apple still wants you to "Go Big or Go Home" to get the best value for their products. Prices and Inflation are at a all-time-high, though are a little better in 2023. The good news is we have a cheaper option going forward in 2023 than forking out $5200 for a Mac Studio. Which is.... THE NEW 2023 MAC M2 MINI IS MORE POWERFUL THAN THE MAC STUDIO AND IS AROUND $1000 CHEAPER!!! This configuration is similar to my 2022 configuration, except we replace the Mac Studio with a Mac Mini M2. You will need to use Apple's Website in order to get this configuration and have it shipped to your local Apple Store [recommended] or to the destination of your choosing. You can not buy this configuration at a store. Well, you can get the majority of items off-the-shelf, except my recommended Mac Mini Configuration. To keep things simple, we will purchase every item via Apple's Website. Start with the most expensive Mac Mini, which is the one on the right. Remember, if you opt to go with a lower priced Mac, not only are your choices limited, the upgrades cost more for the exact same item! So in the long run, if you want to "save" money, you need to "spend" more. (Yep, that's Apple.) In the US, this is $1299 model or the one in the right-most column in your part of the world: Click the Select Button in the Right Column and let's change a few things. Keep in mind, when it comes to Apple's products in 2023, THERE IS NO UPGRADING AFTER THE FACT AS EVERYTHING IS BUILT INTO THE M2 CHIP!!! Not only the CPU, but the RAM, HD Controller Chip, Video Card/GPU, etc. are all built into the M2 Processor Chip. Think of the current Mac products as a "Sealed Unit" or "Glorified iPads." If you want to "upgrade" anything down the line, you are buying a new computer. Period. Here are the things we will change/upgrade: Upgrade the Processor to the "Apple M2 Pro with 12‑core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine" Upgrade the RAM to 32GB Upgrade the HD to at least 1TB SSD Storage. If there are ANY plans to upgrade your Internet to a 10GB Plan, then update the Ethernet to 10 Gigabit Ethernet for $100 more. This will require other things than just a computer upgrade, like a new Switch/Router, New DOCSIS 4.0 Modem, Cat 6 wiring, etc. 10Gig Internet really won't take hold until at least 2025 and even then it won't be available in most Markets. Chances are, you will leave this at the default, which is Gigabit Ethernet. I'm just letting you know so you can make an informed decision. For now, we will leave the Ethernet configuration alone. For Nerds like me who want this sort of thing, it's a no-brainer. But for the average person, 300Mbps Down is more than fine for today's Internet. Some parts of the world cap out at 50Mbps down, like Damien's Internet speed! So for now, the configuration looks like this: The Price for this Configuration in the US is $2199, before AppleCare and Tax. We will click Continue... Add the Apple Studio Display with Standard Glass and the basic "Tilt-adjustable stand." If you need your screen to be that adjustable, I'd rather you purchase a VESA Mount Adapter / VESA Arm and go that route than fork out the $400 for the over-priced Apple Stand. Be sure to Add AppleCare and choose the standard 3 Year Plan. No sense in getting the Annual subscription; it's the same cost either way...$49/year vs a flat $149. Just fork out the cash and get it over with. Click Add. Then Click Add to Bag. Select the Three Years of Coverage of AppleCare+ in the left column! This is for the Mac Mini. The other AppleCare was for the Display. You must make sure you ADD BOTH! Now, if your Apple Keyboard and Magic Mouse are working fine, you can save a little money here, about $298. If you want to go the "Full Monty" and get everything new, add the Keyboard and Mouse. If adding to bag, make sure you choose the color that you want, there are TWO options now. For me, I like the White Keyboard and Mouse so that's what I'm adding. Now it's time to review your bag. Here is what it should look like: The Sub-Total should be $4304.00 if you added everything that I recommended. Then you have to add your local Tax. Shipping should be free. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND shipping your new Mac to a local Apple Store if possible. No sense sending $4000 worth of computer items to be stolen by Porch Pirates. I'd also have a store employee walk you to your car for added security. When it's all-said-and-done, my final cost in my part of the World comes out to be $4562.24. Depending on your local Taxes & Fees, yours might be a little different. So let's round up to $4600-ish. With Inflation and the ongoing Chip-Shortage, plus with everything else, things just cost more and it sucks. Now I will say this, THIS MAC MINI CONFIGURATION IS A BEAST!! This computer should last you a good 7-8 years. Of course, there is talk of a M3 chip at the end of this year, mostly in 2024...you will never win the "Catch-Up" game. The good part is, with the External Apple Display, all you need to worry about in the future is just replacing the Mac Mini; in the long run, you will save money. Unfortunately, you spend a chunk now to have options down the line. Before you ask, YES!! IT IS WORTH GETTING THE APPLE DISPLAY. Apple changed the way the video signal comes out of the computer and to get the "Full Macintosh Experience" that people are used to, you need to fork out the extra cash and get the Apple Display. (As much as it pains me to type this. That Apple Display is way over-priced for what it is.) There are options, such as a LG Display, but that will cost you $1299...only a $300 savings. From the reviews that I've gotten from people that I personally know that went this route, their opinion is either "It's okay..." or "Eh, I should have went with the Apple Display." "It's not like the Apple Display that I'm used to. It's okay, I guess." I'm not spending / wasting $1300 for just "Okay."

The word / phrase "Cheaper" and Macintosh can no longer be used in the same sentence. The GOOD NEWS IS...THE NEW MAC M2 MINI IS MORE POWERFUL THAN THE MAC STUDIO AND IS $1000 CHEAPER!!! Here is what I would purchase right now, if I had an unlimited budget and wanted a Mac. It is similar to the configuration above, except we replace the Mac Studio with a Mac Mini M2: Start with the most expensive Mac Mini, which is the one on the right. In the US, this is $1299: Click Select and let's change a few things. Keep in mind, when it comes to Apple's products in 2023, THERE IS NO UPGRADING AFTER THE FACT AS EVERYTHING IS BUILT INTO THE M2 CHIP!!! Not only the CPU, but the RAM, HD Controller Chip, Video Card/GPU, etc. are all built into the M2 Processor Chip. If you want to "upgrade" anything down the line, you are buying a new computer. Upgrade the Processor to the "Apple M2 Pro with 12‑core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine" Upgrade the RAM to 32GB Upgrade the HD to at least 1TB SSD Storage. If there are ANY plans to upgrade your Internet to a 10GB Plan, then update the Ethernet to 10 Gigabit Ethernet for $100 more. This will require other things than just a computer upgrade, like a new Switch/Router, New DOCSIS 4.0 Modem, Cat 6 wiring, etc. 10Gig Internet really won't take hold until at least 2025 and even then it won't be available in most Markets. Chances are, you will leave this at the default, which is Gigabit Ethernet. I'm just letting you know so you can make an informed decision. For now, we will leave the Ethernet configuration alone. For Nerds like me who want this sort of thing, it's a no-brainer. But for the average person, 300Mbps Down is more than fine for today's Internet. Some parts of the world cap out at 50Mbps down, like Damien's Internet speed! So for now, the configuration looks like this: The Price for this Configuration in the US is $1899, before AppleCare and Tax. We will click Continue... Add the Apple Studio Display with Standard Glass and the basic "Tilt-adjustable stand." If you need your screen to be that adjustable, I'd rather you purchase a VESA Mount Adapter / VESA Arm and go that route than fork out the $400 for the over-priced Apple Stand. Be sure to Add AppleCare and choose the standard 3 Year Plan. No sense in getting the Annual subscription; it's the same cost either way...$49/year vs a flat $149. Just fork out the cash and get it over with. Click Add. Then Click Add to Bag. Select the Three Years of Coverage of AppleCare+ in the left column! This is for the Mac Mini. The other AppleCare was for the Display. You must make sure you ADD BOTH! Now, if your Apple Keyboard and Magic Mouse are working fine, you can save a little money here, about $298. If you want to go the "Full Monty" and get everything new, add the Keyboard and Mouse. I'm going to add both since this comment box will end up being the What Mac to Buy in 2023. If adding to bag, make sure you choose the color that you want. For me, I like the White Keyboard and Mouse so that's what I'm adding. Now it's time to review your bag. Here is what it should look like: The Sub-Total should be $4004.00 if you added everything that I recommended. Then you have to add your local Tax. Shipping should be free. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND shipping your new Mac to a local Apple Store if possible. No sense sending $4000 worth of computer items to be stolen by Porch Pirates. I'd also have a store employee walk you to your car for added security. When it's all-said-and-done, my final cost in my part of the World comes out to be $4244.44. Depending on your local Taxes & Fees, yours might be a little different. So let's round up to $4300-ish. This is cheaper than a current MacBook Pro AND the Mac Studio Configuration that I recommended above for a total of $1109 in Savings!! $1100 in Savings!! That's a little easier to swallow and just a tad bit more than what I paid for my fancy 2017 27" iMac, which was around $3800. With Inflation and the ongoing Chip-Shortage, plus with everything else, things just cost more and it sucks. The good part is, with the External Apple Display, all you need to worry about in the future is just replacing the Mac Mini; in the long run, you will save money. Unfortunately, you spend a chunk now to have options down the line. Before you ask, YES!! IT IS WORTH GETTING THE APPLE DISPLAY. Apple changed the way the video signal comes out of the computer and to get the "Full Macintosh Experience" that people are used to, you need to fork out the extra cash and get the Apple Display. (As much as it pains me to type this. That Apple Display is way over-priced for what it is.)

You could create a Alias for the "Desktop" Folder and put that on the Desktop. Right-Click on the "Desktop" Folder and choose "Make Alias." Then you move the Alias to the Desktop. It will act like a folder, if you move the folder in your Documents folder somewhere it will automatically update the Alias to the folder's new location, it's pretty cool. Aliases are meant to be on the Desktop and the macOS recognizes them properly, so they don't slow down your Mac's Performance. Might save you a click by going into Documents first and navigating your way down to the "Desktop" Folder, AND the Alias will appear in the main list when you go to save stuff in Photoshop, instead of hunting for the folder. Give it a try. Two things with those type of programs: THEY NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED. Especially if you upgrade your Operating System. With these programs, you just don't buy it once and use it for years; when they get really out of date, bad things can happen. Most of the time, when I hear of problems, it's usually someone that was using CleanMyMac 2 on a modern OS. In fact, MacPaw has changed things, one...so that they make more money...and two, to help avoid stuff like this from happening, and have converted over to a annual subscription model. CleanMyMac X is a annual=fee type of program now, which allows you to get the latest version. CleanMyMac is really only meant for your internal Macintosh HD, not externals. It's up to you to keep things tidy on your externals. In fact, I use this program sparingly, mostly at the defaults. You bought a 21.5" Mac. Apple has crippled them on-purpose. They have slower Motherboards, slower Video Cards, Slower Hard Drives, basically the whole thing is not as fast as it could be. With Apple, you are penalized for going cheap. They want you to "Go Big or Go Home." Even if you choose a cheaper Mac to buy, THE UPGRADES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN IF YOU WENT FOR A MORE EXPENSIVE MODEL!! Yep, I'm dead serious. Say you purchased a Mac for $1999 vs one they were selling for $2299 and went to upgrade the Hard Drive. The HD selection, FOR THE EXACT SAME HARD DRIVE, IS $100 MORE THAN IF YOU WENT WITH THE HIGHER PRICED MAC. For the same exact thing. When you compare the two, after the upgrades, the more expensive Mac is usually only $100-$200 more. But people think they are "saving" money by going cheaper, but in reality they aren't. If you had a 27" iMac, it would be a different story. Thank goodness you have 32GB of RAM, that's the only saving grace and why you are able to use it, but you days are numbered with the modern versions of Photoshop. Don't expect to use the latest versions of PS in the next couple of years. Sooner or later you are going to be stuck with the version that you are on. START SAVING. I'd update your macOS to the latest version of your current release and see if that helps. With it working fine if you putting files on the desktop, I'm wondering if you could create a new folder inside your Macintosh HD, under your User Profile. We can call it "Test 123." (Open the Finder >> Macintosh HD >> Users >> Profile Name >> From there you should see something like this: As you can see in my example, I have a "Junk Drawer" Folder. You could create a "Test 123" Folder instead, then make an alias and drop the Alias to the Mac Desktop. Copy a few files, like 5-10 into the folder and then try opening them. I'm wondering if the location that you store things is the culprit, more like some sort of Permissions issue that got screwed up. It could be something stupid like the Photoshop doesn't have full read/write access to your folders that you store things. Especially if it's this Desktop Folder that gets dumped into. Or something is wrong with the EHD that you store stuff. We need to find the source of the problem and target that. I think we are chasing symptoms. (This file isn't doing what it's supposed to. We need to figure out why.) I found this link, it covers everything I would have said. I'm sure your eyes will glaze over. Fixing Permissions should be done about once a month or so; it never really "Fixes" things, well...stuff like you are having issues with. It does fix stuff in the background and is one of those maintenance items that Mac users have done since 1984.

In addition, you are really pushing your luck with that 21.5" iMac and the current versions of PS. You might have to go back to an older version to get things working again and stay there. Personally, I'd recommend you start saving for a new computer.

Welp, my guess is that there might be some Operating System Corruption, OR you need to update your macOS Monterey since 12.5 is out of date. Currently, Version 12.6.3 is what you should be at. Please use Safari to open this link, it will take you to the current version: MacOS Monterey 12.6.3 Sometimes, you need to update your OS to fix the weird issues in Photoshop, especially if you are running the current versions. While I'm all for being conservative for not updating right away, going the other extreme, "I'm not ever updating because it messes up my computer..." also causes problems. Adobe has pushed out a few updates to PS and Bridge lately, I think you are right that auto-update initially caused issues. Try updating your OS and see what happens. Also, how full is your Macintosh HD? If it's more than 80% full, especially if it's 95% or more, weird things can happen with a Mac. A completely full HD is a unhappy HD and could crash on you. How much crap do you have on your desktop? This also could be a corrupted profile issue. Now thinking about things, I need to know: How full are ALL your Hard Drives, both Internal and External. How much crap do you have on your desktop. Do you run a Clean Up Program, such as CleanMyMac X? If so, when was it last updated and when did you run it? (I usually use CMMX once a week.) When is the last time you fixed permissions? Get back to me with the answers before you update anything.

YES! That's the one on my Christmas List and the one to get if you have Sony XQD Cards or the newer type CFExpress Type B. Here is the Card Reader on Amazon, same price.

It's smaller than a Apple Magic Mouse, to give you an idea of size. I also just fixed my link in the above comment, which should take you to Amazon.

Samsung 2TB SSD I have the 1TB version, which sells for $98 now. It’s a SSD Drive, so no moving parts and it’s in a rugged case, perfect for traveling. It’s also about the size of a computer mouse. Highly recommended.

How much storage do you need? Are you on the go a lot and need this HD to be portable? Or will this be stationary on a desk somewhere and not move?

Laptops are only "En Vogue" for about 45 days. Meaning, you can not wait any longer, as they will either be discontinued or replaced by another model within a short period of time. It used to be that the Manufactures would have a "Spring Line" and a "Fall Line," but that is no longer the case. Well, Apple still follows this model somewhat. So save up as much money as you can, and when you do find something, you need to jump on it. No sitting on making a decision for a few months. Comparing Laptop A to Laptop B and hoping their will be a sales in August for Back-to-School events. Nope. That's 20th Century Thinking. Personally, I'd save up $2500 for a Laptop that's "Good for Photo Editing" in 2023. Sure, you'll probably find one that's cheaper, but having $2500 saved up gives you a little wiggle-room and the ability to pounce. When I give my advice telling you to buy something, I expect you to pull the trigger in a day or so and no longer than a week. Why? Because next week that laptop will either be out of stock or discontinued.

A few things come to mind: Your screen is too bright. Yes, really. Kill the brightness, even after calibration. Yes, you will get used to a darker screen. It takes about a week or so. When you compare your prints, do NOT look at the prints side-by-side with your monitor. Look at them perpendicular to one another. Or to put it another way, 90º. The light around your computer isn't up to par. Your display should not be the brightest thing in the room. Give this article a read: The Light around your Computer. Have you followed Damien's instructions for your Spyder X Calibration? I stopped using WHCC a long time ago. Their colors are just off. Personally, I use CPQ.com. I will warn you, a little color goes a long way with them. So don't think you need to go nuclear with colors with your editing. Their prints are very similar to Artsy Couture, but with WAY quicker turn-around times. Artsy Couture is SLOW to ship. I've also used Color Inc. and have my clients go to their consumer side, UnitPrints when I was Photographing Professionally. Because there is only ONE Color Space in Lightroom, ProPhoto RGB, there will ALWAYS-ALWAYS-ALWAYS be a color shift when during export. Whether that's into Photoshop or to a .jpg file. In addition, since ProPhoto RGB is so large, compared to sRGB, you will get trapped into a false sense of security and push your edits a bit too far, which causes "out of gamut" issues with printing. Meaning, the printers use sRGB, can only physically a certain range of colors and uses the best match to what your photo contains. More often than not, it gets things wrong. This is especially true if you are using a bunch of Presets and Actions to do your edits on. It's easy to make your prints look #AMAZEBALLZ online, difficult to get them to print correctly. You can't always go nilly-willy with your edits. The thing with MPIX, is I believe they use the D50/5500K color standard that is different than the rest of the world, which is D65/6500K. Same thing with Miller's. So that tells me your existing monitor must be way off, so before going crazy, finish with what matches. Even if it's MPIX. Get things out the door and to your customers, THEN we will tackle things with your new monitor. The reason is why we don't recommend Miller's and MPIX, is that even though your prints match them, they will look like garbage to the rest of the world when you post online. The D50 color standard is warm, so it forces you to edit your photos cold in order for them to look right on the screen. You need a decent display. The one you have is crap. Time for an upgrade. Your current PC, is "Okay at best." Or to put it another way, "Meh." I'm not digging your Video Card Choice. Adobe's Products are relying on the video card for not only for a performance boost, but for things like Adobe Camera RAW to actually function. The choice of video card is now more important than the choice of CPU!!! Your power supply isn't sufficient to support a better video card either. So while things might be working for now, don't expect them to in the near future. By the time you upgrade things, with just the Video Card and PS, we are around $900 - $1000-ish. Just for those two items. Then you have to fight your case because it's a store-bought PC. Remember, you aren't playing video games, even though you have a "Gaming PC," Photoshop is changing the rules as it becomes more and more bloated. Remember, Adobe needs to keep people hooked on the Subscription Payment Plan, so they have to keep adding shit so that their subscribers thing they are getting something for their money. In reality, it's time for an upgrade, but it's going to cost you about $1500 more than what you paid for. My advice? Start with the Display, then work from there.

Dell UltraSharp U2722D on Amazon. It's slightly cheaper at B&H Photo.

Ugh. I hope you have this Feature TURNED OFF when editing and more importantly, Calibrating: You do not want to be using any Blue Light Filters or Blue Light Glasses when editing photos. My opinion on that monitor is "Meh." Yes, it has a IPS Screen, but it's also one of the cheaper 4K displays on Amazon. In my opinion, 4K on a 27" screen is overkill. 2560 x 1440 is really what you want. Otherwise, you are scaling things to 125% or even 150% just to see things clearly, like menus and such. So my vote would be to budget for a new display.

Hmm... How about this configuration? I cut the HD in half, to 2TB, but upgraded the CPU and more importantly, the GPU. Then purchase one of these drives: SanDisk Professional 7.68TB G-DRIVE PRO STUDIO SSD or one of these traditional External HDs: SanDisk Professional 20TB G-DRIVE PRO External HDD (Thunderbolt 3 / USB 3.2 Gen1, Space Gray). With a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 EHD, it's extremely fast because the throughput is 40Gbps, so it acts like a internal drive. So let's say, hypothetically...you go with my configuration, that's $2599 for the Mac Mini plus $1000 for the HD. Plus AppleCare and all that stuff. You are getting a lot more computer, and nearly double the Hard Drive Capacity. For $999, you are getting a 7.68GB EHD that's not only a TB3 drive but is also a SSD Drive. Talk about fast!! That said, your configuration is a decent one. I'm thinking a 4TB for $999 is a bit pricey for just 4TB of storage though. Also, you will need a HD that's dedicated for Time Machine Backups, and I recommend at least double the capacity of the internal HD. So a 4TB Internal Drive would have a 8TB External Time Machine Drive. But I understand where you are coming from and your thinking is correct; when it comes to the current line of Apple's M1 & M2 Products, there is no upgrading after the fact. So I'd def. get the 32GB RAM and bump up the CPU/GPU. The HD, like I said, Apple over-charges A LOT for their extras. I used to get people to purchase Crucial RAM instead of buying the Apple Branded, and they'd end up with more RAM for a lot less money. Instead of forking out $1000 for 32GB of Apple RAM, I'd get them to 64GB for a few hundred. Yep, about $800+ in savings. You might have a flaky Bluetooth Transmitter in your Mac or something is wrong with the Keyboard and Trackpad. I've never had any trouble with BT connectivity, but I did have to replace my BT Mac Keyboard once (it just died but the mouse was fine.) I honestly think you have multiple problems, one being the internal battery for your Keyboard (Lithium Ion Batteries do wear out) and to put it bluntly, the Mac Trackpads just suck. I hate them. Hate-Hate-Hate them. I'd opt to get a new Magic Keyboard and a Magic Mouse. Normally, I'd recommend using existing keyboards/mouse to save a bit of money, but in your case, I'd recommend a new Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse to go with your new Mac Mini. (This pained me to type those words out. Ugh.) That's really not a good practice. As long as you keep your Master .psd files, Trash those JPEGS!

Yes. Two reasons: 1. Better Display. It’s a Full IPS Anti Glare Screen, not a “IPS Like” screen. In my humble opinion, thats like saying cheese substitute. It tastes just like real cheese! 2. Video Card. NVIDIA RTX 3080 with 16GB Dedicated Video Memory. This is important for today’s modern Photoshop. The days of choosing this model over that one is because this has a better CPU are over. That was 20th Century Thinking. There’s more to choosing a computer, especially if you are editing photos, than just the CPU. RAM, I like at least 32GB in 2023. This was similar to 32MB in the middle 1990’s. The band members might change, but the song remains the same. It’s a sliding scale, really. 30 years ago we were dealing with MB and GB. Now it’s GB and TB. The problem with laptops is the stupid screen and that people want them to be desktop replacements. People want the portability from a laptop and if they are editing photos, a larger screen, but the full power of a Desktop. Those two worlds come at a price premium. You can’t have cheap and powerful in the same sentence when it comes to a laptop. In your case, you want the better screen at the lower price-point, but at the cost of the screen size. If you want both, you are going to have to pay for it.

Hmm... You might have to remove those drivers that you just installed. There is no 100% sure-fire method to drivers. You basically have to figure things out on your own and if something breaks, figure out how to undo things. I've been doing this same thing professionally for the last 30 years. The trick is remembering what you did to fix things. But I thought you installed the drivers awhile ago and things were working? Also, after you log into Windows, have you re-seated the USB cables for the Keyboard and Mouse? Which USB ports are they in? Most of the time, the Keyboard and Mouse work best that are located just beneath the Ethernet Port on the Motherboard.

Found this on Reddit, and it's a pretty good description. "This means that something like a disk expansion happened and changed block tracking can’t be used, so Veeam will fall back to scanning blocks during the backup and only backing up changed blocks, instead of instantly knowing what the changes blocks are. No need for action on your part." As to what caused this, I have no idea. It very well could be a Windows Update of some sort, especially if it upgraded to a whole new version of Windows. I am concerned though, about the messages of the destination running out of space. Either prune your backups or get a larger HD.

That’s fine. The chipset drivers for your motherboard make things go faster Vs using the MSFT Drivers. It’s not huge, but is noticeable.

It's the same here in the States. The cost for parts is just shy of a whole Brand New Printer! The issue is, as time goes on, the quality goes down. You can physically feel the difference between a brand new model today and one from say 3-5 years ago, let alone 10+ years ago! I'm no fan of Brother's stuff but unfortunately, it seems your choices are lacking and Xerox (and I'm a Certified Xerox Tech) just piss me off. Those suckers are hyper when it comes to Toner and Ink. I've had very expensive printers flat out not work because they think the wrong Toner is installed and it just had a "Brain-Fart." In fact, I've had to reprogram a printer at least 3 times for this issue. Bah! Stupid Xerox.

I am a huge proponent of “Buy it Right - Buy it Once.” I’m not liking those new HP Printers. Need to be hooked up to the Internet 100% of the time and are just cheap shitty plastic. If you get a MFP that’s only a few hundred, don’t come in here complaining when it breaks. You get what you pay for. Personally, I’d get the 404 Printer with the Copier / ADF Option: LaserJet Pro M428 FDN The F D and N stands for Fax, Duplex and Network. Basically HP took the printer I recommended and slapped a touchscreen and Copier/ Scanner on it. I know it’s quite a bit more money, but I hate wasting money on this shit. It does you no good buying something and having it break in 6 months only to toss it. If you are really looking to save money, the Brother MFPs would be something to research and for a decent MFP, your budget should be at least $500. Or more.

Personally, I have the least amount of problems with Genuine OEM Toner Cartridges. With refurbished Toner, they just put more Toner in and clean them up, but there are other existing parts that do not get replaced and they do wear out. (image Drums, Charge Rollers, etc.) I can see the reasons for businesses to get Generic Toner, it is a cost savings, but for your 1st one, I’d get a OEM and see how long that lasts for you. How much are you printing each day / month? I have printers that fill up 2000 page bins at 8AM and then again at 2PM 6 Days a week if you are only printing a few hundred each month, or less…you aren’t going to be buying another Toner for at least a few years. In that time, how many ink modules would you go through? Remember, you will have one in the box for your printer. They are usually starter cartridges bust still will last a lot longer than any ink cartridge. So unless you are printing hundreds of sheets per day, or more, it’s not going to be a big issue. Like I’ve said, I have replaced TWO Toner Cartridges since 2005, but I don’t print much. Well, thinking about it, this number might be 3 as I had a different laser printer back then. The hardest part about buying a Laser Printer is the initial purchase, it’s expensive. I get it. But the alternative is to buy another cheap inkjet printer and deal with the ink cartridges. In the end, you will spend more money and this is intentional.

Yep! That’s what I wanted you to do. Are there any other drivers for your Motherboard? Specifically the Chipset Drivers?

Wow. Here in the states the 58A is just under $117 and generics are around $70. That's A$174.20. I just checked Officeworks, which is like our "Office Depot." It seems that HP has changed some of the numbers for the Toner Cartridge, and the one for the printer that I'm recommending is a bit cheaper. Here is the HP LaserJet Pro M404dw Mono SFP, and even though it's a Wireless Printer, it does have an Ethernet Port, along with a USB Port. You can always shut off the WiFi option in the settings, it's pretty easy to do. Or you could try WiFi and see how things work. Here is the Toner Cartridge that goes with it: HP LaserJet Toner Cartridge Black 76A. We could go to a lower-end model. Since I repair these things, I tend to lean towards the more "Beefier" models that I don't have to worry about, but there are cheaper options, like Brother. The thing with Brother Laser Printers, they work well until they break...then you get rid of them and buy a new printer. Why? Because the main parts that go bad cost $20 less than a whole new printer. For example, there is a component in the Laser Printers that is known as a Fuser. The Fuser bonds the Toner to the paper as there is a Heat Roller and a Pressure Roller. Well, one of these rollers has a Teflon Coating that wears out over time requiring replacement. When it comes to Brother's Fusers, a whole new Printer is $299 and a replacement Fuser is $279...it's ridiculous. SMDH. We live in such a throw-away society. I have had decent experience with this Brother Laser: Brother Wireless Mono Laser Printer HL-L5200DW and here is the Toner Cartridge to go with it: Brother TN 3440 Toner Cartridge Black. Wow...Toner Cartridges are EXPENSIVE in Australia. But again, they don't dry out and last a while. That Brother Toner lasts for 8000 pages. Like the HP that I just linked to, this Brother can use Ethernet and have the WiFi shut off and it also has a USB Port. For even less money, here is one option: Brother Wireless Mono Laser Printer HL-L2305W and the Toner that goes with it, Brother TN 2330 Toner Cartridge Black. There is also this HP Laser Printer, the HP+ LaserJet Printer M110we and the W1410A Toner Cartridge, which is probably more in your price range. Unless you have a huge desire to directly print from your iPhone, which it does not have AirPrint, the HP M110we is very small (it's so little) and would probably be the one that takes up the least amount of room. So those are the ones I'd buy. It's up to your budget at this point.

It's just when the printer goes to sleep, it shuts off the WiFi. Then you spend 5-10 minutes trying to convince the damn thing to connect. Then when you do connect, it seems that print jobs take forever to print, even though the printer prints at 42 pages per minute. Are there any Ethernet Ports on the back of your Modem in the Window? We just need one, then it's a simple matter of buying a 4 Port Ethernet Switch. You can get something like a 50 foot Ethernet Cable if you need to. I just checked your Amazon in OZ. Boy, the pickings are slim there. Ours literally has everything from A to Z. The Australian version, notsomuch. So you are going to have to buy direct from HP in Australia, and here is the printer I am recommending for you, the HP LaserJet Pro M404dn. You need a HP CF258A or HP CF258X replacement toner for it; the difference between the two is the 58A prints approximately 3000 pages and the "X," which stands for "Extra" (or high-yield) prints more, at around 10,000 pages. Yep...you read that correctly. Approximately 10,000 pages on one toner cartridge that never dries out. Of course, everything is either more expensive in OZ, or just isn't available. Even if you go with something like a small Brother Laser Printer, just make sure you have access to Toner as well. Where do you look for electronics and office supplies? Maybe we should start there. This is going to be tough getting you something. If you were in the States, you could go down the street 10 minutes away and buy one. LOL!! Man, I'm so spoiled.

Oh yeah... You have to be careful with some of the Windows Updates. Especially when MSFT thinks their BIOS update is "better" than the current one you just downloaded, from the manufacture, that's newer than the MSFT one!