Considering buying new 24" iMac

[Betty LaRue]

I couldn’t bear to be without my iPad. While I edit images on my iMac, I prep them for final sale on my iPad. I read the forum and post on it. I watch YouTube on it. I send email and texts on it. I research on it. I can wirelessly send something to my printer from it. I order products and groceries from it, including ordering a meal that I pick up to bring home.

I have my kindle for books and it goes with me to doctors’ offices when I think waiting might be involved. The last thing I do before turning out the lamp to sleep is read on my kindle. The best sleep aid ever.

I recently bought the iPad Pro, my third iPad.

I realize a lot of you do many of these things with your phone, but I prefer having the larger format because it is easier on my eyes.

[Allan Bell]

2 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

I couldn’t bear to be without my iPad. While I edit images on my iMac, I prep them for final sale on my iPad. I read the forum and post on it. I watch YouTube on it. I send email and texts on it. I research on it. I can wirelessly send something to my printer from it. I order products and groceries from it, including ordering a meal that I pick up to bring home.

I have my kindle for books and it goes with me to doctors’ offices when I think waiting might be involved. The last thing I do before turning out the lamp to sleep is read on my kindle. The best sleep aid ever.

I recently bought the iPad Pro, my third iPad.

I realize a lot of you do many of these things with your phone, but I prefer having the larger format because it is easier on my eyes.

 

My daughter wanted to buy me a Kindle for a Christmas present. I told her thank you but no thanks. I much prefer to have the real thing in my hands.

 

Allan

 

[Ed Rooney]

Allan, If you should change your mind and let your daughter give you that present, get the Kindle Paperwhite. That's the lightest and is easy on the eyes. You have the stability of a home, so books make sense. An eReader makes more sense for a nomad like me. 

 

Betty, do you also use the Apple Pencil to conduct your parrot's singing? 

 

A tech at the Apple Store told me I could not connect my iPad to the Web via my person hotspot. It turns out he's wrong. I just did that. I watched part of a Netflix film, answered an email, surfed YouTube, and it all worked fine. In the days ahead, I'll be getting Alamy and Adobe CC on this iPad. YIPPIE!

 

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Ed Rooney

[NYCat]

1 hour ago, Allan Bell said:

 

My daughter wanted to buy me a Kindle for a Christmas present. I told her thank you but no thanks. I much prefer to have the real thing in my hands.

 

Allan

 

 

Books do seem to feel better but my bad memory for names has me liking the Kindle or Kindle on the iPhone. If you touch a name that you know you have encountered earlier in the book you can get the option to search within the book. Very handy. You can also get definitions and search on Google or look at Wikipedia info. 

 

Paulette

[Ed Rooney]

 

Al Jolson and friends danced in blackface, but I don't think they were Morris dancers.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tuu5YtkPIo

 

[Betty LaRue]

4 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

 

Betty, do you also use the Apple Pencil to conduct your parrot's singing? 

 

 

 

 

Actually, I used it to goose Echo. She was not amused and now it has a beak dent in it. (Kidding)

Allan, I always preferred physical books. Just like I read a physical newspaper. The paper isn’t hard on my hands, but I’ve had arthritis since my early 20s. The pain of holding a paperback open just wore me down.

I just wish I’d gone to a kindle sooner.

One thing I particularly like is if I’m toward the end of a book I’m reading in a waiting room, I can quickly start another because I’m walking around with a couple of hundred titles in my kindle. Most of what I read are free books from Bookbub. Occasionally I’ll pay .99 or 1.99 for one. Rarely, I’ll go for one $5.99 or more. Considering I used to buy 7-8 paperbacks a month at  $7.99 each or more a month, I’m saving myself a lot of money. $64 or more. I’m sure paperbacks sell for more now than when I quit buying them.

The book I finished minutes ago was free, and one of the best books I’ve read in awhile. Nothing wrong with an old dog learning new tricks and keeping up with the times.
Right, Edo? 😁

Edited July 11, 2022 by Betty LaRue

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

8 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

I couldn’t bear to be without my iPad. While I edit images on my iMac, I prep them for final sale on my iPad. I read the forum and post on it. I watch YouTube on it. I send email and texts on it. I research on it. I can wirelessly send something to my printer from it. I order products and groceries from it, including ordering a meal that I pick up to bring home.

I have my kindle for books and it goes with me to doctors’ offices when I think waiting might be involved. The last thing I do before turning out the lamp to sleep is read on my kindle. The best sleep aid ever.

I recently bought the iPad Pro, my third iPad.

I realize a lot of you do many of these things with your phone, but I prefer having the larger format because it is easier on my eyes.

Wow Betty you are more tekkie thank you consider yourself to be, much more than I am !  I love my iPad mini 5 for reading, saves having a whole lot of books around the house, they take up so much space and collect so much dust and I don't like housework🤣  Haven't tried sending anything to the printer from it yet.

 

Carol

[Betty LaRue]

2 minutes ago, CAROL SAUNDERS said:

Wow Betty you are more tekkie thank you consider yourself to be, much more than I am !  I love my iPad mini 5 for reading, saves having a whole lot of books around the house, they take up so much space and collect so much dust and I don't like housework🤣  Haven't tried sending anything to the printer from it yet.

 

Carol

Ahh, but transferring files from an old computer to a new one, installing memory chips (I did it) and the like, still terrifies me.  I would never have survived going from old to the new computer without MDM’s help. And still I backed away from doing a clean install because I was afraid of doing something wrong.

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

5 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Ahh, but transferring files from an old computer to a new one, installing memory chips (I did it) and the like, still terrifies me.  I would never have survived going from old to the new computer without MDM’s help. And still I backed away from doing a clean install because I was afraid of doing something wrong.

Yes, but you survived as I did when I upgraded my RAM with his and everyone else's help !

 

Am wondering if Allan has made up his mind about a new Mac yet😉

 

Carol

[Marianne]

4 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Actually, I used it to goose Echo. She was not amused and now it has a beak dent in it. (Kidding)

Allan, I always preferred physical books. Just like I read a physical newspaper. The paper isn’t hard on my hands, but I’ve had arthritis since my early 20s. The pain of holding a paperback open just wore me down.

I just wish I’d gone to a kindle sooner.

One thing I particularly like is if I’m toward the end of a book I’m reading in a waiting room, I can quickly start another because I’m walking around with a couple of hundred titles in my kindle. Most of what I read are free books from Bookbub. Occasionally I’ll pay .99 or 1.99 for one. Rarely, I’ll go for one $5.99 or more. Considering I used to buy 7-8 paperbacks a month at  $7.99 each or more a month, I’m saving myself a lot of money. $64 or more. I’m sure paperbacks sell for more now than when I quit buying them.

The book I finished minutes ago was free, and one of the best books I’ve read in awhile. Nothing wrong with an old dog learning new tricks and keeping up with the times.
Right, Edo? 😁

 

Love my Kindle paperwhite - I have a Kindle Fire bought many years ago and discovered I couldn't read it at the beach or anywhere outside - the Kindle paperwhite is good in any kind of light and I can make the letters large enough to read without glasses. I love that I can start a new book if I finish one when I'm out at the doctor's office or wherever and the library has tons of kindle (and audio) books I can download for free - though I also will buy some from the Kindle store if they are unavailable from the library. A bonus, If you live anywhere in NY State you can get a NY Public library card and download from their extensive catalog - you used to have to live in NYC but not anymore - a lot more choices than our small suburban town library. 

 

We were away at our beach house this weekend and we have no electricity there at the moment (have been dealing with supply chain issues in getting parts for the electric meter) so I picked up the least expensive paperbacks I could find for hubby and myself while on a Target run to get a battery powered lantern - they are about $10-14 now. I also bought the first vinyl album I've gotten since probably the late 70's -early 80's - Adele's newest on sale for $18.99 (usually $31!) a far cry from the $5 I recall spending. Most of the choices were new releases of the Beatles, Creedence and others in hub's and my joint collection all bought years and years before we even met. I much prefer to listen to music without something stuck in or over my ears.  

[Marianne]

I think Allan was opting for a new MacBook and monitor instead of an iMac - @Allan Bell did you get the Eizo or the BenQ? How do you like it? 

 

I'm thinking now I may splurge on the entry level Eizo monitor - that Australian site our resident tech guru recommended was really helpful. Still debating between Eizo and BenQ given the big price difference here in the US between but if it lasts 7-10 years, I guess the $400 difference is acceptable, though I wish I could see the two side by side. It sounds like it's more user-friendly than the BenQ and at this stage of my life, I don't want tech that stresses me out. The Australian site also explained how to calibrate much better than I've seen elsewhere.  The newest higher-end Eizo's calibrate themselves automatically which sounds fabulous, but they aren't available until late August (maybe even later) and they would really gobble up my budget. 

[MDM]

5 hours ago, Marianne said:

I'm thinking now I may splurge on the entry level Eizo monitor - that Australian site our resident tech guru recommended was really helpful. Still debating between Eizo and BenQ given the big price difference here in the US between but if it lasts 7-10 years, I guess the $400 difference is acceptable, though I wish I could see the two side by side. It sounds like it's more user-friendly than the BenQ and at this stage of my life, I don't want tech that stresses me out. The Australian site also explained how to calibrate much better than I've seen elsewhere.  The newest higher-end Eizo's calibrate themselves automatically which sounds fabulous, but they aren't available until late August (maybe even later) and they would really gobble up my budget. 

 

Firstly and this is not false modesty - thanks for the appreciation here and from other posts as well, but I am not a tech guru by any stretch of the imagination. I know a bit about M1 Macs  because I bought one late last year and had done a lot of research at the time. I know a bit about monitors from the last time I bought one which is a few years ago now but I am not at all up to date.

 

What I do know is where to look for good up to date info which is why I suggested that Aussie site as he has a lot of practical (as well as theoretical) info on the current state of play in the monitor world. The big problem at the moment seems to be global supply shortages which are having an impact on prices. It makes it very difficult to draw exact comparisons between different makes and models. In the past, Eizo was typically up to twice the price of the equivalent BenQ and for a good reason - their quality control is extremely exacting and the high end product is accordingly amazing. BenQ started to offer a much cheaper alternative at the high end but there was a definite difference between the high end models. 

 

That does not mean that the two models you (Marianne) are considering are equivalents so you would need to investigate that. I suspect they are not if the Eizo or is cheaper or very close in price to the BenQ here in the UK.  The BenQ might have extra features? But paying a bit more for an equivalent Eizo is likely to be well worth the investment if you can afford it. They just have that extra touch of class. 

Edited July 12, 2022 by MDM

[Allan Bell]

8 hours ago, Marianne said:

I think Allan was opting for a new MacBook and monitor instead of an iMac - @Allan Bell did you get the Eizo or the BenQ? How do you like it? 

 

I'm thinking now I may splurge on the entry level Eizo monitor - that Australian site our resident tech guru recommended was really helpful. Still debating between Eizo and BenQ given the big price difference here in the US between but if it lasts 7-10 years, I guess the $400 difference is acceptable, though I wish I could see the two side by side. It sounds like it's more user-friendly than the BenQ and at this stage of my life, I don't want tech that stresses me out. The Australian site also explained how to calibrate much better than I've seen elsewhere.  The newest higher-end Eizo's calibrate themselves automatically which sounds fabulous, but they aren't available until late August (maybe even later) and they would really gobble up my budget. 

 

I have put everything on hold for now while my brain cools down from the overworking it is getting with all the figures and specifications being bandied about.🤪

 

Allan

 

[Marianne]

I ordered the entry level Eizo. It'll be here Thursday so I can hopefully report on it next week. From my exhaustive (and exhausting) research, I think it will be worth the difference. I just ordered my first iPad (an Air) with a Prime Day special deal, figuring it will be good to use for day to day stuff like social media, web browsing, & email to give my MBP a break.  I'm now researching Windows Laptops and monitors for my hubby. His 7-year old 1TB SSD Acer has over 800GB still free but the 6GB RAM/i5 Intel Processor combo just seems to be too slow when he's connected to his work computer remotely. We clearly need very different specs on our computers.  With Dell and others offering $300-700 off various models to compete with Prime Day deals, and $100 or more off monitors, it seems like a good time to buy, even with supply side tech markups. And he's in the middle of a big work project and losing patience with his slow machine. 

 

@Allan Bell, it does get overwhelming - even if you know you want a Mac, there are so many configuration choices - I finally decided that I needed to stop researching monitors and just go with my gut after mulling it over for a couple of weeks. And the iPad seemed like a good way to extend the life of my laptop, while also giving me the creative power of the Apple pencil. As long as my MBP holds out for another couple of years, I've made the right choice and I won't have to spend another penny on tech or camera equipment for quite a while. Having gotten a $5,000 grant in January also gives me the freedom to go for the higher end monitor without feeling guilty. I bought a new camera last year in anticipation of receiving the grant, and also upgraded my backup drives, so my tech/camera budget is depleted.

 

Excited for the new toys! 

[Allan Bell]

4 hours ago, Marianne said:

I ordered the entry level Eizo. It'll be here Thursday so I can hopefully report on it next week. From my exhaustive (and exhausting) research, I think it will be worth the difference. I just ordered my first iPad (an Air) with a Prime Day special deal, figuring it will be good to use for day to day stuff like social media, web browsing, & email to give my MBP a break.  I'm now researching Windows Laptops and monitors for my hubby. His 7-year old 1TB SSD Acer has over 800GB still free but the 6GB RAM/i5 Intel Processor combo just seems to be too slow when he's connected to his work computer remotely. We clearly need very different specs on our computers.  With Dell and others offering $300-700 off various models to compete with Prime Day deals, and $100 or more off monitors, it seems like a good time to buy, even with supply side tech markups. And he's in the middle of a big work project and losing patience with his slow machine. 

 

@Allan Bell, it does get overwhelming - even if you know you want a Mac, there are so many configuration choices - I finally decided that I needed to stop researching monitors and just go with my gut after mulling it over for a couple of weeks. And the iPad seemed like a good way to extend the life of my laptop, while also giving me the creative power of the Apple pencil. As long as my MBP holds out for another couple of years, I've made the right choice and I won't have to spend another penny on tech or camera equipment for quite a while. Having gotten a $5,000 grant in January also gives me the freedom to go for the higher end monitor without feeling guilty. I bought a new camera last year in anticipation of receiving the grant, and also upgraded my backup drives, so my tech/camera budget is depleted.

 

Excited for the new toys! 

 

Pleased to hear you are now, more or less, set up for the future.  I still wish that Apple had brought out an M2 27" iMac.

 

Still in cooling mode. I think all this hot weather we are having over here is due to my overworked 2 cell brain.

 

Allan

 

[Allan Bell]

On 11/07/2022 at 22:42, Betty LaRue said:

Actually, I used it to goose Echo. She was not amused and now it has a beak dent in it. (Kidding)

Allan, I always preferred physical books. Just like I read a physical newspaper. The paper isn’t hard on my hands, but I’ve had arthritis since my early 20s. The pain of holding a paperback open just wore me down.

I just wish I’d gone to a kindle sooner.

One thing I particularly like is if I’m toward the end of a book I’m reading in a waiting room, I can quickly start another because I’m walking around with a couple of hundred titles in my kindle. Most of what I read are free books from Bookbub. Occasionally I’ll pay .99 or 1.99 for one. Rarely, I’ll go for one $5.99 or more. Considering I used to buy 7-8 paperbacks a month at  $7.99 each or more a month, I’m saving myself a lot of money. $64 or more. I’m sure paperbacks sell for more now than when I quit buying them.

The book I finished minutes ago was free, and one of the best books I’ve read in awhile. Nothing wrong with an old dog learning new tricks and keeping up with the times.
Right, Edo? 😁

 

Betty I buy my paperback and hardback books from the Oxfam book shop here. Secondhand books. Paperbacks range around the £1.50 - £2.00 mark. Hardback books I have bought are £2.00 - £5.00.  Not bad as the hardbacks are out of print.

 

Allan

 

[Betty LaRue]

5 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Betty I buy my paperback and hardback books from the Oxfam book shop here. Secondhand books. Paperbacks range around the £1.50 - £2.00 mark. Hardback books I have bought are £2.00 - £5.00.  Not bad as the hardbacks are out of print.

 

Allan

 

I did some of that when I was buying physical books. The main problem was that in the genres I preferred, I had read most of them already. When I wasted an hour trying to find one that was new to me, I gave it up. I did sell there, though.

[DerekVallintine]

I have been reading this thread with interest as I have to replace my 12 year old iMac 27. Based on the information from the great people on this thread I am going to get the Mac mini with 16gb memory and 1tb storage. 

For the monitor I went onto dcpreview web site and in the Mac forum I asked what was a good monitor for the Mac mini.  

One suggestion was the LG32UN650-W 31.5 inch UHD 3840x2160 IPS.

I was wondering if the good people on this forum/thread could check out this monitor and tell me if it is good or bad.

Cheers Derek

 

[MDM]

1 hour ago, DerekVallintine said:

I have been reading this thread with interest as I have to replace my 12 year old iMac 27. Based on the information from the great people on this thread I am going to get the Mac mini with 16gb memory and 1tb storage. 

For the monitor I went onto dcpreview web site and in the Mac forum I asked what was a good monitor for the Mac mini.  

One suggestion was the LG32UN650-W 31.5 inch UHD 3840x2160 IPS.

I was wondering if the good people on this forum/thread could check out this monitor and tell me if it is good or bad.

Cheers Derek

 

 

Your choice of computer is good but I don't think a lot of this monitor for photography. It's a consumer monitor with speakers, cheap for a 32" UHD, not designed for photography. LG produce decent TVs and computer displays but are not in the photography market. In my opinion it is better to leave out the bells and whistles and get something designed for the job. 

 

This BenQ is what I would recommend. It is designed for photography: wide gamut, 27" @ 2560x1440, can be calibrated properly and so on. As I said above, my philosophy is to get a decent monitor as that is what I am going to be looking at my images on for the next n years. 

[DerekVallintine]

Thanks for replying and your recommendation for the BenQ which I will buy.

[MDM]

8 hours ago, DerekVallintine said:

Thanks for replying and your recommendation for the BenQ which I will buy.

Don’t mention it. I hope you can get that monitor in Canada. They seem to be in short supply in the US although there doesn’t seem to be any shortage in the UK. 

[Marianne]

UPDATE:

 

Happy with the Eizo 27" Coloredge years ago - it's the perfect size since it is height adjustable - and can be used vertically for those portrait oriented images too.  I wish I bought it years ago. 

It was tricky setting it up to work seamlessly as a second monitor since my Apple display menu did not look like the one online (on the Mac help menu) but a call to Eizo got me up and running. Their customer service is very friendly and knowledgeable (and the guy who helped me works on Windows but answered all my questions and helped me figure out what settings I needed). 

Beautiful display - no need for 4K - it lets me see everything I need even on my huge 9000+px across images.

I haven't seen the competing BenQ so can't compare but this monitor is great - if this is their entry-level I can't imagine how beautiful the high end ones are. It's solid, heavy, but easy to move up and down and vertically. 

[MDM]

Great stuff Marianne. Never mind the BenQ - Eizo is in a class of its own. What model did you actually get? If you haven't already done so, to take full advantage of the features of the monitor, you should download the Color Navigator app from the Eizo website and calibrate the monitor (if you have a calibrator). 

Edited July 30, 2022 by MDM

[Marianne]

On 30/07/2022 at 14:21, MDM said:

Great stuff Marianne. Never mind the BenQ - Eizo is in a class of its own. What model did you actually get? If you haven't already done so, to take full advantage of the features of the monitor, you should download the Color Navigator app from the Eizo website and calibrate the monitor (if you have a calibrator). 

 

I got the ColorEdge  CS2731 27" Wide Gamut IPS Monitor. I downloaded and installed the Color Navigator app, and bookmarked the YouTube how-to videos. The rep I spoke with told me to wait until I'd used the monitor for 200 hours before calibrating it for the first time. So, it'll be a while, since I'm mostly just using it for photos, preferring the laptop sans monitor for other stuff. And trying to get out and take photos in the good weather. 

 

I got a Datacolor SpiderX, not top of the line, but sufficient and on sale. Rep confirmed it was fine. I used to borrow a friend's calibrator but I've been without a large monitor for too long and I've been led to understand that calibrating a laptop is a losing proposition. Mine's actually pretty good when comparing it to the Eizo - but far from perfect.

 

The Eizo is gorgeous. If I was making more I'd even spring for the higher end Eizo with built in calibration. Turning it to work on a vertical photo is so cool! It makes processing images fun. Not to mention digital painting. Really happy with my purchase. Best thing I've bought this year. And great for Numbers spreadsheets too. 

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2022 by Marianne

[imageplotter]

Seconding all things Eizo. My current Eizo ColourEdge is self calibrating and a thing of beauty, now almost 5 years old, the previous Eizo was 10 years old and is still going as a secondary monitor for client shoots, but the older one has to be calibrated quite regularly, which was always a bit tedious. They are not cheap, but are a solid investment and also very solidly built, have the optional surround which limits glare onto the screen, can can be fully adjusted in height, viewing angle etc.