I am thinking about changing to an Apple iMac, primarily for my graphic design work. Would I be better off purchasing a high-spec Intel-based Windows PC rather than an iMac, or can I be confident that I can run the Adobe Creative Suite 2 on the new iMac? Richard Minns
This is not a good time to buy an Intel-based Mac specifically to run Adobe Creative Suite 2. This has not been converted to universal binary format for Intel-based Macs, and never will be. As a result, it has to run via the Rosetta translator, and the Windows version of ACS2 runs up to three times faster. Adobe is writing new versions of its programs and will launch Adobe Creative Suite 3 for Intel-based Macs, perhaps next year. In the meantime, Abode advises "Mac-based customers looking for optimal performance" to continue with their PowerPC-based Macs (http://tinyurl.com/r3ws8).
As a Windows user, it would make more sense for you to run ACS2 on a PC - the programs have the same interfaces - until Adobe releases ACS3. Also, by that time, Apple will have released a new version of the Mac OS X operating system, plus Intel-based versions of its professional desktop PCs, perhaps using superior chips that Intel is releasing later this year. By waiting you will get a better computer, a better operating system and (probably) better applications, all of which should retain their usefulness - and value - longer.
The next version of Mac OS X is expected to include Apple's Boot Camp software, which enables an Intel-based Mac to run Windows XP and applications at PC speeds. This could provide a staging strategy, where you run ACS2 under Windows while having a Mac for other purposes. However, Boot Camp is still an early beta and not recommended for serious use. Some users have found that after running XP, they were unable to reboot to Mac OS X.
Finally, I recommend buying a top-end Mac for ACS, rather than an iMac. The tower systems are more expandable and flexible, and the iMac screen is not easily adjustable. For best performance, Adobe recommends using two hard drives, with ACS on a different drive from the operating system. I'd also recommend using two screens. ACS2 costs almost £800, and in a commercial setting, it is a false economy to run it on constrained hardware.
