Computer needed. Will pay.
So, I have a lovely modern shiny laptop that is underpowered with too little storage (hey, it was free from these guys for winning their competition) and a three-year old laptop that makes my room noiser than [text deleted by the PC brigade]. I also have a fscking awesome wonderful new camera (a Canon 450D) that’s producing rather large RAW files that need processing.
I don’t, unfortunately, have much money. The shiny laptop was free, the old laptop a birthday present and the camera also a birthday present. In January, however, I get a nice chunk of student loan in again, and I am working during term so I can save up a little cash.
The problem to solve is, I would quite like to buy a desktop PC for a) working at home on a machine that’s not ridiculously tiny and bad for my fingers to be typing on, b) a nice large screen to see my nice large photos, c) a computer that’s powerful enough to process said photos and d) that isn’t too expensive.
At the moment my decision is between a £799 iMac (because they’re supposed to be good for that kind of thing) and a comparable Dell running Ubuntu (because I like Ubuntu and can do everything for two different values of free with GIMP and ufraw instead of acquiring buying Lightroom/Aperture/Photoshop etc). I haven’t ever had a desktop of my own, and am not really sure I know what I’m looking for. Any suggestions, tips or warnings (and hatemail for the iMac comment), please do let me know down there in the comment box. I won’t be buying until the New Year, but it would be good to have an idea of what I’m looking for before I start looking!
[Updated]:
Dell computer:
Looking at Dell’s site, I can get a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 gig RAM, 320GB hard drive with 128MB ATI card for £310. Monitor I’d buy separately – could probably get cheaper, as with wireless adaptor. Add another, larger hard drive myself, and I’m sorted. Does that sound good enough?
