Last weekend I bought a Macbook Pro for photo editing & I have been very disappointed with it. In short the two programs I use, DXO pro optics & Adobe lightroom (I have extensively benchmarked both) run significantly slower under OSX compared to Bootcamp Win 7 – together this and that iPhoto doesn’t work with network storage, I have been very underwhelmed. Must say there are things I do like about OSX, but nothing except the the lower virus risk has been really outstanding.

I am not flaming OSX, it is very nice indeed, I am just wasn’t expecting productivity to be so much slower (batch processes running 30-50% slower) actually I was hoping for improvement over windows.

So I am seriously considering returning the Pro as I feel I will be using it 100% under Win7…or is it possibly the best machine to use with Windows?

Otherwise what are the other options? Alienware seem since, but a little too gaming orientated.

Lots of people buy them to use with Windows, though I think they are mental. 🙂

Think there’s something wrong there tbh.

I have actually repeated the same tests on our Mac Mini and the results came back exactly the same with Win7 significantly faster than OSX – these were real world tests not benchmarking. DXO do a batch conversions for lens and barrel distortion and Lightroom exporting an album to 1080p video – regular but slow stuff ideal for speed comparison.

I also wrote to DXO to comment and this was their reply.

“I run Optics Pro on both Window 7 under boot camp on a quad Mac Pro, and a OS X copy under OS X 10.6.6 on a second Mac Pro quad. To be honest, this is a comparison of apples (so to speak) and oranges. Since the programs are coded differently due to their respective operating systems, it is difficult to accurately determine where any slowness starts.

I will tell you this. Windows 7 runs like a bat on the Mac Pro. Better than any PC I have seen it run on. I believe that the hardware configuration in a Mac is more to the liking of Windows 7 (VISTA stinks on a Mac Pro). What you are seeing is the speed increase due to the efficiency of Win 7 running on the Mac.

I have suggested at the local Microsoft store that they should have Win 7 running on a Mac Pro. Of course, they snickered and walked off playing with their Dells and HPs. My older Mac Pro will smoke their new systems any day of the week running Windows 7. And, the speed at which major Windows programs open is astonishing. Word and Excel 2011 open in 5-10 seconds on my new Mac Pro. Word and Excel 2010 open in under 2 seconds under Windows 7 on the older Mac Pro. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

That doesn’t really answer the question though does it? Unless I am missing something.

I just would think if there was really such a huge difference it would have come up in reviews etc. If that’s what you found why not just enjoy using windows 7 on a very nicely made laptop :shrug:

The trouble with using a laptop for photo editing, apart from finding one with enough grunt, is that laptop screens are almost always TN-film which is utterly crap for colour reproduction and noticeably changes colours depending on your viewing angle.

IPS Monitor

TN-Film Laptop

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/digital-discussion-q/173919-ips-display-vs-laptop-warning-lots-pics.html

If you are using DxO Optics and Lightroom then I assume this matters to you.

I just would think if there was really such a huge difference it would have come up
in reviews etc. If that’s what you found why not just enjoy using windows 7 on a very nicely made laptop

Yes this is what I am surprised about. I may keep it and use it with win 7. Just exploring other options right now.

I agree regarding the suitability of a laptop for photo editing – but London flat…no other option. Mac Mini is plugged into the TV!

GrahamS – some laptops do have IPS screens, my MacBook Pro for example…

Rachel

Word and Excel 2011 open in 5-10 seconds on my new Mac Pro. Word and Excel 2010 open in under 2 seconds under Windows 7 on the older Mac Pro. Coincidence?

They both seem slow. Almost instant for me.

However that’s with virus checking off. Virus checking presumably scans for macros and slows it down a lot.

GrahamS – some laptops do have IPS screens, my MacBook Pro for example…

Are you sure rachel? I don’t think MBPs have IPS screens, too bulky for Saint Jobs.
In fact from Googling the only laptop manufacturer offering IPS is Lenovo (and that is as a custom upgrade)

Having said that, the iPad and iMac are IPS, so I’m sure Apple will eventually release a MacBook with it.

They both seem slow. Almost instant for me.

That’s what I was thinking 😕

My understanding is there MBP does not have an IPS display. I certainly have found nothing confirming it.

This roundup dates from early 2009, but may still be interesting to the OP:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-9320-9876

The Lenovo there is not IPS, but it comes out well and has optional extras that are useful for a photographer (second slide out screen and a built-in calibrator).

Whoah whoah whoah. Hold on a second.

A second slide-out screen?!

That’s seriously awesome 🙂

I’m using a Dell Precision M6400 at work for 3D CAD and graphics, does a great job, it’s got a 17″ screen, not much colour distortion and it’s very solid. I think they’re doing an M6500 now and M4500 (15″).

That’s seriously awesome

Aye, it’s not huge but big enough to put all the tool palettes on in Photoshop, leaving the main screen for the full image.

Did I mention you can also have a graphics tablet with stylus built-in?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r0ZlmLBCjQ[/video]

That thinkpad is pretty awesome! Shame its so ugly 🙂

That thinkpad is pretty awesome! Shame its so ugly

Spoken like a true Mac user 😀

I had the same dilema a couple of years ago…bought a macbook pro and wasn’t impressed with it’s performance for photo editing. Plus a friend has just bought a more powerful XPS laptop for less money.

Took it back to the shop in London – I just told them I didn’t like it and a windows laptop is cheaper and better spec’d…the fanboy who served me was amazed I didn’t like it, I think he thought I was a moron. I was impressed they were happy to exchange it without arguing though.

I bought a gaming spec MSI laptop – MSI GX700

I’m a little bored of the tribal tattoo thing to be honest…that got old quick, but it’s quick and does everything I need. I often edit numerous huge image files without problem…HDR merging of multiple images – no problem.

I’m hankering after a fancy Alienware laptop now…or maybe even a Rock laptop…not because the MSI is struggling, I just like fancy new gadgets!

Have you actually seen an Alienware one? Is the quality up to Macs?

i expect if you were using something like capture one it would be faster (on the mac) is dxo native on pc and ported to the mac?
have you allocated the right amount of ram to to lightroom? (assuming it’s like photoshop) or not touched the pref’s?
have you tried turning open-gl off?

Well I have spent 2 weeks with the pro now, and it is due for return tomorrow. Pretty it is, OSX does not work for me at all, for the applications I am using performance is definitly significantly lower than Win7 (on the same machine).

Shame as it is a lovely machine, but the performance just hasn’t done it for me especially as I have spent over 75% of my time in Win7.

New MacBook pros possibly announced tomorrow so returning might nit be such a bad idea.

I use a Dell Precision M6400 which is entirely designed for this kind of thing (well, photo and video editing with the version I have). It is absolutely stonking for it, although it did cost a small fortune… on the upside it is orange 😉

Current model is the M6500

Aye, it’s not huge but big enough to put all the tool palettes on in Photoshop, leaving the main screen for the full image.

Would also be lovely for eclipse or other developer IDEs…

This MacOS speed issue is a bit of a scandal isn’t it? After we’ve been told that Macs are the perfect machine for so long..?

FTWIW I really like my HP HDX18 – enormous 18.4″ screen but pretty thin and light for a big laptop. No idea how the screen stacks up for photo editing tho but it is rather lovely to a layman.

I’ve always stuck with Vaios because i’m a big fan of the X-black screens. My latest (and 4th in a row i think) has full HD and the colour reproduction (in my opinion) after calibration with my Spyder is truly awesome. Lightroom runs pretty quickly and although i expect that the win 7/bootcamp option would be faster , I couldn’t justify paying twice the price for a MBP with the same processor, less memory and a lower resolution (and not 16:9) screen.

If you have the cash it’s worth looking at the Lenovo W510, comes with a good screen (designed for image work)

Yeah I have seen all the hype about the forthcoming Macbook pro – might mbe interesting unless they do opt for a v.small SSD for OSX and the stock HD for Bootcamp…

I have actually just ordered a machine from the dell outlet store. XPS 15 840QM (quad 1.86), 1080p RGB screen and 9cell battery as well as the usual spec – £700. I know the new processors are about to come out but not at that kind of price. And I have 7 days to decide to keep it or not. I can upgrade to SSD and 8gig (from 4) for about £200 and the performance should be outstanding compared to the Mac under windows let alone OSX.

I had seriously looked at the HP with the IPS screen, but its was just too much money. I had could have got the Dell m4500 but the spec was the same as the one I just purchased and it was twice the price.

XPS 15 840QM (quad 1.86), 1080p RGB screen and 9cell battery as well as the usual spec – £700

And some on here have tried to persuade us that Macs are no more expensive than Windows PCs…

So true regarding the price! But I think the quality of macs are better, though I can confirm this when the Dell arrives. I currently have a macbook, mini mac and a pro (being returned) and all three are outstandingly well built, better than any PC i have owned. Also alot more expensive.

Oh and the dell can display 100% of Adobes sRGB colour space

XPS 15 840QM (quad 1.86), 1080p RGB screen and 9cell battery as well as the usual spec – £700
And some on here have tried to persuade us that Macs are no more expensive than Windows PCs…

Funnily I was thinking about giving a MBP a go to see what all the fuss is about. I did the cost comparison and ended up buying the above as it was literally less half the price.

Its quite nice apart from I don’t get on with the keyboard that well on it compared to other laptops. Stonkingly fast though !!!

Thinking of putting either a SSD disk in it or a hybrid disk as an upgrade ( I need a 2.5″ disk for something else so though I could improve my fastest laptop in the process).

I hope it fairs better than the XPS1330 that I bought a few years back that fell foul of a well known Nvidia graphics chip problem 🙁

bazzer – you can currently get a 128mb SSD direct from crucial for about £140

7% Quidco
7% Code discount
10% store discount on C300 range

tempting bargain!

I thought Dell had discontinued the XPS series as they own Alienware.

you can currently get a 128mb SSD direct from crucial for about £140

Do you have a link to the drive and the code 🙂

thought Dell had discontinued the XPS series as they own Alienware

I think they might have done for a while, I bought my current i7 XPS15 about three months ago.

Link through quidco as usual (obviously need a quidco account)

http://www.quidco.com/crucial-technology-uk/

7% code CRUPROMO7

10% has already been knocked off the price.

Does it ship from the UK or the US ? Am I going to get hit for customs charges ?

From UK