Question for digital work.

jenn

@ghostshipmatt Thanks for sharing your perspective. That sounds like a pretty intriguing alternative setup you have built. I'm in a similar situation, looking to replace a 2011 iMac/Intuos combo. I agree with you about the precious non-subscription version of CS, which is why I waited so long. I hadn't even considered switching to Windows though, and your positive experience is encouraging. ClipStudio Paint-EX is definitely on my radar, too.

jenn

@kim-hunter I like your business sense!

Ghostshipmatt

@jenn - Happy that you found it helpful!
I really like the brush engine that's built into CSP. When I started using it back in 2010ish, Photoshop couldn't come close to the feel of 'natural media' that CSP does (though it seems like they've gotten considerably better). If you go the CSP route, I can't recommend the brushes that Ray Frenden made. I think they're $20, you'll get way more than you'll probably ever use, and it's nice to have options. Drawing on my current set-up is really fun.

Yes, I was really happy to get out from under the "thumb of Apple" when I switched over to a Window's machine (though I'm not certain Microsoft is wildly better?). One thing that I'm not super stoked about is the seemingly never-ending updates every time I boot up my machine, but whatever it takes to keep it secure and up-to-date, I suppose.

jdubz

Oh one thing I was meaning to mention about the Windows vs. Apple as a main computer, I'd seriously look at the Mac Mini as a main machine if you're in the market and have any interest in staying in the Apple ecosystem. I'm not partial to either one personally. They both definitely have their own pros and cons.

But if you want to stay in Apple but the price point isn't all that appealing, the Mac Mini is my preferred device by a mile. I use the current generation M1 Mac Mini at the office and it's a ridiculously good machine. With the stock configuration somewhere around $600, I regularly work with multiple 500mb to multi gigabyte files in Photoshop, playing music, and running 30-40 tabs at all times with smooth performance all day every day.

Unlike the iMac, it's headless so you buy your own monitor and hardware for it, and you can keep upgrading those without upgrading the whole thing. I just put a 34" ultrawide 4k monitor on mine and it was super nice to have that same flexibility to go down to Costco and buy whatever thing they had on sale just like I can do on Windows desktop computers.

I'm a fan of both - I use Windows at home and Mac at the office. I honestly don't think one is better than the other. It really just comes down to what ecosystem you feel most comfortable with. To me, the Mac Mini price point takes away much of the "apple tax" most of their other products have and gets you really close to what you'd pay on the Windows side.

jenn

@jdubz thank you so much, that is very helpful information. Your solution to the Mac dilemma sounds pretty appealing. I was suspicious of the M1 and it is reassuring to know that it delivers. Having the option to pick and choose hardware is definitely a plus too.

jdubz

@jenn Yeah I think the question was adoption. It's an ARM based technology. So the only way to get performance out of it is if companies like Adobe wrote versions of their software to work in that environment.

If it's not, what the M1 is doing is using emulation to let older x86 programs run, which is basically all of computing right now.

Both AMD and Intel are working on a lot of ARM based technology, so I think the future is pretty bright there. Pretty much everything we use from office apps to art apps have ARM versions available.

If you can wait until the Fall this year it might be worth waiting just to see what the price point is going to be on the M1 pro that's supposedly coming in the Mac Mini. If anything, it might drive down the cost of the baseline model significantly.

jenn

@jdubz thanks again for the tips. Patience usually does pay when it comes to buying technology, doesn't it? Unfortunately I personally will need a machine sooner at this point. I've already dragged my poor iMac as far as it can go.

Jeremiahbrown

@jenn
Since you need it fairly soon, rest assured, the M1 Mac mini is still a beast and will most likely suit your needs. Unless you're doing a lot of 4k video editing even the base 8gb model will work extremely well. Apple's next event is in early March (the 8th if I remember correctly?) so, since it's just around the corner, you could wait for that to see if anything new gets introduced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9bUb1kCESM

jenn

So I did it, I bought the M1 mini with confidence, thanks to everyone's advice and detailed responses to my questions. (@Jeremiahbrown @jdubz @Ghostshipmatt @lizardillo)

I also found a local deal on a used 22HD cintiq that I couldn't pass up, and again everyone's advice helped me to make that decision, so thank you! For anyone who is curious, it is a model DTK-2200/K and has a DVI cable for the screen and USB-A for the pen. My Intuos 4 pen works with it, but I may splurge on the newer pen later.

I tried it out on Clip Studio Paint, and the resolution looks good enough for my current purposes of learning and updating my portfolio.

YAY!!!

Thanks again !!

lizardillo

@jenn Great news

The 22HD is a robust bit of kit. Mine has had this crack down the screen for a couple of years now and it has not affected it one little bit. Probably lucky it’s in that area between the menus and artwork that is a bit of a dead area if you’re right-handed. I think it will last forever as long as they keep updating the drivers for it.

Enjoy your new set-up! ️

jenn

@lizardillo oy, sorry about your screen but glad it still works! Thank you for the encouragement and reassurance.

jdubz

@jenn Yay congrats! I think that sounds like a pretty sweet setup with a long life ahead of it.