LOL!!!! You need to look up "Bootcamp"!
And she doesnt need a pro video card for the type of work you described. A MacBook can drive its own screen AND a Cinema 30" at the same time. That is more than she needs. She isn't rendering complex CAD work in real time at ultra-resolutions with 3D stereo imaging,e.g. card engine parts, or architectural drawings.
She = will prefer a Mac
Is a designer = 90% of design (non engineering) work is done on Macs
Tell your mum to come post on this forum herself. You are "filtering" the responses to fit your paradigm beliefs!
I already used CAD and not complex CAD, just a draw class on my engineering course... well... I really could tell a BIG difference between a consumer video card I had (6800GT at the time), and the SPARC system...... any cheap Pro card will be better then almost (if not all), consumer video card for pro application, because consumer (games) and pro application are two very different things....
MAC OS is not for my mother, she ins't 20 years anymore, computer in her life is something new (about 8 years), it took a long time for her to be able to use windows XP and office packet with relative ability.... even upgrading to Vista will be a problem.... imagine MAC OS.
PS. I get the strong impression YOU want to game on her laptop. LOL
This one deservers a separated quote.
Man I ain't 18 years old anymore, for a long time. I like to game sometimes, and I use my desktop for it.
I don't live with her anymore for a long time.
Why in the world I would want to pay the extra for a pro card while I can get a much cheaper consumer card with the same specs ?????
- Sorry If I'm being rude... but be more careful before creating (even more, before saying), an oppinion without having sure about what you're talking..... People do a lot of it here in Brazil, that's why I like to come to foreing foruns, because usually people use better common sense before posting.
The whole "mac is so much better at graphical stuff" crap is so outdated. Then again feel free to show me a source for the numbers you just gave and I'll gladly change my mind.
Either way, what programs does she use? She designs interiors... That IKEA application? Google Sketchup? Or actual CAD applications? Without knowing exactly what she uses nobody can recommend either a simple 3D card or a high end Quadro.
Currently we use HP 8510w's here, they have Quadro 570m's in it, they're nice. Far from the best though. They're relatively cheap machines as well.
+1 MACs uses core 2 cpus now and nvidia cards, there's nothing special about it anymore.
Well... she's just starting her professional life work on that, she decided just some years ago to do this second graduation course and now she graduated...... But I guess she'll be using IKEA application, Autocad Civil 3D, Revit, this kind of app.... I really don't know how complex her work can get on this notebook, but if she'll be buying one already, it's better not to take too low on specs because I'm quite sure this notebook will last for at least 2-3 years with her...
No-one is saying it is BETTER.
Just that in the "arts" industries, design and music, they are pretty much the standard. LIKE IT OR NOT (I dont) it is just how it is.
MAC is POP and got some nice apps bundle with MAC OS, that is it......
So now it's personal experience? Two posts ago it was "just the way it is". Quite a difference. In fact, the exact difference you just mentioned, personal opinion or objective fact.
As for posting requirement, I'm not saying anything as staff. It's rather pointless to suggest that I'm not allowing you to say anything. I'm simply asking for a source, as I'm not the kind of person that blindly believes everything everyone claims. Specially numbers like "90%". It's a shame you do blindly assume that because of my function here everything I'd say would be some form of moderation. It kinda takes away the option of having a healthy discussion.
+1 The same thing I said.....
To say: "The world is this way", only embased on your experiences is quite limited...