Thanks. I appreciate your thoughts.
I decided that there were too many follow-on changes necessary (new software licenses not just for photo stuff but for other things I do with my PC) so I'm not going to switch now. Perhaps in 2-3 years when my life slows down and I can take the time to learn a new system.
PL,
You might check your licenses because a lot of the time, if there's a Mac version of a piece of software as well as Windows, the license allows for installation still. You might have to not have it on a Windows machine at the same time, but it might be possible.
Otherwise, I understand what you're saying.
Good luck!
Sam
Yes, I know. I’ve made my decision to stay with my present setup.
I have been a PC user pretty much my whole life. I bought a M4 mini for my photography content earlier this year. I am not going to get into the PC vs Mac debate - it is like debating Nikon vs Canon. But I will give you my impression going from PC to Mac (I still use a Windows based machines everyday for work and at home).
Traditionally when I have been buying or building machines, I always amped them up to the max. My goal was to future proof as much as possible and so the machine could process anything I could throw at it. Fastest processor, latest GPU, max RAM, etc. And I have been taking this approach for
decades. When I bought the Mac mini - the only upgrade I made was to the hard drive - I bumped it up to 500gb. My thought process was with the price of the machine, I can just get a new one every 3 to 4 years. And for once in my life, I think I made a really smart decision.
This little device is powerful. I have not experienced any hiccups at all. Last weekend I was streaming The Open while batch editing photos and there were no delays/freezes/issues. Local edits using masks get applied instantly. All for $800. If you ever go with a Mac mini, save your money. Don't buy more RAM, don't upgrade to the Pro chip, buy the smallest hard drive you can get away and just use external drives. With the money you save on those upgrades, just buy a new one in three to four years.
Learning the Mac OS. I am not going to lie - this is the toughest part and I struggle sometimes with basic tasks. But I am working through it and get more comfortable with each day.
Based on my experience with the Mac mini, I will never buy or build another maxed out PC again.
Edit: I forgot to address a key part in your original post. NX Studio works about the same as it does on a PC. Slow. I have tried to adopt NX Studio many times over the years but it is just too painful to use for me. I keep going back to LrC.
