Dell Inspiron 1000 laptop, 2 years old. Maxed out 512MB memory

Runs Illustrator CS2 or Photoshop CS2 slow with complicated files, and it's a joke to try running both at once.

Is external RAM possible? How much is it? Where to buy it?

I think if I could just double my memory to 1GB I could save a lot of time preparing my Industrial Design portolio stuff.

Thanks guys!

(BTW within the next year I would get an iMac or Mac mini just to familiarize myself with Apple, but I have 45 days left to finish my portfolio and my slow computer could be my downfall!

metroid is the most anticipated wii title for many reasons.it will have a perfect fps control,an online mode,awesome single player and great graphics and sound.galaxy is one of my most anticipated titles too but i think metroid is going to be a more important game for wii for the reasons i mentioned before.heroofwinds1

I still don't understand why sheep are so excited about that machine. The games are kiddie and the controlleris wack. Wii Sportswas cool for a few days, but that was it. I wasted my money when I fell victim to the hype, but hopefully I can make it back on Ebay.JayPee89

imac, better grafix card,easier to upgrade. wait i just remembered, you can buy a refurb g5 powermac tower for 1500! that would be really good. its uber powerful and made for people like u and is so easier to upgrade, it supports 16 gb of RAM!queenfan66

Does that include the monitor?

Doesn't Apple offer a zero-dead pixel replacement plan on their monitors? That alone is enough to sway me towards option 2. And if it matters, you can pick up a 17" iMac without the X1600 card and a slightly slower processor for around $1300 or so. Just something to think about.RayvinAzn

Wow, that would be a good deal, the online store has pretty limited options, I guess I could just go to a Retail Apple Store to dot that?

I checked out the macbooks, but I think I want a bigger display...maybe I'm being too picky though, I mean the DELL laptop I have now is 14" screen so a 17" macbook should be plenty big I guess... but I want 20" I'm greedy!

I mostly do assignments on campus anyways... I dunno, I'm torn.

(EDIT - macbook pros are way too pricey - forget them)

Before you post anything, just know:

1 - I'm not getting it because Ipods are popular or I thinkApple products aresuperior to PCs

2 - I know I could build a PC for half the price that will do the same thing

I'm buying a Mac because I'm an Industrial Design student and I've noticed while browsing for job requirements that some companies prefer or require Mac familiarity. I have decided to spend extra now to have that skill/knowledge in the future.

*I know that performance-wise it doesn't matter, but since I haven't used a Mac since elementary school, I would buy this to run Creative Suite 2 or 3, and get familiar with Macs for the next 3 years until I get my degree. I WILL NOT BE USING IT FOR GAMING.

THAT SAID,

I still don't want to waste too much money. So, here are my two options:

#1 - get a maxed out Mac mini and buy my own 20" WS display off newegg (and mouse and KB)

(1.86GHZ core 2 duo, 2GB RAM, Intel GMA 950 graphics)

$1,249 not including the display or KB/M

OR....

#2 - get a low-end imac with a 17-20" screen size

(2.16GHZ core 2 duo, 2GB RAM, Radeon X1600)

$1674 with everything but Creative Suite

At this point I'm thinking the Mac mini, because it allow me to get a larger monitor without paying for a larger video card or hard drive or slightly faster processor speed. Plus it's somewhat portable so that would come in handy.

SO, what do you guys think --and no, I won't geta PC even though it will hurt my wallet =(