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Participating Frequently
September 9, 2024
Question

Help buy refurbished computer for basic Photoshop actions: Image size, Color mode, Edit tools, Level

  • September 9, 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 1522 views

I cannot afford a new computer that can handle Photoshop. Can this refurbished computer handle Photoshop? I found a refurbished MacBook Pro Retina 13.3-inch (2020) Core i7 32Gb SSD 512GB that has these specifications:  Mid-2020, 512 GB Memory 32 GB, SSD storage, Retina, Processor speed 2.3 GHz, Intel Corei7-1068NG7, Maximum OS supported macOS Monterey, turbo boost 4.1, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645

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4 replies

Legend
September 10, 2024

Do not buy this computer, its already outdated.

Get a refurb from Apple, you want one with 16GB of RAM minimum.

https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/16gb-18gb-24gb

Participating Frequently
September 10, 2024

Thank you.

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 10, 2024

I agree with the others. Apple Silicon Macs were already beating the Intel Macs when the first M1 Macs were released 4 years ago. Today a Mac laptop based on an Intel Core processor will run much slower and hotter, with much worse battery life, than an M1/M2/M3 Mac laptop. And now, a major problem with all 13-inch Intel-based MacBook Pros is that their integrated graphics hardware is too weak to use some recent AI-based features such as people masking in Adobe Camera Raw. I would not buy that laptop (or any Intel-based Mac), because it is rapidly becoming out of date.

 

If I was looking for a good used Mac that wouldn’t be obsolete right away, I would look for an M1 or higher with at least 16GB of unified memory, but preferably more.

Participating Frequently
September 10, 2024

I don't want to use AI or Adobe Camera Raw. I'm an artist, and I just need to be able to edit photos of my artwork for color accuracy with levels, saturation, contrast, etc. I also need to be able to change image size and color mode for printing, the web, or juried submissions, and edit with tools like skew, for example, so that I can square the photos. Aren't those simple functions/actions? CS3 does everything I want. Years ago, I had it on a prior computer, but when it was repaired, I couldn't reinstall Photoshop, because Adobe woudn't allow it. I have friends whose CS3 and CS4 Photoshop still works on their old computers, because their computers never needed to be repaired. Would this refurbished computer be able to handle these basic tools? I have no use for the fancy tools. I wish Adobe would provide a photo editing program that provides these very basic functions. I wonder how much of the Photoshop software I am paying for and "wasting," since I'll never use it.

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 10, 2024
quote

I don't want to use AI or Adobe Camera Raw. I'm an artist, and I just need to be able to edit photos of my artwork for color accuracy with levels, saturation, contrast, etc. I also need to be able to change image size and color mode for printing, the web, or juried submissions, and edit with tools like skew, for example, so that I can square the photos. Aren't those simple functions/actions?

By @christip83285162

 

Yes. I understand, I do those things too. You’re right, those tasks don’t use very many Photoshop features. If that is the case, then there is not really much need for the full version of Photoshop for those purposes. Actually, for the tasks you listed, you could do them in the Apple Photos app that already comes with every Mac, iPad, and iPhone…you might not need to buy anything else.

 

When Photoshop didn’t require a subscription, it cost $599 or more. What’s different since Photoshop CS3 was released 14 years ago is that today, there are numerous low-priced or even free photo editing apps that can do all of those simple tasks quite well enough without paying what Photoshop used to cost 14 years ago. ($599 in today’s dollars would be a lot more!) In addition to Apple Photos, there are so many other good low-cost photo apps on the Mac that can do simple adjustments, and also export copies conforming to the requirements for juried submissions.

 

Yes, the refurbished laptop you proposed should be able to do those simple things in Photoshop. However, it would still be true that an Intel Mac laptop would run hotter and longer with worse battery life than any Apple Silicon laptop…I know I wouldn’t enjoy it, because my old laptop is a similar 2018 13" Intel Core MacBook Pro, and compared to what we have today, I think my old Intel 13" Mac laptop is one of the least favorite Macs I have ever owned: Hot and slow. I suppose you could get a cheap Intel Mac now if you only planned to use it for a couple of years while you save up to buy a much more current laptop later.

quote

I wish Adobe would provide a photo editing program that provides these very basic functions.

By @christip83285162

 

They do sell one, and they have for many years. Look for Adobe Photoshop Elements, which is available at online stores as well as through Adobe. It is sold for under $100, no subscription, so you only pay once. Although it’s a “cut-down” version of Photoshop, it has all of the basics. And because so many years have passed since Photoshop CS3, some features in the current version of Photoshop Elements are actually more advanced than CS3 was (although again, you might not need those newer features for the purposes you stated).

 

Now there is another Adobe option, because they also offer basic photo editing functions in Adobe Express, which you can actually use for free, with paid options available for more features. It runs in a web browser so it works on a wide range of computers, and is also available as a mobile app for phones and tablets. The options are very basic, but you do get to make adjustments and resize, and might be enough for your uses. It is designed as a simple and very accessible all-in-one graphics editing tool. Below are screen shots of editing a photo in a web browser using Adobe Express.

 

So that’s two affordable photo editing options, just from Adobe alone, and there are also many more cheap options out there.

 

Below, on the left I am editing in the Photo module of Adobe Express. On the right, I am using Adobe Express to resize the image to 1920 pixels on the long side, which is an example of a requirement of juried competitions. If Adobe Express is lacking some features like skewing or perspective crop, try Adobe Photoshop Elements instead…still a lot cheaper than Photoshop.

 

gener7
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 10, 2024

The Maximum Macos for a Macbook Pro 2020 should be more than Mac OS 12. I would safely say Macos 14.

 

https://www.macworld.com/article/673697/what-version-of-macos-can-my-mac-run.html

Participating Frequently
September 10, 2024

Thank you.

Peru Bob
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 9, 2024

Only if it has an ARM-based Apple Silicon processor.

The OS will likely be unsupported in a year or so.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/system-requirements.html

Participating Frequently
September 10, 2024

Thank you.

NB, colourmanagement
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 12, 2024

@9430303 perhaps better avoid buying Intel macs now as things have moved on.

But if you feel you can manage without the latest macOS maybe you'd be OK.

Depends what OS it does support because Photoshop is pretty much optimised for the most recent couple macOS versions. 

As Bob wrote, check this out

 

 

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net - adobe forum volunteer - co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
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