Reviews |Apple answers the call of creatives

Apple answers the call of creatives

Apple launch Mac MIni and iPad Pro
News

It’s been a fair while since Apple has truly launched anything that meets the needs of today’s creative professionals. The iMac Pro was at least an attempt, but with a massive price tag, and I’m yet to see one in a professional studio. 

Their once-coveted MacBook Pro’s are growing long in the tooth, and the Pro series is now so expensive that they’ve been priced out for many.

So, what options are there? Today Apple has finally launched two very interesting new products that should find wide appeal among creative professionals.

Namely, the updated versions of the Mac Mini and iPad Pro. There’s also the MacBook Air, but that’s something else completely and pretty much useless for creatives.

Power in a small box

The Mac Mini has always been a slight wonder – a small box that is, in essence, a fully featured computer. I have a very old one attached to the TV as a media server, but you tend to see them dotted all over the place.

They’ve always been great machines, but now they have a huge power boost. And with the latest advancements there’s scope for expansion, just not as we know it.

Firstly there’s a good choice of CPU options, with the top spec offering a 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation i7 and the ability to pack it full of RAM up to 64GB.

Storage also comes in a variety of options from 256GB through to 2TB.

As you can imagine these boosts come at a price, but still!

For most of the users running Photoshop, Premiere Pro or FCPX then a system with 32GB RAM, 3.2GHz 6-Core and a 256GB HD that comes in at a quite well-rounded £1789.

Because the new Mac Mini features Thunderbolt 3 you can plugin a Blackmagic Design eGPU to give it a graphics boost and hook in a WD MyBook Duo for the additional storage.

The Mac Mini starts at £799 and you can customise it to an insane £3859.

Pro level tablet

The iPad killed off the use of laptops around the home for the general user, but while they offer web browsing to the masses they don’t quite meet the needs of creative professionals.

When the iPad Pro initially arrived it looked like a great laptop alternative, but with iOS rather than the usual Mac Operating system, limited pro level apps and storage most iPad Pro’s in the studio went back to being used as word processors and media centres.

Now the latest iPad Pro pushes forward on power with the ability to run a full pro level version of Photoshop. This could be a real game changer especially if you’re able to shoot tethered to your camera and storage.

We’ll wait to see what the iPad Pro truly offers the professional but at first glance, it certainly looks to have the power.

For more details on the latest range check out www.apple.com/uk/