I’ve learned over time that the expandability of a pc is key when doing intense graphics work. The latest macs are powerful out of the box for the most part (I’m a lifelong Mac user with intermediate pc experience), but since technology advances so quickly, in the long term, being able to upgrade ram and graphics cards and hard drives is the key to having a system you can hold onto for quite a few years. Macs as a rule (how they make their money) are not so customizable once you buy one (they up charge you for upgrades before the purchase, for the most part). Any industry-standard program I would think has a pc counterpart. Don’t quote me on that. PCs are a little more involved to support, though, but any knowledge you gain about this will be very useful. If you’re not very technically oriented, then I’d say buy the best Mac you can afford. Get an apple silicon version of a MacBook, and you can always hook up a larger display to it. You can also use iPads as an external display now. Hope some of that helps. More on reddit.com

Posted above is my current computer. I can comfortably say it's running very well with no issues whatsoever. I use it for most everything, but the most involved thing I do with it is 3D modeling using SketchUp. At some point I might move on to another 3D program because eventually I would like... More on forums.macrumors.com

No, you cannot. Any iMac running anything newer than High Sierra (10.13) will not permit using Target Display Mode. Also, any Mac running anything newer than Catalina won't output to a Mac that's using Target Display Mode.

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If the Air is not above or equal to a 2018 model, then forget it, in 2022, for your gf's needs (or only consider one if it's really, really cheap). Sure it's super light, practical and should get the job done - but the 900p TN panel though... really terrible, especially for movies and with its' huge bezels. The 2018-2019 models ain't better, well, on the performance side of things (they were slower).

Try to find a 12-inch MacBook for cheap (worst case scenario). Since there isn't much demand, it goes for dirt cheap, and might suit your gf's needs (it was close to Air's performance level) and has a good screen.

But, if you have a bit more budget, try and look for 2015s 13inch MBPs or 2014 15inch MBPs. They are great packages all around.

As far as desktops are concerned, the 2015 iMac is still very competent and a great computer. However, be cautious about which model you'll be getting. Try to avoid Dual Core models - 'cause like, a Dual Core CPU in such a big computer in 2022, ain't so great. 4Core i5s or i7s were great though, and could even be had with discrete graphics cards.

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