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Going Mac (advice about the switch)
Tetsugen
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm planning to switch over completely to the apple. I currently need a 15-17 inch notebook that has editing capabilities, and possibly the most powerful word processor in the world. Will the normal macbooks be fine?
On the home front, I want a stationary macpro or imac for my editing needs at home. Can anyone suggest both set ups for under 5000 combined?
And has anyone here used Final Cut Pro 2? How is it compared to the first?
On the home front, I want a stationary macpro or imac for my editing needs at home. Can anyone suggest both set ups for under 5000 combined?
And has anyone here used Final Cut Pro 2? How is it compared to the first?
Tetsugen on
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The story is similar for iMacs versus Mac Pros. All iMacs use integrated graphics chipsets, whereas Mac Pros have dedicated and upgradable graphics cards. If you don't have one, it's nice that the iMac includes/is a monitor.
If you want to go all pro, MacBook Pros start at $2000 and Mac Pros start at $3000, before student discount (if applicable), AppleCare (you want it), and tax/shipping (if applicable). If you get a student discount, I believe it's usually in the vicinity of 10%, which would just leave you on the north side of $5000. This is assuming you don't need a monitor, etc. for the Mac Pro. This is also assuming you are happy with the base models of each.
If this is too much, I would say it comes down to a compromise between which is more important to you, the horsepower at home or on the road. Getting a MBP and an iMac gets you a larger laptop screen, but a MB and a Mac Pro lets you upgrade the desktop model when you want new parts.
Integrated in the sense that it cannot be upgraded, but not integrated like the MacBook with its "shared RAM" video adapter though, right? It looks like the iMac comes with a decent video card.
$2000 for MBP
$1500 for iMac
$300 for RAM for the above computers
$1200 for Final Cut, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, Color, Compressor, DVD Studio all latest versions
If that's really what you want to do, there's no way to do it without spending $5k really. Personally, I would drop the laptop and use the freed up funds to buy a second monitor and a copy of Shake.
I meant shared RAM, but was flat-out wrong. D'oh!
tada
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I agree with this statement. With the money you save by not getting an iMac + laptop, you could get a sweet MBP and a fucking sexy APPLE CINEMA DISPLAY?!!!!
It's not even integrated in the sense that it's built onto the motherboard; it's an MXM card. Jury's still out on whether it can be upgraded, but it's theoretically possible maybe. Certainly it'd void your warranty and cost a lot more money than it should.
edit: Indeed it is. Notice the slot there that the graphics card is plugged into.
No upgrades are currently on the market, so don't count on being able to mess with it. But I mean, it's a Mac. Messing with the internals isn't what you're buying it for in the first place.
edit 2: apparently this only applies to the 24" model.
If you do this, consider the near-identical line of Dell monitors for a cheaper price.... Much better, in my opinion.
Good point. A point I should have made considering I own a Dell 20.1" widescreen. And it was not expensive.
although for video editing specifically, apple monitors are supposedly the best you can get (in terms of gamma and colors and brightness and stuff. I was told this by a professional cinematographer/professor, and I think a lot of it could just be personal preference. not to mention the good points he made were very nitpicky things that many people wouldn't really need to bother with)
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