I have this sick feeling in my gut talking about this BUT...

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Agent Orange 615

[H]ard|Gawd
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I really want a mac. My fiancee has a Mac Book and I love it, and am always happy when im using it and not windows. I love windows, Ive been building PCs for about 12 years...

Aside from all that Im not into juicing my framerates anymore, overclocking, or anything. Im very unimpressed with Vista so far, and want to just switch things up..

Im a proffesional video editor also and want to be able to do things at home, nothing crazy, but short pieces. I use AVID at work, but I tend to enjoy ujsing FCP a bit more.

Im thinking that throwing down 2500 for a power mac is a bit silly. Id prefer a desltop but the Imacs look dumb and Id rather have a tower. So now im looking on ebay for something, but if people can reccomend me to something that I can buy off the apple site I'd be into that.

Main uses -

FLASH
VIDEO Editing
World of Warcraft
Writing, web surfing, folding etc etc etc etc etc

I may not go through with this , but why not get all the facts?

I want to spend something like 1200-1500

thanks:D
 
The iMac sounds just like what you're looking for. Not sure why you think it looks "silly," since it just looks like an LCD monitor with an unusually large bezel. If you go eBay, just make sure you get an Intel machine, not a G5.
 
power and performance wise for editing...how would u say it stacks up to an equally priced pc? like a lot slower?

Also as a long time windows user,wil lthis be like a total shock to me?
 
Agent Orange 615 said:
power and performance wise for editing...how would u say it stacks up to an equally priced pc? like a lot slower?

Also as a long time windows user,wil lthis be like a total shock to me?
Click to expand...

Power and performance wise, the Intel Macs are identical to a PC with the same specs because they use the same hardware. For editing, you may find that your software is more responsive because the OS offloads visual elements onto the GPU. The OS might take you a small amount of time to adjust to, but once you do, you may agree with most switchers and find you like it better.
 
I think you're not going to see much difference in terms of hardware, at this point lack of BIOS is really the only difference.
 
It's no slower than a PC with the same hardware...

Price/Performance is another story though. Mac's do come with a price premium.

When comparing a PC with the same hardware to an iMac you have to include an LCD of the same size.

Go ahead and check the refurb store though; you could save quite a bit, maybe even bump yourself to the higher model for the same price.
 
thanks guys , im really serious about this and im finding some great 20 inch imacs on ebay for like 1300ish. Im real excited to make this jump. Im only a bit bummed cuz i wanted to use windows media center with my xbox..however i need to spend like over 200 on vista just for it. I dont want it on principle alone at this point.
 
Agent Orange 615 said:
power and performance wise for editing...how would u say it stacks up to an equally priced pc? like a lot slower?

Also as a long time windows user,wil lthis be like a total shock to me?
Click to expand...

since it uses a intel cpu now, i guess you would expect the performance to be on par with a PC with the same spec? (well but you will be using mac os applications so i duno how it would hold against applications from PC)

as for how it stacks up to an EQUALLY priced pc... well.. since its got a built in monitor, and as i'm sure you could build a cheaper computer for the money with almost if not the same spec..
 
Agent Orange 615 said:
power and performance wise for editing...how would u say it stacks up to an equally priced pc? like a lot slower?

Also as a long time windows user,wil lthis be like a total shock to me?
Click to expand...

The iMac isn't "a lot slower," but it uses a mobile Core 2 Duo versus the desktop model, so don't expect perfection. It's quick enough to edit what you're talking about without a hitch.

For your budget, look at the 20-inch iMac. It's right at the threshhold of your stated budget, but if you can find a refurb model (Apple's "special deals" section sometimes has it) you'd get extra money for RAM.

As for the OS: you've used the MacBook and like it, so you're not scared off by the OS itself. You may need to learn the deeper aspects to be truly comfortable (keyboard shortcuts, good maintenance, etc.) but you're much closer than most. And video editing? A few metaphors change, but someone used to Avid should adapt pretty quickly to Final Cut Express or Final Cut Pro (and iMovie, of course, is easy-peasy).
 
I say go for the refurb store rather than Ebay... There's always the SLIGHT chance of getting an upgrade higher than you paid for. My 128 VRAM macbook pro came loaded with 256 :D
 
mac mini. i saw one at the apple store and i was impressed. i have no idea why you would "want a tower"..but take a look at the mini first
 
The Macbook Pro is nice, and you can get a refurb Core 2 Duo version for $1600. Apple refurbs are among the best in the business, and people who have bought refurb Apple products hardly ever have anything bad to say. :)
 
Well if you are serious about it then you realy should consider a Mac Pro, you probably already have a monitor already anyway, there is a sweet Quad Xeon 2.66 for 2199 on the refurb store at the moment, it's a SWEET machine. For video editing it would be a bomb.
 
Arcygenical said:
I say go for the refurb store rather than Ebay...
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Indeed. They give you the same warranty the new Mac's come with plus you can still get Applecare. I bought my G4 and G5 refurbed and couldn't be happier.

To the OP, I'd grab a 20" C2D iMac. It'll be great for Final cut with some added RAM and an external hard drive. Plus you can hook up a second display to it for some more screen real estate.

edit: There's a 20" iMac up there for $1299 right now.
 
Arcygenical said:
I say go for the refurb store rather than Ebay...
Click to expand...

Truer words have never been spoken... less chance of a rip-off, better support, little if any "unknowns"

Bona Fide said:
Apple refurbs are among the best in the business, and people who have bought refurb Apple products hardly ever have anything bad to say. :)
Click to expand...

Other than the famed "Apple Crack" syndrome...
 
Refurbished iMac 20-inch 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SuperDrive
1GB (2x512MB) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
250GB Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load 8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
Built-in iSight Camera and Apple Remote

for 1300

also

Refurbished iMac 17-inch 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SuperDrive
1GB (2x512MB) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
160GB Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load 8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
Built-in iSight Camera and Apple Remote

for 1049


For me I think the size isnt a huge issue, but the big monitor is awesome and I might regret not spending the extra cash on it.
 
Go for the 20".

And budget another $110 for swapping the ram out for 2x1GB 667 sticks, and keep your eyes out for an external HD - great for backups.
 
Agent Orange 615 said:
Im a proffesional video editor also and want to be able to do things at home, nothing crazy, but short pieces. I use AVID at work, but I tend to enjoy ujsing FCP a bit more.

Im thinking that throwing down 2500 for a power mac is a bit silly. Id prefer a desltop but the Imacs look dumb and Id rather have a tower. So now im looking on ebay for something, but if people can reccomend me to something that I can buy off the apple site I'd be into that.

Main uses -

FLASH
VIDEO Editing
World of Warcraft
Writing, web surfing, folding etc etc etc etc etc
Click to expand...

This all depends on what kind of video editing you want to do at home. If you're considering doing any kind of HD content, either now or in the future, I'd seriously consider going with a Mac Pro--mainly because of upgrade potential. iMacs are very limited in this regard due to their form factor. The Mac Pro has far more to offer in terms of RAM slots, additional hard drive bays, and PCI expansion slots. You can even run SATA cables from the logic board thru the rear of the case to make use of external SATA enclosures.

What kind of camera will your footage come from, and how do you plan on getting it onto your machine?

Even if you're not planning on doing anything more advanced than editing home movies shot on DV, I'd still recommend looking for a used G5 or even a G4 for the same reasons.

However, if you aren't married to FCP, you can build a very nice editing station on a PC platform for substantially less than a similarly configured Mac would cost. Sony Vegas is great and natively supports HD. There's also Adobe Premiere and even AVID makes a pro-sumer level editing package for PC. The only problem is Sony Vegas is not an industry standard; FCP is. But if you aren't doing any collaboration, this might not be that big of a deal depending on your situation.

You'll also probably want to make use of a dual-monitor setup, which is not possible with an iMac, IIRC.

We can give you better advice once you've answered the above questions.

At any rate, let us know what you end up buying.

-Tim
 
Tim_Roper said:
You'll also probably want to make use of a dual-monitor setup, which is not possible with an iMac, IIRC.
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It's perfectly possible with an iMac. It has a mini-dvi port so you just get the right adaptor for $30 and plug a second monitor in and you're good to go.
 
On the editing. I wont be doing HD editing, i use a Panasonic DVX-100B for my filming.

Honestly not interested in HD. A lot of the freelance work being done is still straight DV format. Aside from that I will be using my camera to feed in with firewire.

I was under the impression that the older G5 werent strong enuf when compared to the intels -

As far as im concerned, AVID really is the industry standard for a lot of editing, with FCP in second. I dont like vegas but I wouldnt mind using AVID express to work from home.

If I could find good editing in a reasonably priced pc - or an older tower. I wouldnt hesitate experimenting with either of them.


Thanks for all the information thus far.
 
Agent Orange 615 said:
On the editing. I wont be doing HD editing, i use a Panasonic DVX-100B for my filming.

Honestly not interested in HD. A lot of the freelance work being done is still straight DV format. Aside from that I will be using my camera to feed in with firewire.

I was under the impression that the older G5 werent strong enuf when compared to the intels -

As far as im concerned, AVID really is the industry standard for a lot of editing, with FCP in second. I dont like vegas but I wouldnt mind using AVID express to work from home.

If I could find good editing in a reasonably priced pc - or an older tower. I wouldnt hesitate experimenting with either of them.


Thanks for all the information thus far.
Click to expand...

If HD isn't on your radar, then your options are considerably more open. Yeah, the G5 won't perform the same as a quad-core Xeon, but we used to run full AVID suites on 300MHz PowerPC's back when I was in college (with varying degrees of success). Yes, things have changed quite a bit since then, but I'd still recommend going with some kind of tower system over an iMac since the iMac's leave very little room for future system expansion.

Many modern PC's can handle DV editing reasonably well. That's why we include the Adobe encoding test in our full system evaluations. Call one of the smaller boutiques and see what they have to say about your needs. Alternatively, contact AVID directly and see what kind of hardware they recommend, then take those recommendations to your vendor of choice.
 
I know for a fact that a comparable Mac Pro is cheaper than a Dell workstation.

And that a comparable IBM T60p is more expensive than a Macbook Pro.

Combine that with the 20% off for ADC == Apple ftw.
 
Agent Orange 615 said:
20% off ?? how?
Click to expand...

If you sign up for an Apple Developer Connection membership, you get a one-time big discount on a Mac.

Also, if you're a student or have been one recently, check out the education option on the store -- you can often save a significant amount on some Macs.
 
oh heh, well that kind of defeats the purpose of the discount...i think i can get a 10% off through using my sisters college, my job doesnt have any discounts.
 
Get a MacPro. There are a few reasons to this.

-- Desktop processors perform better than the laptop processors all other macs use
-- You will need the HD space if you are a real video editor, and external is a pain because it can seriously limit things like rendering
-- Can't complain about 16GB of memory when your doing HD :D
-- Upgradability in so many areas just makes me happy.
-- Your not paying for a second screen

You will like it, I guarantee it :D
 
Agent Orange 615 said:
oh heh, well that kind of defeats the purpose of the discount...i think i can get a 10% off through using my sisters college, my job doesnt have any discounts.
Click to expand...

Membership fees are 99$.
If you pay 1999$ for a laptop, you get 400$ off (20% of 2000 = 400$)

That's the beginning MBP. You get a 3000$ MBP (loaaaaaded) = 600$ off.

So in the end, you're still saving money as long as you buy more than 1999$ worth of stuff which is easily a MacbookPro :)
 
i just switched over. so far so good got a MBP, with bootcamp you can have the best of both worlds. (XP & OSX) To be honest if vista was more XP like or better yet they just made XP more secure and solid I would still be on a PC.
 
CEpeep said:
Power and performance wise, the Intel Macs are identical to a PC with the same specs because they use the same hardware. For editing, you may find that your software is more responsive because the OS offloads visual elements onto the GPU. The OS might take you a small amount of time to adjust to, but once you do, you may agree with most switchers and find you like it better.
Click to expand...

except that the mac costs 50% more for the same hardware.
 
CyberDeus-RagDoll said:
except that the mac costs 50% more for the same hardware.
Click to expand...

Whoa there fella, part it out or take your crap elsewhere. As has already been discussed, the Mac Pro is cheaper than a machine with the same specs than you can buy from Dell or the like and the iMac uses specialized laptop hardware that fits inside its unique case and can't really be compared to a tower unit anyway.
 
Microcenter has some decent rebates on macs, I picked up a mini yesterday because of the $100 mail in rebate. The 20 inch iMac has a $150 rebate bringing it down to $1350 brand new.
 
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