My partner and I are just starting out, and we're wondering what software and computers you reccommend. Mac or PC? A computer dedicated solely to editing? And what programs? We'd be very appreciative if you guys could help us out with this. Thanks.
PC all the way. Used to be a mac guy until I realized I could build a way better PC for the money. You can build a quad core system for under $1000 and be smoking--you can not do that with a Mac system. Mac's are great but over priced and for what it costs you can build a PC that will kill the Mac. I use Sony Vegas Pro--handles HDV in real time. I am just starting out but did research for a year and build my own computers. Everything is less expensive for the PC and you have a much greater selection of add ons. Currently running 2GBram, 3 400 GB Satas, 2 500GB externals, high end dual core, BMG 7900 GTX NVIDIA card, 550 power supply....looking at buying quad core setup but will probably get a laptop first.
Wait until you have $2000.....
Knightly's friend Dave said:I am a certified Apple Technician, and I have also worked directly with PC and building them, selling them and supporting them as well, I can give you a real break down of this stuff.
Buying Windows XP on eBay is a BIG NO NO! Chances are likely if you buy any software on eBay, it is pirated or flat out an illegal copy. eBay has some very specific rules about buying and selling software on their site. You should really read up on that prior to buying any software on eBay.
According to your list you have below, that system will not even touch what a mac is capable of.
- A dual core 2.8Ghz Intel Processor will cost you roughly 129.99 - that price varies slightly from store to store. A faster processor will cost you more. You will also need the fand and heat sink for this. (link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116258 )
- A good mother board that would be comparable to the mac will cost you $169.99 minimum. Keep in mind most boards under $100 will likely not have sata or support PCI-X (link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030 )
- A 500w power supply will cost 79.99 new. ( link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153028 )
- 2GB of ram will cost you about $70 for the cheap stuff. $100 for anything good. (link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134086 )
- If you editing video, a bigger video card is advisable, but 256MB will work fine. For a 256MB video card of a good quality will cost you about $200.00. Keep in mind, in most cases, your card will need to be DirectX 10 compatale. (link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814261002 )
- DVD burner, $50 is about right.
- Sata hard drives, depending on the size, could be considerably more than $100-$200. $100-$200 would be for a less than desirable name brand and quality. I always recommend going with Seagate. The Barracuda series is a nice line. Also, doing video, you want some size to these drives. Lets say 500GB is the size you want. $200 per drive is about the right neighborhood. (link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148136 )
- 1 monitor...this depends on the size, the name and of course, again the quality plays a huge role in the price. Video, you don't want to lose that quality. $300 is about the starting point for a good monitor.
- Keyboard and mouse standard. $40
- Now lets not forget about a sound card, something you missed on your original posting. $100 minimum for a somewhat ok sounding card. (link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102005 )
- External hard drive for backups...500GB will cost you about $200 for a good drive. You want a fairly good one, especially if your backups are on it. No sense on putting backup files on a drive that has a history of failing. (link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136166 )
- XP operating system $80? If it's illegal or pirated I could see that. I recommend playing it safe and getting a real copy of it. Microsoft is really beating people down for that right now. $169.99 for XP Pro.
- Editing software...that all depends on what you are looking for. What features and what quality. This could range from $100 to $2000. It all depends.
Other things you forgot:
- A case for your system. $79.99. You want the extra room for cooling.
- Firewire 1394 card. $49.99.
- Anti-Virus, spyware software. $50-$100 for anything worth while. (this is a yearly cost by the way.
- Backup software, unless you plan to do this manually every time. $129.99
Total, just to even come close to the Mac: $2198.00
Mac equivalent: $1667.00
One point I would like to make is simply because it is cheaper, does not make it better. If you were to build a PC exactly spec for spec to a Mac, you will be coming in about $100-$200 cheaper for the Mac. The Mac has built-in backup software, all integrated hardware (no drivers to uninstall themselves or go bad) and it is not prone to viruses or spyware. Oh, and it will also run your windows XP, Linux, or any other OS you want to throw at it. My last PC cost me 169.99. I bought Windows XP and installed it on my MacBook. I also have Red Hat, Ubuntu, and YellowDog running on it as well. So I just got 5 machines for what it would cost you to build a single machine with the same specs.
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