MacBook Pro VS. iMac

[Yodaman]

Hey all,

I didn't know where to put this, so I hope this board is okay.

I have a pretty basic question. I pretty much already know the answer, I just want to get a few more opinions and some advice before I go through with the final purchase (which will be a few months down the road).

I'm going to be purchasing a Mac for editing my movies/videos, as well as 3D work. The problem is that I have no room in my house for another desktop computer, unless I were to replace one of our PCs which my family may not like since they're used to Windows and don't want to "convert" to Mac. So, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I'll need to purchase a MacBook Pro. I just don't know how reliable that might be, since laptops typically aren't as powerful as desktops. The MacBook I want to buy would have a 2.53GHz Dual-Core Processor clocked at 1066MHz, 4GBs of RAM clocked at 1066MHz, and a 250GB hard drive. It would be able to handle HD editing for the most part, but just barely. I plan to have Final Cut Express pre-installed onto it for editing.

Do you recommend that I buy the MacBook, or if I can should I go with a desktop like the iMac (which comes with a 2.66GHz Dual-Core processor)? I'm definitely thinking I'll have to get the MacBook, but I just want to get a few more opinions. Thanks to all who respond!

Oh! And before I forget, is it easy to convert AVCHD footage to a format that is more workable and completely compatible with every DVD player, like MPEG-2?

 

[Uranium City]

moved you over to computers...

 

[Zensteve]

It would be able to handle HD editing for the most part, but just barely.

I don't know anything about Macs, but I'd say the same for a Windows computer, too...

Why purchase a system that can barely handle what it's supposed to do?

 

[Yodaman]

moved you over to computers...

Thanks! I can't believe I missed this board. :-\

Why purchase a system that can barely handle what it's supposed to do?

That's true... There really isn't an answer that I have to that question, but I'll definitely consider a more powerful processor. I was thinking of going up to 2.93GHz, but that would mean I'd have to buy an iMac as opposed to a MacBook Pro. I'll talk to my family about that, I'm sure that if I explain my needs they'll let me. Maybe if I dual-boot Windows onto it they'll be more willing.

 

[CDCosta]

I edit on an iMac with the following specs:

2.0ghz single core
2GB ram
250G HDD
FCP 5.14 (I know, it's old now)
OSX 10

It can edit HD (720p/1080p) as well as play back the raw footage.

1080p slows it down, and isn't recomended, but 720p is totally fine. I don't do anything else besides FCP and edit my website on it. But runs well.

I would say your Macbook pro would run it just fine.


PS. A friend of mine edits on his Macbook which is 2.4ghz dual core/4GB ram and his edits HD nicely.

 

[Yodaman]

I actually just watched a review by HotHardware on YouTube, and they showed the base model MacBook Pro playing an HD movie trailer just fine. Pretty cool!

I must admit, I'm having completely second thoughts about switching to Mac. I've been using Windows forever and am used to completely Windows-based software for game development. I tried looking for software that makes game development on Macs easy, but it all involves complicated scene editors with nodes and whatnot, whereas I prefer just programming the scene from scratch.

So, I may just opt to buy a computer with Windows 7. If it weren't for the interest in game development I'd go Mac full-time. I know I can dual boot Windows on a Mac, but a few things are keeping me from doing that. Anyway...

I'll probably buy a computer from Dell with the following specs:

Intel® Core™ 2 Quad processor Q9550 (12MB L2, 2.83GHz, 1333MHz FSB speed)

4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 4DIMMs (not as fast as the MacBook, but fast enough)

500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive

ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB (pretty nice graphics, better than the MacBook Pro's)

This is more powerful and also more cost-effective. The Dell unit would cost $994 and comes with a 20" HD LCD monitor. That's a pretty nice unit. As for editing software and 3D software, I've already got that stuff handled. I'll probably purchase Sony Vegas Pro 9 for editing. Has anybody used that before? If so, can you offer tips about it?

EDIT: Still have a question...

Is it easy to convert AVCHD footage to something completely compatible with every DVD player, like MPEG-2? I imagine all you would have to do is render the raw footage out to MPEG-2, but I just want to be sure.

Thanks!

 

[directorik]

I don’t know anything about PC’s. I assume there are PC’s
available that have all the power needed to edit HD and convert
AVCHD footage. Am I wrong in that assumption? I hear Premiere is
excellent editing software.

Since you are comfortable using a PC and really need one to do
your gaming development it seems you don’t need a Mac at all.

 

[Yodaman]

I hear Premiere is
excellent editing software.

That is very true. It's more widely accepted in the industry than Vegas is, so I may just go for that in the future.

Since you are comfortable using a PC and really need one to do
your gaming development it seems you don’t need a Mac at all.

Yeah, pretty much. I was only considering switching to Mac because I've heard they edit movies better and are a bit more stable. But when I started looking for Mac software, well...I didn't really find any. And games for Mac aren't that great, pretty much the only familiar titles were Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Sims 3.

I'm just too used to a PC and far too interested in game development to switch. I'll probably switch eventually, but right now I don't think it's the right thing to do.

 

[CDCosta]

Yeah, pretty much. I was only considering switching to Mac because I've heard they edit movies better and are a bit more stable. But when I started looking for Mac software, well...I didn't really find any. And games for Mac aren't that great, pretty much the only familiar titles were Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Sims 3.

I'm just too used to a PC and far too interested in game development to switch. I'll probably switch eventually, but right now I don't think it's the right thing to do.

False.

They do the exact same thing. Macs are no better at it then a PC can be.

Premiere and FCP are on par with eachother and is prefrence.

 

[blazingb]

It is a preference for sure but Macs have far fewer viruses/trojans than PCs today. That will change at some point but I have been saying that for 8 years now.

I edit full HD video on my MacBook Pro with no issues.

If you need to convert stuff MPEG Stream Clip is pretty good.

 

[indietalk]

It is a preference for sure but Macs have far fewer viruses/trojans than PCs today. That will change at some point but I have been saying that for 8 years now.

I edit full HD video on my MacBook Pro with no issues.

If you need to convert stuff MPEG Stream Clip is pretty good.

Well you shouldn't be connecting your NLE machine to the net anyway, or you are just asking for trouble

 

[CDCosta]

Well you shouldn't be connecting your NLE machine to the net anyway, or you are just asking for trouble

Truth.

It's actually hard to get viruses on PCs even without a Virus protection. I've had a PC for 4-5 years straight without getting a virus and I have no virus protection.

You have to go on 'bad' sites or download infected files (usally from illegal files) to get viruses.


YES there are thousands and thousands of viruses out there, but getting them is almost always YOUR fault, it's the biggest misconception for PCs IMHO.

 

[Yodaman]

YES there are thousands and thousands of viruses out there, but getting them is almost always YOUR fault, it's the biggest misconception for PCs IMHO.

I completely agree. We've never really had an issue with viruses on our PC, though there was one time somebody downloaded something and it crashed the system. Not entirely sure how that happened, but luckily there wasn't anything on there that wasn't irreplaceable. That was a few years ago as well.

[Edit]
Actually, the more I think about it, I think I'm going to dual-boot with Windows 7 on the MacBook. I really only want to use Windows for Game Development, practically everything else will be on the Macintosh HD partition. I watched some YouTube videos on how to install Win7 onto the MacBook and it looked easy, aside from having to download drivers for the keyboard and multi-touch trackpad. [/Edit]

 

[Evol Productions]

Just dropping in my thoughts, since I have had the Mac VS. PC discussion with some colleagues of mine for ages.

Like Yodaman and CDCosta mentioned above, it is basically your own fault if you get a virus on your PC. However, there are thousands and thousands of viruses for Windows, and almost none that infect your Mac OS. Anyway, Mac does seem to have more stability (I have never suffered a crash in the last 5 years I worked with my Mac's, a Macbook pro and a Mac pro).

A friend of mine who had a more powerful processor in his PC than the one I had in my Macbook pro (and more than twice the RAM) found himself stuck on crashes very occasionally with lots of stuff, be it music programs or video editing software... I hope the new windows will be a lot better and more stable. It seems that Vista was already a big step forward in it being a sort of OSX Rip-off user wise, if they could copy the stability, I would reckon that in the future, both could be equally as stable...

Off course I am too in love and blinded by the awesomeness of my Mac Pro to be willing to see anything better than a Mac.

Going with the dual booth sounds like a good idea. You could use Rosetta to launch Windows stuff!

 

[Yodaman]

It is very true that Macs have better stability, which is one of the main reasons I'm switching to Mac for video editing.

I hope the new windows will be a lot better and more stable. It seems that Vista was already a big step forward in it being a sort of OSX Rip-off user wise

Yeah, Vista definitely seemed to copy ideas from Apple for the OS design. Sure, Bill Gates can deny it all he wants, but it just seems too big of a coincidence.