[fwarhola]

I used Photoshop alot and want to get into digital video and music...The newest Final Cut Pro and other softwares are made to utilize the Intel processors...I currently have a Powerbook G4, 2 Gb ram and running Leopard, but cannot use Final Cut Express or Pro version 4 in it. So I'm considering buying a new Intel based Mac.

I've configured the new iMac 3.06 and the dual 2.8 Mac Pro with the Mac Pro is about $2,000 more with the 23 inch monitor...(with same HD, same software choices and applecare warranty). If I was very serious about digital video, I would opt for the Raid card and several SAS hard drives, but that almost doubles the Mac Pro cost...I don't have a business case yet for producing pro videos, and don't have a High Def camera...

The iMac 24 screen "looks" brighter and more contrasty than the 23 inch...The Apple sales guy says the 23 inch monitor for the Mac Pro is the more accurate and more professional.

My photoshop files are sometimes huge, around 250 Mb in .psd format...I think 4 Gb Ram is sufficient for this time for me...

I would buy Aperture 2 and am thinking of upgrading my digital camera to a Nikon D3 which produces very large raw files...

My question is this: I know both machines will be upgraded either late this year or early next year, but:

1. Should I save money and go for the iMac?
2. Buy the 23 inch monitor to complement the iMac's 24 inch?
3. Should I spend the extra money for the Mac Pro?
4. Is buying an external HD the better decision than having multiple HDs in a Mac Pro?

Is there a Pro thread in this or other forums that are Mac biased that have experience with digital still/video/music creation???

Fred

[mduell]

Since you're going to use Aperture with a pro DSLR, and process large files in Photoshop (presumably more than one at a time), and edit video, I'd go with the Mac Pro. The refurb of the base model is $2400 and will last you for years with a few RAM and disk upgrades along the way. The iMac will probably be sufficient for tomorrow, but not in a year or two since you'll already have it maxed out.

The 24" iMac uses a H-IPS panel, while the 23" ACD uses a S-IPS panel; if not for the glass (glossy) surface, the iMac panel would be better than the ACD panel for photo/video work. IMO the Dell 24" and 30" Ultrasharps are good alternatives to the ACDs, particularly the 24" for photo/video work since it uses a PVA panel (the 30" is the same panel as the ACD, so it has the same ups and downs).

Internal and external drives are both appropriate for different uses.