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swimfan · Oct 5, 2003, 01:21 PM

I bought a 12" powerbook shortly after they introduced them earlier this year. i bought it for use with audio and video (pro tools and final cut pro). i bought it because i've always heard that apple's are way better than pc's for these types of applications. i've had nothing but performance issues with these types of applications. pro tools le comes to a halt after a few plug-ins and livetype(add-on with final cut 4) is barely functional. i've always read that my G4 867 is about equivelant to a 1.5 GHZ P4, but it really seems that's not the case. i recently built a 2 GHZ ahlon machine and pro tools le runs at least twice as good. seriously! i can at least double the amount of plug-ins before i run into performance issues. my question to everyone is: is apple just overrated? i love OS X and Apple applications, but it seems that their hardware leaves much to be desired.

the big question i have is: is there something wrong with my powerbook? or is this performance regular? more examples of performance issues: when running an intense application like photoshop or final cut, the quartz extreme engine really chugs. windows minimize and maximize sluggishly. resizing windows is always choppy. i've actually given up on quartz extreme and disabled all the gimmicky graphics.

willab · Oct 5, 2003, 01:37 PM

How much RAM do you have?

swimfan · Oct 5, 2003, 02:05 PM

640 megs. does lack of L3 cache matter that much?

all2ofme · Oct 5, 2003, 02:34 PM

It makes a big difference, though I've had similar experiences with some software even with my 17" (which has L3 cache and a gig of RAM) - things still seem to lag in some apps. Photoshop is fine for the most part, though, and that's what I work in mainly so I'm fine. I wonder if it's partly the lack of L3 cache and partly the apps you're using being a bit raggedly coded.

I'm sure that with the faster machines coming out now we'll eventually claw back a good degree of UI snappiness.

Originally posted by swimfan:
640 megs. does lack of L3 cache matter that much?

amoris · Oct 5, 2003, 02:50 PM

Well for a person who built his own PC I would've thought you'd know that desktop computer will always be faster in any scenario.

Speed is largely dependent on the type of motherboard, bus speed, type of RAM, type of CPU, speed of HD, and video card.

Most of the components used in desktop PC are superior to the laptop counterpart because laptop components are limited by size, power consumption, and heat.

Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to speed up the PB. You can't upgrade the motherboard for one thing. You maybe able to have more RAM but you won't be able to use high speed ones if the motherboard doesn't support it. I doubt you can change the CPU or upgrade the graphic chip for the powerbook.

So you only have 2 options: upgrade RAM and HD. OS X loves RAM, 640 MB for A/V tasks is probably not enough. HD speed is also very important because if the stock HD is pretty slow at 4200 RPM. When your computer runs out of RAM it'll use the HD instead, hence HD is also a limiting factor for speed...and a very important one for large and complicated task.

Unless you have a dual processor you'll not multitask well with CPU intensive apps. Even my top of the line P4 running at 3.4 GHz (overclocked) chokes on complex Photoshop files.

Bottom line is know your tool and its limitations. You have a low-end powerbook so don't expect it to perform as well as a powerful desktop such as a 2GHz Athlon.

x user · Oct 5, 2003, 03:49 PM

I think with a bit more research you would've found that the 12" 867 was not a good machine for what you needed to do. The new 1GHz model might be slightly better but for your programs you really should be running on a 15" 1.25 or faster. And don't even try to compare a desktop to a laptop. Get a top-of-the-line Dell or Sony and see how far you get with those apps. I really think you should give the G5 a try with those apps and see how that compares to your 2GHz Ath.

PvD_45RPM · Oct 5, 2003, 04:51 PM

I dont think 1.25 ghz is the minimum for Pro Tools. Artists like BT have been using Pro Tools on Powerbooks for years. This is on stage live too so I don't know what the problem is. Pro Tools if I'm correct isn't even made for Windows anymore. Whats your Pro Tools setup? Most people recommend an external 7200 RPM hd dedicated to video/audio. Whats your audio input and midi setup like? This can all effect performance.

swimfan · Oct 5, 2003, 08:58 PM

i was running pro tools le 6.1.1 with a DIGI 002 into my G4 867 powerbook and then into a Lacie 80GB 7200rpm firewire drive. now i'm doing the same thing, only there is a 2GHZ athlon with 512 ram in place of the powerbook and yes, pro tools is still made for the pc.

in talking with dozens of people about pro tools before i purchased it, they all said you have to have an apple. not only for compatibility, but for performance. so, i became a "switcher," and then learned the lession the hard way when i built a 600 dollar pc that performed better than my 1800 dollar powerbook.

am i way off in making the assumption that a G4 867 shouldn't be incredibly behind a 2GHZ athlon?

i'm beginning to wonder if i could have been using my 1GHZ athlon this whole time.