[cxwing]

Hi everyone
(first post here from a very near future switcher)
I'm considering getting a PB 12" as a first Mac. I recently saw a very impressive demo of Motion at Apple during the last montly MacFilmmakers meeting. I know that the small PB is far from being the ideal machine to run Motion on, but I am wondering if:
- Motion can even run on it? I believe it should as it meets the minimum HW requirements, but I could be wrong. Has anyone tried it?
- if it does run, can I use it to just sketch some ideas (on the go, cool!) at a much lower resolution than the intended final version and still get a decent idea of what the result will be like?
Thanks for your answers.

[Commodus]

Motion will most definitely work on a 12" PowerBook, and should be enough for what you're intending to do. Don't skimp on system RAM though.

If you have the cash, I'd try for a base-model 15" PowerBook. The graphics chip is considerably better, and the extra screen space would be useful as toolbar space.

[wuzup101]

RAM is going to be key as stated above. Newegg.com has kingmax pc2700 ddr in 1gb sticks for $201 with free shipping... might be a good idea to look at!

[frozentundra]

Do yourself a big favor and get the 15" model,

The screen size and resolution is much better.

RAM is always a good idea, but realize that Motion uses the GPU to pull off the stunning realtime graphics so the video card is critical.

This is the beginning of a new trend in graphic imaging software. Future software will make use of GPU processing in ways that have been unthought of in the past.

The worlds changing and Apple is making it better

[cxwing]

Thanks for your replies. I understand a 15' would be better, especially with the GPU upgrade, but I this is going to be my first Mac, and the plan is that if I like it ... and have the money, I'll get a proper desktop machine. I want to have the portability of the 12', I know that if I get the 15, I'll leave it on my desk!

[nuggetman]

Originally posted by cxwing:
\the portability of the 12'

trust me, that 12 foot powerbook isn't too portable :-P

[cxwing]

Originally posted by nuggetman:
trust me, that 12 foot powerbook isn't too portable :-P

[David Hagan]

From Apple's Website, Motion's Minimum System Requirements...

One of the following graphics cards:
— ATI Radeon 9800 XT (R360)
— ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (R350)
— ATI Radeon 9700 Pro (R300)
— ATI Radeon 9600 XT (RV360)
— ATI Radeon 9600 Pro (RV350)
— ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (RV M11)
— ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (RV M100)
— nVidia GeForce Go5200 (NV34M)
— nVidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (NV34)


10GB of disk space for application, templates and tutorial
DVD drive for installation

[Arolte]

I'd say go for it, cxwing. I don't know why many people are anti-12" about it. I will tell you as a graphic designer that my 12" PowerBook does professional tasks smoothly and is by far the most portable Mac I've seen. I constantly use it while I'm taking trips with no problems (even in the cramped space of a Greyhound bus) and I don't have to worry about dropping it because it's so lightweight.

Video memory isn't so much of an issue, considering the stock 15" also has 64MB like the current 12" PowerBook. So unless you absolutely need 128MB of VRAM and you're able to afford a BTO 15" PowerBook, I'd say go with the 12" PowerBook as you had originally planned.

If you decide later on that screen space is an issue, simply hook your PowerBook up to any display to give yourself more space. It sounds to me like you'll eventually be buying a desktop too if you're happy with your purchase, which will also require a monitor anyway.

Good luck and enjoy your first Mac.