[Edmorgan]

Hey guys,
I am just about to start a video editing course at college and do many films out of college, including making skate videos.. i dont really had a budget problem so could you guys tell me which would be the most powerfull system for roughly 1500..
Bearing in mind i film on the canon xm1 (gl1) and Soon will be the vx2000...
ANd tell me what are better out of Latops and desktops.
Thanks Guys.

[tooki]

I think an iMac G5 would be perfect, if you can live without portability.

tooki

[OreoCookie]

Another vote for an iMac G5. Get the AppleCare Protection plan and put in some more RAM later on. 1 GB is the minimum, better yet, 1.5+.

Portables are very nice, but it's all a matter of taste … (I couldn't live with one ) Sad but true.

[Lateralus]

Thirded.

The iMac G5 really is a fantastic machine. Very well equipped and well balanced. Before I would have held off on it because the graphics capabilities were kind of lacking, but this revision solved that problem among others.

[Edmorgan]

What is the difference between the powerbook g5, the Imac g5, and the powermac g5...

[polendo]

The powerbook g5 doesn't exist. And the difference between the iMac and the Powermac resides mainly on the ability of the former to be expanded on the future.

regards

[Screwball]

Originally Posted by Edmorgan

What is the difference between the powerbook g5, the Imac g5, and the powermac g5...

First off there is no powerbook g5.There is only powerbook g4.Powerbooks are high-end notebooks with delicate, high-end looks as well.There is a vast array of options of course...performance, screen size, storage capabilities and such.iMac G5 is a one-of-a-kind structure.It includes your rig and display in one piece of frame.Very well designed computer, stylish and stuff.Couple of options here as well.Such as screen-size, processor speed,storage capabilites.However, i for one, would recommend the powermac g5, which is the cream of the crop in Apple's lineup, as for home desktops.You'll be able to do upgrades with this machine, whereas iMac g5 only gives you the chance of upgrading Memory.All in one, you can't go wrong with either of them.Still, you have to take your interests in consideration, not to make a mistake by picking the wrong machine, entailing unwanted inconveniences.Also please remember that powerbooks and iMacs include the display unit, whereas Powermacs come with only a keyboard and a mouse.Meaning that you'll be bound to buy a display.Deciding for the powermac will give you the chance of getting a dual-processor system, which is also a bonus, of course for some extra money.It's also worth getting some extra RAM, therefore preventing OS from getting slow.I'm sure you are aware, that nowadays you have to spend some bucks on memory in order to enjoy a flawless operation.Powermacs support Dual-DDR technology, which is a goody too.It doubles the bandwith of the Memory Module by running 128bit.In this case 3200MB/Sec*2.Not too sure about the 6400Mb/sec, but improvement is evident!
Learn more on www.apple.com

[Edmorgan]

I have a 15 inch flat screen display already, or would you recomend me getting a new display if yes.. wat is the best quality one..for about 150 pounds!

[OreoCookie]

For 150 pounds, you don't get much. I'd recommend using it with an iMac G5 as a second screen. The price for an iMac already includes a nice tft screen

[Edmorgan]

SO is the imac g5 actually as powerful as the powermac.. what expansion offers does the powermac actually have?

[OreoCookie]

Well, if the PowerMac has two cpus, it is obviously faster. But given your budget and all, I still think the iMac is the better bet.

But to answer your question: you can add more RAM, add a second harddrive, add extension cards (usually, you don't need to extend the Mac), exchange the graphics card and replace the optical drive. As most of the connections are already included and things like audio interfaces come with FireWire connectors, I don't think you would need to add any kind of interface.

If you need more storage, you can either replace the internal harddrive or buy an external one for your iMac.

A single cpu PowerMac is approximately as fast as a similarly clocked iMac.

Given your monetary restrictions, a PowerMac isn't an option, I think.

[Edmorgan]

I probaly could afford an power mac.. what you think of this monitor
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/19-TFT-LCD-Fla...QQcmdZViewItem

[OreoCookie]

Not much, to be honest.
What is your budget then?

[misc]

For a desktop machine, a Powermac or an iMac will suit your needs just fine. if you have the money, then sure, get a Powermac. If you don't, then an iMac will be a worthy investment.

Afterall, man, it's all up to you. The iMac screen is incredible. So just put the 150 pounds toward the bigger screen, or more ram, or software.

A top of the line Powermac is the fastest Mac made. But it's expensive compared to the iMac.

[Edmorgan]

Basically you think i talking Dollars i'm not, i'm talking pounds.. For 1500 i could get a good Powermac. couldnt i! I'd say about 2000 pounds i would make it back though!

[OreoCookie]

For 1500 pounds, you'd get a souped-up entry level model, plus you'd need a monitor, or rather two. If you'd opt for the middle model, your budget for the display shrivels down to basically nothing. For 1500 pounds, you'd get the largest iMac and still have 300 pounds in your budget for extras, such as RAM, AppleCare, FinalCut Express and all.

[RevEvs]

make sure you get it through the educational secion - and save a £100 or so quid

[Edmorgan]

Why do you need two monitors... ( silly question probaly) but what are the advantages

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by Edmorgan

Why do you need two monitors... ( silly question probaly) but what are the advantages

You have more screen estate. This is helpful for managing a lot of windows – perfect for video editing or heavy multitasking.

[Edmorgan]

So say i am in premiere and the monitor video is up could i have the edited sequnce full screen in the monitor and the progam in the other?

[OreoCookie]

Yes, exactly, but you won't use Premiere, the most important video editing solutions are the various flavors of Avid and FinalCut Pro/Express. You can purchase FinalCut Express at a discount when you get your Mac. Unlike what you might think the difference between FinalCut Pro and FinalCut Express is not significant for beginners.

If you prefer another setup (you can save different window configurations in FinalCut), though you could use the extra screen for the media window or some other settings. But no matter what you do, it does come in handy. Ditto for widescreen tfts

[Edmorgan]

Yeh my college i think gives us the progams for free, if not i will probaly download them... erm i was thinking i might just keep my pc connected to the internet and my imac jus for editing and work etc, and transfer documents i need to transfer via the net using my pc.. but i would use a external HD.. would this be wise? Just i dont risk the internet on my mac

[OreoCookie]

What do you mean, risk the internet on my Mac? There is no known OS X virus to date! An external hd is usually the best (and only) choice to move these amounts of data.

Honestly, if there's a computer which would be safer without the net, then it's your pc

[Edmorgan]

Are you completely sure about this, but i think i will just keep it off the internet because i would put useless junk on there which would slow it down!

[OreoCookie]

Yes, OS X is a lot, lot less vulnerable than Windows. There is no virus known which targets OS X. Problems with phishing attacks against the browsers are AFAIN not an issue, too.