Get 2 GB of RAM. A current dual-2 or better processor would be nice.
Get the biggest hard drive you can get if you’re rendering to files larger than 8-bit. 320 GB can fill up faster than you think.
Look for the weak link in your bit-depth chain: try to keep 10-bit all the way out the door. Though working in 16-bit can look sweet, if you’re eventually rendering to an 8-bit codec, some of that sweetness may be lost. Maybe not all, but probably some. The solution would be a 10-bit codec such as Blackmagic, and the Decklink cards, for example. Then you need to output to analog or a 10-bit format such as SDI and Digibeta to avoid going back to 8-bit.
If you’re sending files to someone with the 10-bit hardware, you can render to a 16-bit codec such as Microcosm, then give ’em the files.
Anybody else?
Steve