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Editing setup – Mac Pro or MacBook Pro… Opinions Please…
Hi there,
I’m trying to decide between buying a Mac Pro to replace my G5 (plus a cheaper PC notebook) or a MacBook Pro, and would really appreciate any advice, given my specific situation.
Right now I have a G5 (which I bought 5 years ago… one of the first off the line). But unfortunately it has passed away. I originally bought it to do some DV editing projects (mainly corporate videos and short films).
However, I’ve now gone back to university to do a postgraduate degree and so need a laptop during the day (I do currently have an old iBook that I need to replace as it’s ridiculously slow).
So I’m trying to decide between just replacing the G5 tower with a Mac Pro and then buying a PC laptop (for about $800). Or to buy a MacBook Pro for about $2000 (to serve as a replacement for both my desktop and laptop).
In the immediate term, I will be doing a couple editing projects, but just DV. In the longer term (over the next couple years), I imagine I might do some short films – possibly in some kind of HD format.
In some ways, just going with the MacBook Pro is the easiest option. My concern is just how adequate it would be as an editing suite. Would the Mac Pro offer that much more advantages that it would be better to take that route. Since I last purchased my G5, I have lost track on the technical front.
Let me also add – ideally I’d like to make use of my other existing hardware, to minimize the amount of stuff I have to buy. I have a couple Edirol speakers, an 23 inch cinema display, two 250 gig hard drives in the G5, plus a 500 gig lacie external drive. (I also have a video monitor etc).
I would certainly appreciate your thoughts and advice.
Many thanks!
Shane
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2 Replies
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Hi Shane,
Last year I bought a MBP because I really need mobility. Some times I spend weeks shooting and editing on location, although normally I finish the project in my studio.
I do almost everything with the MBP because is faster than the G5. I shot with the EX-1 and I make more and more things with ProRess andI really start to need a Mac Pro. I’ll buy one as soon as I will have room to install it (I have a G5 too, and still working very well).
Is a bit difficult to choose in your situation.
If you don’t go to edit a lot out of your place a Mac Pro with just enough RAM and HD can be the best. You can use the hardware you have now, and you can expand your system when needed. You won’t need to change computer for a few years.
In the other hand if you are sure that you will be working mostly DV for a while, the MBP is a good solution. When you will start to work HD probably you will start to miss a faster machine and in a couple of years will be incredible things available.
Rafael -
Thanks Rafael. Much appreciated. If anyone else has any more thoughts that would be great. Thanks.
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