Need help on purchase - 2010 iMac or 2011 iMac
I'm going to buy an iMac i7, either the 2010 model, or the 2011 with thunderbolt, it'll become my primary editing system as my Macbook Pro (late 2008) has taken a beating with what I can do to it.... leaning towards 2010. Money is an issue as I'm getting married next month, but I don't want a massive speed hit.
I edit on FCP 7 and I am learning Media Composer 5.5 (seperate partitions).
I would run Photoshop, After Effects etc.. on the iMac but keep my Macbook Pro for Word, Internet, iTunes, etc.
2010
If I buy the 2010 model, I'll buy it refurbished, have OWC add an eSata port, an SSD or two (probably one) and 16 Gig of ram. This eSata config can't be done to the 2011 iMac yet from OWC, and apparently the SSD is an issue still too...
In this solution I will be able to continue to run my current drives: An eSata Raid 0 Scratch disk for video, one Firewire Drive for Audio, and backup drives for all these discs. I'm also thinking of buying a 4TB raid 5 system, run eSata which is still reasonable in price. I own an ACD (24") with a miniDisplay Port for either solution as well.
2011
If I buy a 2011 Machine, I need to buy a thunderbolt drive I suppose - there's not much else to say.... unless I use firewire for all my drives and take a speed hit on that because OWC doesn't support an eSata add on yet. I'd still get 16 gig ram, but the SSD (from Apple)
My thoughts
Anyone want to weigh in on what kind of speed I'm going to get out of each? How much I will gain over my laptop?
I'm running those drives (under the 2010 config) on a late 2008 Macbook Pro, 2.66 dual core, 4 gig ram. I can do a multicam HD edit (with two feeds) but compressor and rendering take much longer than I'd like.
I'd even thought of moving to a PC for the extra processors and all, but then I lose Final Cut and the Mac Experience, so I'm reluctant.
Are there any other benifits I've missed - eg: In regards to # of audio and video tracks unrendered I can use for both of these, and possibly a comparison between the two? I don't know where to find that info...
What do you think?
I edit on FCP 7 and I am learning Media Composer 5.5 (seperate partitions).
I would run Photoshop, After Effects etc.. on the iMac but keep my Macbook Pro for Word, Internet, iTunes, etc.
2010
If I buy the 2010 model, I'll buy it refurbished, have OWC add an eSata port, an SSD or two (probably one) and 16 Gig of ram. This eSata config can't be done to the 2011 iMac yet from OWC, and apparently the SSD is an issue still too...
In this solution I will be able to continue to run my current drives: An eSata Raid 0 Scratch disk for video, one Firewire Drive for Audio, and backup drives for all these discs. I'm also thinking of buying a 4TB raid 5 system, run eSata which is still reasonable in price. I own an ACD (24") with a miniDisplay Port for either solution as well.
2011
If I buy a 2011 Machine, I need to buy a thunderbolt drive I suppose - there's not much else to say.... unless I use firewire for all my drives and take a speed hit on that because OWC doesn't support an eSata add on yet. I'd still get 16 gig ram, but the SSD (from Apple)
My thoughts
Anyone want to weigh in on what kind of speed I'm going to get out of each? How much I will gain over my laptop?
I'm running those drives (under the 2010 config) on a late 2008 Macbook Pro, 2.66 dual core, 4 gig ram. I can do a multicam HD edit (with two feeds) but compressor and rendering take much longer than I'd like.
I'd even thought of moving to a PC for the extra processors and all, but then I lose Final Cut and the Mac Experience, so I'm reluctant.
Are there any other benifits I've missed - eg: In regards to # of audio and video tracks unrendered I can use for both of these, and possibly a comparison between the two? I don't know where to find that info...
What do you think?
Comments
I'm going to buy an iMac i7, either the 2010 model, or the 2011 with thunderbolt, it'll become my primary editing system as my Macbook Pro (late 2008) has taken a beating with what I can do to it.... leaning towards 2010. Money is an issue as I'm getting married next month, but I don't want a massive speed hit.
I edit on FCP 7 and I am learning Media Composer 5.5 (seperate partitions).
I would run Photoshop, After Effects etc.. on the iMac but keep my Macbook Pro for Word, Internet, iTunes, etc.
2010
If I buy the 2010 model, I'll buy it refurbished, have OWC add an eSata port, an SSD or two (probably one) and 16 Gig of ram. This eSata config can't be done to the 2011 iMac yet from OWC, and apparently the SSD is an issue still too...
In this solution I will be able to continue to run my current drives: An eSata Raid 0 Scratch disk for video, one Firewire Drive for Audio, and backup drives for all these discs. I'm also thinking of buying a 4TB raid 5 system, run eSata which is still reasonable in price. I own an ACD (24") with a miniDisplay Port for either solution as well.
2011
If I buy a 2011 Machine, I need to buy a thunderbolt drive I suppose - there's not much else to say.... unless I use firewire for all my drives and take a speed hit on that because OWC doesn't support an eSata add on yet. I'd still get 16 gig ram, but the SSD (from Apple)
My thoughts
Anyone want to weigh in on what kind of speed I'm going to get out of each? How much I will gain over my laptop?
I'm running those drives (under the 2010 config) on a late 2008 Macbook Pro, 2.66 dual core, 4 gig ram. I can do a multicam HD edit (with two feeds) but compressor and rendering take much longer than I'd like.
I'd even thought of moving to a PC for the extra processors and all, but then I lose Final Cut and the Mac Experience, so I'm reluctant.
Are there any other benifits I've missed - eg: In regards to # of audio and video tracks unrendered I can use for both of these, and possibly a comparison between the two? I don't know where to find that info...
What do you think?
Sandy Bridge iMacs are faster just via the architecture plus you're getting the updated Quad Core processors with the Thunderbolt iMacs.
I realize that the refurb is cheaper but in the end if you're looking at the 27" the Thunderbolt ports are doubled giving you a lot of future expansion albeit external.