with $1466 (student discount) i get the following:
? 512MB DDR400 SDRAM - 1 DIMM
? 80GB Serial ATA drive
? None - Bluetooth Module
? Keyboard and Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S. English
? 17-inch widescreen LCD
? 1.8GHz PowerPC G5
? SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
? NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra w/64MB video memory
that is JUST below my limit...
PS, are the ram in the iMacs user upgradeable? i assume not, so would that mean that i have to send the machine into apple to upgrade to 1 gigabyte, where can I find info on this, I can't find it on apples site.
iMac RAM is user upgradeable, Mac mini is not supposed to be
according to that i can use the ram in my windows machine i have now. it doesnt say anything about matching pairs or anything... do i have to have like 2 256 to get 512 megs or could i do something like have 256m DIMM in slot 1 and a 512meg DIMM in slot 2 = 768mb ram?
according to that i can use the ram in my windows machine i have now. it doesnt say anything about matching pairs or anything... do i have to have like 2 256 to get 512 megs or could i do something like have 256m DIMM in slot 1 and a 512meg DIMM in slot 2 = 768mb ram?
if you want to get into film you should go ahead and start using a mac. my friend edited his short film on my spare powerbook using fcp. that powerbook is a g3/500mhz pismo. the mac mini will be able to do what you ask of it, albeit not at blazing speed. but macs are an industry standard in our business. if you have a windows computer on a shoot you're actually the weird one.
unlike most people, he vast majority of my friends use macs rather than pcs. i think i know only one person who uses a pc rather than a mac (other than my family members).
with $1466 (student discount) i get the following:
? 512MB DDR400 SDRAM - 1 DIMM
? 80GB Serial ATA drive
? None - Bluetooth Module
? Keyboard and Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S. English
? 17-inch widescreen LCD
? 1.8GHz PowerPC G5
? SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
? NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra w/64MB video memory
that is JUST below my limit...
PS, are the ram in the iMacs user upgradeable? i assume not, so would that mean that i have to send the machine into apple to upgrade to 1 gigabyte, where can I find info on this, I can't find it on apples site.
You could get the Mac mini with a decent third-party LCD for $300-400, keeping your total cost below $1000. And you could take your monitor with you when you (inevitably) upgrade to a PowerMac
The Mac mini is plenty powerful to do what you want to do - it's got the same specs as the iMac G4/1.25 that I bought for $1700 about a year ago, and that's plenty zippy for video work.
As for RAM upgrades, any Apple Authorized Service Tech should be able to upgrade the RAM on the Mac mini - and, apparently, Apple will let the Apple Store techs install third party RAM for you, for $50.
i would want a widescreen based monitor, perferably at the resoution of 1680x1050, the only one i can find is the dell 2005FPW and the apple 10". do you guys know of any other ones?
i would want a widescreen based monitor, perferably at the resoution of 1680x1050, the only one i can find is the dell 2005FPW and the apple 10". do you guys know of any other ones?
There are a bunch of 17" widescreen LCDs, but they all run at 1280x768 and thus not really worth it.
You "technically" don't qualify for the student discount, as you're not a college student yet. Another option would be to get a refurbished 17" iMac G5/superdrive for $1299 at the online store, and add in 512 of third-party memory to it.
If you can afford stepping up to a iMac G5 after saving some money, it's a much better idea than stringing a 2005fpw to a Mac mini.
so, given my situation, please give me atleast 5 really good reasons to become a mac user. if you dont think that macs arent for me, then say so. if you urge me to buy one instead of a PC, explain why.
The best reason:
You'll end up smoking much less, as firewire connectivity gives much less stress than it does under XP
One bad reason:
Forget about any cpu upgrade path at a realistic price. GHz really really matters when it comes to film edits.
Biggest thing you need to work out:
Are you going to go for Adobe Premier or Final Cut? This is the crux of the matter. Some filmmakers prefer Premier, others Final Cut. FC? Obviously get the mac. Premier? Go with XP, it tends to be faster for cheaper, with easier upgrades, and will allow you to have SATA HDDs cheaper too (Seems to be completely unavailable for the MacMini, which is a pity, because they are awesome for film edits....).
One last consideration:
Out of warranty repairs due to the design of most macs is comparatively expensive. Either way you go, make sure you can find a 'real' friend (not a net one) that can give you tech-support for free... sure as hell you're gunna want it.
do you think a macintosh would be better for me than a PC, regardless of what specific mac it is?
Yes, because you said you want to learn to edit film, and your intension was going to film school. Both of the most widely use Professional strength Editing Applications run on a Mac. Final Cut Pro, and Avid.
So no matter what school you get in to, and what software you'll be using it will be one of these.
Also Apple has the best low cost entry level Applications to learn about editing film. iMovie, and Final Cut Express.
I would have to say that in your case the Mac would be a better choice.
If you were to get a PC however, and you went to film school that was only using FCP HD (because it is superior to the Avid) You could translate the work as best as you could in Avid if you wanted, but that's just one more thing on your mind when you should be trying to learn in the most fluid fashion to take in as much instruction as possible. Rather than focusing on figuring how to find the Avid equivalent of a specific routine done in FCP by your professor.
You'll end up smoking much less, as firewire connectivity gives much less stress than it does under XP.
Good point.
Quote:
Biggest thing you need to work out:
Are you going to go for Adobe Premier or Final Cut?
Ok you've answered the question at least.
Quote:
Originally posted by Tag Me Back
One last consideration:
Out of warranty repairs due to the design of most macs is comparatively expensive. Either way you go, make sure you can find a 'real' friend (not a net one) that can give you tech-support for free... sure as hell you're gunna want it.
My consideration: Either the mac does work or it doesn't.
Just as a side note... FCP is NOT the industry standard, not with broadcast or film. That title belongs to Avid programs. The only time film students will be working with FCP is when they're editing their first video projects before advancing into 16mm film. Of course, Avid programs run superbly on Macs and the Mojo accelerator is second to none. While I prefer FCP to the AB style editing of Avid products, Avid also has amazing hardware that is unparalleled in the industry.
I know at Full Sail in Orlando, FL (#3 or #4 film school in the country), they use Avid Film Composer, DNA and Adrenaline hardware accelerated machines and so on for film editing. There is even a room full of $80,000 computers just for editing converted 35mm projects...it's a serious business! So if you're really interested in film, learn FC AND Avid!
Mac OS X is unparalled as well, so if you want things to come easy to you, get a Mac! I have 2 G5's and a powerbook, and I'll never switch back to a PC as long as Apple stays afloat!
As a film editor/digital creation dabbler (and perhaps one day something else) myself, I have 5 reasons for you:
1)What
2)Are
3)You
4)Waiting
5)For?
No matter what you are looking to do with film, a Mac is the best (and most sensible) choice. If you are looking to do stuff here and there iMovie is the best low level video editing program. You will find nothing close to it on a PC. Infact any editing program on that runs on a consumer PC is horrible, this includes Premiere. This is all because OS X is the most stable for video, windows will crap out on you once you start to import. If you are looking to do anything with media, Mac is the choice.
Yes, if you want to save some money you can mix and match with the RAM you've already got. But to quote myself from a different thread:
Quote:
Originally posted by Mr. H
A fact that isn't too widely known is that the iMac G5 memory bus has two different configurations - 64 bits wide and 128 bits wide. With either one DIMM installed (the default configuration) or two mismatched DIMMs installed, the bus will be 64 bits wide. In order to get the 128 bit width, two identical DIMMs must be installed. "Identical", in this case, goes a bit beyond size, in that the DIMMs must be of the same configuration and CAS latency. Personally, I would recommend buying Corsair memory, it is very high quality and they sell DIMMs in matched pairs.
I learn how to use this program all by myself. Sometimes when I am "stuck" or having troubles I usually look at FCP-related sites to find out the solutions.
Comments
Originally posted by Adam_89
thats what i figured. damnit.
with $1466 (student discount) i get the following:
? 512MB DDR400 SDRAM - 1 DIMM
? 80GB Serial ATA drive
? None - Bluetooth Module
? Keyboard and Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S. English
? 17-inch widescreen LCD
? 1.8GHz PowerPC G5
? SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
? NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra w/64MB video memory
that is JUST below my limit...
PS, are the ram in the iMacs user upgradeable? i assume not, so would that mean that i have to send the machine into apple to upgrade to 1 gigabyte, where can I find info on this, I can't find it on apples site.
iMac RAM is user upgradeable, Mac mini is not supposed to be
Originally posted by G_Warren
iMac RAM is user upgradeable, Mac mini is not supposed to be
See here
Originally posted by Adam_89
according to that i can use the ram in my windows machine i have now. it doesnt say anything about matching pairs or anything... do i have to have like 2 256 to get 512 megs or could i do something like have 256m DIMM in slot 1 and a 512meg DIMM in slot 2 = 768mb ram?
Mix and match all you want...
Originally posted by New
.
Are we a bit unpatient?
unlike most people, he vast majority of my friends use macs rather than pcs. i think i know only one person who uses a pc rather than a mac (other than my family members).
Originally posted by Vox Barbara
Are we a bit unpatient?
I was gonna post sonething about remembering to by lots of RAM, but I realized it was already coverd...
Originally posted by Adam_89
>It is a must have if you are going
>into movie editing.
thats what i figured. damnit.
with $1466 (student discount) i get the following:
? 512MB DDR400 SDRAM - 1 DIMM
? 80GB Serial ATA drive
? None - Bluetooth Module
? Keyboard and Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S. English
? 17-inch widescreen LCD
? 1.8GHz PowerPC G5
? SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
? NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra w/64MB video memory
that is JUST below my limit...
PS, are the ram in the iMacs user upgradeable? i assume not, so would that mean that i have to send the machine into apple to upgrade to 1 gigabyte, where can I find info on this, I can't find it on apples site.
You could get the Mac mini with a decent third-party LCD for $300-400, keeping your total cost below $1000. And you could take your monitor with you when you (inevitably) upgrade to a PowerMac
The Mac mini is plenty powerful to do what you want to do - it's got the same specs as the iMac G4/1.25 that I bought for $1700 about a year ago, and that's plenty zippy for video work.
As for RAM upgrades, any Apple Authorized Service Tech should be able to upgrade the RAM on the Mac mini - and, apparently, Apple will let the Apple Store techs install third party RAM for you, for $50.
Originally posted by Adam_89
i would want a widescreen based monitor, perferably at the resoution of 1680x1050, the only one i can find is the dell 2005FPW and the apple 10". do you guys know of any other ones?
There are a bunch of 17" widescreen LCDs, but they all run at 1280x768 and thus not really worth it.
You "technically" don't qualify for the student discount, as you're not a college student yet. Another option would be to get a refurbished 17" iMac G5/superdrive for $1299 at the online store, and add in 512 of third-party memory to it.
If you can afford stepping up to a iMac G5 after saving some money, it's a much better idea than stringing a 2005fpw to a Mac mini.
In any case, the refurb option is also available.
Originally posted by Adam_89
so, given my situation, please give me atleast 5 really good reasons to become a mac user. if you dont think that macs arent for me, then say so. if you urge me to buy one instead of a PC, explain why.
The best reason:
You'll end up smoking much less, as firewire connectivity gives much less stress than it does under XP
One bad reason:
Forget about any cpu upgrade path at a realistic price. GHz really really matters when it comes to film edits.
Biggest thing you need to work out:
Are you going to go for Adobe Premier or Final Cut? This is the crux of the matter. Some filmmakers prefer Premier, others Final Cut. FC? Obviously get the mac. Premier? Go with XP, it tends to be faster for cheaper, with easier upgrades, and will allow you to have SATA HDDs cheaper too (Seems to be completely unavailable for the MacMini, which is a pity, because they are awesome for film edits....).
One last consideration:
Out of warranty repairs due to the design of most macs is comparatively expensive. Either way you go, make sure you can find a 'real' friend (not a net one) that can give you tech-support for free... sure as hell you're gunna want it.
Originally posted by Adam_89
do you think a macintosh would be better for me than a PC, regardless of what specific mac it is?
Yes, because you said you want to learn to edit film, and your intension was going to film school. Both of the most widely use Professional strength Editing Applications run on a Mac. Final Cut Pro, and Avid.
So no matter what school you get in to, and what software you'll be using it will be one of these.
Also Apple has the best low cost entry level Applications to learn about editing film. iMovie, and Final Cut Express.
I would have to say that in your case the Mac would be a better choice.
If you were to get a PC however, and you went to film school that was only using FCP HD (because it is superior to the Avid) You could translate the work as best as you could in Avid if you wanted, but that's just one more thing on your mind when you should be trying to learn in the most fluid fashion to take in as much instruction as possible. Rather than focusing on figuring how to find the Avid equivalent of a specific routine done in FCP by your professor.
Originally posted by Tag Me Back
The best reason:
You'll end up smoking much less, as firewire connectivity gives much less stress than it does under XP.
Good point.
Biggest thing you need to work out:
Are you going to go for Adobe Premier or Final Cut?
Ok you've answered the question at least.
Originally posted by Tag Me Back
One last consideration:
Out of warranty repairs due to the design of most macs is comparatively expensive. Either way you go, make sure you can find a 'real' friend (not a net one) that can give you tech-support for free... sure as hell you're gunna want it.
My consideration: Either the mac does work or it doesn't.
No tech-support needed
I know at Full Sail in Orlando, FL (#3 or #4 film school in the country), they use Avid Film Composer, DNA and Adrenaline hardware accelerated machines and so on for film editing. There is even a room full of $80,000 computers just for editing converted 35mm projects...it's a serious business! So if you're really interested in film, learn FC AND Avid!
Mac OS X is unparalled as well, so if you want things to come easy to you, get a Mac! I have 2 G5's and a powerbook, and I'll never switch back to a PC as long as Apple stays afloat!
1)What
2)Are
3)You
4)Waiting
5)For?
No matter what you are looking to do with film, a Mac is the best (and most sensible) choice. If you are looking to do stuff here and there iMovie is the best low level video editing program. You will find nothing close to it on a PC. Infact any editing program on that runs on a consumer PC is horrible, this includes Premiere. This is all because OS X is the most stable for video, windows will crap out on you once you start to import. If you are looking to do anything with media, Mac is the choice.
This is my first post, so excuse the structure.
Originally posted by hardeeharhar
Mix and match all you want...
Yes, if you want to save some money you can mix and match with the RAM you've already got. But to quote myself from a different thread:
Originally posted by Mr. H
A fact that isn't too widely known is that the iMac G5 memory bus has two different configurations - 64 bits wide and 128 bits wide. With either one DIMM installed (the default configuration) or two mismatched DIMMs installed, the bus will be 64 bits wide. In order to get the 128 bit width, two identical DIMMs must be installed. "Identical", in this case, goes a bit beyond size, in that the DIMMs must be of the same configuration and CAS latency. Personally, I would recommend buying Corsair memory, it is very high quality and they sell DIMMs in matched pairs.
I learn how to use this program all by myself. Sometimes when I am "stuck" or having troubles I usually look at FCP-related sites to find out the solutions.