[Bulldog2k]

Hi all,

Apols for the newbie-ness. I have worked on Macs a bit in the past but not recently, and have lost track of what's what, and what I need.

Can anyone help me with recommendations about movie editing spec for a computer? I'm working on really quite a budget - the cheaper, the better.

It really doesn't matter whether it's a desktop or a laptop, but what I'm aiming for really is a system that I can work on sensibly that's not going to break the bank, and perhaps that I can expand a little later as and when I need to.

It needs to be capable of running Final Cut Pro in the end, though to start with I just need to buy the cheapest machine I can get away.

Thanks all

[southchatham]

Short Answer; any new mac bought today will do the job. Low end mini will be the cheapest. Add 4 gigs ram for HD editing.
Final cut tech specs:Apple - Final Cut Studio - Tech Specs and System Requirements

[Bulldog2k]

Ok, was looking to buy a second-hand mac on Ebay. Will an older mini cope with hi def editing as long as there's enough memory? The FC specs require an intel based machine - is this all mini's?

Cheers

[Nethfel]

No, not all minis are intels.

There are many G4 minis out there, I'd stay away from them.

Honestly, I wouldn't get a mini pre-2009 for video editing. The pre-2009 models had Intel GMA integrated graphics - the integrated graphics is not fully supported by Final Cut and you can loose certain abilities with the software (off hand I can't tell you which ones, but if I recall correctly it has to do with certain filters and effects, not including some of the additional programs that are part of FCS really need a more powerful GPU).

The 2009 minis have a nvidia 9400m integrated gpu - yes, it's not as good as a dedicated gpu, but it's lightyears ahead of the intel GMA's, and you don't really loose functionality with FCS (aside from one certain feature of Color, which is more due to the minimum graphics ram it requires if I recall correctly)

So basically - if you want a better, more complete experience with the Final Cut package, and plan to use a mini, look for an early 2009 version mini or newer (the current new minis are "late 2009" models).