Is 2.0ghz Mac mini ok for light video editing?

I have two twin boys and an HDV Canon camcorder (HV20 I think).

I have been an IBM user my whole life, never used a MAC but now want to do light video editing of stuff for my kids, just family vacation videos, etc nothing real fancy.

I understand there are 3 basic programs for this, iMovie, iDVD and Final Cut.

I don't think I will want Final Cut, again, I just want pretty basic video editing for home movies....

So, will the 2.0mhz Core Duo mac mini be ok for this? I note that it only has firewire 400 (instead of 800), and I just don't know about the video card...(I can't get the 1.83mhz, because it doesn't have the Superdrive and won't burn DVDs, right?)

I reviewed earlier posts and they seem to say the mac mini is insuffcient, but all the posts were old, and talked about things like "not 64 bit" etc. which is no longer true.

I plan on adding a big (1 terabyte) external drive.....

Or should I get the 2.0ghz iMac, which has the exact same processor, but better firewire, stronger video card, etc...

Any advice to a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

When people talk about the CoreDuo not being sufficient for video editing, you have to wonder how anyone edited video before 2006.

Anyway, the Mac Mini will be able to edit your family videos just fine, within iMovie. iDVD is just a DVD authoring tool for placing the videos on DVD, so the two programs go hand in hand.

There are rumours of a newer Mac Mini coming out soon, but the current one should be fine for your needs.

Zoolook said:

When people talk about the CoreDuo not being sufficient for video editing, you have to wonder how anyone edited video before 2006.

Anyway, the Mac Mini will be able to edit your family videos just fine, within iMovie. iDVD is just a DVD authoring tool for placing the videos on DVD, so the two programs go hand in hand.

There are rumours of a newer Mac Mini coming out soon, but the current one should be fine for your needs.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your quick response. I have heard those rumors too, any idea whether they are true, and if so, when the next mini is expected? (i.e. by the end of 2008, because I can wait)...

the current generation has been around for a while, right?

tagheuer said:

Thanks for your quick response. I have heard those rumors too, any idea whether they are true, and if so, when the next mini is expected? (i.e. by the end of 2008, because I can wait)...

the current generation has been around for a while, right?

Click to expand...

I would guess June, but you never know with Apple. It could be anytime.