First time buyer- general questions

A

andygravity

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i'm gonna post this thread in a few forums (here, anything goes, design, and video) so pls excuse if you've caught this one already..
edit- scratch that i cut it off the other forums-

i'm seriously considering getting a mac, and have a number of questions..
i plan to do a lot of photoshop and illustrator work, and would like to get into animation and video editing and production, as well as sound production and stuff. i have a project in my head that would involve taking video and enhancing it with animated elements, or "drawing" over the frames. i also want to do freelance design work on my free time, as well as spend next summer doing a bit of travelling and doing a documentary.
i'm certianly no pro in any of these departments, (aside from photoshop/illustrator) but im a whiz with software and i'm pretty confidant that w/ enough time i can get what i have in my head out on a disk... anyways i'll quit rambling an get to the point
portability would be a great asset, but i know for the $$ spent on a powerbook i can get a much more powerful powermac

my main question - can a powerbook handle video editing and animation type work (and possibly 3d software - blender maybe?) well enough to learn and play on? i could spend ALOT more time working and learning if i could carry my projects around w/ me.. and love the idea of going to an event, filming it, and working on the final video on the trip back.. i know that for, say, after effects, the ati mobility radions DO support the open gl functions, but the system reqs suggest dual processors..

also - i have a sony handicam that records onto mini dvds - could a powerbook be used to capture video directly to the hard drive, bypassing the time restraints and cost of the disks?

lastly - any good tips on software (animation, video compositing, editing, etc - aside from the adobe family) i may want to look into, or any other good forums or sites for this kinda stuff would be appreciated

i'm kinda leaning twords the 17" with a gig of ram vs... well whatever, any of the powermacs really. i know the $$ saved on the powerbook will afford a bigger monitor and more power @ home, and a longer lifespan in geneal as far as hardware becoming obsolete.... but will the PB be enough to do what i want, or would i be better off in the long run just going with a more powerful g5 and biting the bullet on the portability issue?

thanks alot
 
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Your Mac's Specs
iMac G5
17 with a gig is perfect for you.

For the video editing. Go with iMovie or if you want advanced, go with Final Cut Pro.

The Handycam should work.

I really like the G5's, but I think you would be just fine with a PB.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
1.67 Ghz 17" PB w/1 GB Ram; 400 MHz PM G4, 366Mhz iBook Firewire, Nano 4GB Black
One thing, Apple does not technically support the "mini" DVDs or CDs for their slot loading drives. I've heard that they work, but if they get stuck and you have to send it to apple, you'll be payin for it.

Otherwise, I think a 17" PB with 1GB ram would be a good choice, although if you are going to be heavy into the video editing, I might max out the ram. I've been planning on doing that for my Powerbook too. I do very heavy photoshop and Illustrator work, and the Powerbook handles it quite well. As far as video editing, the Powerbook will be adequate. There is definitely a pretty large difference in rendering times between a G4 and G5, but I love having the portability. I'll be buying a Powermac also when the new intels come out.

For further information, I would strongly recommend taking a look at the buyers guide, which is linked with an image in my signature.
 
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U

UncSki1218

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-Video editing...imovie works but final cut is nice
-Sound stuff...check out garage band and try audacity(its free)
-3d graphics..blenders nice but look at motion (if u can afford it)
- mini cd/dvd 's work but they can get stuck so do what u want
-u should be able to capture footage from the camera that has the dvd in it (u'll need a firewire cord)
-the powerbook should work...the only thing that could slow it down is some serioud video or 3d editing
- the powerbook is a great computer but if you really need a g5 then look into the powermacs or maybe a 20" imac

hope that helps
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Mini 09, MBP 12, MBA 15
I think you should go for the BTO 15 in PB. You can have all the juice of the 17 with a little more portability. The money you save can be put towards maybe a 20in Cinema Display or a nice Firewire 800 drive or even some of the software already mentioned.
 
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A

andygravity

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IronMac said:
I think you should go for the BTO 15 in PB. You can have all the juice of the 17 with a little more portability. The money you save can be put towards maybe a 20in Cinema Display or a nice Firewire 800 drive or even some of the software already mentioned.


ehhh i dunno.... the 15" with upgraded ram, video memory, HD and a display, i'd be lookin to spend about 400 bucks more than the 17"... plus the 17's got the digital audio in/out which, i think may come in handy in the long run, annnd i dunno.. if im gonna shell out for a larger monitor i'd rather save up for a looooong while an get a 30" with a g5 if i ever manage to outgrow the PB. good idea about puttin it tword software tho
 

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