wanting good video editing machine for the money...

Howdy.
newbie to the forums.
hoping you guys could give me some insight. I've been going back and forth on this for a while.

I have won a scholarship that gives me a stipend to buy a new computer.
I'm hoping to get into digital video editing. I want to get the best i can, for the money they're giving me (my budget is $2500), BUT i also want to get something that's not gonna be outdated in a few months. and perhaps gives me some upgradability, and will help me be in the professional field of video editing.

That being said, I'd much prefer to get a PC. However, I'm aware that mac's are more industry standard in editing, as well as final cut pro (right now i have premiere pro on my pc that i use.)
personally, i think premiere pro is on par with final cut pro these days. the newest version is just as good. unfortunately, i know that industry standard leans more towards final cut.

so thats what brought me to consider using the money to get a mac. I never wanted to go that route b/c mac's are just too expensive for me.
I could probably get more for my money in a pc than a mac. but, what also steered me away from mac's was, i'm used to being able to upgrade pc's so easily.

anywho, what is the best i can get for video editing in a mac with a $2500 budget? (i don't want a laptop, I want a desktop).

Suggestions? help?

Thanks a ton!

cynnycal said:

I want to get the best i can, for the money they're giving me (my budget is $2500), BUT i also want to get something that's not gonna be outdated in a few months. and perhaps gives me some upgradability, and will help me be in the professional field of video editing.

(i don't want a laptop, I want a desktop).

Click to expand...

New equipment/hardware will always come out every few months. That doesn't mean that the computer you buy today is automatically "outdated". Not by a long shot. Even if the computer is two or three years old, if it is still doing the job it was intended for and doing it well, it is not outdated.

That being said, and taking into consideration your needs, you would want to go the route of a Mac Pro or possibly a Power Mac G5. Both systems have immense upgrade options and both can grow with you as your needs do.
At the moment, the Apple refurb site has a Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz Intel Xeon selling for $2000.
You would also benefit from taking a look at some third-party resellers, as they often have machines a generation or two behind being sold at a discount.

Just because a machine is older does not mean it is not up to the task. It also doesn't mean that it is going to become so horribly ancient in a year or two that it is going to cripple your work and hamper you.
My PowerBook G4 is two years old. My Power Mac G5 is four years old. Both of them still run as well as they did on day one and neither one has let me down. I run Adobe Suites, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and other heavy duty applications on both with no issues at all.
I have used Intel Macs and yes, they are a bit faster at things, but that doesn't mean that older machines aren't worth your time.

Well, $2500 - $1300 for the Final Cut Suite leaves you just enough for the entry level iMac. Although I'd sugget the next model up (and extra RAM). If you are a student you can get some discounts on both.

Also, be aware of the Final Cut specs. Notice that the Color application requires some extra horsepower.

Computers do not become outdated in months. You sound like a geek who has power envy. D3v1L80Y said it all very well.

Frankly, what is wrong with your current system? Premiere Pro should be fine for learning the editing art form and technical details. And, have you seen any numbers that say Final Cut is that much more popular?

I suspect it would be best for you to buy a Windows box with lots of RAM, lots of harddrive space and a reasonably fast processor. Then you can just load PP onto it and be set to go.

An alternative is to buy a Mac and set it up to dual boot into OS X and Windows. That way you can live in both worlds.

I hate to sway you away from an Apple purchase, but you have to do what is best given your current situation. One thing to consider is the version of your PP and if it has issues with Vista. If so, try to have the new system installed with XP.

If you are a student then you can get Final Cut Studio for about $700.

Thanks all.
(and no...I am by far a geek. Moreso an artist, that has generalized stereotypical perceptions of technology. though rightly, with good reason.)

I hadn't even realized mac had a refurb section. My laptop is a dell refurb, which i got with the extended service pack, and has been good to me.

(and to clarify, the scholarship is paying for a computer, software, books and my "utilities" which I'm submitting my internet and cell phone bill....pffff, now if only they'd actually pay the tuition...)

Nothing is necessarily wrong with my current system. I mean, my laptop isn't the fastest anymore, but it does work pretty well. It was built more for gaming (not that i'm a gamer, just happened that way i guess) and occasionally it had problems with overheating. had the heatsink replaced and since it's been behaving beautifully.

It's more a matter of...well, i have the opportunity to get new stuff (they won't let me use the money for anything other than what it was allotted for. silly grant-giver's) so why not take this opportunity to get some equipment i wouldn't normally be able to at the drop of a hat? And i've always known i should probably have a mac...just never had the luxery of being able to afford a good one.

So no, its not imperative that i have a mac, and i'm still waivering back and forth on pc or mac. BUT i know that i have this opportunity, may as well see what is the best i can get for the money in both worlds (excluding the actual software b/c i already own premiere pro..or rather CS3 master coll. and if need by I can have them purchase the final cut suite for me.)

I'm checkin the refurb site now though. thanks a ton...