First Mac, debating what to get. Help, please.

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I'm looking into getting a MacBook. I'm tired of relying on my college campus' Mac lab to be open when I need to work on video projects or photoshop. If the lab tech doesn't show (constantly) or leaves early (just about every time they DO show up), we're screwed.

So, mainly, I'd want to use this for Final Cut (Express, I assume is what I'll wind up getting as an add-on), Garage Band/Soundtrack Pro, and Photoshop of some kind (might look into a freeware-version or free spinoff). I am into filmmaking and music, so mainly I'd be using this to edit video and do soundtrack/audio work with film projects and bands.

I was considering the mid-level MacBook. 2GB of RAM, 160GB of harddrive space (I have several large external harddrives I use to edit video already, so paying a few hundred more for the 90GB upgrade doesn't make much sense), Dual-layer burner (kinda pointless it edit video when you can't do anything with it afterwards). My original intention was to use this MacBook where ever I needed, then I realized the small screen might get a bit annoying to edit on. So, I thought about an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, so that, when I'm home and stationary, I can use it like a desktop and edit on a larger screen.

Is it possible to hook these up to a MacBook? If so, can I use generic hardware, or do I have to buy a name-brand monitor and keyboard? This is my summer savings and the next semester is starting, so "save some more money" isn't really an option.

Would I just be better off with a standard desktop iMac of similar specs? I realise the MacBook is the trendy way to go, but I'm not really the type to drag my laptop everywhere with me just to be seen with it, or risk taking it to a party and running my iTunes through the stereo and all that crap. However, I admit it might be nice to have at work, but if it'd be more efficient to just run from a desktop...

What do you guys think?
 
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Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 17" 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo: 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3 (Antiglare)
If your looking to do video editing with Final Cut, like myself, I'd say go with the Macbook Pro. It's great for those purposes. The monitor is great to so you wouldn't have to get all that external stuff.
 
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macbook 2.4ghz/4gigram/sd/leopard
I would go with an iMac, if for nothing else that you can upgrade the video card and such. You don't want to be stuck in a year or less with a notebook that may not be up to snuff for what you use it for. Are you majoring in visual/audio type stuff? Or is it just a hobby?


If it is just a hobby, I'd say flip a coin, but if it is a necessary education purchase, more bang for the buck with a desktop.
 
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If your looking to do video editing with Final Cut, like myself, I'd say go with the Macbook Pro. It's great for those purposes. The monitor is great to so you wouldn't have to get all that external stuff.

Thanks for the response, but, like I said, not an option. 4 inches of screen and 40GB of harddrive space isn't justafiably worth an extra $700 bucks for me. Plus, I just don't have that much.
 
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I would go with an iMac, if for nothing else that you can upgrade the video card and such. You don't want to be stuck in a year or less with a notebook that may not be up to snuff for what you use it for. Are you majoring in visual/audio type stuff? Or is it just a hobby?


If it is just a hobby, I'd say flip a coin, but if it is a necessary education purchase, more bang for the buck with a desktop.

Thanks for the response. I'm majoring in Mass Comm, with a concentration of film. So, I do a lot of video, audio, and general media stuff.
 
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How much would a usable monitor, keyboard, and mouse cost me? I guess that's the big question at this point, since most of the features, short of the monitor size and harddrive space, are similar.
 
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15" MBP 2.6GHZ, 8Gig iPhone, 160Gig iPod Classic, 16Gig 3G iPhone Black
Its all relative to quality. You can get a usb keyboard for 10-20 bucks, mouses vary by quality and DPI. When I use photoshop and illustrator on my Macbook Pro, I use a UltraSharp 2709W, but before I could afford that monstrosity, I used a Samsung 226BW which is a great monitor, you can find it for 230-250 bucks. I use a logitech G5, because the adjustable DPI is great for grapical editing if your not using a tablet.

I know you said your on a budget, but that mouse and samsung monitor are a good investment that will last you a long time.

Edit: It looks like the link i gave for the samsung is a 22253BW, and it looks like they discontinued the 226BW. Either way its the same specs except for the brightness is not the same.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
First gen Mac Pro, Dual 2.66
I would go with an iMac, if for nothing else that you can upgrade the video card and such. You don't want to be stuck in a year or less with a notebook that may not be up to snuff for what you use it for. Are you majoring in visual/audio type stuff? Or is it just a hobby?


If it is just a hobby, I'd say flip a coin, but if it is a necessary education purchase, more bang for the buck with a desktop.

You can't upgrade the video in an iMac
 

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