For FCP editing: 15" PowerBook or 17" iMac???

G

graziemile

Member
Hi,

Does anyone have any suggestions as to which one will have better performance for video editing, 15" PowerBook or 17" iMac???
Thanks.
-graziemile
 
If you are talking about the G5 iMac, then that will definately be better for editing. You also need to ask your self a few questions. Do you need any portablity? Can you be chained to a desk the whole time?

What ever your choice, they are both great machines.
 
Hi SkiUtah,

Thanks. I would like to have portability, but I also don't want to get a machine on which it is going to be difficult to edit. Does editing on a Powerbook become "frustrating"? (because of space, possible slowness, etc)? or is it pretty nice? I'm just thinking that maybe the ram and processor speed on the Powerbook are slower, it might drive someone crazy.

Any advice?
thanks.
-graziemile
 
I think that editing on the powerbook will be doable. I am currently editing on a 800mhz iMac, and it is alright to use. Sure, it occasionally slows, it is alright. If you get the Powerbook and put a lot of ram and external hard drive, then I think that you should be alright with the powerbook.
 
I've been editing on a 17" 1Ghz now for over 14 months now and before that a 1Ghz 15" for over 2 years. I don't/didn't have any problems with performance whatsoever with either. I probably wouldn't go for another 17" as it is pretty bulky. I thought I was doing the right thing by getting more screen real estate but in hind sight I'll probably down size to the newer 15" early next year when the newer processors come online.

Having portability really does have its benifits and if you do go for a portable, get one with a DVD Burner.
 
steadicamsteel said:
I've been editing on a 17" 1Ghz now for over 14 months now and before that a 1Ghz 15" for over 2 years. I don't/didn't have any problems with performance whatsoever with either. I probably wouldn't go for another 17" as it is pretty bulky. I thought I was doing the right thing by getting more screen real estate but in hind sight I'll probably down size to the newer 15" early next year when the newer processors come online.

Having portability really does have its benifits and if you do go for a portable, get one with a DVD Burner.
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Hi SkiUtah and steadicamsteel,

Thanks for the great advice. I was just told that, in addition to an external HD, I'll need a PC card for capturing on a PowerBook. What is exactly the purpose of the PC card? Why do I need it?

Thank you.
-graziemile
 
I like the 15" over the 17" also. Don't forget, you can hook another monitor and keyboard up to the Powerbook giving you two screens to work from. I agree, add more ram, which is pretty cheap right now, get the Superdrive model, and an external drive, and it should work great. I have a G5 2 gig with the 23" monitor, and still use the PowerBook alot. Portability is definitely nice. Have fun...
 
im on a 15inch powerbook 1.67 with 512 ram(soon to upgrade) and i have used it to edit quite alot, its really nice. i ussually set it up with a pair of nice head phones, i have a lacie 500 gig hd external but im getting a bus powered external soon and its awesome for editing. i also have a dual 2.0 ghz g5 with a 30inch monitor and an extra 15 inch monitor and the powerbook ir pretty comparable when doing simple editing like cuts wipes fades and some color corection, so i do alot of my editing right in the field and then comeback hook the 500hd up to the g5 to do effects work in like after effects or shake and some more smoothing out editing and dvd mastering. also with the power book theres a program called video viewer that lets u see ur firewire image in full screen at fairly high res so i use that as a feild monitor. so all in all its a really nice system. id recomend it.
 
geniuselvs said:
also with the power book theres a program called video viewer that lets u see ur firewire image in full screen at fairly high res so i use that as a feild monitor. so all in all its a really nice system. id recomend it.
Click to expand...

Is that already included in the powerbook when you buy the computer or is that another program that will have to be bought?
 
graziemile said:
so can you actually run LiveType/soundtrack or Motion on the Powerbook?
-graziemile
Click to expand...

The powerbook should have no problem running both soundtrack and Livetype. Motion, on the other hand, will run, but it will not be real time. I think it will be doable, but not at convieniant as a G5.
 
yes all but expect some slow down in motion but live type is fine and soundtrack is a charm. believe u will not be happyer. and i agree the 17in is just too bulky, the 15in is the sweet spot. but it does suck ur battery to edit so plug in when u can, its not too bad but its pretty computer intensive so it draws some power. but all in all i also have toast on it and photoshop cs and the new effects lab(newest alam dv) video viewer is something u get seperatly but look it up its pretty good. i can daisy chain through my computer to the 500gig and while fcp is capturing make the viewer full screen and its crystal clear and no tape. so you'll be happy.
 
graziemile said:
Hi SkiUtah and steadicamsteel,

Thanks for the great advice. I was just told that, in addition to an external HD, I'll need a PC card for capturing on a PowerBook. What is exactly the purpose of the PC card? Why do I need it?

Thank you.
-graziemile
Click to expand...

If your shooting DV then you don't need any PCMCIA Card. You just daisy chain your playback deck out of the external firewire Hard drive which is attached to the powerbook via FW800 or FW400 Cable.
 
The card is to provide the full speed of Firewire IF you have multiple devices (camera and drive)
Even if you had multiple firewire ports builtin, internally they're one port. That means it will only run as fast as the slowest device and the data has to go from the camera into the computer and then back out through that same connector to a firewire drive.
The added card provdes higher reliability and less chance for dropped frames. ($60-90 as I recall)
 
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