what is with macs that make them so special?

M

msm

Member
Hello,
I am currently researching mac computers in order to buy one for video editing and I am just wondering what makes them so special for this purpose? My current computer has a 20 G hard drive, 256 ram, 896 MHz processor - so what is wrong with that? Couldn't I just purchase an external hard drive and then be all set to edit? Is it really necessary to upgrade to a mac?

I am thinking of buying a new ibook for basic editing- what specific qualifications are imperative?

Thanks for the support!
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

A Mac is a Mac is a Mac; there is nothing special about them nor is there anything special about the PC. One thing the MAC can give you the PC cannot is FCP. Given the cost of a MAC, imagine the PC you can have with the money spent!
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

896MHz? What an interesting number. So you currently have a mac, is that right?

Alot of times it's just personal preference. Some people like Macs and some like PCs. In the past macs seemed to have been better at handling complex applications such as Photoshop and editing software. The guts of a mac were more robust and SCSI based. Which made Macs the ideal choice for editing videos. But now PCs and Macs are about even. If you are comfortable with the Mac platform then stick with it. But if you might want to buy a new/used Mac/PC with a faster processor and MUCH more RAM (1gb+). If not, watching your computer render videos will be like watching paint dry.

Good point John. You can get a lot of PC fo little money. A Mac is a luxury. FCP would be nice though. Any news on a PC version ???

I have a PC. But, when I did advertising design for Microsoft, I used a Mac. Yep, advertisers for Microsoft use Macs. Sweet irony.
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

Advertising is replete with macs. I'm a PC person by default. But one of the advantages of a mac (or so I am told) is they they are far less susceptible to virus problems. Why that is, I don't know.
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

Most viruses are created to infect Windows. Hackers want to cause the most damage possible so they go after the largest market. 90%+ of computers on the planet use Windows.

Why doesn't someone put bars in those Windows. That'll keep the bad guys out! ;)
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

[quote author=P.K. Gillock link=board=Offtopic;num=1105471619;start=0#2 date=01/11/05 at 11:45:07]Yep, advertisers for Microsoft use Macs. Sweet irony.[/quote]
Reminds me that in early 1990, Windows NT code was written on OS/2 - the operating system Microsoft (and largely IBM due to their marketing incompetence) managed to effectively kill. But I digress...

I would gladly exchange all eight of my PCs for two fully loaded Macs. By now, I am so vested in PC technology that it would take years before I can replace all that hardware/software I've acquired. I tried to run both platforms simultaneously, but it was too much hassle. I depend on PC for my livelihood, but I'd go with Mac even though it's more expensive.

OTOH, from what I can say, Vegas is much better NLE than FCP, and it only runs on Windows...

The thing that make Macs special is the same that makes the DVX special: You open the box, plug it in, and it works. Beautifully and reliably.
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

yeah, im a biased mac guy (although i use both)

i would say that macs are better no question, but u gte what u pay for. Its basically a money issue, if u can afford it, i'd go mac, if it sounds to expensive, then do pc, or use all the money u would on a mac and build up the ultimate pc editing suite.

I have a mac and pc at home and use a pc at my fathers house and at friends homes, and the windows OS is so screwed its not funny (at least in my experience) where i've never had a problem with mac OSX, its frozen about 3 times in however long I've had it, and a simple reboot fixes everything. Also, we have a 866mhz and a dual 1.8 and the 866 is faster for photoshop and video than any of my friends pcs which are supposedly much faster.

So basically between windows ****ups and and the extra performance i seem to get out of my mac, I wont ever go back

Thats just my experience, many ppl use pc and r happy
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

In truth, you should really only compare dual xeons with dual G5's...and that puts the price points much closer then you'd think. I've been pricing out both systems and I'm not seeing a compelling financial advantage of one over the other when both are equally equipped.

A dual Xeon 3.2 with 2gigs of ram, DVD burner and a single 160 gig internal drive prices at about $3200 plus or minus depending on configuration and shipping.

A dual G5 2.0 with 2 gigs of ram, DVD burner and a single 160 gig internal drive prices in at $2970.

Both of these systems would require editing software, media drives and monitors. Monitors and drives would cost the same for either, so the remaining cost is software.

A sony production bundle is 700-800? FCP bundle is about 1300?

You could probably shave a hundred or two off the xeon if you shop around and build and configure everything piecemeal, but in the end you're not talking about a gigantic price difference between the two in their final hardware cost. The difference is in the cost and abilities of the software.

Software isn't as cheap on a Mac, and far more difficult to steal outright, so that's something to consider when looking at a system.

I don't claim that one is better then the other, which is why I'm researching both systems, but there are a few things that can be said to be "different" in a Mac vs. PC. It's up to you to decide how much of an advantage that will be.

1. Apple is probably closer to transitioning to a true 64-bit environment then the PC is currently.

2. Apple has rigid control over the platform hardware and software. This can be said to increase reliabilty, but it can also be said that it increases cost.

3. Apple has Final Cut.

4. Apple is seen in some circles as being "more professsional" to the client.

5. Apple works "out of the box" for media. I think this is largely a moot point, but some people claim it is a huge advantage.
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

I loved usiing the macs in film school, of coarse there nothing compared to today's macs, but I've alway's been a windows user. and love editing with Vegas.
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

Aside from the good points above (I don't have time to write more), Macs are just more elegant in the UI. Call it cliché, but the user experience on a Mac is just better. Everything flows. Everything works. Everything is seamless. Everything is beautiful, which should come as a plus (necessity?) to creatives.
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

Also, Macs can read Windows disks (floppy, zip, etc) and basic files like MS Office. If you put a Mac disk in a PC it wants to reformat it tp PC. Put a PC disk in a Mac and it politely opens it and allow you access to many but not all files. I use PC formatted portable storage exclusively on Mac so that I can then access my files on either platform.

Microsoft makes a software that emulates a PC motherboard on a Mac so that you can install and run almost any PC software including Windows XP (but sorry, not DVRack nor Vegas). The emulation is not really good for much (too slow) but it'll run small apps well enough.

I don't own a Mac but use them often for work. I would never have considered a Mac before OSX. Everything previous sucked (but so did Windows before Win2000). I am very tempted to make my next box a Mac but Vegas and DVRack are tempting, too.

Moe
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

What NLEs have you used?  Which did you like?  Based on that question alone you should be able to decide.

Avid and FCP, in my opinion, are pretty close to equally good.  I prefer FCP and won't edit with anything else, but most professionals prefer Avid.  Some people love Vegas, although it's not used in broadcast and film much yet (then again, FCP is rare in broadcast; Avid dominates).  When I used Vegas, I wasn't impressed, but it was an old version and it seems like a great NLE if you aren't already used to Avid of FCP. Actually, it seems like it may be the best and easiest to use NLE for the money now. Hollywood and most networks are just too snobby to move away from Avid to anything else.

If you like Final Cut Pro, get a mac.  The dual G5s are nice, but expensive.  Macs are awesome because they are stable, too, and the hardware is great quality but a bit slower than comperable PCs.  I also love Mac OSX.  I think Combustion and After Effects are availible for the mac, as is Maya and some great sound editing software.  It's really all you need, and as you'll be spending as much on software as you will on hardware regardless of platform, the few hundred dollars extra for a good mac may be worth it.

If you like Avid, a PC is probabably better.  The dual Opertons are amazing (I have one at work) and AMD 64s are nearly as good and you can use Soft Image and 3D Studio Max, both of which I prefer to Maya (this is if you plan to do any 3D.)  Also, high end PCs are faster and cheaper.  Just be careful to avoid viruses, spyware, etc.  They bog down almost any computer connected to the internet, though if you're careful and install Service Pack 2, it won't be too big a problem.

Your computer can do video editing as it is, but I'd recommend twice the ram and about 5 times the hard drive space for anything serious.
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

[quote author=Kai link=board=Offtopic;num=1105471619;start=0#9 date=01/11/05 at 13:02:47]Everything flows. Everything works. Everything is seamless.[/quote]
Yeah, until it breaks. Or you want to use DVRack. Then you're screwed. :P




uh-oh, here it comes... *ducks and covers head*
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

Seems we have this discussoin every few months; LOL

I agree; both kick ass if you have the correct set up for your needs and tis a matter of preference
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

is this another macs verses peecees war? end this war.
soon, all computers will be intergrated together- seamlessly, and we will all flow together.








MACS RULEEE!!!!!
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

hey my car is faster than your car. My girlfriend is prettier than your girlfriend. Your armpits are smellier than my armpits. Macs are better than PCs. So what! Who cares, do the best you can with what you have.
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

[quote author=John Hudson link=board=Offtopic;num=1105471619;start=15#16 date=01/11/05 at 14:03:26]Yes; Macs are sexy.  Particulary important when networking  :P[/quote]
[quote author=BLUESPIDER link=board=Offtopic;num=1105471619;start=15#17 date=01/11/05 at 14:17:35]hey my car is faster than your car. My girlfriend is prettier than your girlfriend. Your armpits are smellier than my armpits. Macs are better than PCs. So what! Who cares, do the best you can with what you have. [/quote]


HAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
 
Re: what is with macs that make them so special?

[quote author=BLUESPIDER link=board=Offtopic;num=1105471619;start=15#17 date=01/11/05 at 14:17:35]My girlfriend is prettier than your girlfriend. [/quote]

She might be prettier than my girlfriend...but she can't be prettier than my wife ;D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top