Time to get a new Mac... any suggestions?

Hello Group

I am considering getting a brand new Mac and could use some advice as to what desktop computer would be best for my needs. I am currently using a Mac G4 733 with the Pioneer DVD Superdrive. I use my Mac primarily for editing films with FCP version 2.2 and burning DVD?s with iDVD. I have four 75 gig internal media drives and two flat panel monitors, one is a 15-inch studio display and the second is an older 15-inch LCD flat panel.

My goal is to continue editing my films, both shorts and features, and to create and author DVDs with DVD Studio Pro.

I would like to be able to use my two flat panels with the new Mac. I also want to install as many media drives as possible with the greatest capacity.

What is the best computer for FCP editing, a Mac Pro, an iMac or a G5?

Does anyone have any suggestions for an optimum set-up, for example the maximum number of hard drives, any additional graphics cards, as well as any other PCI cards that might be needed to edit HD?

Where is the best place to purchase a new machine?

Will I also be able to network my old Mac with a new Mac?

I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks
Howie

One quick tip. In a Mac shop, anything that's white is 'consumer' level. Anything that's silver is 'prosumer' and up. An iMac is not a pro outfit. Cute, but not a pro solution.

I think the new Macs with the Intel chip offer editing with both Apple and PC software. That must be real empowering. I'd go with the best system I can afford.

Vic's advice is quite good however I'd wait until the next generation Mac Pro before I buy

Michael Horton
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I personally don't believe in buying "the best system you can afford". I believe in holding out and saving for a better system - not settling for something less just because you don't have enough money. The MacIntels have not been battle-tested yet so I would hold off on that one for a little while (like Mike suggests - wait until next gen), but you can get a GREAT DEAL on a super-fast Quad Core 2.5 / 4 GB RAM (at least) / GeForce 7800 GT / Kona3 card / etc. Check out MacGurus for an HD RAID solution. Contact support & tell them what you need it for - they'll hook you up.

I am totally happy with my Quad...paid for itself with ONE GIG!

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Mike, would you kindly elaborate? I'm seriously considering a Mac Pro, base model to replace my G5, 1.8MHz, single PPC. I have a buyer for an earlier video workstation G4, 867MHz. single. Thanks!

Phil in Indianapolis

Phil Cramer
Indianapolis

Just feel that it is never a good idea to buy the first generation anything. The 2nd generation is generally an improvement on the first because they found what didn't work on the first and what can be improved.

Michael Horton
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phil_cramer Wrote:
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> Mike, would you kindly elaborate? I'm seriously
> considering a Mac Pro, base model to replace my
> G5, 1.8MHz, single PPC. I have a buyer for an
> earlier video workstation G4, 867MHz. single.

The MACPro models are a good machine to start with. You can get the 2.66 GHz dual-core model for $2499 and add the ATI X1900XT for another $250. I am not sure spending the extra $800 for the 3.0 GHz models is really worth it but then you need monitors and disk storage.

I would advise you to check on the video products you use as they will need to be updated or upgraded depening on the vendor. FCP 5.1 is, of course Intel Binary as are all the Apple Pro Video components. However, some of the standard plugins may not be Intelled yet.

There is wisdom in not jumping into the fire from the frying pan where new released hardware is considered and you could go with a G5 Quad or something like that, but sooner or later we will all have to bite the computer and embrace the Intel powered Mac line.

I personally have the Quad G5 with a 2 TB RAID internally and I did choose to wait out the first revision of hardware and let others be the beta-testers.

Main reason for avoiding the Mac Pro for now besides it's first generation, is that Adobe apps wont run native and if you use them extensively then be prepared for a bit of a slow down in workflow. Again, this is just a choice and many users are happy with the Mac Pro but I'm betting many more will be happier with the next generation, as is usually the case.

Michael Horton
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from what ive seen, the only strong argument FOR the intel mac pro is if you use the FCP suite EXCLUSIVELY. like mike says, the adobe stuff doesnt run natively (and wont until probably next spring) and there is a good deal of external hardware that also isnt currently compatable.

your monitors will work just fine on either mac pro or g5, but i cant imagine working on 15" anything - thats crazy small. id suggest at least dual 19"

i just bought a quad g5 a few weeks ago and it handilly SMOKES my older dual 2.0 g5.

funny thing is that retail stores know that the quad is more applicable at the moment, so most arent discounting them at all. i paid 2990 for my quad and an intel mac pro was 2499 - that was a bit painful "hey, i just paid $500 more for last years technology - YAY!". but for my workflow, a mac pro simply would have been a step backward.

I did (in part) what Michael Horton suggested and bought an iMac as my first Mac. In 2-4 years I'll go Pro when technology has advanced plus/minus an order of magnitude and I more precisely know what i want out of a pro system.

There's something to be said for the portability of an iMac. I've even thought about taking it on our annual vacation to the Oregon Coast or checking in to a nice local hotel for a weekend, away from the family, of intense work.

From what I've read here, rendering is the most time-intensive task for a Mac and even with Pro systems, it takes a long time. I've also read here that hard drive access speed is as much responsible for performance as processor speed.

I would like to be a mouse in the corner at Apple to glimpse the technology roadmap for FCP.

anyone currently fuctioning as a video professional (and by that i mean someone with more than one simultaneous, or complex projects) will immediately feel a production bottleneck using an imac, macmini or laptop model as their primary machine. like frank says, you cant beat them for portability, but if you need sheer workflow horsepower, they simply cant stand up to a desktop machine. if they could, nobody would buy these big honkin' desktop monstrosities...

for general day to day, basic cut and dissolve stuff, they do just fine. but the render, export and encoding procedures will talke SEVERAL times longer than with a desktop. the jump even from my dual g5 to my quad g5 when encoding/burning a dvd is more than 2x. as it is now, general timeline rendering on basic day to day editing behavior on a g5 is down to practically nothing.

i worked with a powerbook in the field for a few years (and still do) and the rendering and encoding is a "go get lunch, take a nap, and check back" kind of process. and if you had only that single machine, youd be totally at a standstill at that point.

I completely share Mike's view.

As well, I am looking for a larger hard drive which I expect the next iteration of the Mac Book Pro to accommodate. I'll cop to buying one then.