Want to buy a Mac at DVinfo.net

Fred Goltz · March 1st, 2010, 08:22 PM

Okay, guys. I know this has been done to DEATH, but here goes (and I appreciate any help in advance).

I want to go to Mac. I currently edit in Vegas 7.0. (I've taken a lot of time off).

Do they not have Vegas for Macs?

My budget is between 2K and 2.5K for a mac (doesn't have to be a laptop).

What is the BEST Mac I can get for this amount of money and what should the configuration be? (processor speed, ram, etc)...and I house all my footage on external drives, so the HD is not really a big factor.

Thanks in advance guys.

Freddie.

Robert Lane · March 1st, 2010, 10:30 PM

Freddie,

You're right, it's been asked and re-asked to death, so rather than have us repeat what's been said multiple times how about using the super-cool search feature and doing some research.

Also, Apple is widely rumoured to be releasing new hardware very soon. It would be wise to wait and see what comes out before spending money on a system that may very quickly be outmoded by the next generation model.

Vegas is not and will not ever be available as a native OSX application. Sony and Apple don't play well together in the software arena.

Fred Goltz · March 2nd, 2010, 08:17 AM

Thank you, Robert.

I knew that other people had asked the same thing, but everyone's circumstances and budgets are different and I didn't really find any answers in the other threads, with the exception that I need 512 vs. 256 and 7200 Rpm hd and a min of 4GB ram.

I did, however see where someone posted mac is coming out with something new in March, so I will take your good advice and wait.

Thanks for being a gentleman.

Fred Goltz.

Chris Estrella · March 2nd, 2010, 02:51 PM

Some people will say to wait, but some will also say buy it if you need it. Sounds like you can wait though.

My advice that a search probably won't tell you right off the bat is that if you're going to use your external hard drives for the Mac, be prepared to archive your current drives and reformat them to the Mac format (Mac OS Extended Journaled or something like that). You can't write to NTFS drives on Mac OSX. Or you can just get new externals all together, connecting to either FW800 or eSata (which you'll need to buy an adapter for).

If the budget is for the Mac alone, look into a Mac Pro even if it's just the base configs. They'll take you farther than a loaded iMac or MBP.

Paul Cascio · March 2nd, 2010, 04:53 PM

If your budget is only $2500, that's not very much in Macland, IMO. Not for video editing. You're also going to need to switch to either Final Cut or Premiere. My advice is don't do it. You can build a super computer for $1200-$1500, PC-style.

David Knaggs · March 3rd, 2010, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Cascio

If your budget is only $2500, that's not very much in Macland, IMO. Not for video editing.

For what it's worth, I recently picked up a small MacBook Pro, purely so I could edit while in a client's offices. It can edit 1080p XDCAM EX footage with no problems. (And 1080p in Motion too.) On the US Apple Store, I noticed a 13" MBP (with better specs than mine) for $1500. With $1,000 for FCS, that's within the $2,500 budget. Alternately, you could get a 21.5" iMac (with a 1920 X 1080 resolution screen) for $1,500.

Of course, if you use Kona or Blackmagic cards, etc., you'd need a Mac Pro tower.

But, if your needs are simpler, it's possible to happily edit 1080p and export to web, DVD, etc. using a Mac and FCS for $2,500.

Just sayin'.

Fred Goltz · March 3rd, 2010, 08:33 AM

Paul, I think you're right. I wasn't aware Sony and Apple didn't play well together, so I'll stick with what I know best (and am quite happy with).

If a P.C. is the way to go for 1500 to 2000 bucks...then I'll take the path more travelled.

Thanks to everyone for the advice! I'm never disappointed here.

EDIT: (If i choose to stick with my P.C. and want to send my tower in to be upgraded, are there any places in particular I can use that are familiar with the best configurations for editing P.C's?)

Shaughan Flynn · March 4th, 2010, 10:12 PM

Quote:

I wasn't aware Sony and Apple didn't play well together

Neither was I. And I have been using Sony cameras and FCP as a pair since 2004. And currently using XDCAM EX and everything plays fine together. I know there was some issues early on with XDCAM but I have not had a single issue since starting with XDCAM EX about 2 months ago.

William Hohauser · March 4th, 2010, 11:06 PM

That's the Sony computer division and Apple don't play well together. The pro video division has a different take on the relationship.

Shaughan Flynn · March 5th, 2010, 01:15 PM

Ahh ok - I misundertook that statement.

Brett Sherman · March 7th, 2010, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Estrella

be prepared to archive your current drives and reformat them to the Mac format (Mac OS Extended Journaled or something like that). You can't write to NTFS drives on Mac OSX.

Actually with this software you can:

PARAGON Software Group - NTFS for Mac, communication channel between Mac OS X and Windows

It works great for dealing for archived projects. As you also may know you can set up a dual boot scenario and boot your mac into Windows to have access to your Vegas projects.

March 1st, 2010, 08:22 PM	#1
Fred Goltz Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lubbock, Texas Posts: 43	Want to buy a Mac Okay, guys. I know this has been done to DEATH, but here goes (and I appreciate any help in advance). I want to go to Mac. I currently edit in Vegas 7.0. (I've taken a lot of time off). Do they not have Vegas for Macs? My budget is between 2K and 2.5K for a mac (doesn't have to be a laptop). What is the BEST Mac I can get for this amount of money and what should the configuration be? (processor speed, ram, etc)...and I house all my footage on external drives, so the HD is not really a big factor. Thanks in advance guys. Freddie.

March 2nd, 2010, 04:53 PM	#5
Paul Cascio Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bristol, CT (Home of EPSN) Posts: 1,192	If your budget is only $2500, that's not very much in Macland, IMO. Not for video editing. You're also going to need to switch to either Final Cut or Premiere. My advice is don't do it. You can build a super computer for $1200-$1500, PC-style. __________________ Paul Cascio www.pictureframingschool.com

March 4th, 2010, 11:06 PM	#9
William Hohauser Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,650	That's the Sony computer division and Apple don't play well together. The pro video division has a different take on the relationship. __________________ William Hohauser - New York City Producer/Edit/Camera/Animation

March 5th, 2010, 01:15 PM	#10
Shaughan Flynn Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 272	Ahh ok - I misundertook that statement. __________________ B-Scene Films

March 1st, 2010, 10:30 PM	#2
Robert Lane Go Go Godzilla Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 2,826 Images: 15	Freddie, You're right, it's been asked and re-asked to death, so rather than have us repeat what's been said multiple times how about using the super-cool search feature and doing some research. Also, Apple is widely rumoured to be releasing new hardware very soon. It would be wise to wait and see what comes out before spending money on a system that may very quickly be outmoded by the next generation model. Vegas is not and will not ever be available as a native OSX application. Sony and Apple don't play well together in the software arena.

March 2nd, 2010, 08:17 AM	#3
Fred Goltz Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lubbock, Texas Posts: 43	Thank you, Robert. I knew that other people had asked the same thing, but everyone's circumstances and budgets are different and I didn't really find any answers in the other threads, with the exception that I need 512 vs. 256 and 7200 Rpm hd and a min of 4GB ram. I did, however see where someone posted mac is coming out with something new in March, so I will take your good advice and wait. Thanks for being a gentleman. Fred Goltz.

March 2nd, 2010, 02:51 PM	#4
Chris Estrella Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Richmond, Canada Posts: 117	Some people will say to wait, but some will also say buy it if you need it. Sounds like you can wait though. My advice that a search probably won't tell you right off the bat is that if you're going to use your external hard drives for the Mac, be prepared to archive your current drives and reformat them to the Mac format (Mac OS Extended Journaled or something like that). You can't write to NTFS drives on Mac OSX. Or you can just get new externals all together, connecting to either FW800 or eSata (which you'll need to buy an adapter for). If the budget is for the Mac alone, look into a Mac Pro even if it's just the base configs. They'll take you farther than a loaded iMac or MBP.

March 3rd, 2010, 08:33 AM	#7
Fred Goltz Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lubbock, Texas Posts: 43	Paul, I think you're right. I wasn't aware Sony and Apple didn't play well together, so I'll stick with what I know best (and am quite happy with). If a P.C. is the way to go for 1500 to 2000 bucks...then I'll take the path more travelled. Thanks to everyone for the advice! I'm never disappointed here. EDIT: (If i choose to stick with my P.C. and want to send my tower in to be upgraded, are there any places in particular I can use that are familiar with the best configurations for editing P.C's?)