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decisions to buy need input please!

T

TonicAngel

macrumors regular
Original poster
well I am another one of those "switchers" or wanting to be one. 😀 Here are my options they are about al the same cost wise, but wasn't sure which would be the best. The options would all replace my current pc desktop. I would mainly use it for video editing (dv like imovie and stuff), web design photoshop, dreamweaver mx, and basic email/websurfing downloading etc. I am looking for the best speed to get these things done.
here are the options:
1) 17' 80gb iMac g4 with 14' ibook for portability
2) dual g4 1ghtz with 17' cinema display
3) 1ghtz g4 ti powerbook
All would run Jaguar since I don't have any reason to use classic.
I'm saving up money so its not like I need it right this minute and I am going to wait until after MWSF of course 🙂

thanks again 🙂
 
Ok, so you are wanting to do video editing, so unless you need portability then the DP1Ghz PowerMac /w 17" Cinema would give you the best power and let you get your work done the quickest, not to mention that you would have a higher resolution screen attached which is always better.
 
great!

well, if you need to use photoshop or something similar i can only advise you a G4-based Mac.
G3 tecnology is dead.
And if you really want to have the fastest Mac, you got no choice: a dual processor PowerMac.
OS X works great with dual processor Macs (and Photoshop is really fast....).

What about the monitor?

The 17' cinema display is a great choice but I still think that CRTs are better.
Apple doesn't produce any CRT monitor but there are many others that do.....

Regards.
 
Re: decisions to buy need input please!

Originally posted by TonicAngel
I'm saving up money so its not like I need it right this minute and I am going to wait until after MWSF of course 🙂
Click to expand...

Yeah, don't think about it too much because in a week you'll have some other choices.

With that said, I'd go for the Dual 1 Ghz; it's true-it runs Photoshop really fast.
 
well now it's down to the dual pmac or the g4 powerbook. I really like the idea of portability since I am considering going back to school... both come with superdrive which is a must for me since i can fit alot more video on dvd then a cd-r. Too bad ibook won't go g4 I really LOVE the look of it. 😀 but then I suppose it would be too much like the powerbook. What is the speed difference in a g3 800 ibook and a g4 800 imac? I'm just curious since I haven't used either and probably won't be noticing things people who use macs all day would notice. I'm just looking for speed and also quietness. I heard the new dual pmacs are loud 🙁 I'm just afraid to get a powerbook and then it overheats or something due to video rendering. Does anyone that have a powerbook do things like that? and if so what is it like? gah i hate decision making 🙂rolleyes:
 
get the powermac. The new ones are GREAT. I love mine which is a dual 1.25 but I have friends who bought the dual 867 and love it as well.

for video you really need even more then want the power. a powerbook is a great machine, but it only has the one processer AND a smaller hardrive. Also the superdrivwe on the TiBook is slower then in the powermac I believe.

Sure the powermac isnt porable, but it makes up for it in speed. IF you dont NEED a portable and you just WANT it just suck it up and go with the tower. if you have a reason to get the portable then maybe you should get it.

My vote is for the tower, Also because its easier to upgrade in the future. which is important as well with video.

Also check out general cybernetics' prices when you buy, they got some good deals http://www.generalcybernetics.com/apple or pm Backtothemac, and see what he can do for you.
 
yeah i don't need the portability as much as speed. I already have a crt with my pc.. but is there a way to hook up a mac tower to it? I really do not want to spend the extra $1000 on a blasted monitor.. TOO expensive! Do you think the tower prices will go down after jan 7? I was thinking of getting a ibook just for the simple things when i go out of town not for video i'd let the tower do that 😀 but for like email, watching dvds, photoshop when i'm out of town would it be able to do that kind of stuff? I'm definetly leaning to a tower for home use b/c i'm home more then out of town but when i go out of town its for a weeks at a time so it would be nice to have a laptop to do the simple things on. Any thoughts? I apprecate all your input esp about the towers since most threads I read dont' mention much about the speeds for video which i do all the time 😀
 
Originally posted by TonicAngel
I already have a crt with my pc.. but is there a way to hook up a mac tower to it?
Click to expand...
Yup, no problem. Depending on the video card it will have either ADC + DVI or ADC + VGA, if it has VGA then just plug it straight in, if not then you can get adapters to turn the DVI into VGA very cheaply at www.drbott.com 🙂
 
I'll take #1

Why I wouldn't take the power mac? because I have one, I edit video (mine is a dual G4 500) and based on my experience of 8 years using mac, I have 2 Powerbook Pismos that can do the job done just like the Dual 500. In other words.

The 17" iMac is way fast enough to hadle Photoshop. If you are going to edit video with iMovie, I have edit TV comertials with iMovie in my Powerbook G3 500 with no problem once and I felt in heaven.

The iBook 14" would be a good investment because you can take your work on the road. What I do when I have a problme with After Effects or something, I take my Powerbook to a friend that can help me out in place of do in it thru the phone or bringing him over. Most of the times I have to work on something some where else and as I do not like to play with some one elses computer I have mine.

The option #1 have something very good and is that if you have monet for the #2, you can use that extra money in ram for #1. Think about it.

A smart buy is not the expensive of the product but how much you can get with a little investment.

And you can get things faster in a Power Mac for shure, but Photoshop can be used in any computer right now, I could run Photoshop in a 9600/200 a few years ago, I do not consider Photoshop a really heavy soft any more with the actual systems. The softwares that takes power are the video ones, and that is because of the rendering and base on my friends on the field the say "renders are always slow so do not hesitate because no system is fast enough yet and the industry know that". I mean if you are gonna edit a video comertial.

In my case I run my render in my dual 500 and use the powerbook to surf the net or do something else (prepare the bill for the client), that is another really good thing.

BTW, are you gonna use PCI cards? so why paying for something that you are not gonna use? I'm running away from PCI stuff.
 
The right setup.

I just purchased a setup for almost exactly the same needs for myself and my fiance.

Get a dual 867 with Radeon and 512 or more (I got this for her CAD) and a 12" iBook (I got this for my writing and personal use).

Use your CRT with the VGA adapter that's in the Powermac box.

We went this route to get more usability now and will probably add a widescreen LCD when the new ones are out or come down in price.

You might consider getting the iBook now and waiting until march for the new towers if you can wait.

Best of luck

PS-The 12" iBook is better anyway, and if you are a student by March, you could get a discount on your tower (even ADC discount, 20-25%)
 
I have the TiBook with Superdrive, and it's an amazing, amazing machine. I'd sleep with it if I could.

That being said, I got this because I wanted one machine, I wanted to be able to take it with me, AND I'm not a hard core video person. If I was, I would have gotten the DP Powermac.

By the way, did I mention that I love my new Mac?
 
Re: The right setup.

Originally posted by dabirdwell

PS-The 12" iBook is better anyway, and if you are a student by March, you could get a discount on your tower (even ADC discount, 20-25%)
Click to expand...

why is the 12" better then the 14"? I haven't figured it out yet. Plus I am not 20/20 vision so I was assuming the 14" would be easier to see stuff.. but since I haven't physically looked at both side by side.. I have no idea 😀
 
Originally posted by TonicAngel


why is the 12" better then the 14"? I haven't figured it out yet. Plus I am not 20/20 vision so I was assuming the 14" would be easier to see stuff.. but since I haven't physically looked at both side by side.. I have no idea 😀
Click to expand...

Most people prefer the 12" cuz it's about the size of a large book so it's easier to carry around.

Plus the 14" doesn't offer anything else besides a bit longer battery life and a larger screen which has the same resolution as the smaller 12" so you're not getting extra real estate, just an expansion of what's already there.

If Apple were to make a 13" widescreen model to replace the 14", it would make more of a differentiation.

Only get the 14" if 1024x768 at 12" is too small for you.
 
There is no decision to be made now.

Wait 8 days!

Do it. Something will change, and you need to wait. If the changes don't affect you, discounts on older models might.
 
uhm... yes my original post said i am going to wait until AFTER mwsf 😀 plus I do not have the $$ in my pocket right this minute anyway 🙂 but these are just options I am considering.
 
Definetly get the DP Tower. The powerbook is nice but for pure power nothing beats a DP tower. I got a dual 800 and its run jaguar a lot smother than my friends 800 pb. As far as displays, for my money formac has better deals. Just my 2 cents.
 
I have to agree with mymemory here... get the iMac and the iBook. I have an older, 15" iMac, but I run Photoshop, iMovie, and sometimes Final Cut Pro almost every day, and I don't notice any lack of speed. Of course, if I would use a DP PowerMac right after I use the iMac I would notice the difference, but the point is that I don't ever think the iMac is slow. Now I'm just wishing I had an iBook just or the portability. If I had the money I would go buy it right away.. if you have the money, congrats, this is the way to go.

Decisions, decisions... Well, once the iMacs get to 1GHz at MWSF (hopefully), this choice will become even more attractive...

Oh one more thing... if you end up getting an iBook, get a 12"... the longer battery life just deosn't make up fro the extra portability you get with the 12"




irmongoose
 
personally if i were you i would get the powerbook. you may say you dont need portability but you would be surprised how much you will use it for that. i mean you can get a get a cup of coffee and work on it or take it to a friends, take it to work, take it where ever. you can go take your footage and check it out right there. and the powerbook is a powerhouse so it will like a desktop as well. sure its not as fast as a dual. just depends what you want to do. luckily i have a mac desktop and a powerbook so im limited to anything. you just got to sit down and look at what you want to do and look at your expenses. i was going to recommend appleloan to you with the 180 same as cash but that ended.

iJon
 
Originally posted by edesignuk

Yup, no problem. Depending on the video card it will have either ADC + DVI or ADC + VGA, if it has VGA then just plug it straight in, if not then you can get adapters to turn the DVI into VGA very cheaply at www.drbott.com 🙂
Click to expand...


actually the dp pmacs come with a DVI-VGA adapter from apple. i am using now with my lovely Sony 17"
 
I would recomend the powerbook. Portability rocks! Just buy Airport and work on the couch, in the train and in the sun. Email, productivity, calender and internet wherever you are! Not the best option for rendering though.
 
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