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Final Cut Pro + MBP = yay?

D

dmodog

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 21, 2007
7
0
I need to buy a MBP and FCP very soon.

Is it worth the extra $500 to get the 2.33 Ghz model? Is there really a noticeable difference when using Final Cut Pro?

What about future versions of final cut pro, do you think they'll run okay on the 2.16 Ghz model?

I was talking to a friend recently and I brought up the issue of waiting a couple weeks to buy a MBP because there may be some new models in the coming weeks. He said that if they do, at the most there'll be just a minor speed bump, which won't be that noticeable because they are so damn fast in the first place (especially considering I still have a 2nd gen imac, anything under two years old seems really fast to me). He said if I want the 15 inch model and got the fastest one available right now, that'll pretty much cover me at least until the next major overhaul, and even then I'll be fine for another couple years.

It seems to make sense, does it though?
 
First off,
MBP + Anything = yay.

MBP w/ little ram + FCP = Boo... :( :mad:

MBP w/ LOTS OF RAM + FCP = Yay! :) :D :cool:

In short, the RAM will be much more important than the difference in those CPUs.
 
I am currently using the "old" Core Duo 17" MBP model with FCP. I have no qualms with the performance. The notebook is as follows:

2.16 Core Duo
7200RPM HD
2GB RAM
256MB ATI X1600

As far as I know, the current lineup meets or exceeeds those specs. In my opinion, you'll be fine with the current generation of MBPs.
 
Applecare or No Applecare...

Thanks to those who responded.

I went to the Apple Store near me and asked one of the sales reps if I should get the 2.16 Ghz and put another stick of ram in it, mainly for use with FCP and possibly Shake and Motion. He said the 2.33 Ghz MBP was the way to go, no question. I told him I was getting AppleCare and I couldn't hand over an extra $500 for a speed bump I didn't quite need. Though he did admit FCP was mostly about the amount of RAM in the machine, he still insisted the 2.33Ghz was the way to go, mainly for the insrease in speed.

The problem with sales reps is that you aren't always sure if their recommendations are in your best interest. They don't seem to understand the question of "I know it's better but do I really need it?"... So the options for me at this point are either...

MBP 2.33 Ghz with 2 GB RAM, without Applecare.
MBP 2.16 Ghz with 2 GB RAM, with AppleCare.

If anyone can help me out with this final question then I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
 
Wait! The New MBP Will Let You Have 4GB Instead of 3

dmodog said:
Thanks to those who responded.

I went to the Apple Store near me and asked one of the sales reps if I should get the 2.16 Ghz and put another stick of ram in it, mainly for use with FCP and possibly Shake and Motion. He said the 2.33 Ghz MBP was the way to go, no question. I told him I was getting AppleCare and I couldn't hand over an extra $500 for a speed bump I didn't quite need. Though he did admit FCP was mostly about the amount of RAM in the machine, he still insisted the 2.33Ghz was the way to go, mainly for the insrease in speed.

The problem with sales reps is that you aren't always sure if their recommendations are in your best interest. They don't seem to understand the question of "I know it's better but do I really need it?"... So the options for me at this point are either...

MBP 2.33 Ghz with 2 GB RAM, without Applecare.
MBP 2.16 Ghz with 2 GB RAM, with AppleCare.

If anyone can help me out with this final question then I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Wait! The New MBP Will Let You Have 4GB Instead of 3. Don't buy this model for FCS 5.1UB. You want minimum 4GB for Studio to work well. And you want FCS 6 with Leopard not the 2005 model. Patience. Can you wait 'til June? It'll be way worth it.

You don't have to buy Applecare until up to a year after you buy the Mac.

At the very least you should wait until the April 15th NAB Final Cut Studio 6 and Extreme Event before you spend any money. Know what you're giving up that's next before you buy the past. The new model will be faster for the same money. WAIT if you can !!
 
I have an old CD MBP 2ghz 2gb of ram and 5400rpm drive. While I still use the G5 for main production work the MBP is real nice.

Take neither more ram in the 2.16 and no apple care.
 
Multimedia said:
Wait! The New MBP Will Let You Have 4GB Instead of 3. Don't buy this model for FCS 5.1UB. You want minimum 4GB for Studio to work well. And you want FCS 6 with Leopard not the 2005 model. Patience. Can you wait 'til June? It'll be way worth it.

You don't have to buy Applecare until up to a year after you buy the Mac.

At the very least your should wait until the April 15th NAB Final Cut Studio 6 and Extreme Event before you spend any money. Know what you're giving up that's next before you buy the past.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's been a quiet battle inside my head for a few weeks now. Unfortunately I can't wait another 2-3 weeks before buying and I should really get the laptop next week.

I mean if I weren't using a 4 1/2 year old iMac at home, and if time weren't a factor, then waiting for the next wave of MBP's would be totally cool. But basically I need to get a laptop I can travel with combined with a machine that can handle Final Cut Pro so I can start editing at home.

As far as Final Cut 6 goes, is it really a possibility it won't work on today's machines at all?
 
Then Buy A Refurbished 17" C2D For Editing.

dmodog said:
Yeah, that's been a quiet battle inside my head for a few weeks now. Unfortunately I can't wait another 2-3 weeks before buying and I should really get the laptop next week.

I mean if I weren't using a 4 1/2 year old iMac at home, and if time weren't a factor, then waiting for the next wave of MBP's would be totally cool. But basically I need to get a laptop I can travel with combined with a machine that can handle Final Cut Pro so I can start editing at home.

As far as Final Cut 6 goes, is it really a possibility it won't work on today's machines at all?
Click to expand...
Oh no it'll work. But that extra GB of RAM might help a lot. 4GB is fairly minimum as it is. 3GB is pushing the bottom of what you would want to run the whole Studio at once. I would encourage you to buy a refurbished 17" C2D in your case. Just keep your eye on the refurb page and they'll be back soon enough.
 
While the Leopard / Santa Rosa / expanded RAM / FCS 6 capabilities will all help, if you need it now, it will work just fine. Multi isn't wrong, but he is a waiter. He told everyone to wait for C2D when theh CD was only a month old, and now he is waiting for Santa Rosa. FWIW, I believe he is running a dual G5.
 
I Am Not A Waiter. I Am Patient. And Then I Am A Giant Leaper.

netdog said:
While the Leopard / Santa Rosa / expanded RAM / FCS 6 capabilities will all help, if you need it now, it will work just fine. Multi is a waiter. He told everyone to wait for C2D when theh CD was only a month old, and now he is waiting for Santa Rosa. FWIW, I believe he is running a dual G5.
Click to expand...
Quad G5 with 6GB of RAM netdog. It's in my frickin' signature. Are you blind?

I am NOT waiting for Santa Rosa. I don't need a mobile Mac. I still won't need a mobile Mac when Santa Rosa ships. Are you saying that because I don't buy/have a MBP or MB that I am not qualified to advise anyone to wait for the next model? I didn't tell people to wait for Santa Rosa last year. In fact I told them to wait for C2D only. And then I encouraged everyone to buy C2D when it shipped thanks to the all new improved ventilation system. And that turned out to be excellent advice. But now that we're on the verge of a new system as well as all new hardware, how can advising everyone to wait be a negative reflection on me? I am not a waiter. I am a giant leaper. I just leapt to the Sony HDR-HC7 HDV Camcorder the moment it shipped. So how can you stereotype me as a "waiter". That's rediculous. :rolleyes:

I make my technological aquisitions STRATEGICALLY. That's what I'm advising. Buying new hardware with a new system is an excellent way to future proof your expense. I know there will be bugs. That's what the Tiger Quad G5 is for. Duh. I also have a 2GHz Dual Core G5 as well. And I'm not giving that up either. It makes an excellent door stop. :D

Quad Mac Pro is insignificantly faster than Quad G5. I will be buying the 8 core Mac Pro as soon as it ships with Leopard. So I'm not a chronic waiter. I have an October 2003 1.25GHz PowerBook G4 that I never use except as an email recipient and to teach OS X with. So as long as I'm not going mobile, what's the point in pulling the trigger until a compelling model emerges like a 4 core MBP for example? None. And even then I would need to be going mobile before I could justify the expense. I never leave my Cave except to get food and the occasional interaction with other human beings in person. So my personal behavioral pattern of waiting on mobiles I don't want nor need does not mean it isn't good advice for those who do when a whole new hardware-software setup is only a few months away — if they can. I'm a frickin' hermit for God's sake. :eek:

Can I get a witness?

I NEVER wrote it wouldn't work or even that it would work poorly. I simply wanted to remind him there MAY be a downside to having an upper limit of 3GB of RAM for the next round of software. Not that there WILL be. Possibility exists enough warranting waiting for an event we know is going to happen specifically about the application and hardware he wants to buy in less than 3 weeks from now.
 
You always advise to wait, or nearly always.

BTW, you can keep your rude tone to yourself.

Thanks
 
Haha, this thread is fun.

Thanks multimedia, rokem, netdog, everyone for helping me out. Can't wait until I get that new laptop!
 
I myself went with the 15" 2.16ghz MBP w/ Final Cut express. I'm planning on maxing out the ram anyways so I thought "why buy the 15" 2.33 if I'm gonna replace one of the 1gb RAM sticks with a 2gb ram stick? I might as well buy the 2.16ghz that comes with only 1gb RAM and add an extra 2gb RAM module."

I talk more about this in the thread here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/289448/

But then again, as I talk about this in my thread, I'm kind of in a unique situation where I bought this 2.16ghz MBP now because I can't wait, but plan to upgrade later in the year to the new MBP, and give this laptop to my wife (and then sell her old 2005 purchased ibook)
 
The 2.33 comes with 256MB of VRAM. I would say that is the reason that a FCP/FCS user should get the better 15" MBP.
 
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