Minimum hardware for FCP

[Macrimonious]

Hey all,

I've got a 13" unibody MBP, 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo w/4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 memory.

From a hardware standpoint, can I run FCP and not want to tear the room apart? I have an external monitor so that's not the issue...

I know that technically I could run the software, but would it be torturous? I'll be working with HD video.

Furthermore...best place ($$) to legitimately get a copy of the software? Also, if I need to upgrade my system what would you all reccomend? Again, money is obviously the issue here and I'm just starting to get my hands dirty with this aspect of production so I'm trying to ease into things.

Thanks in advance for your helpful responses.

 

[spinnerlys]

It will run good on your Mac, unless you process uncompressed HD footage. I can edit 1080i footage (AIC) on my 2.GHz iMac from 2007 without a problem, it just uses around 50% of my CPU. Motion and Color might not run as smooth as you might lack, for the lack of a dedicated GPU, but it will certainly work.
Also get an external FW800 HDD to use as scratch disk.

For getting an inexpensive FCS, maybe have a look at eBay and search for older versions (FCS 1 or 2), unless you really, really need the newest version.