I'm looking to set up a digital studio running pro tools m-powered 7.0 and ableton live 5.0. there are so many options these days, between mac books, mac book pros, and imacs that i can't really decide what's necessary and what's not.
i know that i will be buying 4 gb worth of ram from a 3rd party. that's a given. it's a given because i need that much ram to run midi / plugins on protools, and it's also a given because apple charges a premium for ram that qualifies you as insane if you actually purchase upgraded memory from them.
but what about processor speeds? is a 2.2 ghz macbook "just enough"? or is it actually good enough for what i'll be doing? what's the difference between a 2.2 ghz and a 2.4 ghz processor in terms of audio-heavy programs like pro tools? what about the 2.8 ghz core extreme? is it that much better?
as far as the hard drive, i know that i'm supposed to have one that spins @ 7200 rpm. macbook doesn't offer this. MBP and imac do. but what about if i install a 32gb SSD into a MB or MBP simply to run programs from and save all the audio and other files to a 500 gb time capsule / external drive? would that be better than simply using the 7200-rpm imac (or upgraded MBP) drive? or does it not make a big difference?
so, the main questions here:
1. 2.2, 2.4, or 2.8 ghz? core 2 duo or extreme?
2. 7200-rpm MBP/imac hard drive or SSD in MB/MBP?
3. MB, MBP or imac?
any help is appreciated. thanks.
i know that i will be buying 4 gb worth of ram from a 3rd party. that's a given. it's a given because i need that much ram to run midi / plugins on protools, and it's also a given because apple charges a premium for ram that qualifies you as insane if you actually purchase upgraded memory from them.
but what about processor speeds? is a 2.2 ghz macbook "just enough"? or is it actually good enough for what i'll be doing? what's the difference between a 2.2 ghz and a 2.4 ghz processor in terms of audio-heavy programs like pro tools? what about the 2.8 ghz core extreme? is it that much better?
as far as the hard drive, i know that i'm supposed to have one that spins @ 7200 rpm. macbook doesn't offer this. MBP and imac do. but what about if i install a 32gb SSD into a MB or MBP simply to run programs from and save all the audio and other files to a 500 gb time capsule / external drive? would that be better than simply using the 7200-rpm imac (or upgraded MBP) drive? or does it not make a big difference?
so, the main questions here:
1. 2.2, 2.4, or 2.8 ghz? core 2 duo or extreme?
2. 7200-rpm MBP/imac hard drive or SSD in MB/MBP?
3. MB, MBP or imac?
any help is appreciated. thanks.
