Newbie editor looking for purchase advice: MBP vs MP?

[e------]

Currently I'm editing some HDV footage in FCP 5 on an older iMac. Render times are outrageous and my iMac has a hard time handling even the apple intermediate codec (which seems to help... a little) I also use After Effects from Cs3 and find render times are painstaking and slow. Looking to buy a new set-up but can't decide whether to go with a MBP (unibody or previous model) or go for a MP? Any advice for someone who is new to the MBP or MP...? Which has a better graphics card? I've been comparing these two as options:

MBP (previous model): 17” 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 4GB / 320GB with NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT w/ 512MB VRAM

or

Mac Pro 2x Intel Quad Core Xeon 2.8GHz Computer with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT

I find it hard to imagine that a laptop can be used as a solid editing device - I've always been a desktop kinda gal.

 

[yoak]

The MP is much faster than the MBP. I have a MBP at home and on the road and it dosen´t feel much faster than the 2 year old iMac it replaced.
The eight core MP 2.8 we have in the editing suite is soo much faster.
Specialy rendering. If you don´t need portability get the MP

 

[techound1]

+1
If you don't need the portability, go for the MP. It's also a more flexible upgrade if you want to swap out components to keep it relevant longer.

 

[e------]

thanks

 

[Patriks7]

Well I read that an SSD in a MacBook Pro can make it match the MacPro in some things. (A user here went from a MacPro to MBP + SSD and said that, so don't blame me if that's not true)

 

[liquidtrend]

Well I read that an SSD in a MacBook Pro can make it match the MacPro in some things. (A user here went from a MacPro to MBP + SSD and said that, so don't blame me if that's not true)

i am pretty sure in the OP's work, the MP will out do the MBP because of the processors and amount of RAM you can add. the MBP + SSD wouldnt have much effect in rendering and editing video.

also, the old model MBP does not have ssd.

 

[MovieCutter]

I've been cutting and rendering HD footage for international broadcast on my new Unibody MBP for the last couple months with no problems. Motion compositions, FCP, the works. Portability is priceless and there's nothing like cutting on the couch or in bed after a long flight or day at the office.