So, my local Apple Store has a Mac Pro on display, so I decided to run a quick benchmark...
I created a new HD-1080 movie in iMovie, and timed how long it took to import and render the 'Nature' folder from /Library/Desktop Pictures. (Time from dropping in iMovie to the last frame's render-bar disappearing.)
The display Mac Pro/2.66 GHz with stock 1 GB RAM, and stock 250 GB/7200 RPM hard drive did it in 2:38. My MacBook Pro/2.0 GHz with 2 GB RAM and 100 GB/7200 RPM hard drive does it in 4:55.
I'll have to try it with one core turned off to see how much of a boost iMovie gets from multithreading, since that's only 1.8x faster, for a system with twice as many processors, each operating at 1.5x the speed of mine. (Who knows, maybe it's a hard drive speed limitation, or maybe the extra gig of RAM really helps.)
I created a new HD-1080 movie in iMovie, and timed how long it took to import and render the 'Nature' folder from /Library/Desktop Pictures. (Time from dropping in iMovie to the last frame's render-bar disappearing.)
The display Mac Pro/2.66 GHz with stock 1 GB RAM, and stock 250 GB/7200 RPM hard drive did it in 2:38. My MacBook Pro/2.0 GHz with 2 GB RAM and 100 GB/7200 RPM hard drive does it in 4:55.
I'll have to try it with one core turned off to see how much of a boost iMovie gets from multithreading, since that's only 1.8x faster, for a system with twice as many processors, each operating at 1.5x the speed of mine. (Who knows, maybe it's a hard drive speed limitation, or maybe the extra gig of RAM really helps.)