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Which Mac is best for video/photo editing, music

R

Rickczer3

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 28, 2009
3
0
iMac users, I can use your help here. I have decided to take the plung into the world of iMacs, so that I can better edit my digital photography library, make better home DVDs, and just enjoy music and all the great software the apple offers. My problem is that I don't know what Mac to purchase. I don't want to go over $2k. I would love portability (iMac pro), but I really want the RAM and extra HD space of the new iMacs. I can always get a cheaper refurb laptop later. I am a pretty exprienced PC user, but I want to get the most bang for my buck. I have over a TB of video to burn to DVDs and a ton of digital pictures I would love to tag and be more creative with. This Mac will not be for gaming as I have a PS3 for that. So for you experienced users, should I go with a big iMac (i get an educators discount), or with a laptop???

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
Well, you haven't made much of an argument in favour of portability. I'd suggest an iMac over a MacBook Pro. Since iMacs use 3.5" desktop hard drives, you can also install a bigger drive after the fact. I upgraded my early 2008 iMac from a 320 GB hard drive to 1.5 TB a few months ago.
 
Am I undervaluing portability

I have thought about portability and actually favored that for awhile, but with the significant price hike with the Mac line of laptops, I can get a top of the line 27" desktop for less.....it is tough to argue that, isn't it?

Thanks again in advance.
 
well if your're looking for good photo/video editing you should go with a 27" imac with lots of ram
now if you need to burn a terabyte of dvds I might consider investing in an external dvd burner
 
To start (iMac pro)? I assume that you meant MacBook Pro.

Anyways, given your budget you have two options (unless you really think the Mac mini is best for some reason) a MacBook Pro or an iMac.

Here are four questions that you need to answer for yourself that will help you out a lot:
1. What software are you going to use/type of editing are you doing? If it's Garageband/iMovie the end answer is that any of the machines in your price range will do the job find. If not, you then have to factor in the cost of the software (if you haven't already) to the budget.
2. How big is portability? Only you can decide this. No matter how many users post on this thread, this comes down to you. Also, are you going to edit on the road or do you just want a notebook for the road?
3. How long is the machine going to need to last you? Depending on how long you want it to last you depends on the machine to get as well as the upgrades.
4. When do you need it? You mention the refurb notebook option, but if you start leaning towards a notebook for the overall editing machine - waiting until the notebook update might be good.​

Lastly, my thoughts on "futureproofing." In short:
It really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Say for example you bought the highest iMac two years ago, that's $2,198. Chances are, the low-end iMac could have performed most of the tasks over the past two years and it would cost half that. The new base model iMac is definitely faster then the one you would have bought two years ago.
​
 
Sorry...Macbook Pro

Sorry, I did mean MacBook Pro. The 15" ones are nice, very nice. ARe they worth it when you can get the Top of the Line Desktop for the same $$$?
 
You're mentioning that you love portability. A MacBook Pro (MBP) and an external HD to store your video collection (and optionally an external monitor) could suit your needs. The MBPs can now take 8GB or RAM, which is really more than most users need - unless you want run multiple VMs, etc. I use my MBP with both Apple Aperture and Adobe Lightroom to store/edit my images and I am certainly very happy as far as the performance goes. The downside to this solution is that the price for this type of setup is going to go north of $2k.

Now, if you don't travel much and are used to use your computer within a stationary location (as compared to being able to take it on a patio or a coffee shop), then an iMac would also be an excellent choice. Given your price target in mind, you may want to consider an i5 model. From an obsolescence perspective it is a safer choice than the Core 2 Duo models.

Good luck with your choice!
 
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