Would I need a mac pro or will imac be fine?

[M-apple-T]

To run final cut studio,shake, aperture fast.
Is there a big difference when running these program when comparing the base 8 core mac pro and the top imac.

 

[zedsdead]

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To run final cut studio,shake, aperture fast.
Is there a big difference when running these program when comparing the base 8 core mac pro and the top imac.

The iMac can handle all of these without problem, however, if you plan to use them a lot, then the Mac Pro is better.

The 8-Cores are going to be noticeable when you are encoding. Performance for shake and any graphic heavy app will depend on the graphics chip, and the Mac Pro has better options. Make sure you have 4 gigs of Ram at least.

Clearly there is a difference in money here. The iMac's greatest value is in the screen (24" anyway), and it is great for people like me who edit on the side, but not primarily. I use the iMac now more for other consumer and education reasons than Final Cut, but it handles 1080p HD without problem.