New iMac For Video Editing?
Posted by campea | Posted in Tech | Posted on 30-10-2007
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I’ve really hated Mac computers for a very long time. I had to use one once YEARS ago for a company I worked with and I hated every moment I had to spend on that thing. But then last year they came out with Intel processors, and the new Macbooks were looking really sweet, so I got myself one… and I’ve LOVED every moment I’ve own this thing.
Now, I’m starting to consider grabbing a Mac desktop too. The new iMacs look just amazing. Here’s the thing… if I got one, the main purpose of it would be to use as a video editor. Have any of you guys had any experience using Final Cut on one of these iMacs? If so…. do you find it works well? Reliable? Buggy? Fast? I’ve already got a 24′ monitor that I’ll hook up to it to use as a dual monitor system, so I’m just curious if anyone has had any experiences using one for video specifically?
buy one. you won’t regret it. i’ve been wanting one (for NO reason) just to play wow on.
Don’t know if this will help much but: Bought a 20″ flat-screen G5 a couple of years ago, before the Intel chips. At the time I couldn’t make a consistently good DVD of music videos (slide show and music) on a Windows machine. Knew Apple could do it all. Bought Final Cut Express to have multiple points for the Ken Burns effect but didn’t have time to learn it properly in time for that Christmas’s DVD gifts to family. Kludged it with iMovie and iDVD.
In the meantime, I discovered the Photodex sharing site and their Pro Show Gold software to make music slide shows and share on their site or burn to DVD. If I had discovered this earlier I would not have bought the Mac.
I realize my need was extremely simplistic compared to what you probably want to do. After all, you’ve made a professional movie. I’m concentrating on my thousands of photos before switching to my 25 years of home movies. At that point I’ll have to make a big decision – the Mac and Final Cut Express (or better) and Windows software on my work laptop for video editing.
I mention all this because I travel for my business quite a bit. Because I have evenings to work on this, on the road, my work-supplied laptop is my platform of convenience. Because of that, I’m going to have a tough choice deciding which platform to use. At the moment, I carry my huge photo database on a physically small but large capacity external USB drive which keeps my work laptop reasonably open.
If (Friday’s announcement is for some sort of new job) you wind up traveling a lot in the coming years, you may want to consider this. If you don’t see yourself doing video editing on the road, then ignore this.
Others would say the answer to that problem is to get an Apple laptop. But my company supplies a Windows laptop which I have to take on trips anyway. Plus I’ve already purchased the G5.
Curious to hear later how this all works out for you.