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Gene Larson
Guest
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 Posted:
Sun Nov 07, 2004 5:46 am Post subject:
best laptop for editing video? |
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I'm spec'ing a system for a friend. I would normally suggest a desktop for this
task, but she's always on the move. My basic plan is for a Dell 9100 XPS
running Vegas and/or Premiere...and of course an external FireWire drive. The
budget is about $2k for the computer and drive, used. Any input is greatly
appreciated. TIA
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Kevin
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Nov 07, 2004 11:10 am Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Gene Larson <glarsonjr@aol.combyespam> wrote:
| Quote: | I'm spec'ing a system for a friend. I would normally suggest a desktop for this
task, but she's always on the move. My basic plan is for a Dell 9100 XPS
running Vegas and/or Premiere...and of course an external FireWire drive. The
budget is about $2k for the computer and drive, used. Any input is greatly
appreciated. TIA
|
I was using a Dell Latitude D800 for a while, it was particularly nice given
the huge resolution screens you could order that with. Worked very well.
I've since switched to an Apple Powerbook G4 and am also very happy with that.
It's my new machine for everything including video editing with Final Cut
(Express). |
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Richard Ragon
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Nov 07, 2004 12:07 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Kevin wrote:
| Quote: | Gene Larson <glarsonjr@aol.combyespam> wrote:
I'm spec'ing a system for a friend. I would normally suggest a desktop for this
task, but she's always on the move. My basic plan is for a Dell 9100 XPS
running Vegas and/or Premiere...and of course an external FireWire drive. The
budget is about $2k for the computer and drive, used. Any input is greatly
appreciated. TIA
I was using a Dell Latitude D800 for a while, it was particularly nice given
the huge resolution screens you could order that with. Worked very well.
I've since switched to an Apple Powerbook G4 and am also very happy with that.
It's my new machine for everything including video editing with Final Cut
(Express).
|
Gene, whatever you get, be sure and make sure it has a FireWire port.
I second the Apple G4 Powerbook. I just ordered a new 17" Powerbook,
but It got lost in the mail. Seriously, I think it got stolen off the
FedEX truck so I haven't got it yet.
Reason for the vote for the Powerbook is 1) FCP 2) Firewire 800 ports
for external FW800 drives. :)
-Richard |
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Gene Larson
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:12 am Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Thanks for your input. I have a friend who is advocating a Mac with FCP4 as
well. the only problem is that she is a dedicated PC user. |
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Kevin
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:13 am Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Gene Larson <glarsonjr@aol.combyespam> wrote:
| Quote: | Thanks for your input. I have a friend who is advocating a Mac with FCP4 as
well. the only problem is that she is a dedicated PC user.
|
Don't let that necessarily stop you from making the recommendation. It's
not inconceivable to, say, run a Window PC for all your day-to-day tasks
and then have a dedicated PowerBook for video editing.
In fact, that's pretty much how I got started on the Mac. A year ago if you'd
asked I would have told you I was a dedicated Windows user too, and that I
thought the Mac was a slick, expensive toy computer. My "conversion" was a
long story but suffice to say I decided to try out a PowerBook and Final
Cut Express, and over the course of the past year started doing more and
more of my day-to-day stuff on the Mac, until I found I was only turning on
my Dell machine maybe once a week. That's when I sold the Dell.
It is not only an excellent, fast machine for video editing but it has none
of the maintenance/spyware/virus/performance problems that plague Windows
machines. But that's a whole other topic. |
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Igor
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:00 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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I can't make any comments on Mac, except that I feel that all Apple
products are way overpriced.
XPS is a top of the line Dell laptop, but I wouldn't choose it. For
less money you can get Inspiron 9200. 17" widescreen VS. XPS' 15.4".
Wide screen is SUPER convenient when editing video, due to the
interface design.
If 17" laptop is not portable enough, you can get Inspiron 8600 (I got
that one) even cheaper.
There are a couple of sites that offer promotional coupons which I've
used successfully.
www.edealinfo.com
www.deals2buy.com
The great thing about them is that they don't sell it themselves, they
redirect you straight to Amazon, Dell, etc., with a huge discount.
HTH |
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Richard Ragon
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:01 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Kevin wrote:
| Quote: | Gene Larson <glarsonjr@aol.combyespam> wrote:
Thanks for your input. I have a friend who is advocating a Mac with FCP4 as
well. the only problem is that she is a dedicated PC user.
Don't let that necessarily stop you from making the recommendation. It's
not inconceivable to, say, run a Window PC for all your day-to-day tasks
and then have a dedicated PowerBook for video editing.
In fact, that's pretty much how I got started on the Mac. A year ago if you'd
asked I would have told you I was a dedicated Windows user too, and that I
thought the Mac was a slick, expensive toy computer. My "conversion" was a
long story but suffice to say I decided to try out a PowerBook and Final
Cut Express, and over the course of the past year started doing more and
more of my day-to-day stuff on the Mac, until I found I was only turning on
my Dell machine maybe once a week. That's when I sold the Dell.
It is not only an excellent, fast machine for video editing but it has none
of the maintenance/spyware/virus/performance problems that plague Windows
machines. But that's a whole other topic.
|
I have something of the same story too.. Plus, I was convinced that
there wasn't the software on the Mac like the PC.. boy was I wrong! I
run VirtualPC on my G4, so now I run Mac programs, Unix programs, and
Windows programs too.
-Richard |
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Richard Ragon
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:01 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Igor wrote:
| Quote: | I can't make any comments on Mac, except that I feel that all Apple
products are way overpriced.
XPS is a top of the line Dell laptop, but I wouldn't choose it. For
less money you can get Inspiron 9200. 17" widescreen VS. XPS' 15.4".
Wide screen is SUPER convenient when editing video, due to the
interface design.
If 17" laptop is not portable enough, you can get Inspiron 8600 (I got
that one) even cheaper.
There are a couple of sites that offer promotional coupons which I've
used successfully.
www.edealinfo.com
www.deals2buy.com
The great thing about them is that they don't sell it themselves, they
redirect you straight to Amazon, Dell, etc., with a huge discount.
HTH
|
Just for a hoot, I decided to take you up on that. Went to the Dell
website, and built a comparable system, using the same features as the
Apple TOP OF THE LINE 17" powerbook! The following are my results:
----------- DELL build ---------
Inspiron 9200
Intel P M 725 (lowest CPU you can buy)
17" XGA+ Display
ATI Mobility Radeon
9700 (64MB DDR)
XP Pro
512 DDR
80GB HD
80 WHr 9-cell Lithium
8x DVD burner
(software) McAfee Virusscan
(software) myDVD Deluxe
Left everything else default.
-------------------------------
Total Cost: $2,876.00
---------- Apple build -----------
Powerbook
17-inch TFT Display
1.5GHz PowerPC G4
512MB DDR333 SDRAM
80GB HD
ATI Mobility Radeon
9700 (64MB DDR)
OSX 10.3
80GB HD
8x DVD burner
(software) iDVD/iTunes/iMovie/GarageBand/iPhoto
(software) QuickBooks
Left everything else default.
---------------------------------
Total Cost: $2,799.00
Not only is it cheaper for the Mac, but there are multiple other things
to consider too..
1) The Mac runs FCP.
2) The Mac has a Gigabyte Ethernet port. I'm assuming that the Dell
even had an ethernet port, the build site didn't say.
3) The Mac has the backlit keyboard, not available on the Dell
4) The Mac only weighs 6.9 lbs, Dell weighs in at 7.71
5) The Mac has bluetooth built in, not available on the Dell
6) The Mac has Firewire 400 and 800, only FW 400 on the Dell
7) The Mac has a DVI out port, not available on the Dell.
8) The Mac has Widescreen 1440x900 resolution standard, not standard on
the Dell.
There was no way to compare because the Mac simply has more features
that are NOT available on the Dell that would have pushed the Dell price
even higher.
I think it's about time that we put that little myth to rest now Igor.
-Richard |
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Gene Larson
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 13, 2004 12:03 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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WOW....I'd like to thank everyone who responded....Mac and PC alike! There were
some compelling contributions from both sides. I learned alot about Macs in the
process, but I will have to personally explore this option more before I could
recommend it to a client. The Dell recommendations were thorough, and they
validated many of my own findings. But in the end, I decided to do what any
rational video editor would do....use a desktop PC! I explained to the client
that to match a desktop's performance in a laptop, you have to spend alot of
$$$, and you will likely still compromise certain features (unless anyone knows
of a laptop with a 19" LCD !?!?!). She agreed that the editing can stay at
home, and her current laptop can do the mundane tasks on the road. Perhaps I am
"taking the easy way out," but insofar as I will be the one to service and
support the system, well....which would you rather work on? ;-) Thanks
again for your thoughtful posts. |
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Igor
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:38 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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| Quote: |
----------- DELL build ---------
-------------------------------
Total Cost: $2,876.00
|
I'm sorry you had that problem. I just did the same configuration (for
a hoot) and it came out to $1,853.85. And the standard is NOT the 64MB
video card, but a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ 9700.
Apple:
| Quote: | ---------------------------------
Total Cost: $2,799.00
|
Exactly. |
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Richard Ragon
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:38 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Igor wrote:
| Quote: | ----------- DELL build ---------
-------------------------------
Total Cost: $2,876.00
I'm sorry you had that problem. I just did the same configuration (for
a hoot) and it came out to $1,853.85. And the standard is NOT the 64MB
video card, but a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ 9700.
|
You also seam to have forgotten a few items on the Dell.
got to this page right here:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&oc=I9200XPOPAD&s=biz
then change these items:
Hard drive to 80G
CD/DVD drive to DVD+/-R/W
addin myDVD software (closes equivalent it iDVD software built into OSX)
And dont forget XP Pro if you what the movie software like iMovie.
Then update, and you get a price more like $2,667
Then you have to consider all the items that DON'T come on the Dell and
are not available. The bluetooh, the light on the keyboard, the DVI
out, the Firewire 800 port, the Gigbyte ethernet port..
Barring that the Dell is missing all these items, it seams like a pretty
darn close call on the cost for both of these.
Then, even if you were to somehow add these items in though add ons, the
Powerbook beats it in size and weight hands down.
| Quote: | Apple:
---------------------------------
Total Cost: $2,799.00
Exactly. |
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nappy-iou
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Nov 19, 2004 2:00 am Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Ah.. but the Dell will run 1000 times more software than the mac. Software
will be FAR cheaper so that offsets the cost of the computer.
"Richard Ragon" <bsema04@hananho.com> wrote in message
news:5Y6md.21574$6q2.11118@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
| Quote: | Igor wrote:
----------- DELL build ---------
-------------------------------
Total Cost: $2,876.00
I'm sorry you had that problem. I just did the same configuration (for
a hoot) and it came out to $1,853.85. And the standard is NOT the 64MB
video card, but a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon™ 9700.
You also seam to have forgotten a few items on the Dell.
got to this page right here:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&oc=I9200XPOPAD&s=biz
then change these items:
Hard drive to 80G
CD/DVD drive to DVD+/-R/W
addin myDVD software (closes equivalent it iDVD software built into OSX)
And dont forget XP Pro if you what the movie software like iMovie.
Then update, and you get a price more like $2,667
Then you have to consider all the items that DON'T come on the Dell and
are not available. The bluetooh, the light on the keyboard, the DVI out,
the Firewire 800 port, the Gigbyte ethernet port..
Barring that the Dell is missing all these items, it seams like a pretty
darn close call on the cost for both of these.
Then, even if you were to somehow add these items in though add ons, the
Powerbook beats it in size and weight hands down.
Apple:
---------------------------------
Total Cost: $2,799.00
Exactly. |
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Richard Ragon
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:01 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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nappy-iou wrote:
| Quote: | Ah.. but the Dell will run 1000 times more software than the mac. Software
will be FAR cheaper so that offsets the cost of the computer.
|
Another myth.. My Mac machine runs Mac software, Linux/Unix software,
and all windows software.
-Richard |
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Five
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Nov 20, 2004 10:01 pm Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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In article <8MKnd.20145$zx1.11204
@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com>, bsema04@hananho.com
says...
| Quote: | nappy-iou wrote:
Ah.. but the Dell will run 1000 times more software than the mac. Software
will be FAR cheaper so that offsets the cost of the computer.
Another myth.. My Mac machine runs Mac software, Linux/Unix software,
and all windows software.
-Richard
|
If you are looking to buy something you do not already
have, it is foolish to spend 30%-50% more for a mac on
hardware, and software, when you are not getting
anything more for your money, and losing more when/if
you ever wanted to get rid of it.
If you were going to replace your roof on your house,
and do it yourself, would you pay $600 for a hammer or
go out and buy a $300 nail gun, and $200 air
compressor, and enable yourself to do it in 1/3 of the
time?
Old school is sometimes cool, but when it offers you
nothing but nostalia, maybe you should look for
current technology...or put back on your converse
(chuck taylors)
--
www.fiveminutesoffame.com
Get your five minutes of FAME |
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Richard Ragon
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Nov 21, 2004 6:03 am Post subject:
Re: best laptop for editing video? |
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Five wrote:
| Quote: | In article <8MKnd.20145$zx1.11204
@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com>, bsema04@hananho.com
says...
nappy-iou wrote:
Ah.. but the Dell will run 1000 times more software than the mac. Software
will be FAR cheaper so that offsets the cost of the computer.
Another myth.. My Mac machine runs Mac software, Linux/Unix software,
and all windows software.
-Richard
If you are looking to buy something you do not already
have, it is foolish to spend 30%-50% more for a mac on
hardware, and software, when you are not getting
anything more for your money, and losing more when/if
you ever wanted to get rid of it.
|
The previous post here, has already established that the Apple
powerbook, and the Dell Inspiron 9200 are pretty darn near close to the
exact same price given the features if they are available for the dell.
Macs keep their value far better than PC which drop like a rock 6 months
after you bought it.
| Quote: | If you were going to replace your roof on your house,
and do it yourself, would you pay $600 for a hammer or
go out and buy a $300 nail gun, and $200 air
compressor, and enable yourself to do it in 1/3 of the
time?
|
No idea what your talking about here?
| Quote: | Old school is sometimes cool, but when it offers you
nothing but nostalia, maybe you should look for
current technology...or put back on your converse
(chuck taylors)
|
Old school?? The thread is talking about the top of the line Dell
laptop vs. the top Apple powerbook..
-Richard |
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