You're a victim of the fallacy that Macs are expensive. They're not,
especially if you're using a computer for business. The software isn't
necessarily expensive either, and for business, it's a tax deductible
expense. The best video editing software is Final Cut Pro, hands down.
You can also use Final Cut Express for only $199. I use it and it has
most of the important features of FCP. Remember iMovie, iDVD, Jahshaka,
etc. are free.
When you produce video and graphics for clients, time is extremely
important. Your productivity with the Mac will be at least 30% greater
than with a PC, with less downtime for maintenance. You can charge more
for a better, faster product.
Can't afford to buy a new Mac? Mine is two years old. It's as good for
video editing as a new PC. It's the software and the OS, not the raw
speed of the processor that makes a difference. Is a "new" refurbished
iMac 21.5-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 with 4GB RAM too expensive at $899?
Not big enough? How about an iMac 24-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB
RAM for $1,149? All are blue tag specials at store.apple.com. We bought
a used PowerMac G5 about 6 months ago for $200. Can you afford that?
Forget the PC. Save your money. Windows doesn't do video well. Pros
switched to Windows in the late '90s, and switched back to Macs in
droves with the release of Final Cut and more video-friendly hardware.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that cheaper is better. You can't
afford not to use a Mac for video, especially if it's your business.
After you add all the things you need to make your PC somewhat
comparable to the right Mac for the job, it will cost more, and waste a
lot of time, too. Who will keep your PC running and how much time will
that take away from your main product? The biggest 'problem' with Macs
is that they last too long, and remain productive twice as long as PCs.
How much will your PC cost? How much for software? Specs? Which
software? Adobe Premiere sucks. Avid software is too expensive, as is
Premiere. Flash [not NLE] works better on a Mac. What other affordable
pro NLE software is there for Windows? I've rebuilt and upgraded Macs
for years, PCs too. It's both the hardware and the software you need to
consider. It makes more sense to finance the right computer instead of
building the wrong one, especially if you're planning to spend $2K on a
camera.
Betty
Mike suggested I use a Mac. Forget the Mac. I can't afford the s/w, if you
read between the lines what I'm saying here.
Tony B asks what kind of video I'm editing. I'll be buying a high-end video
cam (probably a Canon XM2) to shoot for Web sites.
db (database?) recommended I google, always an excellent suggestion, and I
discovered it appears to be more a matter of memory (which is obvious) and
of having a firewire, as Tony B also recommended.
Betty asked if I'll be doing animation. Probably not, but I will build with
that in mind. I will definitely offer animation to my clients; however, by
then, I almost certainly will be back in a position to outsource overseas.
She also recommends a Mac. My concern, however, once again, is the matter of
buying expensive s/w (sorry) when I can get around that if I get a PC.
Again, once I'm up on my feet, I will be jobbing this out overseas.
Furthermore, from a practical perspective, I would be able to pick up the PC
in question at a very good price. I'm presently in the unenviable position
of having just returned penniless from a 3rd world country where I went
broke and needing to get up on my feet ASAP. I've been borrowing people's
PCs to do my work while I do that and hit several unexpected snags that have
way-laid me, setting me even further behind the 8-ball. All temporary stuff.
Once I can get a couple of Flash sites half-way built (and I'm learning AS3
on top of the other aforementioned problems), then I can sign up more
clients, get my video cam, and within a short while be making tons of money
like I did last time I lived here in the Virgin Islands.
Mike again chimes in, stating that I should not build a PC unless I know
what I'm doing. I've toyed around enough with computers to feel comfortable
doing this (replacing motherboards, etc.) I'm a programmer, not new to the
world of computers, although I wouldn't say I'm a hardware expert by any
means.
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