51 replies to this topic

[jackster57]

Hi everyone I am thinking about purchasing a new laptop to do school work, but also to upload videos to my computer, edit, then posting it on youtube. I don't know what to get as a good computer. I could either get the brand new macbook or a dell xps. I can't get something that is like 2,000 dollars though. I more looking in the 1000 range. I know a macbook comes with imovie (which I really like) for an editing program, but the crappy thing is it doesn't have a fire wire port so its hard to upload video to my computer. If I get an xps it doesn't come with an editing program. I don't know what to choose. Well please leave lots of comments.

Thanks :blink

Macbook. No question. I movie has really improved with Leopord. Now you can do green screen and multiple layers. Good Good Good. Although if you are a serious filmaker I would buy an older version of FinalCut.

MacBook!

[Carbon]

but the crappy thing is it doesn't have a fire wire port so its hard to upload video to my computer.

Just network the two computers and transfer the files that way. Firewire is more for a connection to a camcorder, audio device or hard disk than for networking (though you can use it for that, too.)

[Carbon]

Ah, gotcha. Yeah, if you want to use a firewire camera, you need to get the Dell, since Macbooks eliminated the FW port in their latest version.

[Swords]

Dell. There are so much more free software out there for PC than Macs. Plus PC's come with windows movie maker which I can guarantee you that it is better than iMovie. Dell's will also be cheaper, more customizable, more upgradable. I would not get a Mac. Too much money, you can only do a limited amount of things.

Macs:
Pros:

• nicer looking outer shell
• Comes with a built in camera and microphone
• More Portable

Cons:

• Aluminum gets dented very easily
• Not very upgradable or customizable
• Gives you millions of headaches if you want to transfer files such as video from Mac to PC
• Horrible cable type for outside moniters
• Price is way to high

Dell:
Pros:

• Very upgradable
• More customizable
• More reliable
• Cheaper

Cons:

• You need to know how to use it

[Cmdrmack]

Dells have a recent history of having a defective fan. The result: melted hard drives.

I'm a Mac user, and absolutely love it. It is a pain to switch over, but it's not too bad. Macs are capable of so much more than PCs, or at least the features are more easily accessible. Leopard is pretty awesome, but be aware that Apple is working on an upgraded version called Snow Leopard. It should be released in the next year or so.

Macs are a better product by far, but they are also more expensive than a PC with similar processing speeds, hard drive space, etc.

It's a more stable system, especially compared to Vista.

[Swords]

I would get a Dell desktop. I've had one for a very long time and its been awesome. I'm not sure about their laptops, but if you want a laptop, get an IBM thinkpad. Those are very nice and cheap. Pick one, and stick with it. If you try to switch between them, it will be an absolute nightmare. If you have more PC's at home, go with the Dell. If you have Mac's at home, go with mac.

Edited by Swords, 08 November 2008 - 10:18 PM.

[Kid Flash]

Dell. There are so much more free software out there for PC than Macs. Plus PC's come with windows movie maker which I can guarantee you that it is better than iMovie. Dell's will also be cheaper, more customizable, more upgradable. I would not get a Mac. Too much money, you can only do a limited amount of things.

Macs:
Pros:

• nicer looking outer shell
• Comes with a built in camera and microphone
• More Portable

Cons:

• Aluminum gets dented very easily
• Not very upgradable or customizable
• Gives you millions of headaches if you want to transfer files such as video from Mac to PC
• Horrible cable type for outside moniters
• Price is way to high

Dell:
Pros:

• Very upgradable
• More customizable
  
• More reliable
• Cheaper

Cons:

• You need to know how to use it

I don't know about that whole "more reliable" thing...
Go with the macbook.

[goatsrecon]

I think Dells are the way to go. On their website, you can have them download Microsoft Word, Excel, Ect. The website also offers different colors of laptops, how much memory you want on it, the how fast you want it, and lots more. This is good for a school computer. I'm on my Dell laptop right now and I think it is great. The great thing about ordering online is that everything you wanted is already downloaded when it arrives.



EDIT: I just went on the Apple website and thought that if you are going to make movies, get a Mac for you can purchase Final Cut Express 4 it is $200 but it seems like a good software for the money.

Edited by goatsrecon, 09 November 2008 - 01:55 AM.

[Swords]

Reliability is mostly dependent on the hardware. Cause 90% of computer failures have something to do with the hardware. PC's are a hecka lot cheaper because Windows allowed their software to be installed onto hardware made by other companies. But Apple has to make everything by themselves so the price will skyrocket. Just find a computer with good hardware and then let your budget decide.

Your Dell will come with Windows Movie Maker.

Edited by Swords, 08 November 2008 - 10:30 PM.

[Carbon]

Does a xps have a fire wire port?

You can buy a card with firewire on it for the expansion slot, but I don't know if Dell offers one. They're not too hard to find, though.

Edited by Carbon, 08 November 2008 - 10:48 PM.

[Rambo]

I think Dells are the way to go. On their website, you can have them download Microsoft Word, Excel, Ect. The website also offers different colors of laptops, how much memory you want on it, the how fast you want it, and lots more. This is good for a school computer. I'm on my Dell laptop right now and I think it is great. The great thing about ordering online is that everything you wanted is already downloaded when it arrives.

Why would you purchase Microsoft Word and Excel when packages like OpenOffice and GoogleDocs consist of the same software and are free?

Also, I'm fairly certain that one can customize a Macbook's hardware just as you can do on a Dell.

Edited by Rambo, 08 November 2008 - 11:14 PM.

[boisie]

I'd say a Dell Studio. That should be more than enough for you, as XPS is gaming oriented, and therefore has inflated prices. I built two laptops with extremely similar specs, and the Studio was $500 cheaper.

Both Dell and Mac can run all three OSes, Windows, Linux and OSX.

Windows Movie Maker is a Microsoft competitor of a Mac Program. No matter what, you need to get something a bit better if you want to make good movies. I prefer Pinnacle myself.

And if you need firewire, just get a firewire to USB converter. USB may be slower, but if you get a converter, you can use any computer with USB. That opens up your options.

[Carbon]

Also, I'm fairly certain that one can customize a Macbook's hardware just as you can do on a Dell.

Sort of, as MacBooks don't have options for sound and video. And while you can order more RAM or a bigger HD on a custom build, you're much better off doing it yourself if you can. Apple's rather notorious for having pricey upgrades.

[Blacksunshine]

Go Dell. You will get the same amount of PC for much less money.
Once upon a time Macs had an advantage for video editing over PC. That has long since gone away.
The only diff between a Mac and a MC these days are Macs run Their properity operating system and force you to use specific brand/model components. So if you want to upgrade your components they will cost 75-100% more for the same thing.

As for software and format. most programs output to standardized formats so that makes little difference either.

[cheesypiza001]

Last year, I made a powerpoint presentation on Mac vs. Pc.

This is one of the slides having to do with software price comparisons:



Definitely go with Mac. They are much more reliable, easier to use, and more project (in your case filming) friendly computers.

Good Luck,

Cheesypiza001

[Blacksunshine]

Great example there. For the money you save going PC up front you can get much better software that has lots more features then the stuff that comes on the mac. Or you can select from a slew of other software some of that is free and save even more money.

As for the more reliable and easier to use thats pure crap. If you're too stupid to know how to click an icon on either the PC or a Mac you probably shouldn't be doing graphic editing anyhow. Its true they are easier for the complete retard whos never used a computer before. But lets face the facts here. Theres a reason that 90 some % of the worlds computer users are using PCs.

Edited by Blacksunshine, 09 November 2008 - 04:07 AM.

[Carbon]

The only diff between a Mac and a MC these days are Macs run Their properity operating system and force you to use specific brand/model components. So if you want to upgrade your components they will cost 75-100% more for the same thing.

Generally not true anymore. RAM and HDs are standard. PC peripherals either tend to work straight out of the box with built in OSX drivers, or come with OSX drivers (it's a lot more common than it used to be). And even then, often times a periph can be made to work using generic UNIX drivers (CUPS, SANE, etc). The only thing that I've found this to be true for is video cards.

Sure there's a lot more stuff that's PC specific, but I haven't had a problem with finding inexpensive hardware.

Edited by Carbon, 09 November 2008 - 08:50 AM.

[boisie]

Last year, I made a powerpoint presentation on Mac vs. Pc.

This is one of the slides having to do with software price comparisons:

[dumb pic that is out of date]

Definitely go with Mac. They are much more reliable, easier to use, and more project (in your case filming) friendly computers.

Good Luck,

Cheesypiza001

Other than Movie editing, which Pinnacle does a much better job of than iMovie, FL Studio 8 does all of the other stuff, on its own. And I'd drop money on something that I'd rather work with when the free alternative is not as good. But then we get to Sourceforge. God I love Opensource.

And If you buy the Dell, and a copy of Leopard, you have a dell that is cheaper than a mac, runs equivelent specs, AND runs OSX. That's a win-win situation.

Edited by boisie, 09 November 2008 - 10:48 AM.

[ice]

I use currently (even to type this message) a macbook laptop. I have never had any internal problems with it for having it more then a year, and I love it. There incredibly easy to use, and fairly customizable.

But, think about this. There are virtually no viruses for macs. And the ones that do exist are all blocked by the hardware that comes with the mac.

[slowguitarman]

I'm going to have to put my two cents in for for a PC over a mac. I personally am not the biggest fan of Dell, but I would still pick it over the Mac. When I was buying my laptop a few years ago, I thought about getting a Mac, but when I built a few different computers, the mac was literally twice as expensive. I had them setup with one gig of RAM, a 2.0GHz core duo processor, around 100 gigs of HDD space and a few other random options, and the HP was around $1200, while the Mac was $2000. To me, it seems that most of Apple's products are very gimicky and very overpriced. I will have to say that they have fantastic advertising though. I feel like I need to buy whatever they are advertising, even though I don't like Apple. Then a few minutes later, I snap back to reality and realize I don't need to be able to touch my iPod to make it go, I will just stick to my Zune.

EDIT: True, ice, but if one doesn't do anything too stupid, there isn't much chance of getting a virus anyway. If you educate yourself on how to avoid malware, it shouldn't be a problem. I haven't had any real trouble with my HP either, and I have had it since August '06 .

Edited by slowguitarman, 09 November 2008 - 11:02 AM.

[Swords]

If you really want something reliable and cheap, pick out your own hardware and install linux. Linux is a very powerful OS. Which is why it uses 6 installation disc rather than 1 for windows. Linux comes with all the software you will ever need. It is completely virus free. All you need to install a Linux is to download the OS for free, burn it, and install it. No need to worry about not being able to upgrade hardware.