pc or mac???

[gloreg]

hello everybody..i'm knew to the vj world and i need the "job instruments"...i would like to buy a portable computer first but i don't know which is the best solution for vjing...is a descktop much better than a notebook?? many vjs use macs..why?? have them something that pcs don't have? which system is the best if there is the best? which should be the best configuration for a vj pc?? tnx a lot for answering all these silly question..ciao
Lorenzo

[silk]

Hi Gloreg and welcome here

well I am not so long busy with the job too but one thing is for sure.

You actually need too sort out all the help en advice that is given at vj central .... If you still got questions or problems then drop by

I am just saying this because you are new here

[iKst]

Im am die hard Mac fan. But unless you have money to buy new PowerBook i suggest u get a good PC laptop.

I have iBook 700 and its not fast enough. I can use Arkaos and some other stuff but when it comes to bigger clips and more complex effects things may not go as smooth as you would like.

But in general i would say this. PCs have speed, Macs have everything else. And PowerBooks have everything including speed and a "good" price :)

[vjrei]

I haven't deal with the PC side of VJing. Now, I would never use a desktop computer for VJing, I rather spend a few more $$$ and get a portable.

Any desktop computer in the Mac side cost $ 2000 + video output card + monitor. A 12" Powerbook 100% fully loaded would be around $1100 or $1200.

Now, I'm using 2 powerbooks G3 500 and I'm so satisfy with them. I'm using Arkaos (under OSX) with one and MotionDive3 in the other one.

There is a difference between iBooks and Powerbooks, iBooks doesn't have dual screen option, that means you are not able to use Motion Dive 3 for example.

My sugestion for you is to go for the Powerbook G3 500 generation, they are now under $900 (really about $700). They have 8MB of video ram which is good, a bit slow but it would do fine. The best thing you can do is to add at list 500MB of normal Ram.

What you need for VJ is different video sources. If you have $200 I would sugest to get 2 powerbooks G3 500 or the first generation of PB G4 400 wich are very fast and very cheap + a big 15" screen.

For VJing you have to look for flexibility in your set up, that mean to be able to mount it very quick and to be able to work different task with each computer.

I'm attaching you a picture of my set up when is the simpliest, it has:
-2 Powerbooks G3 500, 256MB Ram, 8MB VRam, 9 and 30GB hard drive.
-A Videonics MX-Pro mixer
-Sony Digital 8 Video camera (I use it with Videodelic).

[silk]

videodelic ?

have you got an url of it ?

[holly]

Videodelic 1.0 (http://www.vjcentral.com/show/1928)

[silk]

oeps :rolleyes: ... missed the central portal

thx holly

[bluntfaktory]

i go with a mac , because they look cool ! but if you like complicated , unreliable , word processors buy a PC . you can look at like this : you can get a program for a Mac that lets you run PC software called a Vertual PC , but you can't get a PC to do the same . i know lots of people that switch from PC to Mac , but i know no one who has switched from Mac to PC , at least no one who was happy they did , but thats just my 2 cents . :p

[psychodude]

Ok I 'm bound to get in trouble for this but : PC for me :)

No seriously, go with what you're confortable with. The only point I really wanted to make was : I prefer a desktop rather than a lappy. Then one can change keyboards (like once every three or four gigs) mouses (instead of creative and inovative but not-really-easy-to-use pointing devises on lappy's). Also upgrading is a bit cheaper, and one has more options to upgrade.

Also laptops still do not perform as a desktop (consider for pc-laptops: no harddisk faster than 5400 rpm ).

And they're twice as expensive in purchase too.

[Bartholomew]

go for pc if you want a decent choice of vj software ... there is more vj soft available for the pc

[silk]

Originally posted by Bartholomew
go for pc if you want a decent choice of vj software ... there is more vj soft available for the pc

yes ... but what is more important ?

a good stable fast full pal machine or more choice in vj soft ?

[robotfunk]

I use PC's because I dont have stylish clothes to match a Mac.
Also they are about twice as powerful and half the price.

Is stability still an issue really? I only ever had one crash at a gig.

[wellREDman]

yeah after all look just at the mouse thing,
why buy a mouse for ?5 when you can get the same thing,(with less buttons) for a mere ?30

[LEVLHED]

::sniff sniff::

"you smell that? Is that sarcasm?"

[wellREDman]

ooops its that atlantic divide again , forgot that americans cannot understand sarcasm or irony

:) :) joke

[holly]

I was at a gig on Friday and one of the other VJs was having so many problems with his Mac (powercord wouldn't charge, program crashed and froze) that I don't know if he ever used it at all. It ain't the Mac/PC that's (un)stable. It's the VJ.

There are other (more reliable) options to laptops of course, but as Eirenah sez "you are all in B&W mode and I am in greyscale...". If you only have 2 options it isn't much of a choice.

[makemassair]

Originally posted by bluntfaktory
i go with a mac , because they look cool ! but if you like complicated , unreliable , word processors buy a PC . you can look at like this : you can get a program for a Mac that lets you run PC software called a Vertual PC , but you can't get a PC to do the same . i know lots of people that switch from PC to Mac , but i know no one who has switched from Mac to PC , at least no one who was happy they did , but thats just my 2 cents . :p

how stable is running pc programs using that program on a mac. i have legit copies of premiere and resoulme. but have had recent doubt about getting a laptop

[Rovastar]

Whooooo there.

This thread is two years old and no doubt some/many of teh comments don't really apply now.

And to resurrect it for another mac vs PC fight is too much. Whacking it.

*Clunk*