mac pc?

[tj williams]

We are going to get a laptop to run the new premierCS4 and CS4AE We have been considering both a PC or mac laptop of about 2.5 mhz core duo with 4 gigs and an internal drive running at 7200rpm

1. I have been told that the virtualization by parallels runs faster than boot camp and better than an equal PC. Will that be true on RED Cine and Premiere?

2. will having both systems on the Mac laptop slow up our ability to run RED footage?

3. Some people on this board are seeming to be able to run 1k RED footage. will this be enough box?

4. Will Premiere run better on a mac or pc laptop or are they about the same?

[Santiago Marti]

it depends, not every pc is the same. if you have money to burn, buy a lenovo w700 with a quad core, 8 gigs of memory, quadro fx3700, integrated wacom and up to three drives. it'll cost you 5k though, but it's a real winner. i think for 2k less you could get an hp hdx 18" with a quad core in it. i don't have any of these, but i would really like to buy one. the lenovo now has a second integrated monitor!!! i couldn't believe it, but it's true.

[Ryan Valle]

If you intend on getting a PC based operating system (aka Windows), then why look at getting an Apple/Mac? Im a huge apple/mac geek, but if you only intend to run parallels or boot camp on it, then I just suggest that you use your money to get another computer since you have much more variability among the PC manufacturers there in therms of the hardware they can offer.

As far as what premiere would run better on all depends on the system specs and the way your computer is set up (ie: processor speed, available ram, hard drive speed/space, background applications running in the system, etc.) In theory, they should run the same on comparable system setups, so its really an issue of how well the user is oriented with the operating system and user interfaces.

[Mike McCarthy]

the lenovo now has a second integrated monitor!!! i couldn't believe it, but it's true.

The Lenovo definitely does look like a serious contender, and the Wacom functionality really sets it apart, but I see no reference anywhere to this second intergrated monitor. Do you have a link or anything or any other reference, because I would be REAL curious to see how they would accomplish that.

[Santiago Marti]

link: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/25/lenovo-w700ds-struts-its-stuff-on-film/

it also has a pantone color calibration system!!! this is really a workhorse. if they release a core i7 version it could be even more impressive. i would love to have the money to buy this laptop. dell has something similar, but not quite good and for the same amount of money.

[Tim Sutherland]

Also I don't think that parallels can fully take advantage of your video card if I remember right from the last time I used it, so that may not be a very good way to go.

[Mike McCarthy]

To the original question, I would never expect parallels to run things MORE efficiently than running windows natively on a PC.

On the Lenovo, I see the secondary display now, but I am not all that impressed. The fact that it kills any external monitor negates its usefulness in all but the most mobile environment. It will have certain niche uses though. The Wacom tablet is a brilliant idea though, that will be a must have for many artists.

I have the 15" Dell equivalent, the Precision M4400. It's got an LED backlit 1920x1200 display, and most of the same features, plus ExpressCard54 AND PCMCIA slots for both EX-SxS and P2 cards. It is not absolutely perfect, but I have been pretty impressed so far, and with any luck, Dell will fix a couple of driver issues soon.

[tj williams]

HI mt and all: looked on the web and found ms stuff being run by parallels faster than the reboot that comes with the maclappro. My question is basically
1. how much power terms of core 2 duo speed memory and drive will run a 1K image well enough for some playback and rough assembly on set.

2. Will the mac laptop given the same processor speed memory etc. run faster/slower than an equiv. PC... with red code premiere AE and RED Cine as a mac? as a pc? I really want to show 1K images on my laptop on location and do a little rough assembly. If not the mac then what suggestion?