garageCube

[VjKg]

I bought a 13" MacBook Pro 3 months ago. It was a great upgrade from my first generation MacBook. Now for really big shows I use my Mac Pro, but for smaller show I just use Laptop. I have decided I need an upgrade, especially for Editing and compression. I found a buyer for my MacBook Pro so this is my dilemma, which one do I buy.

iMac 27"

2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Magic Mouse

or

MacBook 15"

2.4GHz Intel Core i5
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
128GB Solid State Drive
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display
Backlit Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Accessory kit

Both are $2,199.00 and lugging an iMac is much easier then a Mac Pro, but no where near as easy as Laptop. I gain power and screen size with iMac but lose portability and battery power.

I know this is an endless debate I am just looking to hear what the Modul8 crowd thinks.

[deepvisual]

macbook pro
it has dedicated vRam.

if you want a machine to do advanced 3d rendering etc, you'll need a tower, otherwise get a MBP, not a macbook.
I;ve used MBP with a dual head and two monitors for all my editing and compositing.
I leave the mons at home and take it out on the road for shows..
best of both worlds.

[VjKg]

Sorry I wrote it wrong. It is MacBook Pro. Just found a local store with the i7 for $1,999.

[VjKg]

The sale was still on for the brand new ones on Saturday and I got the 15" Thunderbolt with the AMD Radeon HD 6750M at 1Ghz. The thing is smoking fast, although I did make it choke with modul8. This software could use a cluster of 4Ghz Octocores and I would still want to push it harder then hardware allows.


My question is still similar. I have 5 days left to change my mind and get the 17". Since I rarely get paid for visuals and when I do I take my MacPro. Is the 17" noticeably better in screen resolution and real estate?

[The Midi Thief]

Yes you will get a bigger screen which is nice if you often VJ in small spaces (some clubs etc) it's a pain to have a bigger computer and you will have to get a bigger bag for it. When I bought my last MBP I could afford a 17" but i still went for the 15". One issue before was that only the 17" came with the expansion port. That was needed if you wanted to run eSata drives, a Matrox MX02, etc). But with Thunderbolt this becomes pretty unnecessary.

If you have extra money to spend, get 15" with the fastest processor and 8GB of RAM. And if you got your golden spending pants on, get the version with the internal 512GB SSD. I like the anti glare screen, but that's just me (it costs a little bit extra too). But chances are that if you're not buying straight from Apple, you won't get any discount on custom built models.

[The Midi Thief]

But for the record. I'm not that sure this lightning fast new computer will push your visuals to the next level. I like new fast computers as much as the next guy but it's like saying that you will take great pictures because you buy the most expensive camera. I know what you (probably) mean with full HD and all but the power is really in the style, concept and understanding of music.

I just felt I needed to add this, more for my own sake really.

[VjKg]

I know what you (probably) mean with full HD and all but the power is really in the style, concept and understanding of music.

I just felt I needed to add this, more for my own sake really.

From my early testing is seems full HD is even to much to ask. Several of my HD tests have been great successes but my lack of RAM (out for delivery on UPS truck) and Thunderbolt devices (that was a joke) make it impossible for my current project.

I have done 6 hour shows with nothing but a Videonix MX-1 and 4 VHS decks with homemade analog effects. Wasn't the 90's grand? I may make a few enemies with this statement but visuals for electronic music can be like hitting the ground with a thrown object. Want a challenge? Do a Reggae or Bluegrass concert. I am learning every day as any good artist and your comments are spot on. I would say though that music can be important but not essential for a visualist. Most of my recent shows have no.music. They have been mostly for artists at galleries.

I realize it is up to me to take my visuals to the next level. That being said I used a first generation MacBook with 64gb of shared video memory and a USB drive for most shows in the last 5 years. This MBP upgrade is going to go a long way to making the ideas in my head realized from my Beamer.

PS I still can't say or type Beamer without chuckling.