Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Can my Macbook handle iMovie?

C

cmtrekker

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 10, 2007
13
0
Washington, DC
Hey ya'll - I was ecstatic to finally join the House of MAC with a spanking new white Leopard loaded Macbook SR 2.2. I was doubly happy that I finally showed some discipline and refrained from spending a small fortune on a Macbook Pro. I figured I would do no gaming, except a little WOW (which I have not tried yet - gulp) and no professional level software, especially media related. What I would do is go to town on iLife.

I'm finally trying out iMovie and put together an awesome video/photo slide show with music and all of the little transitions ... BUT, when I try to play it back, my Macbook hiccups, coughs, stutters and skips through the sequence of my photos and videos (especially in full screen mode) - i.e. it does not play it smoothly. Is this normal?

I'm starting to get worried that the Macbook can only handle very basic office applications and Internet browsing and starts to buckle under the slightest pressure, even with the built in iLife suite. Is this just an issue of adding RAM (I only have 1 GB). I'm planning to bump it up to 4. What limitations do I simply need to accept on my once glorious and now very humbled Macbook?
 
Try adding ram. I have one of the original CD macbooks with 2gb and iMovie works just fine for me, albeit in Tiger, not Leopard.
 
I've got a MacBook black 2.16Ghz model with 2GB memory. iMovie works wondderfully - you've done the right thing up with upgrading the memory 4GB, that'll help speed things up quite a bit.

With that being said, don't expect the same level of performance as a MacBook Pro or Mac Pro - they're in a different league. With that being said, its no slouch, and will perform very well.
 
It works great on a Macbook. Used one on my friend's new 2.2 Blackbook with 4GB of ram. Why would mac ship something with software that dosent work? thats just not apple! :D
A RAM upgrade does help, I haven't used imovie with only 1 gig of RAM in a macbook, but it worked great and smoothly on my friends blackbook.
Have fun, I've been a mac user since i was born I've never even thought of switching to windoze, welcome to the apple community.
 
I have done a lot of movies with imove 08 on both my 2.4 MBP and my 2.2 MB and there is very little difference between them. I have 4gb of ram in both machines. I am sure you will be good if you add ram. With the price of ram being so cheap I would add 4gb now and be done with it.;) Enjoy the MB is a powerful machine. I rarely use my MBP anymore!!
 
RAM to the Rescue

Thanks for your encouragement and advice. You guys are pretty awesome to be helping out us newbies and making our MAC experience all the better. So before I go call the cavalry and order me some juicy RAM, are there any particular brands or whatever I should be looking out for. I know someone from another thread posted http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231135
for ordering G.Skill RAM, only $80. Fast Shadow recommended $120 RAM from Crucial (that's the seller, not the RAM manufacturer?). I'll fish through the threads to try and answer my own question, but since we're on the subject I thought you can throw me a few pearls of knowledge (with accompanying links) :D (I just better not order the wrong type of RAM).
 
cmtrekker said:
Hey ya'll - I was ecstatic to finally join the House of MAC with a spanking new white Leopard loaded Macbook SR 2.2. I was doubly happy that I finally showed some discipline and refrained from spending a small fortune on a Macbook Pro. I figured I would do no gaming, except a little WOW (which I have not tried yet - gulp) and no professional level software, especially media related. What I would do is go to town on iLife.

I'm finally trying out iMovie and put together an awesome video/photo slide show with music and all of the little transitions ... BUT, when I try to play it back, my Macbook hiccups, coughs, stutters and skips through the sequence of my photos and videos (especially in full screen mode) - i.e. it does not play it smoothly. Is this normal?

I'm starting to get worried that the Macbook can only handle very basic office applications and Internet browsing and starts to buckle under the slightest pressure, even with the built in iLife suite. Is this just an issue of adding RAM (I only have 1 GB). I'm planning to bump it up to 4. What limitations do I simply need to accept on my once glorious and now very humbled Macbook?
Click to expand...

My ibook 1.2 with 1 gig of ram, handled iMovie HD pretty well. So I would think your macbook with at least 1 gig of ram should be stellar. Go figure.
 
Roco said:
Really, do you need 4GB of RAM??

I think 2GB is more than enough if you are only planning on using iLife. You won't see any noticeable change from 2GB to 4GB. Just my 2 cents.:)
Click to expand...

It depends on the size of your iMovie project; the less swapping the better.

For me, I've never had any problems. The only thing that does piss me off is when the fans speed up and I'm trying to record a video for youtube :(
 
As mentioned above, RAM is the key. I went from 1GB to 2GB, then to 4GB (actually 3.3 on my Macbook due to the older chipset)

The 1->2GB upgrade made an astronomical difference. night and day.

2GB->3.3 was much more subtle, but gives me headroom for VMware Fusion virtual machines, etc.

I got my 2x2GB sticks from newegg..

2x Crucial 2GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300)
Notebook Memory Model CT25664AC667
Item #: N82E16820148087
$121.98 shipped
 
Beware G.Skill

I bought 4gb of G.Skill ram for my 2.2 SR Blackbook from Newegg. I should have known better after seeing the copy on the package: "G.Skill. Great Skill in Memory World." Eeek. Both sticks were bad. The machine wouldn't even boot. Well, I got great skill with FedEx-- I sent it back and got some Crucial. Nary a problem since.
 
keep in mind...processor wise...the 2.2ghz SR MB's and the low end MBP's are the same! So its just the RAM upgrade which is the difference when it comes to video work. Unless u plan on serious graphical work with 3d titles etc...then the GPU needs to be good!

Of course...by next week...all i say will probably be outdated so erm..yeah :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back