Help with Laptop advice.

[BKKloppenborg]

Hey guys about a year ago i bought a Mac Powerbook G4 (In Signature) and i am really happy with it but i was thinking about upgrading for a bigger video card. 64mb is not alot these days and i will be using this thing for Video importing, Web design, playing movies, and some older games. Expecally with the Video importing and converting i am worried about the small graphics card the most. I am importing from a Camcorder to this Mac and converting/editing/deleting. This is where i think at least a 128mb video card or even a 256 one would be VERY NICE. i also really like the faster speed of Processor, and last lighted keyboard and more connections.

Questions are will 64mb be enough? (Need to add another 512Mb or 1GB to computer now if i keep this one)
Which other laptop will work for me?

Would be getting another(If i feel like i need it) by Next school year (Aug)
Budget looks good.

Specs on first Laptop
$2,499.00
15.4-inch widescreen display
1440x900 resolution
2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
1GB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
100GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive (Upgrade to 100 GB 7200 RPM for $100??!! Mabye)
4x SuperDrive
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
One FireWire 400 and two USB 2.0 ports

Or

Display 15.2-inch (diagonal), 1440 x 960 resolution, TFT widescreen
Processor 1.67GHz PowerPC G4 processor
Memory 512MB PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM (running at 333MHz)
Graphics ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128MB of DDR SDRAM and dual-link DVI
Hard disk drive 80GB Ultra ATA/100; 5400 rpm
Slot-loading optical drive 8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Big differences are Memory speed/Graphics card, and Proccesor.

P.S. would be selling this laptop to help pay for new one figure i would get at lest 1,000.

Mac i have now in Signature

 

[Lollypop]

What software are you using to manipulate your video? If its a univeral binary I would go for the Macbook Pro. I really dont think the amount of video memory is such a huge player when it comes to video editing, but if it is the macbook will be the better bet, faster everything!

 

[j26]

I could be wrong, but I don't think the video ram will make a huge difference for video editing, and if the games wou want play fine on the PB, then a bigger card will not make muuch difference.

You mention older games. If they're ppc games, you have to remember that they will have to run through Rosetta on the Intel one, and take a performance hit.

If you already have Tiger, that reduces the incentive further, as you're not getting @100ish of an OS thrown in.

Both laptops have bigger screens. If that's part of what you want, then why not max out the ram and get an external screen. I have a 12" and love it, but I'm using it an awful lot at the moment, and have borrowed a 17" CRT (I don't want to buy a screen at the mo as I'm waiting to get an iMac which will solve my screen issues).

As regards the drive, you could get an external 7200 drive and do your editing on that - there are valid reasons for this - video editing puts demands on the drive, and you don't want to kill your laptop drive (slim chance, but there nonetheless).

My suggestion
You have up to $1,500 to spend.
Price what it would cost to max the ram get an external drive and get an screen (and Tiger, if necessary). If it's significantly less, go for that (you'll still have them when you upgrade in the future). If it's about the same, you have a choice of the Intel mac or the upgrading your one. I'd be less likely to consider buying the other ppc one as the intel is more future proofed, and you already have a fine ppc machine.

 

[BKKloppenborg]

What software are you using to manipulate your video? If its a univeral binary I would go for the Macbook Pro. I really dont think the amount of video memory is such a huge player when it comes to video editing, but if it is the macbook will be the better bet, faster everything!

Probaly imovie HD. I know i need ALOT of ram this computer is begging me for some more ram. But i was thinking about Powerbook Pro just because its newer and i could have it for at least 3-4 years before getting a new one. I love the new one because AGP VS. PCI-Express is a HUGE difference in speed, plus a 7200 RPM Drive would be faster, along with processor, and Memory is faster. THis computer i have now don't get me wrong i love it but most laptops are already comming with more then a 64mb Grapics card and faster specs then this one. Last Toshiba came with 64mb of video ram and that was about 3 years ago.

P.S. already have Tiger OS bigger screen is nice but not a must. the biggest things that want me to upgrade are, Blacklight keyboard, (Typing school reports at night), Faster HD 7200RPM compared to 5400, Alot faster Ram speed, Grahics card has jumped from AGP 64mb to PCI-Express 256MB that is a faster card then my Mac and PC combined! 64mb+128MB. Last is proccesor is alot faster.