Switching from windows to Mac (MBP). Need some help

[CP450]

I'm making the switch from windows to Mac and I want to replace my desktop with a Macbook Pro (not yet purchased). I have several hours of raw DV vacation videos (not HD) that I want to begin to edit, as well as a few thousand photos. I have absolutely zero experience with this. I'm not a photographer/videographer. I simply want to enhance my current photos and video for personal enjoyment. I'm not yet certain if I want to turn this into a hobby of sorts. That being said, I plan on replacing my current camcorder with an HD model sometime this year for a trip to Europe (I don't know how relevant this may be).

I have a few questions on the best options to begin my migration to OS X. I did get some great help from the folks in the DV forum for some of these but I thought my questions may be more relevant to the notebook forum given the subject is a MBP.

1. What are the best Mac-focused websites (besides MacRumors) that a new Mac user can use to learn the ropes?

2. 160GB 7200 internal HD configured when I order OR purchase a 200gb 7200 and install myself?

3. Any thoughts on partitioning the HD (internal)? Should I make separate partitions for OS, programs, data, and one for Windows (if I ever use it)?

4. Any brand suggestions for a scratch disk? FW 800 or eSATA (if I purchase a HD camcorder)?

5. Back-up storage. RAID? Do you move all of your data from the scratch disk to the back-up disk(s) leaving the scratch disk blank for new projects only? If this is the case, should the back-up be mirrored as it really isn’t a back-up for this data?

6. Can I connect a back-up drive(s) to airport extreme and use as a wireless NAS with access from any Mac?

7. Bootcamp, Parallels, or VMWare?

Thanks very much for the help! I'm going to order after I get some guidance on these issues.

 

[squeeks]

Ok, having good experience with this let me help

I'm making the switch from windows to Mac and I want to replace my desktop with a Macbook Pro good choice (not yet purchased). I have several hours of raw DV vacation videos (not HD) that I want to begin to edit, as well as a few thousand photos. I have absolutely zero experience with this. I'm not a photographer/videographer. I simply want to enhance my current photos and video for personal enjoyment. I'm not yet certain if I want to turn this into a hobby of sorts. That being said, I plan on replacing my current camcorder with an HD model sometime this year for a trip to Europe good idea, get a sony hc7 (I don't know how relevant this may be).

I have a few questions on the best options to begin my migration to OS X. I did get some great help from the folks in the DV forum for some of these but I thought my questions may be more relevant to the notebook forum given the subject is a MBP.

1. What are the best Mac-focused websites (besides MacRumors) that a new Mac user can use to learn the ropes?
besides macrumors, MacNN is very popular
2. 160GB 7200 internal HD configured when I order OR purchase a 200gb 7200 and install myself?
i wouldnt nessessarily suggest installing it yourself, scratch disks and externals are good enough for what you wanna do
3. Any thoughts on partitioning the HD (internal)? Should I make separate partitions for OS, programs, data, and one for Windows (if I ever use it)?
dont bother partitioning it its not nessessary
4. Any brand suggestions for a scratch disk? FW 800 or eSATA (if I purchase a HD camcorder)?
i use all western-digital mybook pros 500gig i have two, one FAT formated one mac formatted (mac format is required to save files over a certain size i forget the number at the moment but the drives are firewire 800 and the MBP has a firewire 800 port, plus if you get more they connect together
5. Back-up storage. RAID? Do you move all of your data from the scratch disk to the back-up disk(s) leaving the scratch disk blank for new projects only? If this is the case, should the back-up be mirrored as it really isn’t a back-up for this data?
i dont, but it is recommended just dont erase the DV tapes, they are so inexpensive its worth it to keep the originals
6. Can I connect a back-up drive(s) to airport extreme and use as a wireless NAS with access from any Mac?
sure buffalo makes a nice gigabit network drive and the mbp has gigabit networking
7. Bootcamp, Parallels, or VMWare?
depends what do you want to do with windows?
Thanks very much for the help! I'm going to order after I get some guidance on these issues.

 

[squeeks]

forgot to mention software, iLife will pretty much take care of what you are looking to do between iMovie HD (will support HD cameras) and iPhoto, and iDVD, if you want to expand the video editing beyond that theres always final cut express (studio is way beyond what you need) and aperture for pictures

 

[theBB]

1. www.macosxhints.com is a bit techy, but very useful.

3. Don't do any partitions. It is not like Windows, this will not do you any good, but you will lose a lot of flexibility.

4. MBP does not have eSATA ports, so FW seems to be your only option.

6. Can I connect a back-up drive(s) to airport extreme and use as a wireless NAS with access from any Mac?
Yes.

7. Bootcamp, Parallels, or VMWare?
I'd say neither. Why do you need Windows for?

 

[Sounds Good]

Those are some great answers and comments from squeeks!

 

[squeeks]

video editing and pictures is the one thing i know best

 

[squeeks]

actually if you dont need a laptop, and have a spare LCD monitor, id spend the 2400 bucks for a Mac Pro the bottom of the line one would run circles around any MBP with its 2 dual core xeons cpus, i woulda but i really wanted a mac laptop thus why i got the nice one and maxed it out with third party ram and HD, this system is pretty sweet now with 4gb of ram

 

[Sounds Good]

video editing and pictures is the one thing i know best

In that case... if someone wants to edit family stuff only, not pro stuff (like family photos on Photoshop and/or family videos on ??? ), which laptop would you suggest, and why?: a Macbook or a Macbook Pro?

 

[squeeks]

In that case... if someone wants to edit family stuff only, not pro stuff (like family photos on Photoshop and/or family videos on ??? ), what would you suggest, and why?: a Macbook or a Macbook Pro?

ew, well, ive never used a macbook, so im not sure how it would handle HD stuff because of the integrated graphics if you ever wanted to go that rout, the larger screen is nice to have, i wouldnt get the macbook unless i wanted something ultra portable, and pretty much just for internet stuff, and word processing, maybe a little iphoto and itunes

 

[Sounds Good]

the larger screen is nice to have

I've got an external monitor, so that might not matter...

BUT...

I wasn't aware that HD video cameras were available for home use. With that in mind, I'm sure it won't be too long before I'll be wantin' one of those babies.

Now I just gotta find out if HD video editing requires a video card (MBP) or not (MB).

 

[squeeks]

im sure it dosent "require" it because iMovie 06 is HD compatible, and yes i think every MFG now has an HD camera or two, heck sony has 4 CONSUMER hd cameras, about 1200 dollars i think HDC-HC7 is the newest, it has a 3.0megpixel imager, and mic input and headphone output, records to regular miniDV tapes with a special HD codec, still records an hour on a 60 minute tape, there are HD tapes that are like 12 bucks a piece but i think they are overrated, ive never had a problem recording HD on a regular miniDV