What would you do with $3000 Dollars?

[corywoolf]

As I have said in another post, I am getting $2,000 from my grandma as a graduation gift and will get between $1000-$1200 from items I will be selling either on eBay or hopefully here. My family is not well off and this is a very rare circumstance for me. I always told myself I would be smart with my money and not greedy when I get an opportunity like this. So I have been thinking a lot about what I am going to get computer hardware wise and still can't make up my mind. I first wanted to get the 17" iMac Core Duo with a dell 20" monitor and a 30 GB iPod. I then wanted to get the 20" iMac Core Duo with a 19" dell monitor and the 60 GB iPod. After that, a few days ago I really was heading towards the 1.83 Ghz Mac Book Pro with a 20" Dell monitor and 1 GB shuffle. I am now thinking about getting a 1 Ghz 17" Powerbook (with 2 GB RAM) with a 20" Dell monitor and a 1 GB shuffle. The main problem is I do a lot of work in FCP, CS2, After Effects and FCP wont even run on a Intel Mac for a while. I have a 800 Mhz iMac G4 with 768 MB RAM and wonder if 200 Mhz will make a big difference along with the 2 GB RAM? I plan on selling the Powerbook when everything I use is universal. This setup would cost me around $2000 (w/ monitor and accessories) and I would keep the monitor when I upgrade to the MBP. So what would you do in my situation?

 

[Roy Hobbs]

I would put the $2000 in the bank and wait for universal apps....by then who knows might be on Rev C Intels

 

[thegreatunknown]

I'm going to try to go easy on you since your profile says you are only 17.

1st, don't go around blabbing about how much money you are getting, thats inappropriate. 2nd, don't follow it by telling us you aren't well off. if you aren't well off then you should be learning how to save money, learning about savings accounts, ROTH IRA's, etc, or even better saving for a college education.

if you just want recommendations of what to buy don't give us the story, just ask... many people here will help.

 

[Glenn Wolsey]

I'm going to try to go easy on you since your profile says you are only 17.

1st, don't go around blabbing about how much money you are getting, thats inappropriate. 2nd, don't follow it by telling us you aren't well off. if you aren't well off then you should be learning how to save money, learning about savings accounts, ROTH IRA's, etc, or even better saving for a college education.

if you just want recommendations of what to buy don't give us the story, just ask... many people here will help.

I actually think by him giving us the story it can help us is helping him choose. Rather than saying I have $3000, what should I buy? He has told us that this money does mean alot to him and wants to take his time in choosing and make the right decision.

Personally I would recommend the 20" Intel iMac.

 

[risc]

If I was you I'd be putting the money in the bank until CS3 is released as a universal binary then I'd be buying whatever Apple end up calling the Power Mac.

 

[nospleen]

I would get the 20" imac and put the rest away. You will have over 1400 to store for a rainy day. I am sure you can get by without another monitor, I know it stinks, but hang on to your money. Congrats and have fun. That is what I would recommend to do, although I would never be able to have the self control to do it! (I would probably buy the 15" 1.83 MBP, an apple 20" display, and an ipod)

 

[maclanes]

The smart thing to do would be to invest it and make a profit. 3,000 could soon turn into 30,000 and so on. Be the next millionare!

 

[Deepdale]

That is one very nice grandmother you have. When I graduated high school, I believe I was treated to a slice of pizza. Okay, perhaps it was two slices and a Coke.

 

[hhlee]

I always told myself I would be smart with my money and not greedy when I get an opportunity like this.

wait a few more months, buy someone's higher end g4.

save the money, go to college.

 

[kbonnel]

The smart thing to do would be to invest it and make a profit. 3,000 could soon turn into 30,000 and so on. Be the next millionare!

Or do the dumb thing and invest it and lose it all Just kidding, I think investing it would be the smartest move, but not in stocks or bonds or anything like that, but in college. Education is more important. If you already have college figured out, then I would get a refurb 20" Imac, and forget about the 20" Dell. It is a luxury, and you really don't need it.

Kimo

 

[teerexx52]

Invest it!!!

 

[MacTT]

I would suggest a 17" intel imac or the new ibook coming out in april. As for the iPod, I would wait for the new one to come out. They seem to get cheaper. Then I would save the rest in the bank. Remember new computers come out all the time. Don't waste it all on one machine.

 

[e²Studios]

Save it, any computer is a waste of money. If you have something that will do what you need (read NEED not WANT) it to do now then use that and stick the money in to a Savings account, companies like ING are giving 4.75% on their basic savings plans. CD's are generally safer than stocks, but with only 3,000 to invest I personally wouldn't go for stocks and stick to a 12-24 month CD or just basic savings.

Bleeding edge only lasts for months in the computer world, saving your money can bring back real monetary rewards. Hell if you continue to save and then wisely invest you can buy that new machine using the interest you made on your investments and never touch your initial principle.

Ed

 

[blackstone]

(1) You have very little need for a new iPod, unless the 40 gig photo you have is somehow inadequate.

(2) There is no point in getting a 17" PB right now, because:

(a) You seem to be perfectly fine with having just a desktop right now, and
(b) A year or two from now, you'll really regret getting a G4, because it will be dog-slow compared to everything else out there​

Are you going to college next year? If so, then SAVE the money, wait until you can benefit from the college student discounts and THEN buy yourself a new computer. You'll save a couple hundred bucks and have a computer even faster than what you could get now.

 

[nospleen]

Save, save, save, this thread is getting boring already!

 

[Deepdale]

... Hell if you continue to save and then wisely invest you can buy that new machine using the interest you made on your investments and never touch your initial principle.

Sound and practical advice, but it requires personal resolve and discipline that can be challenging for a 17-year old HS senior.

 

[mfacey]

I'd personally get a huge LCD/Plasma tv. But that's just me.

Imac is a great machine, but if you have a 20 inch imac, why do you need an extra 20 inch display? Plenty of real estate on there already! Your choice though. College is good for you, but $3000 won't even get you through your first year, it is a good start though.

If you're just looking to spend it on something fun, go for the imac!

 

[corywoolf]

I'm going to try to go easy on you since your profile says you are only 17.

1st, don't go around blabbing about how much money you are getting, thats inappropriate. 2nd, don't follow it by telling us you aren't well off. if you aren't well off then you should be learning how to save money, learning about savings accounts, ROTH IRA's, etc, or even better saving for a college education.

if you just want recommendations of what to buy don't give us the story, just ask... many people here will help.

Yeah, I was just giving you a brief summary of where I'm at dude, I didn't mean to brag (not much to brag about anyways). I figure it might help to tell you a little bit about myself and my needs in order to help make my decision. And how else am I supposed to get advice if I don't give a budget? I apologize if I offended you in any way.

 

[corywoolf]

I actually think by him giving us the story it can help us is helping him choose. Rather than saying I have $3000, what should I buy? He has told us that this money does mean alot to him and wants to take his time in choosing and make the right decision.

Personally I would recommend the 20" Intel iMac.

Thanks for understanding me, I guess one poster doesn't agree with my approach to advice, I will give him/her a break because they are a noob.
I am really thinking about this 1 Ghz 17" Powerbook with 2 GB RAM and maybe a HD upgrade as well. Anyone who owns this model want to comment?

 

[nospleen]

Thanks for understanding me, I guess one poster doesn't agree with my approach to advice, I will give him/her a break because they are a noob.
I am really thinking about this 1 Ghz 17" Powerbook with 2 GB RAM and maybe a HD upgrade as well. Anyone who owns this model want to comment?

Do you really need portability? If not, get the 17" imac, it is the same price and tons faster.

 

[i4k20c]

Dude wait,
If you aren't in the position to spend alot of money, i'd honestly wait. For two reasons, one if you want a desktop either a newer revision will come out maybe even $100 cheaper (goes toward ipod, applecare, etc...) if you also are going to be a college student, they sometimes offer some crazy summer deals, for instance i got a powerbook (along with student discount), free ipod mini that i gave to my brother, and 100 bux towards a printer (you can get 1-2 from free, since apple sells a couple for only 100), but i decided to get a photo printer for my parents and paid the difference. So yah, if your stressed for money, be patient, and something better will come up.... i am specifically talking about better comming up in terms of saving money, no gurantee's, but idk.. i'd wait until the summer..

 

[i4k20c]

Thanks for understanding me, I guess one poster doesn't agree with my approach to advice, I will give him/her a break because they are a noob.
I am really thinking about this 1 Ghz 17" Powerbook with 2 GB RAM and maybe a HD upgrade as well. Anyone who owns this model want to comment?

I would not get that for $1300... It says it comes with a dent.. there are better deals imo for 200 bux more going on in the market over here at macrumors.. and once the intel ibook comes out and more intel macbooks.. im sure for 1200-1500, you can get something alot faster and in better condiiton than that machine..

 

[corywoolf]

That is one very nice grandmother you have. When I graduated high school, I believe I was treated to a slice of pizza. Okay, perhaps it was two slices and a Coke.

yeah, she is old school and doesn't know what a cell phone is. I convinced her to upgrade to a new 20" TV a couple years ago. She was using a really old TV that was built inside a wood cabinet. She was upset when she found out they stopped making TVs out of wood cabinets. Long story short, she still doesn't own a dryer and hangs clothes outside on a line. I don't know what she does in the winter time though (never thought of that before). She has given $25 every year for my birthday, but the big gift all of her grandchildren get is $2000 for graduating high school. I thought about putting some into AAPL stock, but as I found out in another thread, it is more of a long term investment company at the moment. I already doubled $500 I saved from a summer job in AAPL stock a couple years ago. The main thing is that I know once I move out to NYC with my dad, I wont be able to buy crap because my dad wont let me spend my own money when he has to pay for some of my stuff. I plan on getting a job as a PA as soon as I get out there and doing some small gigs for a little while. But thats a whole other story.

 

[corywoolf]

wait a few more months, buy someone's higher end g4.

save the money, go to college.

Already going to college. I started dual enrolling a little over 1.5 years ago and will have 43 college credits when I graduate in a couple months. I have taken lots of courses (my high school paid for them too! I understand this isn't a degree, but in the video production world it's a lot more about who you know and what you can do then what degree you have. Demo Reel is key [currently putting one together]):

GDT 139 Illustrator Graphics:

This course covers the fundamental tools and techniques of the vector
drawing software, Adobe Illustrator. Lecture, demonstrations,
exercises and projects introduce students to basic software tools and
the current version of the software. This course contains material
previously taught in GDT 137 and GDT 138.


VID 102 Video Production II:

This course is designed to develop and expand skills learned in VID
101. More in-depth study of storyboarding, shot lists, scriptwriting,
budgeting, videography, lighting, audio, and more advanced production
techniques are covered. Through a combination of lecture and hands-on
exercises, students develop skills to produce various styles of
productions. Depending on the students' interest, they may produce a
finished informational, public service, advertisement, narrative, or
artistic video production.

VID 112 Digital Video Editing II:

Students learn advanced editing techniques using Final Cut Pro
software on a Mac G4 computer. Students study and develop skills in
system configuration and language, rough cut editing, editing for
effect, match frame editing, printing to video/multimedia or web, as
well as editing their own footage from VID 102. A combination of
lecture and hands-on experience are combined to develop editing
skills.

VID 276 Advanced Video Graphics I:

This course introduces students to motion graphics composition for
film/video and internet distribution. Students learn the role of
motion graphics in these media. Adobe After Effects is used as the
main tool to create motion graphics compositions. Students learn the
basics of visual effects terminology, effect keying and transparency,
keyframing, synchronizing compositions to music, compression codecs
required for output optimization, and saving the finished composition
to a variety of film/video and internet ready formats such as Apple
QuickTime. Lecture, hands-on experience and creative mentoring are
combined to develop motion graphics compositing skills. Students gain
a working knowledge of After Effects and are exposed to examples of
work from industry professionals for inspiration. This course was
previously VID 299.

VID 277 Advanced Video Graphics II:

In this course students expand upon the basic skills learned to produce advanced motion graphics compositions. Adobe after Effects is used as the main tool to create motion graphics compositions. Students will create original work based on advanced concepts such as color-screen keying, particle effects, three- dimensional space, and geometric motion. Students will expand their ability to create motion graphics through critical review of work from industry professionals.



VID 280 DVD Authoring:

DVD authoring will give students the skills to create interactive
DVD's using digital video, graphic files, photographs and any other
multi-media formats. With the use of menus, buttons, subtitles,
alternate languages and sound tracks, this course will be an excellent
way for students to create a portfolio and add an additional skill on
their resume.

INP 150 Web Coding I:

This course is an introduction to creating pages for the Web using
Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML) and Cascading Styles
Sheets (CSS). Students will create Web pages using a text editor and
publish them on a server using an FTP program. Upon completion of this
course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of document
structure and formatting techniques as well as develop effective
troubleshooting skills. A test-out is available for students with
prior Web coding experience; interested students should consult with
an INP faculty member.

INP 153 Designing User Experience I:

In this course students will learn the principles and practices of
user-centered design, as well as the fundamentals of information
architecture and interface design for the Web. The focus will be on
human-computer interaction, critical evaluation of existing Web sites,
and creating deliverables that a user experience professional would
typically produce. Upon completion of this course, students will have
a working knowledge of approaches, tools, and techniques pertaining to
a variety of Web topics such as content design, interface design,
navigation, organization, labeling, search, and site mapping.

PHO 111 Photography I:

This is a first-term course in basic photography. Areas of study include: camera operation, lighting and composition, laboratory equipment and procedures, image processing, printing and final presentation techniques. Students must have their own manually adjustable camera and anticipate additional costs for materials for the course. Some sections are film based and are for students with 35mm film cameras. Other sections are digitally based and are for students with digital cameras. See the time schedule to choose the appropriate section.

GDT 112 Graphic Communication I:

This course covers methods in visual communication, ideation, visual perception, and problem solving techniques. Exercises explore word-picture-abstract design, visual thinking and communication theories.

 

[corywoolf]

(1) You have very little need for a new iPod, unless the 40 gig photo you have is somehow inadequate.

(2) There is no point in getting a 17" PB right now, because:

(a) You seem to be perfectly fine with having just a desktop right now, and
(b) A year or two from now, you'll really regret getting a G4, because it will be dog-slow compared to everything else out there​

Are you going to college next year? If so, then SAVE the money, wait until you can benefit from the college student discounts and THEN buy yourself a new computer. You'll save a couple hundred bucks and have a computer even faster than what you could get now.

Already get the college discounts, read above. The 17" 1 Ghz PB is so I can work on stuff away from my place. I could get a lot done during school with it and am going to be moving around a lot in the next couple years.