two Mac computers or one? (macbook and imac vs. 1 macbook pro)

[Tui]

Well, it just doesn't seem to be possible to say that the MBP is quiet, at all times. It really depends on what I do with it. You are correct, most of the time, the fan doesn't come on - as long as I stick to simple tasks, such as web browsing, or playing back a few tracks in Logic. Even playing soft synths or samples live won't result in heavy CPU loads.

But...

If I open iPhoto and browse my library of 1000 + images, the fan almost instantly begins to sound like a mini hair dryer. I also run Rax in Rosetta mode, which enables me to use my older non-Intel AU instruments. Just by sitting there and doing nothing, Rax consumes some 30-40% of horsepower. If I then open a somewhat demanding session in Logic as well (say, using the FM8 or Universal UVI Player), CPU usage quickly goes up to 60-80% - and the fan revs up considerably.

I am beginning to wonder if I should have got a Mac Pro tower instead, and continued with using my ageing Titanium G4 laptop for mobile sessions.

[Spectacle]

I am sorry to say this, but I think there might be something wrong with your particular computer, Tui.

The only time I ever hear my fan is if I'm ripping a DVD (when it is using as much CPU power as possible in order to get it done fast), and usually then only if I have the thing unplugged.

[Spectacle]

Could also be that you're running everything off of a 5400rpm internal hard drive? If so, that would put a load on it. I record to a FW800 external 7200rpm which lets the internal just deal with the system and the apps. Both the external hd and my interface can be bus-powered, but I plug each one in individually by itself when I'm at home. If you aren't using an external drive, I would totally recommend doing so. It makes all the difference in the world. The express port on the MBPro also allows for plugging in an SATAII drive, which can get you speeds significantly faster even than FW800 (up to 3GB/sec). Some guys even use TWO external drives (one for samples, one for audio files). I don't think that's necessary, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

[FFTT]

I did not mean to imply that the OP should not get an MBP, but that he should honestly evaluate his situation.

A well equipped C2D MacBook 2.0 with 2 GB RAM should cover his basic needs for about $1400.00 (edu).

The next notch up would be a well equipped entry level C2D 2.16 GHz MBP with 2 GB RAM for $1957.00 (edu).
(I did not include AppleCare in these prices, so add $239.00 if you're getting it at time of purchase)

Either one would leave the OP some room for nice things like a pair of good monitors.

A very nicely upgraded 2.16 GHz iMac 17"would also be great with 2 GB RAM, and
a 250 GB 7200 RPM HD, Wireless KB and Mouse and AppleCare and Logic Express installed for. $1737.00

All three of these models are reasonable and would get the job done.

Of course I don't know exactly when new models will arrive, but knowing Intel's
roadmap is all I need to know that overspending right now is not a good idea.

OS X 10.5 Leopard is due within 2 months time.
Logic 8 is already past due, but should come shortly after Leopard.
Final Cut Uberkill should also be around shortly.
Display updates are overdue.
MacMini will definitely go Core 2 Duo

Once the new Octa Core Mac Pros are released, the current models will probably drop by at least $300.00-500.00.00

That puts a current 2.66 GHz Mac Pro tower with 2 GB RAM below the price of
a MacBook Pro C2D. That money they just shaved off the price goes to buy the
other 2 GB RAM for a more correct 4 GB RAM installed and you've got a baaad
screamin' workstation for like $2300.00

You guys can buy the notebooks, I'd be buying one of them towers.

If you really need a portable right now, just buy the MacBook and learn how to run your Logic Express Basics. It takes a while and once you're really ready to move on
to Pro, there's going be be some damn nice gear out there.

The iMacs will certainly go single Quad core and the next generation of notebooks will
be sporting 45nm processors that will be faster, use much less power and thus
improve battery life and probably reduce heat considerably.
There's a good chance that the next MBP could also be a single Quad Core, so just keep all that in mind before you go nuts on the current lineup.

If our friends from Apogee are listening, perhaps we might see a Quartet version of the Apogee Ensemble.
For project studio recording, having 4 really high end simultaneous I/O's would be just about perfect.

Don't rush your decision.

Good luck

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by Spectacle

I am sorry to say this, but I think there might be something wrong with your particular computer, Tui.

The only time I ever hear my fan is if I'm ripping a DVD (when it is using as much CPU power as possible in order to get it done fast), and usually then only if I have the thing unplugged.

Or maye you're jut not using it's full capacity.
What kind of system use are you at when using it for Logic?
What Tui describes, is exactly what i've heard other people say as well.

However, it could eb a certain run of MBP's.
I woudl chekc to see how the thermal paste has been applied.

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by Henchman

Or maye you're jut not using it's full capacity.
What kind of system use are you at when using it for Logic?
What Tui describes, is exactly what i've heard other people say as well.

However, it could eb a certain run of MBP's.
I woudl chekc to see how the thermal paste has been applied.

I'm sorry, are you asking me or Tui? No problems here, and I'm using it pretty intensively, as described above. thumbsup

(again, knock on wood)

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by FFTT

I did not mean to imply that the OP should not get an MBP, but that he should honestly evaluate his situation.

Listen to what FFTT is saying here, DW, it's all good advice. But for me, it's all about portability. If I were to get a SECOND computer, it would be the screaming fast desktop. But for just the one...it's got to be something I can take with me.

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by Spectacle

I'm sorry, are you asking me or Tui? No problems here, and I'm using it pretty intensively, as described above. thumbsup

(again, knock on wood)

No, I was talking to you.

But, again, I sugegst anyone with an abnormaly noisy MBP, to have it checked out anyway.

[Tui]

To clear up the apparent confusion, I do indeed use an external Porsche drive for all audio work. I am also quite confident that I am not making any other serious mistakes with my set-up either!

But the thermal paste issue is possibly something to consider. I remember reading about it, some time ago. However, I was under the impression that only the first batches of MBPs were affected, but that the problem had been resolved quite a while ago..?

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by Henchman

No, I was talking to you.

But, again, I sugegst anyone with an abnormaly noisy MBP, to have it checked out anyway.

OK, well, I can't really imagine using it at much more "full" of a capacity for audio work. Anything more than a couple of dozen tracks on one rock song is, in my view, a bit much. I'm not even sure how I could get my MBP maxed-out CPU wise. But I don't do any film or video work of any kind, which would push things a great deal more.

But as the guy WITHOUT any problems here to report, I don't think my case is the abnormal one. Everything I have read indicates that the noise and heat issues were taken care of significantly in the move to Core 2 Duo MBPs. But there may have been some holdover batches, who knows?

Good luck with that, Tui, et. al. I'm pulling for you.

[JonCraig]

Originally Posted by Tui

I do indeed use an external Porsche drive for all audio work. I am also quite confident that I am not making any other serious mistakes with my set-up either!

not to nit-pick, but i had a porch drive and it died. quite literally *everyone* i know who bought a porche drive has had it die. seriously, honestly, i can name at least a dozen off the top of my head. those enclosures are pure shit.

--jon

[Tui]

Yeah, me too, I have read a lot about Lacie drives dying, although the Porsches seem to generally fare a little better than the rest. What I find strange though is that Lacie seems to be the brand of choice in many Apple centres (that's where I bought mine). If Lacie really has such a terrible track record, why don't the Apple people, who pride themselves on offering quality products, stop promoting them?

[altinenti]

So, what external HD do you recommend? What about Mercury On the Go?
I'm thinking mainly of one that could work without external power, just Firewire. Or you think it's not good to go for that and it is better to use one with power supply (like the Mercury Elite or G-Drive)?

Thanks!

[JonCraig]

actually, my experience has been the reverse. 100% of all the porche drives i know of have failed. i have 2 lacie d2 drives, and only had trouble with the unit not self-powering on. i got my data off, and sent it for repair. it's been fine since. that said, lots of people don't like d2's. i have a producer/engineer client who creates lots of sample libraries, and thus generates a hundred gigs or so per project. he has at LEAST 15 owc mercury (whatever they're called) enclosures, with western digital drives inside, and he's never had a SINGLE one die. that speaks for itself, i think.

--jon

[vs.Gotham]

I've had my MacBook Pro for over a year now and it's the only computer I use for recording. Here's what I can tell you.

- It's quiet as a ninja mouse. I have a stand for it (helps with heat issues, also makes it much more comfortable to look at) and an external hard drive (always record to external, always) and have recorded acoustic guitar within two feet of it and not heard a thing. And if you're curious, my hard drive is a G-Drive 250gb that's also extremely quiet.

- If you have the money to get both a MacBook and iMac, you have the money for an upgraded MacBook pro with extra RAM, which will more powerful than the MacBook and as powerful as an iMac *if* you upgraded that as well. The advantages of the iMac would solely be a bigger hard drive (again, you should be recording to external) and a bigger display. 17 inches is fine for me though, especially if you go dual display and have two monitors. Then again, I run ProTools so if you're on DP I can see how you'd need the visual real estate (soooo many windows! )

One thing to clarify though.

Just make sure that it is the Core 2 Duo model, as it is both significantly faster than the previous Core Duo and comes with the FW800 port, which the Core Duo does not.

I have a Core Duo and I happen to have (and use) a FW800 port. The performance increase of the Core Duo 2 over the Core Duo is clocked at about 10%. As for the heat issues mentioned, I'm inclined to believe if because while I haven't used a Core Duo 2, my laptop is definitely very hot when I'm pushing it. Having a stand is a huge help with this though.

[Hope209]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but this isn't too off-topic.

When can we expect a new Mac laptop to be released? Im not up on how long it takes upgrades/new models to come out...

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by Hope209

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but this isn't too off-topic.

When can we expect a new Mac laptop to be released? Im not up on how long it takes upgrades/new models to come out...

My guess is, you won't see a new model untill th quadcore laptop CPU's are out.

[JonCraig]

Originally Posted by Hope209

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but this isn't too off-topic.

When can we expect a new Mac laptop to be released? Im not up on how long it takes upgrades/new models to come out...

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

--jon

[Hope209]

NIce! thanks. I was planning on picking up a Mac Pro in May and it looks like there might be an update around that time

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by vs.Gotham

I have a Core Duo and I happen to have (and use) a FW800 port. The performance increase of the Core Duo 2 over the Core Duo is clocked at about 10%. As for the heat issues mentioned, I'm inclined to believe if because while I haven't used a Core Duo 2, my laptop is definitely very hot when I'm pushing it. Having a stand is a huge help with this though.

I agree with everything else vs.Gotham says in the post above 100%. But with reference to this quote here, I was referring to the 15" MBPro. The 17" CoreDuo and Core2Duo both have FW800 ports, but the 15" only got one with the upgrade to Core2Duo. For my own needs, I actually prefer the 15", as it is that much more portable, and I plug it into a 17" external LCD to more than double the screen real estate when I'm at home.

And the speed upgrade is more substantial than that, as the CoreDuo models topped out at 2.16, while the Core2Duos go 2.33. As the Apple website says: "Combined with 4MB L2 cache and a myriad of other engineering leaps, the Intel Core 2 Duo boosts performance up to 39% higher than the previous MacBook Pro and over 7x higher than the fastest PowerBook G4." And, again according to Apple's site, it's even faster with Logic: "On a 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo-based MacBook Pro, Logic Pro showed a 45% performance improvement, playing 240 reverb plug-ins, compared to 165 reverb plug-ins played on a 2.16GHz Core Duo MacBook Pro."

Not knocking you or your rockin' machine in any way. It's just so very sweet that they keep making these leaps. I'm still stunned by the laptop jump from my iBook G4. This is literally more than ten times as fast as that. At least. And I got the iBook new only about a year before the MBPro C2D.

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by JonCraig

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

--jon

So from what it says on here about the updates, we're looking at a smaller jump in performance in the MBPro from C2D to Santa Rosa than the jump was from CD to C2D last fall.

It does, however, look better for improvement on the MacBooks, as the integrated graphics shortcomings appear to be addressed. Of course, that likely won't matter to a sound guy, but if he's also a gamer or a video guy...

Though for my money, I'd still definitely go with the MBPro.

[kernel]

running two computers can be quite handy at times (if you need to run say 10.3 and 10.4) but often it is a giant pain in the nuts too.

but, the iMacs are basically MacBookPros in a desktop form so if you can get an iMac and a MacBook then so much the better i'd say. where's the fun in having one comp anyway! with two comps you can have experimental setups i suppose to test stuff without buggering up your main machine... depends what you do i suppose. I've still got my OS/9 machine cos i have software on it that that i don't want to lose :-)

kernel

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by kernel

the iMacs are basically MacBookPros in a desktop form

Exactly. So if you want to move around at any point at all, get a MacBookPro. If you are against moving, and want to save a little bit of cash (though not much), go for the iMac. Here are some prices to consider:

MacBook decked out + LCD + external HD = around $1900 (at MacMall with $100 rebate on the MB White C2D 2.0GHz w/2GB RAM)
MacBook Pro 15.4" decked out + LCD + external HD = around $2650 (at MacMall with $150 rebate on the MBP C2D 2.33GHz w/2GB RAM)
MacBook decked out + 20" bare bones iMac = $3173
MacBook Pro 15.4" decked out + 20" bare bones iMac = around $3850

If you want both a laptop and a desktop, buy either a MacBook or a MacBookPro, a nice, cheap external LCD, and save yourself a LOT of money.

For more on this, see:
http://www.bigbluelounge.com/forums/...=295435#295435

Of course, your slutty tendencies might very well lead you towards buying a Mac Pro not long after you make said purchase. And I think I can speak for most of the rest of the members of this forum/support group in saying that we would salute you!

[kernel]

Originally Posted by Spectacle

If you want both a laptop and a desktop, buy either a MacBook or a MacBookPro, a nice, cheap external LCD, and save yourself a LOT of money.

is there such a thing as a nice AND cheap LCD?? yeah, that could be a good option though.

also, consider the larger and faster drives in desktops/iMacs (7200 RPM) compared with 5600RPM or even 4200RPM in MacBook/MacBookPro. a 7200 drive is an optional extra on some models. maybe you use an external drive anyway.

oh, and check the refurb deals in the online apple store )))

[JonCraig]

Originally Posted by kernel

is there such a thing as a nice AND cheap LCD??

i paid ~200 for a 19" "3D GEM" display. DVI input, 3 year warranty. most importantly, it's bright & big--that's all i really care about.

does it look as good as an apple display? nope. does it let me see PT meters? you betcha. and if it dies after 3 years, i got my money's worth.

--jon

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by kernel

is there such a thing as a nice AND cheap LCD?? yeah, that could be a good option though.

Yes. Look around on-line. For example, try www.macmall.com

Originally Posted by kernel

also, consider the larger and faster drives in desktops/iMacs (7200 RPM) compared with 5600RPM or even 4200RPM in MacBook/MacBookPro. a 7200 drive is an optional extra on some models. maybe you use an external drive anyway.
oh, and check the refurb deals in the online apple store )))

I agree with the refurb point, as I said already in a post about a page or so above this. As I also said in a post above at one point, for recording you'll want to go with an external drive anyway, so that you aren't running your system on the same drive as the audio and samples. Not that it can't be done. I know of several people doing everything on a 5400rpm internal in either a MacBook or a MacBookPro. But to answer some of the laptop/desktop concerns, I'll post here what I posted on another forum a little while back. I hope this is of some use:

A desktop will do a fine job for someone who uses their audio computer primarily as an in-studio recording workstation and only very occasionally has to move it.

But as a laptop-using musician, here are my thoughts, dealing with each of the concerns a previous poster suggested with regard to laptop use in the studio (I know this is long, but bear with me):

1) Good-sized midi keyboard: a laptop does not change this in any way. For use in the studio, if you buy a cheap LCD as I have been describing (or if you have the $$, a big ol' Apple Cinema Display) and a USB mouse, you can easily place your 49-key keyboard or whatever you use in front of the LCD screen with EXACTLY the same set-up as the desktop. I agree, for real work of any kind, 2 octave keyboards are a joke, and the midi input via the laptop QWERTY is even less usable.

2) Posture: there is NO ergonomic difference between a “desktop” and a “laptop used as a desktop”. As long as you have your audio desk at home that is to your liking, everything that comes with the iMac can be right there at your desk for your MacBook or MacBook Pro to plug into: LCD, mouse, even a separate "QWERTY" keyboard, if you need to have it, ergonomically, below your midi keyboard on a pull-out tray or whatever you like. Again, that’s all about the space, not about the computer.

3) Monitors sitting level: Yet again, this is about the desk, not the computer you put on it. Monitors, LCD, everything, being raised does not change from desktop to laptop plugged in to LCD. In either case, you need shelves or stands to get everything at precisely the right height. A laptop does not change this in any way.

4) I'm not sure what the poster means when he says "be serious about portability". I am serious. I have a laptop. It weighs 5.6 lbs and is 1” thick. It slides into a neoprene sleeve, from there into my small backpack, where I hardly even notice it. It is absurdly easy to move around. I carry it around with me almost every day. If you are exclusively an engineer, or if you are a keyboard musician/songwriter who doesn’t perform and needs to be in that one exact place to do all your work and be inspired, OK, I understand, just a desktop. And yes, if this is the way you work, and you also need a second version of this stationary set-up somewhere else, perhaps you would choose to have two computers and the CD-R/iPod route. But if you are more than this stationary sort of musician or engineer, you would be missing out on everything that comes with portability, and that portability is really easy with a MB or a MBPro.

5) I have had no heat problems or power cycle concerns with my MacBook Pro. None whatsoever. Just make sure that it is set to the highest performance setting, and you’re good. One click of the mouse, one time. I can run dozens of tracks, Logic with Reason through ReWire, and countless plug-ins, and heat and fan noise has never been an issue.

6) Plug and un-plug: Yes, this is a minor convenience issue. The question is, do you believe that the numerous advantages of portability are worth the trade-off of having to spend about ten seconds unplugging a few cords? Abuse on the ports is not a concern – computers are expensive, if someone can’t take the extra second or two to keep from yanking the cords out with all of his strength, he probably shouldn’t be allowed near one. And it isn’t a mess of cords. This is what hubs are for. The LCD has its own dedicated port on the laptop, and you can have everything else plugged into a USB 2.0 hub (not that there is a lot to plug in, unless you use all kinds of programs with dongles). So it is just two quick plugs to turn a laptop into a desktop in ergonomic terms. Then it’s just your interface and your power cord. But anyone who wants portability understands this, and it is literally a ten-second operation in the most complex of set-ups.

7) 7200 rpm drive: Yes, this is a good idea. But guess what? You can get one in your laptop if you like, too. But there are a few other things to say with regard to this:

a. The 5400 rpm internal drive that comes standard on the MB and the MBPro is really fast. These forums are filled with people who are using them as their only drive for everything, and they have no trouble playing back dozens of tracks in Logic while doing all kinds of other things. As one MBPro user wrote the other day: “I’ll max out my CPU before I overload my drive”. There is even quite a bit of info on the web about how they might actually be as fast as the 7200 rpm drives for many operations. I know, it sounds odd and I’m a bit skeptical about THAT, but the difference in speed between the two certainly isn’t that great.

b. And most people who emphasize the importance of 7200 rpm drives for audio will also tell you that the key thing here is actually to have a SECOND DRIVE, so that the internal system drive can be dedicated to running the system and your applications, and the samples and audio can be handled by an external FW drive. This is, in fact VERY good advice. Some people even suggest TWO external drives for recording: one for samples, one for audio. I think that might be going overboard a bit, unless you are just absurd with your track counts, etc. And at that point, you’ll probably have a Mac Pro. (I actually have two externals, but one is just what I back everything up onto, I don’t use it as part of my recording set-up). Another MBPro possibility is to use the Express card port for one or more eSATA drives, which are between two and four times as fast as FW800. I don’t see the need at this point, but the options are there if you so desire.

c. In summary about the drive: The 5400 rpm internal can handle everything if you need it to, which means ultra-portability for your music. If for some reason you swear you need THAT drive to be faster, you can go for the 7200 rpm one. Likely a better option would be to do what I have done: a 5400 rpm internal and a 7200 rpm FW800 external. These external drives are cheap, portable, quiet, and even if you don’t absolutely need them to record to, doing so will help make your internal drive last longer. And if you want, you can keep it at home as part of your “laptop-as-desktop” setup, and then use the internal drive for everything when you’re traveling around. Total portability.

Overall, it all fits and is simple. So all of the concerns expressed above about desktops are either non-issues, easily fixable with laptops, or more about the desk space than the computer and peripherals you put on it.

Now, here are just a few of the added BENEFITS that you get with the laptop, if you aren’t the exclusively-in-studio computer kind of guy/gal:

1) Using the computer in your live perfomances, wherever they might be. This isn’t just an electronica or rock/pop keyboardist concern anymore. It has become a fantastic option for guitarists (like me), bassists, and acoustic-piano artists of all styles. You can even use these programs as your overall soundboard, if you have the right interface and you spend the time making sure your system can handle it.

2) Having an amazing selection of songwriting materials with you wherever you go. For touring musicians, or anyone who travels, this is invaluable. Whatever your primary instrument is, if you take it with you when you travel, the laptop can serve as a direct extension of that without adding on any space whatsoever. Nowadays, most people take their computers with them anyways, in order to be able to have word processing, e-mail, internet, DVDs, etc. For no added space, you get a recording studio with endless opportunities to get ideas down. And the interface can literally be just a little adaptor for your cord. And who knows where inspiration is going to strike? As a songwriter, I make sure I have as many options as possible. I even have a tiny stereo mic that plugs directly into my iPod for those rare occasions when I am totally stripped down (backpack-less) on the go. It’s great for singing a song idea into, or taking a voice memo. And the laptop is an infinitely more powerful version of this. In my hotel room, staying with my relatives, a studio in a different city, etc. I can call up the entire guitar rack of literally a thousand different guitarists, to lay down pro-quality tracks or just to practice through my headphones, with dozens of different amps, cabs, stomp boxes, and rack effects, all infinitely tweakable, and with just a couple of clicks of the mouse.

3) Recording in all kinds of locations. Unless you have a nice, hi-tech home studio space (and even if you do), you’ll likely enjoy the flexibility of being able to track audio in all kinds of places. Different rooms offer different acoustic possibilities. Whatever you want to do, you have the capability with the laptop.

4) Adding effects, mixing, etc. in different places. You can work on your projects after the tracking wherever you happen (or want) to be. All you have to do is bring along a good pair of headphones. Some people like to do much of their mixing proper with headphones. If that’s the way you work, then you have that option as well.

I would be surprised if at least some of the reasons I have just enumerated weren’t attractive possibilities for most musicians out there. For me, they’re crucial, but everyone has different needs and desires.

Also, some people might choose to sacrifice the portability, tempting as it might be, because they just don’t have the money. After all, a 17” iMac 2.0 GHz w/2GB RAM is only $1375, while the equivalent MacBook in speed, RAM, and hard drive size is $1724, and the cheapest full-featured “laptop-as-desktop” solution that I describe in a previous post above is around $1900. Most people don’t have unlimited resources, and cost will undoubtedly factor in.

If you absolutely NEED the portability, your ONLY choice is to get the laptop. But that doesn’t mean that if you don’t totally rely on this, that a desktop is what you should choose. Far from it. A laptop is a very attractive option for just about everybody else as well, as you can have the fantastic portability options that I describe above, and sacrifice literally nothing. This is a new thing, and I wouldn’t have said it before the Intel Macs. But it is true nonetheless.

So if you want to go the desktop route, that’s great. There are fantastic choices out there, including both the iMac and Mac Pro lines. I’m with you desktop brothers and sisters. But, if you want portability, you are literally sacrificing NOTHING by choosing a Mac laptop over a desktop. Isn’t it great to have these options now? Remember when we didn’t?

[kernel]

Originally Posted by Spectacle

for recording you'll want to go with an external drive anyway, so that you aren't running your system on the same drive as the audio and samples.

yeah laptops are great. I love making music on the train... i simply get out my powerbook, my external hard drive, my USB sound card, my interlok and my MIDI keyboard. portability is bliss. heeh.

actually on a serious tip, i've always used my system drive for ProTools stuff. does an external HD make that much difference? i'm about to start a big session(s) so i imagine it's time to take the external plunge.

kernel

[composer]

Originally Posted by JonCraig

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

--jon

Have you heard the rumor about Logic 8 not being called logic 8 and also having touch screen mixing?

Noticed at the link above they say DO NOT BUY a iMAC. Wonder if the QUAD cores will be on them soon as well as a PCMIA slot, that would really bode well with filling the gap with some musicians.

In addition, I think the MacBooks will get a makeover and more powerful for audio work two, and if the above happens, that means the mini will get the duo core 2 2.33 and your talking about serious horse power for almost nothing......

Mac to 10% by end of 2007....GO APPLE.

PS. I talked to a guy a Frys today, several actually, and he said PC's with VISTA are being returned in droves are there are a LOT of compatibility problems.

Just FYI.

[Spectacle]

Originally Posted by kernel

yeah laptops are great. I love making music on the train... i simply get out my powerbook, my external hard drive, my USB sound card, my interlok and my MIDI keyboard. portability is bliss. heeh.

Very funny, my friend.
But actually, for me as a guitarist, it is absolutely ridiculous what I can do with portability now. I mean, I take my guitar and computer with me, of course, any time I go on a trip. And it's so great to be able to lay down tracks on the road, through my choice of thousands of different rig combos and fantastic sound possibilities. Absolutely sick.

Originally Posted by kernel

actually on a serious tip, i've always used my system drive for ProTools stuff. does an external HD make that much difference? i'm about to start a big session(s) so i imagine it's time to take the external plunge.
kernel

Well, shifting your recording duties and your sampling material to an external will definitely increase the life of your internal drive. It will also increase speed/performance (which may or may not be a concern for you -- as I said, this is no longer an issue for me since I got the MacBookPro, but no sense in pushing the thing if you don't have to). And if your drive does die, you won't lose all your applications, etc. You can then use your internal to back up your recording files and sessions that you record to and run off of the external, if you like. Or get a $99 second external USB 2.0 drive, and use it as your overall backup. There are, obviously, various ways to handle all this.