Best power performance AND everydayusable apple setup

Question

Hello, didnt really know hwere to post this guess it more belong under like "computers" generally, 
but! For a while... 
    (-THE LONGER VERSION) :
No whait!, let me start where it all began, 2009, a december (erhh.. iii think? Hwatever!) litlle me hwere nearly Totally blank to the computer world. And suddenly it stood there on the table, a shining (it was shining back there) new "hp pavillion entertainment pc" with its smell of fresh plastic mixed hwith the strong smell from the cardboardbox, remember it as if it were yesterday
... Since then.... I have today a good solid pc knowing! (at more advance level cmd,bott menu, recovery, blah, blah... NERD!) here at the last awhile, ive prommised to make a lot! A lot of video projects!
(okay 2, but some big ones!) avchd multilayer 2 hours!!!! 
So the poor hp laptop -dual core i2 4gb ram, has been begged to it knees! And simply cant handle it of course! and it have just trough time benn loaded with lots of crap, and is extremly noisy, heat, slow, anoying = unusable!
SO hwat i need is...
    (-THE SHORTER) :
A computer setup that will EASILY! could handle stuff like that  (avchd, multilayer, 2 hours project) -and simmilar. A total power machine! But Im tired of windows! And ugly cheap looking design! The times have changed and i change with them!
NOW I WANT APPLE!! 
But but but... Hwat should i get????
1. Im NOT a billionare!
2. I repeat: NOT a billionare!
3. I also need portability for every day use beyond the hardcore creative editing and use
AT LAST:
 i saw in front of me this genius plan... With a macbook pro, a tuned one, with as much of ram,cpu,gpu, and everything else as it can posibble have
-the perfect combination of transportabillity, everydayuse and total power!
When it gets combine with,
A cinemadisplay
A extra keyboard
And a extra magic mouse
And this power macbook pro, with screen, mouse, and keyboard i've found a really good offer at.
MY ACTUAL QUESTION.... :
Now it is yours turn to please! be creative! Please! Hwat does all you genius heads! think and say?
WILL A super tuned MACBBOK PRO COMBINED WITH ACCESSORIES, AT ALL, BE ABLE TO REPLACE A STRONG MAC PRO, OR AT LEAST BE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR REALLY HEAVY STUFF? And if yes, HOW strong actually (ram,cpu,gpu...) will it need to have to be "more than enough"?
If no, what would all of  you then suggest that is perfect in relation to everything?

Answer 1

Unless you know for sure that you are not going to use temporal effects or render to a codec that works with MP rendering turned on (Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously) then turn it off. It's better than it was in previous versions but still can cause tremendous delays and even system hangups if you throw in an incompatible effect or render to an incompatible codec.
Set your ram used by other applications to an even number in the top field -- always, and if you do decide to use MP rendering I have a question about your choice for ram allocation there. How many processors are "Actually Used?" I'm getting zero for Other Applications and Zero for AE. You need to change things here. If you cannot allocate an even number of CPU's to AE then don't bother. If you are going to use MP rendering - run a bunch of tests when you have processors assigned to the process and you are leaving at least 2 to other apps and the minimum RAM assigned in MP is an even number. Otherwise, throw 2 or 4 GB of your available ram to other apps at the top and turn off MP.
The location of your disk cache can be anywhere you like. I always pick a big fast drive with lots of space that is not the same as my system drive or the source footage drive unless I have no other options.
Did you read this? Optimizing After Effects Performance