What is the best iMac for a former PC movie/ music maker?

I'm researching Apple computers, and,my lord, I am out of touch. Actually, I was never really IN touch. Anyway, I am currently working on a short film, less than ten minutes, which will probably be eight or so hours of raw footage trimmed, cropped, flopped, color corrected, sped up, slowed down, etc.
I used Adobe Elements on my last project about six years ago, and am definitely using Adobe again. I also compose the soundtracks. I am planning on using an external hard drive to store my footage and music. So, I'd like to know what the best iMac is for my purposes, and also what iMac is acceptable (cost feasible).
What about ports for external hard drives and connections to the mini DV cam?
What about a connection to electric instruments (guitar, bass, microphone, etc)?
What about transferring video from my current external hard drive to a new one?
What about a disk drive for Burning CDs and DVDs?
I'm your vessel. Point me in the right direction.

Since you are just researching, I am going to make this as short and sweet as possible.
The 27 inch screen IMac is your only option. You need to have one with the fastest i7 CPU, fastest Graphics processor. Order one with the base 8 GBs of RAM and add additonal RAM through cheaper third party Mac RAM suppliers.
My preference is for the standard ATA 7200 rpm drives as the Fusion-type drives are not proven technology, yet.
If you want a really fast iMac and can afford it, consider an internal or external solid state drive (SSD) as these drives ard very,very fast.
For external drives fast drives are ones that use USB 3, Thunderbolt and/or FireWire 800 connections.
Stay away from external USB 2.0 external hard drives. They aren't fast enough.
You need an adapter adapter for your mini DV camera.
You are going to need some make of separate high speed audio interface box for instruments and vocals.
Look at interface boxes from M-Audio.
And you'll need to budget for a third party, good quality, high speed external FireWire 400/800 CD/DVD optical drive.
Plus, very seriously consider the purchase of extended 3-year AppleCare Warranty plan.
Something will go wrong with an iMac between 1-5 years.
Three years of warranty protection offers free repairs and replacement of you have hardware failures.
Good Hunting!

Similar Messages

  • What is the best app for learning to sight read music?

    What is the best app to use for sight reading music?

    Have you looked in the Mac App Store yet? As with all apps there is no "best" there is what comes closest to fulfilling your needs.

  • What is the best solution for me to run Microsoft Access on my brand new iMAC?  Assume I'm a casual user.

    What is the best solution for me to run Microsoft Access on my brand new iMAC?  Assume I'm a casual user.
    I am lead to believe by some real smart guys on the Apple site that If I have the Apple Store partition my iMAC and add the full suite of Office products on that partition, I can run the few Access programs I have and need to run.
    Comments encouraged.  Thank you in advance for your consideration and help.

    You would have to install Windows, then install Microsoft Office Professional for Windows on it  To install Windows you will have to choose between Boot Camp (faster, free) and a Virtual Machine (simpler, slower, easier to backup)
    You should try LibreOffice (free), it can open Access files, it may not have all Access's feature set though, worth a try.
    www.libreoffice.org

  • What is the best method for transferring iTunes library from PC to iMac?

    I have a new iMac.  I have authorized it with my iTunes account.  My current iTunes library is on a Windows Vista PC, not on the same network.  What is the best method for me to use to transfer the iTunes library from the PC to the iMac?
    iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

    Did I just answer this in another post for you?
    iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
    Quick answer if you let iTunes manage your music:  Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive.  Start iTunes with the option (shift on Windows) key held down and guide it to the new location of the library.
    Macworld - How to transfer iTunes libraries between PC and Mac - http://www.macworld.com/article/46248/2005/08/shiftitunes.html
    Move an iTunes library from a Windows PC to a Mac - http://www.macworld.com/article/1146958/move_itunes_windows_mac.html
    iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Media folder - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364

  • What is the Best practice for ceramic industry?

    Dear All;
    i would like to ask two questions:
    1- which manufacturing category (process or discrete) fit ceramic industry?
    2- what is the Best practice for ceramic industry?
    please note from the below link
    [https://websmp103.sap-ag.de/~form/sapnet?_FRAME=CONTAINER&_OBJECT=011000358700000409682008E ]
    i recognized that ceramic industry is under category called building material which in turn under mill product and mining
    but there is no best practices for building material or even mill product and only fabricated meta and mining best practices is available.
    thanks in advance

    Hi,
    I understand that you refer to production of ceramic tiles. The solution for PP was process, with these setps: raw materials preparation (glazes and frits), dry pressing (I don't know extrusion process), glazing, firing (single fire), sorting and packing. In Spain, usually are All-in-one solutions (R/3 o ECC solutions). Perhaps the production of decors have fast firing and additional processes.
    In my opinion, the curiosity is in batch determination in SD, that you must determine in sales order because builders want that the order will be homogeneus in tone and caliber, and he/she can split the order in diferents deliveries. You must think that batch is tone (diferents colours in firing and so on) and in caliber.
    I hope this helps you
    Regards,
    Eduardo

  • What is the best antivirus for MacBook Pro?

    What is the best antivirus for MacBook Pro?

    1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
    If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only sections 5, 6, and 10.
    OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.
    2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
    The following caveats apply to XProtect:
    It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
    It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
    3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
    Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
    It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
    A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
    An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
    For the reasons given above, App Store products, and other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. OS X security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
    4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is presumably effective against known attacks, but maybe not against unknown attacks. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
    5. XProtect, Gatekeeper, and MRT reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
    That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source, or that does something inherently untrustworthy. How do you know what is trustworthy?
    Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
    A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
    Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
    Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
    Software that purports to help you do something that's illegal or that infringes copyright, such as saving streamed audio or video for reuse without permission, is unsafe. All YouTube "downloaders" are in this category, though not all are necessarily harmful.
    Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe.
    Even signed applications, no matter what the source, should not be trusted if they do something unexpected, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
    6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
    Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
    Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it — not JavaScript — in your browsers.
    Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
    Follow the above guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself from malware.
    7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. Any database of known threats is always going to be out of date. Most of the danger is from unknown threats. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free anti-virus products in the Mac App Store — nothing else.
    Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
    Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
    In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
    By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
    8. An anti-malware product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
    An anti-virus app is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
    A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
    ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
    Anti-virus software may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use the software unless a network administrator requires you to do it.
    The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
    9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
    10. As a Mac user you don't have to live in fear that your computer is going to be infected every time you install an application, read email, or visit a web page. But neither should you have the false idea that you will always be safe, no matter what you do. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.

  • What is the best technique for resetting a view?

    I was wondering what is the best technique for resetting the initial state of a view?
    I am creating a form and want to provide a reset button for the user.  I could write an initialize() method that my action handler calls, but I am wondering if the framework already provides this functionality in a more elegant way.
    If I write an initialize method, then I have to manually populate my fields with my context mappings in my initialize() code to mimic what happens automatically by the framework the first time the view is called.  This seems prone to error since this is duplicating the mapping logic.
    Michael

    Hi,
    Even though it boils down to the same logic, for consistency sake it is good to have the initialization logic coded in the inbound plug method and then to call the outbound plug on reset.This make more sense when you have multiple navigation possible to the same view through multiple inbound plugs.
    Else, have an initialization method.
    PS: check whether the reset() method of IWDContext make sense. This is helpful when you have remove dynamically added nodes and attributes.
    Thanks and Regards,
    Sam Mathew

  • What is the best replacement for iDVD

    I just bought a new iMac and found out that iDVD has vanished. What's the best approch for making slide shows from iPhoto and burning to a  DVD?

    Sorry, but I haven't found a way to burn a movie directly from iMovie since iMovie HD (6) (note: burn project to disk):
    Whereas, there are no options to burn in the current iMovie version:
    You can share it to online sites and you can export it, but you can't burn it.

  • What is the best replacement for iWeb?

    I have been using iWeb for a very long time. I need to move on to something that is being updated. What is the best replacement for iWeb? I see Wordpress needs special software to work on a Mac.
    Thanks!
    Pat

    I have used HostExcellence in the past and they support all the CMS's including WordPress, so you should have no problems there.
    The top CMS's that most have heard about and use are Drupal, Joomla and WordPress.
    There is probably no best one, but you need to look at them all and use the one that best fits your needs.
    I have used all of them in the past, but most recently Joomla and Drupal.  Drupal has a reputation for being quite hard and Drupal 6 was, but with the advent of Drupal 7, things got a lot easier.  There are a lot more themes that you can use and if you want increased functionality in Drupal, then you can download Modules and install them.  You can have a membership site if you want it and this is easy to do - people can sign up for an account and you can restrict their access to certain parts of the site and then limit what they can do.  You can allow people to complete forms on the site itself and the results to be sent to you.  There is a Blog module that you can enable and that comes in Drupal Core with no need to download an extra module.
    Joomla is good also and you can have a Blog with it too and there are lots of themes to choose from, but sometimes you have to pay for extras with Joomla - you can download Extensions and Plugins, but they may not always be free.
    WordPress was always just thought of as a blogging platform, but it has evolved in to much more than that and you can now create stunning looking websites with blogs - there are a good range of free templates to choose from and if you want your blog on the front page of your site you can have this, or you can change it to another part of your site if you want a static front page.  To extend functionality you can download plugins from inside WordPress itself, most of which are free.  This might be the easiest one for you to use if you just want a website with a built in blog that is relatively easy.
    Check out the others though at Drupal.org, Joomla.org and then WordPress.org.

  • What's the best iMac cleaning software

    What's the best iMac cleaner for optimizing disk performance

    ksdjaba,
    Here are a couple of topics to help you answer that question.
    The Safe Mac » Mac Performance Guide
    The Safe Mac » The myth of the dirty Mac

  • What's the best Mac for running Final Cut Pro X?

    Title says it all. What's the best Mac for running Final Cut Pro X? I'm not looking to make a feature length hollywood film. But I'd like to be able to edit video without lag.

    Yes. Begin with the fastest processor / graphics card / and as much RAM as you can afford. (As all three will become obsolete over time.)
    I started from scratch. I have a 27-inch iMac with a 3.4 G Intel Core i7. (currently the fastest processor for an iMac) I also ordered the best graphics card--AMD Ratheon HD. I ordered 16G of RAM, but recently added more RAM to equal 24G. (OWC makes good after-market RAM for iMACs.)
    Last, I ordered a flash drive / SATA hard drive combo.  (250G on flash / ITB on SATA). The OS and all of my applications run off the flash drive. (for fast start up!)
    I put all of my media and FCP projects onto the SATA hard drive.
    Now, I had the option to order a 2TB SATA. But, I realized I can always buy more external storage as I edit more and more projects. ALSO! FCPX is GREAT when it comes to editing projects on external drives! I can segregate an entire project and its media files onto a removeable drive. I simply launch FCPX, plug in the drive and--poof!--I'm ready to edit. It sees the project and the media right away. When I'm done editing, I can then send this drive to another editor (also using FCPX) or attach it to my MacBook if I want to edit the same project in the field.
    This has worked for me. I wish you luck.

  • What is the best encoder for a quicktime movie into iDVD...?

    i seem to be having some issues with picture quality once the DVD is actually made... i do have my preferences set at professional quality, but i think my problem may be with the original source file... what's the best format for that...? H264...? mpeg4...? pro res...?
    thanks

    Since you are just researching, I am going to make this as short and sweet as possible.
    The 27 inch screen IMac is your only option. You need to have one with the fastest i7 CPU, fastest Graphics processor. Order one with the base 8 GBs of RAM and add additonal RAM through cheaper third party Mac RAM suppliers.
    My preference is for the standard ATA 7200 rpm drives as the Fusion-type drives are not proven technology, yet.
    If you want a really fast iMac and can afford it, consider an internal or external solid state drive (SSD) as these drives ard very,very fast.
    For external drives fast drives are ones that use USB 3, Thunderbolt and/or FireWire 800 connections.
    Stay away from external USB 2.0 external hard drives. They aren't fast enough.
    You need an adapter adapter for your mini DV camera.
    You are going to need some make of separate high speed audio interface box for instruments and vocals.
    Look at interface boxes from M-Audio.
    And you'll need to budget for a third party, good quality, high speed external FireWire 400/800 CD/DVD optical drive.
    Plus, very seriously consider the purchase of extended 3-year AppleCare Warranty plan.
    Something will go wrong with an iMac between 1-5 years.
    Three years of warranty protection offers free repairs and replacement of you have hardware failures.
    Good Hunting!

  • What is the best way for my wife to sync her Outlook contacts to her new iPad Air?

    What is the best way for my wife to sync her Outlook contacts to her new iPad Air?  I don't know very much about Microsoft (almost nothing).  Does she need to plug into one of the USB ports on her Microsoft computer (about 5 years old)?  I also have an iMac (that I use for syncing but she needs her contacts from Outlook.  She doesn't really want all of them...there are 1,000's of teachers that work in her district and she does no tent to add 1,000's of contacts.

    If she only has a few she can e-mail those contacts to herself, open that mail on her iPad and save them from there.

  • What is the best Monitor for Video editing & Graphic Design?

    Hi every one,
    I would like to find out what is the best monitor for video editing and graphic design that you recomend, I am trying to buy one but not sure which one is good and not expansive.
    Thanks very much

    I don't want 2 monitors, so a single 27inch model just what I need... plenty of room for PPro, or I can have a Word document and a Text file open and side by side
    John,
    That is personal taste and there is no discussing taste. However, from my perspective, and that is personal, I prefer 3840 x 1080 resolution with dual monitors over 1920 x 1080 with a single monitor, but that is because I very often have Firefox, Filezilla, Dreamweaver and some other applications open at the same time, switching between the Adobe forums, Gmail accounts, Notebook results from the PPBM5 data submissions, PPBM5 form submissions, MySQL access, phpadmin pages to update the database, the PPBM5 results pages and various DW .php pages for the maintenance of our database and switching back and forth between various versions of PR. I occasionally really run out of real estate with all these applications and could not consider a single monitor with only 1920 x 1080 resolution, even if it were a 105" screen. In the future I would even like to have a four monitor setup (with MPE hardware support) in a two by two configuration, so that I can freely move my application screens around.
    If that happens, notice I say if and not when, my preference for a monitor would be something like 4 Samsung F2380 monitors. Small bezel, great display and panel, affordable.

  • What is the best iMac setup without spending a fortune?

    Okay so I am looking to purchase a new iMac. I do a little video editing and a decent amount of photo editing and music editing. I will probably do some gaming also, but I know most of the hardware upgrades don't really affect the gaming ability. So here is my question. I want to get a 27" iMac, and I'm wondering what are the best upgrades for the money? I want the best performing system possible without spending too much money. Basically, what system setup (Ghz, RAM, drive type/size, i5 vs i7, etc) will give me the most noticeable difference in performance. I don't want to invest $200 more for i7, $200 more for bigger RAM, etc if there is only going to be a very minor performance improvment. I hope this all make sense, and ANYBODY's help is MUCH appreciated!!! Thanks guys!!!!

    I would say any of the 27" iMacs would be a great solution. If you tend to keep computers for 4-5 years then it's wise to invest in the most power iMac today. In 4 years you will have a 18, 16, 15 and a 11 year old and you can be sure their interests will change. In that case I'd probably opt for the i7 CTO iMac with a 2TB HD. Do not buy additional RAM from Apple, buy that from reputable vendors such as OWC (www.macsales.com) or Crucial. Upgrading RAM is incredibly simple taking less than 10 minutes to do. I would upgrade the RAM to 12 or 16GB. I would stay with the base graphics card and consider getting the SSD option which will enhance speed.
    If your habits are to keep computer for 1-2 years and then recycle them then either of then I'd probably opt for the base 27" iMac with the same HD noted above and RAM recommendations.

Maybe you are looking for