Way OT: PC dilemma

PH125 wrote on 4/24/2005, 5:27 PM
I am majoring in TV/Film in college and I need to choose a laptop to take with me. This would be fine if I was going with a windows laptop, as there are plenty of them that have damn near the performance of a highly config'd desktop. However, my professors-to-be highly recommend a Mac running final cut.

This is a big problem since I am so used to PC's and Vegas, and I would otherwise never even think about switching. However, I'm afraid that if I don't I will have a tough time considering all of the department's computers are Macs, and I wouldn't be able to take my work with me if I didn't have one as well (I tend to be a slow/perfectionist editor, so finishing my edit in the lab is out of the question).

So what should I do? I would really like to stick w/ Windows if at all possible, because the thought of paying almost twice as much for a similarly configured Mac disgusts me. But on the other hand I'm afraid I'll be at a disadvantage without owning FCP.

Comments

TheHappyFriar wrote on 4/24/2005, 5:59 PM
You could use your laptop in the lab, right? When I was in college the professor didn't care if you got work done in your room or in the lab as long as you used what they specify (in my case, Lightwave, Photoshop , Dreamweaver & Maya). If you are susposed to use FCP then maybe you're stuck with a mac. But... since you use & are familiar with Vegas, at the very least you could get a mac & an el-cheap Windows laptop (with a 600-800mhz cpu) & used Vegas on that.

But, if they don't specify, I'd say get the Win-top to use with Vegas. My professor was amazed what I could do with Fractal (at the time) Painter 5 & he never heard of it. :) I used it for some things but made finished products with the lab's Photoshop comp's (you could, for example, do most the work in Vegas, render to AVI or MOV, then use FCP to add a finishing touch or to, to make your teacher happy!)
Kula Gabe wrote on 4/24/2005, 7:34 PM
It really depends on the type of projects you will be doing. I am just fisishing my second semester of classes at my schools media dept. They too recommend FCP. I made it all they way to the most recent project (a tv commercial) w/ out needing to use FCP, but now I have to use it to collaborate w/ classmates who use it. None of my classmates use Vegas, but they are impressed w/ what it/ I can do. I don't dislike FCP, it just takes me longer to get the results I want. If you will have to collaborate, maybe consider FCP, otherwise, educate you instructors and classmates on the power of Vegas.

Aloha,

Gabe
vicmilt wrote on 4/24/2005, 7:43 PM
Ask your professor what he/she thinks - then do it.
James Green wrote on 4/25/2005, 6:46 PM
to expound on what Vic said:
Find out what is more important to your professor, knowing the software or turning in a quality product. If it's knowing the software, than you're stuck with FCP...if the course is more results oriented, you ight be able to persuede your professor to let you use Vegas.
I had sort of a similar dilemma but decided to just use Vegas. I figured content was king and until instructed to do otherwise, I would used my machine. I planned on playing stupid and saying, "well, I thought (insert appropriate excuse here)." Use this tactic at your own risk as mileage will vary....

Good luck,
James Green