Final Cut Pro 4

W

wildchild

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Hello all I am thinking about getting a new version of Final Cut Pro which you all know is $$$ what does everyone think, I am using a 2/3 year old Mac G4 500mhz machine with 256mb ram. I dont have the $$ to buy a newer Mac but would like to start learning and playing with Final Cut Pro. Will my Mac handle the latest version or should I just wait until I get a more powerful Mac ?

Thanks

Dan
 
All you're missing is the memory requirments - You should add at least 512 MB, and at least 10.2.5 for OS X, at least QuickTime 6.1 (assume you have a DVD drive)
If you have OS X 10.2, then software is there just for downloading, Memory is cheap, you should be able to add 1 GB for less than $150 (good upgrade, even without FCP)
The biggest hurdle for me would be the $999 for FCP!!!
 
Yeah all very good points, you are correct ! the cost of a new copy of FCP is almost as much as a new G4 lets say which sells for something like $1,200 I think. I guess my point is I cant afford a new Mac and a new copy of FCP so I might just stick with my old G4 which by the way seems to still hold its own :) and just save up for a new copy of FCP sure would be nice to have a new Mac and be able to get FCP but we have a new baby so you know how that goes.
 
Rendering might be an issue with that CPU speed. I know some of my projects took all night to render, and that was a inconvenience to say the least.
 
Final Cut Express is only $299, and it includes many of the features of Pro, so you could save $700 right there. Or, if you're a student or a teacher, you could get FCP for the same price with an educational discount. So you don't necessarily have to pay the full price for FCP, especially if you're just experimenting. A $300 hit would be easier to swallow if you decide that professional video editing is not for you.
 
Rendering will be an issue. I switched from a G4 450 to a DP I ghz for this very reason. However you can set your FCP render quality low (draft) when you are editing to speed things along ( a little bit) and give you a rough idea of how your edits are going and then set it back to full when you are ready to wrap it all up (and can get away from your computer for a while). All in all, since your main purpose is to learn FCP, I think you could do it. You might just go with FCP Express, but does Apple let people upgrade from FCP Express to FCP? I don't think so - too bad.

arden, you sound like you know your stuff - doesn't his 500 mhz machine meet the bare minimum for real time rendering in FCP?

Also, here is a useful site on FCP: http://www.2-pop.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?Cat=

You might also want to pick up a book - browse around at Borders or something.
 
Check the FCP specs. According to that, he needs at least a 500 Mhz G4, which means that it'll be slow as hell, of course. But an eMac would do the trick for not a lot more than the $700 he'd save with FCE.

By the way, it's FCE, not FCP Express. It's Final Cut Express, not Final Cut Pro Express.
 
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