Looking to buy a Mac to learn Final Cut Pro
 

I'll start off with saying that I'm not a fan of Mac, or Apple in general. I don't know why, but I don't. As such, I haven't a club about Macs. However, I'm looking to get into Media and Film, and Macs tend to be the standard. So I want to buy a Mac with enough power for video editting and I can learn Final Cut Pro on.

Looking for...
-Something cheap ($200-$500)
-Has Firewire

Any suggestions?

Do they even make Macs that cheap?

What about those Mac mini's?

Pretty sure the only thing you're going to get for that price is one of the 13" Macbooks or something used. And doing video editing on a 13" screen is not even an option.

If you're set on an Apple (even though there are plenty of other options out there) then you will need to up your price range for anything good/decent.

I would suggest staying with a PC (or better yet, some distribution of Linux because everything is free) that is cheap and working with that. Once you have the money for a Mac then buy it then. Transition between programs later.

Well I would love to just stick with PC. Personally I consider Macs pieces of shit, but everytime I look at what people are looking for in the field of media, they're asking for knowledge in Final Cut Pro. That's why I've been looking, but my research has come up with the cheapest price for my needs at $1300 (which isn't happening).

Still, thanks to everyone who made suggestions. :y:

Yeah, Final Cut Pro is pretty standard these days. You might try downloading or purchasing some tutorial books and save up. Unless you are a hands-on type learner, in which case I have no more suggestions.

Even if you get a Mac, Final Cut Pro itself is a pretty darn expensive program.

Well he's just going to steal it, like everyone else does. I thought that was implied? :roll:

Xero, how dare you accuse me of stealing software using uTorrent and a mixture of download sites. :shifty:

Actually, I always get a kick out of going to a computer show, and people trying to sell me computers by bragging about the software installed. I just want to tell one of them "If I ever bought a computer from you, the first thing I'm doing is reformatting and installing my own shit on there, just like 85% of the people here."

If you're serious about it, then go for a Mac Book Pro with plenty of extra memory. PC's are not the standard in the entertainment industry today in terms of editing software being used. Most of the major production companies use top of the line Macintosh computers. A good laptop Mac is going to cost between $2000-$2500, all extras and frills included. Get Leopard if you're feeling up for a challenge, although the old operating system is just as good and slightly less complicated.

Final Cut Pro 6 is the shit though. I've been making some music videos and shorts that have turned out really well, and it's fairly easy to use once you get a hang on it. All of the stuff is expensive, but it's completely worth it - if you're serious about using it.