After trying OSx86 I've realized I want to own a true (legit) mac, I want a laptop and I will use it for word processing, and audio/video projects (logic 8 and final cut express most likely). So where I need help is in choosing a macbook pro configuration. (Anyone know when leopard is going to come standard on these? I want to wait for that before I make my purchase.)

For final cut is the video card in the base model good enough (NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 128MB SDRAM) or would the 256MB SDRAM version make a much more noticable difference?

Do I want the glossy finish to the monitor or not? Does this matter when trying to color correct a film?

Finally, are there any functions that are locked out in final cut express? or is it just other applications included with final cut studio?


Thanks very much for your time!

Take 256.



If you are doing a lot of video/photo editing than yes, you want glossy.

Get the high end 15" MacBook Pro with Leopard pre-installed (Leopard might be released on October 26; rumor: http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=65422). Check Glossy and Matte MacBook Pros in the Apple Store and decide which display you like better.

The 256 MB will probably make quite a bit of difference. As for the screen finish, glossy can cause glare, and they aren't good if you'll be doing a lot of color correction. They do make colors look a lot more saturated and I think everything looks a lot crisper too.


You have that backwards

You might want to wait for Leopard to come out before you buy because 1.) You won't have to pay the $130 to upgrade and 2.) I keep hearing that Apple might be updating the MBP and the MB.

To look like the aluminum iMac (black border around the display on the MacBook and MacBook Pro, MacBooks will probably be aluminum, LED display for the 13" MacBook and 17" MacBook Pro).

Ok. So the 256 video and Matte screen. Thanks for all your help. Now I just have to play the waiting game until apple updates the MBP to come pre-installed with leopard. Think this is going to be around the same time as the updates to the machine (black border and all)? It's times like this I really wish I had patience.

i got the new 15" 256mb one. haven't used finalcut but have been using cs3 for a lot of photoediting. oh and my screen is matte. while i'd say the glossy looks porntasticly awesome, it can be a bi+ch to work with, depending on the light situation in the room around you. with the matte screen i can have a light behind me and get not so much as a reflection. it's like there's nothing behind me. with the glossy, at times, you can use it as a mirror. it really depends on the angle and the general environment. i think with the glossy one might be easier to clean though, but i don't know that.
on the update. isn't it that there was a statement of some sort or other that you could update for free if you bought your kit inside a certain period prior to the release of the coming update? like if you bought a new mbp with iworks 07 a week before iworks 08 was released, you'd still get 08 or could get it for free? might be true with leper, eh, leopard, too.