Lookinh for a really top notch, multiscreen very fast computer. Who do I contact?

No, cuz SCSI is too much $$$/performance.
A quality RAID5 setup will do just fine. Although most your apps are IO bound, SCSI is just toooo $$$$

But OMG -- if you could drop the coin for a SCSI setup....

Disgress -- go for a raid 5 setup with sata. It's more available and cheaper. Not to mention if you go for a raid card -- the advantages of scsi IMO are eliminated (low cpu usage).

Besides -- with dual quad core -- cpu usage isn't a big deal.

What kind of apps are you using btw? A mac might not be for you. Although you *could* use parallels / boot camp for using Windows/Linux you might be better off (cash wise) building your own.

I can guide you step by step if you want -- what apps are you using?

However I strongly reccomend the Apple 30" displays. I have 2 which I got through refurb -- sweet price.
You can get a 23" for 749$ (msrp is 1999$ 63% off)

 

I always wanted one of those computers but way to much $

 

No matter what you do, you're going to have to wait.
If you order parts -- you gotta wait a few weeks for shipping.
If you order pre-built -- you gotta wait a few weeks for shipping.

However -- ordering parts gives you the satisfaction of knowing you have high quality components and you saved a few hundred to a thousand bucks.

Let me know what apps you are using and I'll start speccing out a system for you on newegg.com

 

That's cuz Alienware and Voodoo's and FalconNW's are overpriced.
The only thing they have going for them are the fancy paint jobs on the cases. Eck. I keep my box inside a cabinent anyways.

 

From what you're saying, you dont even have to spend more than 2000$.
You could just spend enough to buy an iMac if you want a desktop, or a Macbook Pro if you want a laptop and that'd be PLENTY of power for whatever you want to do.

I vid edit on my brothers MBP. It's a Core 2 Duo (dual core processor) 2.33ghz (fast ass processor) machine with 2gb (a lot) ram. It's got a 200gb (it's okay size, I would prefer larger, but I have another desktop with 2tb of space) harddrive.

You could get a MBP for 1999$ and if you want -- pick it up at the Apple store tomorrow if there is one near your house.

Otherwise -- give me the go-ahead and I can spec out a machine at newegg.com for you and we can build it together (ie: i can guide you through the build process).

Oh: When you owned your Mac, was there anything that you wanted it to do that it didn't do? Anything you missed from the Windows world? All new Macs will come with iLife which includes a photo cataloging program (iPhoto), a vid editing program (iMovie) and a bunch of other cool stuff. It might be your best choice.

 

Desktop? Sweet, that'll be cheaper then.

If you get a Mac Pro, that'll let you get 2 20/23/30 inch screens easily.
If you get an iMac, you can get a 24" iMac and then another 23 or 30" screen easily as well.

http://store.apple.com/AppleStore/WebObjects/EducationIndividualCustom.woa/61154005/wo/ywwO5hplePI53Ac7HnJ12qZFm2o/3.?p=0

Buy that, it'll be at your house in a week (or you might be able to pick it up at the Apple Store if there is one near your house).

24" screen, big as hell. 2.16ghz Core 2 Duo, extremely fast processor. 2gb ram, enough ram. 500gb harddrive, enough for a bunch of videos and photos.
Oh, and if you know a college student, you can get a free printer and a free ipod.

 

IMO, this would do you well:

This computer:

http://www.macmall.com/macmall/shop/detail.asp?dpno=7098933&Redir=1&description=Apple-Mac%20Pro%204-Core%20Workstation%20-%202%20Dual-Core%202GHz%20Intel%20Xeon%20Processors,%201GB%20RAM,%20250GB%20HD,%207300GT%20&%20SD-Mac%20Pro

With 2 of these (totally ridicilous, 2 20"s would work too)

http://www.macmall.com/macmall/families/new_promo~dp~459837~family~Display~promo~538.asp

And add in this:

http://www.macmall.com/macmall/shop/detail.asp?dpno=7201527&Redir=1&description=Mushkin-2GB%20667MHz%20(2x1GB)%20PC2-5300%20DDR2%20Fully%20Buffered%20ECC%20DIMM%20Memory%20Modules%20Kit%20-%20Apple%20Mac%20Pro%20Compatible-Perfect%20Match-DIMM%20Memory

and a couple of these:

http://www.macmall.com/macmall/shop/detail.asp?dpno=7047958&Redir=1&description=Seagate-500GB%20Barracuda%207200.10%20SATA%20Internal%20Hard%20Drive-Internal%20Hard%20Drives

And you're golden. Apples come with iMovie (iLife), that you can use to edit your movies.


You don't need SCSI drives these days. SATA drives (the 10K drives) works just as good, are a lot cheaper, and a LOT easier to maintain. We always used SCSI in recording studios, but my last G5 had SATA drives in it and I loved them. If you find the 7200 drives aren't fast enough, then you can pick up a couple 10K drives for the internal, and use some kinda multi-drive box to keep your data on. Those E-SATA connections are f'n fast.

Once you get used to working on a mac, you'll never wanna use a PC again

 

Let me know if you order from Macmall, I've got a hook up there, works out to about 10% off or so + no tax. Works out well.

 

I can't speak about Voodoo due to lack of experience with them, but AW is a very bad buy. Bad support and fairly low quality for a high price. Falcon NW includes top notch support with their top notch price...sometimes the support is more valuable than the product.

 

Apple software is very good for editing video; you also have the very handy option of having a dual boot setup for OSX and Windows XP so you won't be left out in the cold in terms of software functionality. You also have the option of running Windows XP within OSX via Parallels.

Other than the price and the spotty support, Apple products make a fine choice for fiddling with video.

 

lol, well there are SCSI drives which are fast but expensive. We are running a SAN at work with dual Quad cores and ten hot swappable SCSI drives and redundant everything, the thing cost us $40k, granted though that's mostly for the software side.

What they are saying is that you can go SATA hard drives which are quite a bit less expensive than SCSI, and you can get them in 10k rpm (the speed they spin). The Western Digital Raptor SATA hard drives are popular and come in 10k.

Macs have come a long way, if you do go that route I'd get one that can also dual boot to Windows. That way you'd have the best of both worlds. Because PCs have WAY more market share than Mac you will see advantages to going the PC route. But go with what you think will be best for you.

 

I had a F-NW and a Voodoo when I was younger. It was cool but I felt very retarded once I got older. Usually support is only needed when google is down

One thing I hate about laptops though (kinda OT) is that parts are a lot harder to replace at home if something fails.

 

I look forward to it

 

Yeah you don't.
When I first read this thread -- it seemed like you had an unlimited budget
You could get everything done that you want with a computer under a grand. Only problem is -- that's the price point at which Mac's start at.

 

LCD's dont have refresh rates.
There is ghosting issues, but in this day of age, it's a non-issue.
CRT's are big, ugly but cheap. I have a NEC 1250+ 22 (or 24") CRT, I wish I had spent the 700$ at the time and gotten a 17" LCD. It takes up too much space.

As for being sharp for color -- are you doing professional work?

 

LCD's have a refresh, but stated in terms of pixel response times in milliseconds versus the number of times per second an entire screen can be refreshed in a CRT.

LCD's suck the arse for doing color work, since they can only pinch out 16.2 million colors versus 16.7 for a CRT.

 

Argh, yeah you're right, I can't believe I forgot the refresh part. 8ms is my attention span

I believe the Apple Cinema Displays do 16.7 million colors.

 

Yes they do. Apple Cinema displays are the best monitors your money can buy, period. They're also expensive.

 

Anything over $1,000 (excluding monitors) is going to be a waste for what you want to do.

 

Don't wanna get into a debate, but I would like to point out there is a difference between "doing it" and doing it without problems/frustrations/issues/etc.