questions before I buy my 1st mac

[BodaciousBBQ]

Before I buy my 1st mac, I need to get some answers. If I DL songs from the itunes store, can I convert them to mp3 so I can play them anywhere? Or must they be played on your mac / ipod?

Also, if I buy an ibook ( no superdrive ) can I use iDVD with an external burner? I'm guessing yes.

I know I should buy a powerbook but I can't afford it... that said, if I'm just a "home movie" editor, will an iBook with max ram handle imovie w/o too many problems?

Thanks... TOTAL NEWBIE HERE... Chuck

 

[4409723]

Re: questions before I buy my 1st mac

Originally posted by BodaciousBBQ
Before I buy my 1st mac, I need to get some answers. If I DL songs from the itunes store, can I convert them to mp3 so I can play them anywhere? Or must they be played on your mac / ipod?

Also, if I buy an ibook ( no superdrive ) can I use iDVD with an external burner? I'm guessing yes.

I know I should buy a powerbook but I can't afford it... that said, if I'm just a "home movie" editor, will an iBook with max ram handle imovie w/o too many problems?

Thanks... TOTAL NEWBIE HERE... Chuck

I'll answer your first question, the AAC files that you download from the ITMS have some protection to stop them being pirated over the internet. However, Apple has allowed you ulimited burns of the Music to cd (As long as you change the playlist every 10 burns). You can then re-encode the songs. Some people say there is a huge loss of quality, while others say that they can't tell the difference. Do it once and see what you think.

 

[arn]

Re: questions before I buy my 1st mac

Also, if I buy an ibook ( no superdrive ) can I use iDVD with an external burner? I'm guessing yes.

I know I should buy a powerbook but I can't afford it... that said, if I'm just a "home movie" editor, will an iBook with max ram handle imovie w/o too many problems?

No, unfortunately, iDVD does not work with external "Superdrives".

The 12" PowerBook might be a better choice with a Superdrive if that's your goal. The added processor power would help as well as the ability to use a superdrive... but is going to cost more.

There are minor rumors that they (powerbooks) may get updated this week. So, wait a couple of days to see.

arn

 

[hvfsl]

If you burn iTMS music to CD and then turn into MP3, it sounds OK with pop music and most rock. But classic music and music that uses a big range of tones does not convert back to MP3 very well.

 

[iShater]

Re: questions before I buy my 1st mac

Originally posted by BodaciousBBQ

Also, if I buy an ibook ( no superdrive ) can I use iDVD with an external burner? I'm guessing yes.

I know I should buy a powerbook but I can't afford it... that said, if I'm just a "home movie" editor, will an iBook with max ram handle imovie w/o too many problems?

Thanks... TOTAL NEWBIE HERE... Chuck

Hey Chuck, welcome to the forums!

Because of licensing issues (as I understand) iDVD will not work with an external DVD burner, however, almost all Mac-compatible external burners come with software that will allow you to make your DVDs.

For home movie editing, the iBook does work with the max RAM quite nicely.

I have 640MB of RAM with my 800Mhz iBook, and I don't have problems with iMovie. However, render times are not super fast, so don't expect it to fly when you are adding special effects or transitions.

That being said, I did get Roxio's Toast Platinum which allows you to burn Video CDs, a temp alternative until I can either afford to add an external DVD burner, or get another machine with a superdrive (probably the first choice).

The beautiful part is that I can do some iMovie editing running on the batteries in my family room watching tv for a couple of hours with enough power left to surf the web from bed!