You will be using your computer to edit video. This is some of the hardest work you can ask a computer to perform. Video data files are very large, so moving them around strains the data bus. The chip memory or RAM must be large enough to hold all the data. The processor or CPU must be fast enough to perform all the calculations. The hard drive must be large enough to hold all the incoming and outgoing data. The display must be large enough, and clear enough, to accurately show the video and the editing software. The display driver chip or GPU must be fast enough to process and display the video.
The minimum processor speed is 2.0 GHz (GigaHertz); faster is better.
The minimum Intel processor family is i5; i7 is better, i3 is inadequate.
The more processor cores, the better.
The minimum RAM is 4 GB; 8 GB is better, 2 GB is inadequate.
The internal hard drive should be at least 120 GB to hold applications and swap space.
You should have at least 500 GB of free hard drive space to hold your video files, on either an internal or external drive.
The larger your display, the better, and having a second monitor is very useful.
The display driver should have at least 256 MB of dedicated memory or VRAM; more is better.
The operating system you choose can make a difference in your overall costs.
If you choose the MacOS, you will be limited to buying software directly from Apple; they recently cut off software sales through the Computer Connection at the bookstore.
You will be able to perform basic video editing on the bundled iMovie software.
For more advanced video editing, you may choose to buy Final Cut from Apple.
You may also choose to edit your advanced projects on the lab iMacs.
If you choose the Windows OS, you have a wider selection of vendors for hardware and software.
You will be able to perform basic video editing on free or bundled Windows software.
For more advanced video editing, you may choose to buy additional or upgraded software.
You may also choose to edit your advanced projects on the lab iMacs.
The Computer Connection has a number of laptops that meet the minimum requirements:
The cheapest MacBook will not work.
Any of the MacBook Pro laptops will work; prices are $1,099, $1,399, and $1,699.
The cheapest Windows laptop, the Dell Vostro, will not work.
The other Windows laptops will work; prices range from $1,189 to $2,199.
There are several financing options for students, but you need to be aware that they may affect your other financial aid. You need to talk with financial aid and get all the information before making a decision.
There are, of course, other vendors for computers. Take the specs above and do your research.
Once you've narrowed down your options, I'll be happy to look them over and advise you.
The classic production triangle is: time, money, quality; choose any two.
You can choose to spend more money and have the convenience of working on your own equipment and schedule.
You can choose to save money and sacrifice more of your time in order to use the lab equipment.
You may not choose to sacrifice the quality of your work to save both money and time.
