W3j vs MacBook Pro

Help me out please, guys... I'm about to spend 2k and I'm hesitating...

What do you think about W3j vs MBP (needed for video editing)??

***Underclocked GPU of MBP is the thing, that concerns me.

 

Which softwares will you be using? Are you currently on a MAC or PC platform?

 

Now - PC, desktop...
I'm MAC-virgin..
And seriously considering to switch.... final cut etc...
I can use any software (just borrow from work - I'm in media-bussiness) and I'm resourcefull =)

So what's the conclusion?

 

It depends on which OS you're going to use more, even if you're going to use boocamp on the mac, it'd be better to get the ASUS if you're going to be predominantly using windows, as all the bugs with bootcamp aren't sorted out yet.

You can also run Mac OSX on PCs, it's more complicated though than bootcamp.

 

As much as I like ASUS, you will probrably be better off with the MBP, sure, theres a learning curve, but if you look back at it, it'll be worth it.

 

the underclocked graphics card shouldn't really affect video editing too much as you want lots of ram and cpu power for video editing.

 

I'm also going to have to recommend the MacBook - Macs have much better video editing software than Windows machines as of currently, and like Radcom has said, video editing shouldn't require a high-end GPU - you need a high end CPU and lots of RAM.

 

Have to dissent. One, only Final Cut Pro is not available on PC and since Adobe has no Universal Binary version of Premiere yet, well. Also keep in mind when you buy software you generally get only a license for one platform. So say you get the MBP and run Premiere in Windows well guess what you have to pay again to run in OSX later.

GPU can be important but really depends on what you are doing, not really sure if current video editing software effects really use GPU. Though if you plan on running Maya or the like thats a different story.

You really need to think how you will use the computer. If you will really be sitting in windows most of the time then buy a Windows based laptop and save the money for other stuff. Why spend $$100s of dollars for an OS and Name that you are not really taking advantage of.

Though MAC does have a DVI where at W3J does not. W3J will run much cooler than MAC , but then again how much editing will you be doing on your lap?

Oh, one thing I did to help me decide on the laptop to choose what made a spreadsheet listing features of all the laptops I was thinking about, then figured out what I would need to equalize them out (features,etc..) and came to realization Apple was not way to go for what I do.

That may help, and good luck

 

The W3j won't run much cooler than the MBP - it will still get pretty hot because it has a X1600 too. In addition, the advantage to having the MBP is that you can still use Windows applications in video editing, as well as Mac software, all because of Boot Camp.

 

What are the chances of the W3J having a fully clocked X1600? Last time I checked, nobody knows. Apart from the fact of it having the GPU, nothing about its clockspeed was ever mentioned. Why do people always assume the best? I mean, it's a 14" laptop afterall.

 

wella actually, the w3J is underclocked, but not as heavily as the mbp. thekingdavids, first one to own one in the forum, confirmed it.

like gobzz, im quite torn too. w3j was my first choice, but when i found how it was going to retail at the same price level as the mbp, i started comparing, esp after i was offered a good deal on the mbp. now i think im in love w the screen but dont really like the heat. gd point on who would do editting on his lap anyway..

 

GPU power has very little to do with video editing -- which is essentially cpu/IO intensive. So how to decide? Simple.

What do you use more? XP or OSX?

If you have never used OSX, there's absolutely no point right now in getting an MBP. If you were to get an MBP I would wait a few generations for Apple to work out the kinks, there's no reason to jump on the "z0mg mah $2000 Mac can run WINDOZE!!ONE!*!(E!!" bandwagon this early in the game when XP support is still in beta. So if you have always dealt with XP, and only have a passing interest in trying/learning OSX, I suggest you get the Asus or any other Windows machines.

If you has had much experience with OSX and feel comfortable with it (arguably Final Cut Pro - now newly ported to Core Duo - is the best video-editing software avail on the PC platform), then the choice is obvious -- get the MBP cuz that's what you are used to.

cheers,

yass

 

THanks a lot, guys... Just compared the pics of W3J and MBP.. W3j really seems much more attractive. Not so... hmm... high-tech

Final question is...
If it occurs to me, can I install OSX (I can get one) to Asus (just for the sake of Final Cut)??
Without any losses in quality of videoprocessing?

[WinXp seems more comfortable for now due to typing work]

 

I dunno, I really don't find anything high-tech about the MBP, most of the "features" just seems gimmicky to me. I mean, magnetized plugs? Wow, that's pretty cool, let me think the last time I tripped over my laptop's powercord, causing a catastrophy... hmm, that was... NEVER. lol I'm sure somewhere, someone is gonna say that it saved them their machine, which I don't doubt, but the bottom line is that I don't particularly consider this to be a selling point, one way or the other.

Another thing -- I love the MBP's keyboard, they have the best feel to them imho. However, I don't particularly think they are well constructed -- wayyy too often do I see keys that are somewhat crooked or doesn't seem to be properly set. Again, don't let the slick exterior fool you. Having some mood lighting and magents for connectors doesn't mean it's particularly well machined or even high tech. Just more parts that can go wrong.

To answer your other question -- yes there are forums that talks about porting OSX to a Windows machine, and ppl have done it with limited success. It is by no meanings production level. It's even more "beta"(if even that) than XP on the MBP at this stage. If you go Asus, forget about Final Cut Pro for the time being.

Final Cut Pro is arguably the best, but that does not mean programs like Premier are slouches either. The thing is, if you have to ask... I don't think you need, or will tap into all the features that FCP has to offer in the near future anyway -- I'm not sure what level of videoprocessing you are looking at, but if right now you are still unsure which program to go with, I'd say that you would do well with EITHER one of them.

The bottom line is, if you want to primarily use OSX, get the MBP since that's your only choice right now(even then I think I'd wait for the NEXT generation if at all possible, for the machines to mature a bit in design). If you primarily uses XP and only has a passing interest in OSX -- get the Asus and use the xtra money to get a Mini or something, for you to play with. NOW you have the best of both worlds.

cheers,

yass

 

I was also in a similar position. I was very interested in the MSI 1039 and was going to wait for it to come out. However it kept getting delayed and I kinda needed a notebook sooner rather then later. I've used Macs at school and love all the graphics editing tools on the Mac. However, it's getting to the point where editing software is becoming much more universal and there are so many options for both the PC and Mac. It's pretty much personal preference if the two notebooks are priced closely. Like everyone else has said, it just depends what OS you are going to use the most. I bought MBP a few weeks ago and have loved it since I started using it. It just takes a bit of time to get used to if you are coming from Windows.

 

I know you can install OS X on a PC, but its much harder than just using bootcamp and I don't know if its even legal to do.

 

Although there is a version of OS X 10.4.4 Intel that you can install on Intel based PCs, it's 1) Not legal and 2) Pretty flakey.

Thing is, Apple doesn't have drivers for every piece of hardware known to man (and why should they? They don't plan on people running OSX on PCs, hence no need to build drivers for hardware that isn't in a Mac anyway).

I've installed OSX 10.4.4 Intel on an IBM Thinkcentre at work and although it booted and ran quite fast, somethings as the network didn't work, video display was a bit flakey (resolution didn't go high), no wireless support, etc. And like I said, you can't just go download drivers for OSX, it doesn't work that way.

So the bottom line is no, if you get a W3J, you're SOL when it comes to putting OSX on it.

 

what's SOL?

 

As long as you bought your copy of OSX, you can do whatever you want with it -- install it on a Dell, use it as a coaster, throw it around as a frisbie, or even fry it in a microwave.

Provided that you don't steal their code for your personal profit -- if ya gonna do that, Apple's gonna want a piece of that action. hehe

cheers,

yass

 

Actually, with the price difference between the two he could get the W3J + a Big Mac,
not a Mac Mini. They are almost the same price (with amazon mail-in or educational
discount on the apple).

In any case I am in the same decision boat, adding the ASUS A8Jm to the mix too,
which does have DVI and also has an NVidia 7600 (more linux friendly than x1600).

Another MBP 'gimmick" that is a pretty big deal for my working style is the backlit
keyboard. A big downside is the one mouse button (for X11).

Still, I cross platform 3D develop, so a triple boot machine is rather tempting (OSX,
Win32, linux).

The build of the W3J (based on playing with a W3V) _IS_ superior to the MBP,
although they are close (the MBP is itself just a high end ASUS).

The A8Jm sounds like it will be of a lower tier build quality (than the W3J and MBP),
but it will cost less too.

One major feature of the MBP over the other is the screen resolution 1440x900 vs
1280x768/1280x800.

Here is my take (models listed in order from best to worst per line):

Price - A8Jm, W3J, MBP
Build quality - W3J, MBP, A8Jm
Size - W3J, A8Jm, MBP
Keyboard - MBP, W3J, A8Jm
Mouse/Touchpad - W3J, A8Jm, MBP
Screen - MBP, W3J, A8Jm
GPU - A8Jm, W3J, MBP (7600go gets edge due to linux)
CPU - all reasonably quick core duos
video out (DVI vs svideo) - MBP/A8Jm, W3J
OS support - MBP, W3J/A8Jm

 

I dunno about the backlit thou, I never look at the keyboard as I type anyway. It's definitely neat to look at, but I doubt it's usefulness... The one-button touchpad is pretty close to a dealbreaker for me -- even Apple applications/OSX utilizes the right mouse button as shortcuts for many of their operations, why it wasn't included on the touchpad on their high-end laptop is baffling (and I hope that it will get remedied in the next iteration).

Apple utilizes 2 ODMs to make their laptops: Asustek and Quanta. Asustek makes the lower-end books, like the iBook, and Quanta makes their Powerbooks/MBPs.

cheers,

yass

 

i think the mbp screen is awesome. 300 nits compared to the common 200 nits everywhere. w3j has 200 nits too. otoh, w3j is holding its own against mbp partifularly in terms portability, modular bay, and build. must weigh that against mbp's osx + features (incl backlit keyb, boot camp), and screen.

.. *goes back to drwaing board*

 

The thing is, Apple doesn't sell their OS like Windows does, where anyone can just go out and buy it. They sell upgrades to their existing software only. So, unless you own a Mac, you're going to have to obtain a licesing code somewhere (that's probably illegal). So basically, if you don't have a Mac, you can't run OS X, legally.

This is also going somwhere where I don't want it to go, so I'm going to have to ask that we stop asking about how to/tips on installing OS X on a PC.

Correction: It has been brought to my attention that it IS illegal to load Mac OS X onto a PC reguardless of if you own a Mac or buy a copy/upgrade version.

 

Hmm, I don't know about whether you can run osx legally or not, but you certainly CAN buy OSX separately from Apple's own website...

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=MA453Z/A

Digging further... From Apple's OSX 10.4 license agreement:
http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/macosx104.html
"A. This License allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time."
It does go on and vaguely say that certain components of it is "open source", and as such, does allow the User to modify it. Nice way to cover both ends...

Then a little further down... this gem of a sentence, in all caps nonetheless, poped up:
"THE APPLE SOFTWARE IS NOT INTENDED FOR USE IN THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION OR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS, LIFE SUPPORT MACHINES OR OTHER EQUIPMENT IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF THE APPLE SOFTWARE COULD LEAD TO DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR SEVERE PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE."

LOL! Apple caused the Chernobyl disaster!!!!!!!! z0mg!

cheers,

yass

 

I do lots of coding (C++ mainly), for which I personally do not touch type...I do look at
the keyboard a lot. Typically, for writing code, text input rate is not the bottleneck
anyway. Design is. In any case, the backlit KB is a big feature to me.

I have been refining my fvwm (my preferred X11 window manager) setup to deal
with one mouse button, and have been working for the last week with an ever evolving
configuration. To be honest, I think I may overcome the mouse button limitation,
although I agree it is pretty silly for them to have not mimicked the mighty mouse on
the MBP.

I thought I read somewhere Quanta was dropped. I guess I was wrong, since I cannot
find such a reference now. Doesn't matter much I suppose, since Quanta can do
quality too.

 

Yea the contract Apple signed with Quanta/Asus are good at least till 2007.

cheers,

yass

 

Same disclaimer Sun has for Java. Can't say I blame either of them. That kind of software requires special treatment before it's used.

- Ed

 

I like the keyboard when surfing in bed at night...that type of thing. I'm a pretty good typer but if I take my hands off the keyboard or need to find some other keys (nums...etc) I do need to take a look.

I've never used a Mac w/ this type of keyboard...intriguing though.

IBM has a light on the T60 I believe - don't know how well it works, but it's not as sexy as the Macs.

 

I'm impressed with the info in here. I came into the thread expecting a lot of bias and asus-bashing, but I guess i was wrong . good stuff

 

I think the IBM has a little USB light if I'm not mistaken, to "light up" the keyboard.

 

First post so this may be a bit sloppy,

Since I am also comparing the two machines, the other issues im comparing is a)weight, they are similar but MBP tops W3J due to screen size.
b) W3J battery, with the draw bat pack is also a rather high selling point for me. c)of all the gimicky stuff mentioned, i find the slot load on a winxp NB very cool.

Now im going to asus section to see exactly how underclocked the w3j is.

 

It's not really underclocked. Any OEM or AIB have full control over how they clock the GPU. Not to mention the Mobility X1600 has dynamic clocking, changing voltage used and clockspeed on the go. The Asus W3J have an Mobility X1600 clocked at 450Mhz GPU and 450Mhz memory at its highest speed.