Hi Guys,

I just bought a G5, 1.6 GHZ, 256 RAM.

I've been editing a project with Apple iMovie 3 and I can't believe how slow it is!!
Five minutes into the project, the computer hesitates with each and every move I make!! Yes, I have lots of transitions,dissolves, etc...but this is rediculous!!! It's no better than my iBook 600 mhz which I've been using.

I havn't added any more RAM yet. (it still has the original 256 from the factory)
I planned on adding another 512...

I also plan on editing my next project with Final Cut Express...

My question:

Will adding more RAM speed things up that much? Or will Final Cut Express be quicker? (the requirements are 384 RAM for real time effects...and I was planning on using 768 total)

Do I have anything to look forward to? At this point, I'm wishing I was still editing with the prehistoric A/B roll, non-linear system like I learned 10 years ago in college.

Sincerely,
Dan from Michigan

Hello Dan,
Congratulations on your new G5. You're a pioneer.

The short answer: Yes, video editing on a Mac is normally smooth as silk, at least it has been for me for several years.

I think there are two, perhaps three, factors working against you.

1. Memory. You don't have enough memory in the G5 to warm a cup of coffee. I didn't even know Apple sold G5's with 256. RAM is relatively inexpensive and will provide the greatest boost to your system. Toss that 256 and get at least 1Gb. That G5 can take quite a load of RAM so bulk-up!

2. G5 & Mac OS. The current Mac OS is not tweaked for the new G5 processor. Panther is coming...this week, I think. Get it.

3. iMovie. I've not used iMovie in a while but I've heard that its performance has lagged during late releases. This might also be a culprit.

I suggest working your way through #1 and #2, then consider #3. FCE, by all accounts, is a very worthy little brother to FCP if you do not need all of FCP's features.

Ram plays a huge role in performance. My son's G3 iMac with 1 Gb of ram may be faster. I would get as much ram as my budget permits. The G5 will show significant improvements with large amounts of ram. I would buy at least 1Gb of ram, preferably more.

One thing to remember about the G5's is memory has to be added in pairs. I would remove the original 256mb stick and buy two 512mb sticks at a minimum. Ideally you would buy two 1Gb sticks.

Panther, the new update will also be released on Friday. This will significantly improve performance too. But it will still need more ram.

Ken's suggestion to purchase FCE is a good one. I think you can get it for $99 when you buy a computer. You might want to check on this.

guys,

thanks for the quick responses so far...

is there any reason why I can't leave in the two 128's which are currently in and add another set of 512's for now? that would give me over a gig of RAM...

also, how much is the Panther going for? is that designed/optimized for the G5 and the Mac OS X?

thanks,
Dan

Yes, you can leave the two 128's and get a pair of 512's. No problem. I think you are entitled to a free upgrade to 10.3 when it ships. You may need to contact your retailer or Apple Care to see what their requirements are for you to receive your copy of Panther. It ships Friday.

I wouldn't use iMovie for large, complex projects. With iMovie2 people at my school had their clips disappear on them. Before that one group couldn't export their project. I don't think iMovie was designed to handle large projects. Make multiple projects to edit portions at a time.

Try duplicating your project in the finder and deleting half of the edits from that project. Does iMovie respond faster?

In terms of how much RAM you need I would say that you should get 1GB. 500GB can be good enough if you are just working with small projects (i.e. 5 minutes and not overly complex).

Sounds like I should add a pair of 512's to my current set of 128's, which would give me a total of 1280 for now...

As for the Panther, it looks like I missed the boat on this one! On the Apple website it says that you have to purchase your new Apple on or after October 8th in order to get the free upgrade. BUMMER!!!!!!!!!

I think the Panther deal was extended back into September. Call Apple Care and ask. I have seen this posted on many forums within the past week. Just call Apple

My mistake. It seems that if you have purchased a G5, they will offer you an upgrade to Panther.

Regards,
Dan

Everyone here is much more experienced than I with editing dv, but I'll add my 2 cents anyway. I use iMovie 3.0.3 exclusively and just finished a 3-dvd 2hour20minute project with it. Besides RAM, you have to have a lot of hard disk space free. The usual mantra is to keep other apps off, make sure your screen saver and any "sleep" instructions are set to never, get QT Pro, etc. On a G4 Powerbook with a 60GB only disk, I found that if I had only 10GB free after downloading cliips, adding titles, transitions, etc., I wasn't going to get the best product. All of this tweaking may not be necessary with a leading edge system, but then again, it may be...

Thanks "Guys". I appreciate it.

Do any of you guys know if there are any other free upgrades
available for the new G5?

The cost of the Panther upgrade is apparently just the $19.95....

Nothing else free at this time. Have you run software update from System Preferences? It will show you what free updates are available from Apple's site. Do a search and read my instructions on how to download updates rather than doing the install over the net.

I've been doing the updates with my iBook, since I have the chance to take it to work and plug it into the fast connection for quick upload times. I won't have that luxury with my G5, because at home I have a slow connection...unless I keep my laptop and transfer the updates from it to my G5...that's a thought...


I hope that one of these days I can offer some good advice to others on this forum. You all have been very helpful.

Speaking of transfering updates...I need to transfer files from my iBook to my new G5...

I can either use my external firewire drive...or I was thinking about trying to transfer between the ethernet ports. I have a short cable, but not sure how to do it. I was thinking that I just need to turn on file sharing on both machines...but not sure...

Or , is there a simpler way? (without buying more software)

If you have a 6pin-6pin FW cable you can boot up either machine as a firewire drive. I forget which key you have to hold down while either machine boots up- a google search will likely bring this up.

Otherwise get a cross-over LAN cable. A google search will tell you how to rewire one from a normal LAN cable if you don't have one around.

You can do it in FireWire Target mode. Turn off the iBook. Plug a FireWire between the iBook and the Power Mac. Startup the iBook with the T key held down. The hard drive will appear on the Power Macs desktop. Copy any files, do repairs on the iBook's drive etc.

<<<-- Originally posted by Jeff Donald : I think the Panther deal was extended back into September. -->>>

Good tip Jeff! I got a new 15" PowerBook on Sept 24 and was disappointed to read about the October 8 cutoff date for the upgrade. But after reading your post I went to Apple's website and gave it a try anyway. If you go to this link (http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate) you can click on the appropriate option towards the bottom of the page. You will then be asked for your Apple ID and password and be taken to a qualification screen where you enter your purchase date, store and serial number. I filled all this in and was told that I qualified. Note that the upgrade is not free however, it costs $20. After qualifying you can place the order through the Apple Store.

FWIW, I also tried entering the info for a PowerMac G4 that I bought on Aug 19, but Apple's website flagged this as an invalid serial number...

Thanks guys.

I'll try that with the firewire cable.

:)

Dan

The $20 is for the cost of the media (CD's) tax and shipping. Even with my education discount, I'm paying about $85 for Panther. I can't wait till Friday.