[MacDV] DVD burner or new Mac?

[Mark O'Brien]

On 10/2/03 5:27 PM, "Norm Loomer" <loomern at ripon.edu> wrote:

> * Buy an external DVD burner and use Toast. The LaCie DVD-/+RW, at about
> $289,  looks like a possibility. (I've also seen a lot of discussion
> here about the Pioneer 105/106.) But my fundamental question is this: Is
> my iMac too wimpy to burn DVDs? I realize that more horsepower is
> better, but can I get by with what I have? I'm patient and am willing to
> wait overnight for a burn, if necessary, but will that be enough? Will I
> be able to burn a one-hour iMovie, for example?

I'm not familiar with external DVD burners, other than to know that they
won't work with iDVD. But, neither will your iMac G3. You would have to use
a combination of other software to create the DVD and burn it.
> 
> * Buy a 1 GHz eMac with SuperDrive for $1100 (educational price). That
> gives me a lot of computer at a reasonable price, but what are the
> limitations of the eMac? Why would an iMac be a better choice? Is
> expandability the issue?

Neither the eMac nor iMac G4 offer internal expandability, so that wouldn't
be an issue. The latest incarnation of iMac G4 might offer some ports not
yet available on the eMac (Firewire 800, USB 2.0), but I'm just guessing.
Other than that, the biggest difference is CRT vs. LCD display. The eMac is
definitely the more cost-effective option given your requirements. There
were display problems with the initial batches of eMacs, but I haven't heard
of any lately.
> 
> The difference in cost of my two options is considerable--$289 vs $1100.
> Cost is an issue for me--$1100 seems like a lot of money right now--but
> with the first option, would I be throwing good money after bad?

You might want to check eBay to find out how much you could get by selling
your old iMac DV. It would soften the difference between upgrade vs. new
computer, even if only by a few hundred dollars. The combination of faster
processor and Altivec in the G4, plus the ability to use iDVD natively on
the eMac will make you much happier if you can swing the cost.

Mark