nofilmschool » osx

Dude, You Gettin' a Dell? Former Apple Editors Choose 'Yes, Bro' over Mac Pro for Performance

Dave Kendricken — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:18:26 +0000

Something weird is going on. We know the Mac Pro hasn’t had a substantial upgrade in some time. We know that something is looming over the horizon, but we don’t know what, exactly. We also know that Apple will probably over-charge us for it (or it wouldn’t quite feel right for anybody). And while it may not be fair to fault a machine that’s still quite hefty and robust for losing to brand new ones in spec tests and benchmark performance — just what are we waiting for here? Should we even be waiting for it at all? How much incentive to hold out for Apple remains when you can build your own Mac Pro, build your own specialized editing PC — or, for instance, as a recent StudioDaily feature shows many video editors are doing — switch to powerhouse Dell solutions? (more…)

Apple Introduces New iMacs and 13 Inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display 'For the Pro in All of Us'

Joe Marine — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:57:38 +0000

Apple announced a new and faster iPad today (less than eight months after the new Retina iPad), along with an entirely new product line, the iPad mini. For most filmmakers though, that’s an appetizer to the main course — which happens to be brand new computers, including a new Mac mini, a 13″ Macbook Pro with a Retina display, and new (incredibly thin — pictured left) 21″ and 27″ iMacs. We didn’t get a Retina iMac like many were hoping for (or a new Mac Pro for that matter), but the fact that they squeezed an entire computer inside such a thin housing is a remarkable feat. Click through for the rest of the details. (more…)

Hidden Files in OS X Mountain Lion Hint at a Major Mac Pro Update

Justin Minich — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:35:47 +0000

Last we heard, Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote an e-mail shortly after the WWDC stating that Apple is “planning a new Mac Pro for later next year.” Now, it looks like there is some additional evidence to support this assertion in Mountain Lion’s configuration files, and it also points to a significant potential hardware change in the Mac Pro update: (more…)

Apple Releases OS X Mountain Lion, What Does It Mean for Filmmakers?

Joe Marine — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:03:40 +0000

Today Apple released the update to OS X Lion — this time called OS X Mountain Lion (version 10.8). As with any new Apple operating system release, there is always excitement mixed with some eventual dread. New OS versions tend to break (or at least make unstable) some large and complicated programs we use every day that haven’t had the chance to update — like Premiere Pro or Avid (I would hope that Final Cut X wouldn’t have any issues since it’s an Apple product). Many don’t have any problems, but often the kinks are worked out by manufacturers in a short amount of time. I haven’t yet installed the update, but if you’re wondering what’s new in this version, here is a great 5 minute video that will show most of the major updates: (more…)

How to Upgrade a Hackintosh to Mac OS X Lion (Apparently)

Ryan Koo — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 19:34:43 +0000

Because it doesn’t necessarily make sense for filmmakers to upgrade to OS X Lion just yet, I haven’t done any testing of this myself. But if anyone running a hackintosh is itching to get their hands on OS X Lion, by partitioning your disk and following these instructions, you should be able to transition to Apple’s latest. If and when you do, please report back with your results. Here’s how: (more…)

What Filmmakers Should Know About Upgrading to Mac OS X Lion

Ryan Koo — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:43:57 +0000

Apple’s OS X Lion was released this morning, but just because it’s Apple’s latest and greatest OS does not mean filmmakers should upgrade (right away, at least). Here’s what filmmakers should know: Final Cut Pro 7 will work in OS X Lion, despite it being discontinued (though word is they’re making additional enterprise licenses available). Final Cut Pro X will work on Lion too, obviously. But what about other filmmaker-specific applications? (more…)

Apple Releases Mac OS X Lion and New Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Airs

Ryan Koo — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:38:34 +0000

As expected, Apple today released Mac OS X Lion on the Mac App Store for $29.99. Also debuting are new Sandy Bridge MacBook Airs, which are said to be “up to” twice as fast as the previous generation (on which I’m typing this), and now include high-speed Thunderbolt ports, Bluetooth 4.0, and backlit keyboards. The Mac Mini also received a refresh, dropping its optical drive and adding a Thunderbolt port, and Apple also released a new 27″ Thunderbolt display. For filmmakers, Lion and Thunderbolt are the main stories. (more…)