im a beginning editor, and currently in the process of enrolling within either the acadeny of art, or san francisco state, and planning on majoring in motion pictures and televsion/cinema..
i need editing setup for now and throughout college, and i need opinions on a more brute studio clater down the road..
but for now i was thinking:
2.5GHz, 15", 4G macbook pro
external monitor
usb mouse
and either final cut pro, or final cut express..
im not sure whether i need pro throughout or not..
and if i dont, then would it still be a good idea to get it?
or should i just stick with express

and the external monitor is amust according to a lot of people, and im starting to agree, but whats your opinion..need it or no?

and later down the road after i graduate and start looking to edit for real..what setup should i get? i heard that a mac pro w/ 2 external monitors and Final cut studio[FCP, soundtrack, motion, etc] will suffice, but im still not sure

so what do i need now and throughout college, and what will i need after college and start working??

any input will help!!!!!!!!!!

I'm surprised there's no repies to this yet, so I'll have a go.

Editing on a laptop? Yes it's doable, expecially on a Mac I'm told, but the monitor will drive you nuts imho, too small and not enough of them .

An additional monitor will be a must, as you start navigating around the timeline you'll find that you'll prefer to have certain things on view, and others not so, many people don't use default screen arrangements, in fact some of them are downright stupid, like Sony Vegas 8's preview monitor controls being diagonally opposite the actual screen, no ergo points for that one Sony! So to be able to jiggle things around and keep things in front of you another monitor is a real bonus, here's how I like mine for instance across two monitors:



It would be nice to have a dedicated monitor for preview, so a third one is worth considering, and so on.

As for the distant future, I think it would'nt be sensible to recommend something really, at the end of the day by then you'll be the best person, and qualified, to make the choices you'll need, so wait till then I'd suggest, it all will have changed by then anyway.

I love the flexibility of editing on my laptop. I have to agree that space can be a bit sparse, but it's something you get used to quickly - and an ideal antidote for a lack of "real" space. The only thing I find frustrating is the touchpad. I find it almost impossible to edit with it and rarely edit without a mouse attached.

I do try and keep things basic. It's all too easy to fall into the trap of investing ever more money on this that and the other. And don't discount the bonus of editing on the move.

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A Marmite thing I guess, I have not found a single laptop I get on with, don't like the keyboards for speed typing and lack of numerical keypads, as you say pointer thingies are awkward, and with my eyesight 17" is a bare minimum screen size. As for cost, any decent laptop can be matched with a desktop with two monitors and bells and whistles for the same price.

I have found some people who are the exact opposite though, vive la difference!