600mhz Ibook, what can I expect from one? Options

[ottoasamotto]

I am looking at laptops to bring stuff to rehersals. I am really not impressed by the cheasy PC notebooks out there. The hardware can be a joke.

I had an iMac 33mhz and was always struggling with how slow it was. So I'm kinda worried about stepping into the sub-gig world of processors. But am hoping OSX makes up for it.

I plan on using Ableton modestly, as well as some sort of replacment for Fruity Loops to assemble loops.

What can I expect in terms of preformance?

[rickenbacker]

I don't know about this "Pro Tools is the industry standard" line, really. Emagic seem able to boast about some pretty big hitters using Logic, as do Steinberg for Cubase.

Yes, you get Pro Tools in a lot of studios, but are you actually going to be migrating your projects to such studios any time soon? I'm sure you could find a studio that used Logic or Cubase or DP4 or whatever app you start using now further down the line anyway.

The Mbox and the Digi001/002 are nice, but Digidesign want you to use their hardware with their software - they don't want you switching to Logic later and plugging your Mbox in. It's definitely not as straightforward as hooking up an 828. Now that'll work with almost anything. Or, saying that, any of the USB devices currently flooding the market.

Also, Pro Tools plug-ins are always much, much more expensive and much, much less common than either VST or AU plugs. Very nice, thoroughly professional, but very expensive. And I'm guessing no-one here has that much money.

Nothing wrong with Pro Tools - just don't get pressured in thinking it's the only true "pro" app out there and that all the rest are just pretending. People have made million sellers with Cubase on an Atari, for heaven's sake!