Hardware recommendations
As a final note for this introductory chapter, it’s worth looking at your computer: what do you need? Technology will continue to advance, so I’ll keep this broad, but FCP X can work on anything from a low-end laptop to a fully upgraded Mac Pro worth more than most cars. What do you need?
A Mac
This one is obvious, since FCP X doesn’t run on Windows, but what kind? There are many options, but the most obvious question is laptop or desktop?, and the answer is simple. Laptop if you need portability, or desktop for better speed, easier expansion, and a bigger screen.
An important factor for video editing is the graphics power it offers, and while only the top-end 15” or 16” laptops offer high-powered “discrete” graphics, all desktop Macs except the Mac mini include a discrete graphics card. Any Mac can deal with almost any job, but the higher the resolution you want to work with, and the more effects that...
