New Laptop :: Macbook vs. HP Pavilion

[Gealousy]

Hi all,

Not trying to turn this in to an Apple vs. Microsoft thread - I'm just trying to get some advice. I have an old antiquated HP Desktop that can't handle anything when it comes to video editing so I was looking for something affordable but that will be good for most video editing and other photography needs.

My family has iPhones, we have iPads, but computers, both work and at home we've always had Microsoft products (Dell, HP and such) - I narrowed down to 2 that are in my price range, a Macbook Pro 13" and a HP Pavilion.

I admit I'm not computer savvy so I don't know a lot about video processing and such, but on paper it looks like the HP Pavilion is the better machine for what I'm trying to accomplish (video and photo editing, and other normal/general household computer use), and is less expensive which isn't a bad thing (GRIN).

Just wanted to get some thoughts on what folks think here that are more experienced in the video and photo editing world (I know Apple has a good following in the graphic design and digital content world).

Here's the stats (let me know if I missed something) of each.

OR, if you have an alternative you would recommend in the same price range I'm open to that too (not necessarily trying to build one though).

Thanks in advance for opinions and advice!



Macbook Pro 13"

• 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology;
• 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch, 16:10 aspect ratio
• 8GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645
• 1.4GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz, with 128MB of eDRAM
• Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for: Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
• Wi-Fi; 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

HP Pavillion

• Display: 15.6 inch Full HD IPS BrightView Micro-edge WLED-backlit Touchscreen (1920 x 1080) Display
• Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080; Touchscreen
• Memory: 32GB DDR4 SDRAM
• Hard Drive: 2TB HDD
• Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U Processor Quad Core (8MB Cache, 1.8GHz Up To 4.0 GHz)
• Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620
• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
• Ethernet: 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet, Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.2, WLAN Connectivity: 802_11_AC,
• MCR Card Reader: Micro SD Card Reader
• Ports: 2 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Headphone Out/Microphone in Combo Jack, 1 x RJ-45

 

[SkyeHigh]

Neither are ideal for video editing. An i7 CPU as fast as you can afford but just as important is a fast GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and definitely not the Intel versions. Much of the video processing, decoding and encoding is done by the GPU and the more memory the GPU has the better - this is in addition to the CPU’s memory.

Most video cameras now record HD, UHD as highly compressed data streams which need to be decoded by the computer to be able to play them. The GPU will normally handle this task in the background. Expect future video formats to use even more highly compressed streams, which will require even more horsepower to play, edit and export.

A machine with an SSD definitely advised but use a normal spinning disk hard disk for longer term storage.

For GPU’s look for a laptop/desktop that ideally has an Nvidia GPU.

Touch screen is a waste on a laptop but an actual screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 or higher is ideal. The 13” screen on the MacBook will strain your eyes for the long periods you’ll be staring at the screen.

 

[THE CYBORG]

As above but I would add are you an iOS or Windows user ?
Whatever you get I would stay with the operating system you are used to, changing can be a nightmare.

 

[rehkram]

I agree with SkyeHigh's appraisal. I believe you may have to increase your budget.

Also consider Apple are moving their macOS product line to ARM processors 'sometime soon' and the current machines running Intel processors will lose support 'sometime later'.

I'm a longtime Mac user and wouldn't drop a ton of dough on a new one just now, will be sticking with what I've got until ARM is released and stable, could be a while.

 

[SkyeHigh]

What I should also have added, your choice of video editing software is also a priority. Make sure whichever you want to use supports your hardware choice.

Premiere Pro is available on both MacOS and Windows. As is Davinci Resolve, which also has an excellent free version that many on this forum will recommend.

As rehkram mentions, Apple will soon move to a new line of CPU’s of their own design based on the ARM architecture that is not compatible with existing software. To enable existing Intel-based software to run on one of the new Mac’s requires emulation, where the Mac operating system will make the new ARM CPU appear to be an Intel one. This always introduces a performance hit and not a good option for video editing.

Although I moved to a MacBook Pro for its superb IPS screen, I would still recommend Windows as it is something you are already familiar with.

Once you have a machine capable of video editing, use for processing photos will be a walk in the park.

Hope we’ve all been able to help you. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

 

[Gealousy]

Thank you all I really appreciate it. Looks like I have some work to do, literally and figuratively. GRIN

Sounds like I'm back to the drawing board. I'm sure I will have many more questions!

 

[itsneedtokno]

Thank you all I really appreciate it. Looks like I have some work to do, literally and figuratively. GRIN

Sounds like I'm back to the drawing board. I'm sure I will have many more questions!

HP Spectre?

Early 2019 Model
Refurb at B&H is $1000 flat.

It handles anything I throw at it. Including H.265 4K60 (with a mild proxy), but still.

I have disabled the nVidia card, as it causes problems with Adobe. My Intel 620 runs everything fine.




Oh and I can use it as a 15" tablet for my drone!
(I've done it one time, but it was sort of a hassle, SO WORTH IT though)

 

[Juggler]

HP Spectre?

Early 2019 Model
Refurb at B&H is $1000 flat.

It handles anything I throw at it. Including H.265 4K60 (with a mild proxy), but still.

I have disabled the nVidia card, as it causes problems with Adobe. My Intel 620 runs everything fine.




Oh and I can use it as a 15" tablet for my drone!
(I've done it one time, but it was sort of a hassle, SO WORTH IT though)

when I as doing my research it depends on which video editting software suite you choose to use... some are really heavy on GPU usage and others utilise the CPU and rely little on the GPU...
I am dabbling with DaVinci resolve atm which uses the GPU...
With computers there is ALWAYS something just that little bit better for the few more $$$...
Set a price and buy the highest spec machine you can for that price.

 

[itsneedtokno]

when I as doing my research it depends on which video editting software suite you choose to use... some are really heavy on GPU usage and others utilise the CPU and rely little on the GPU...
I am dabbling with DaVinci resolve atm which uses the GPU...
With computers there is ALWAYS something just that little bit better for the few more $$$...
Set a price and buy the highest spec machine you can for that price.

Wholeheartedly agree.

I wanted a tablet, and a laptop, that could handle Adobe.

I know Davinci is GPU heavy, but I have yet to use it. Thinking about trying it though. I know I'm not using Premiere like I could be.

 

[Boxer1200]

I picked up an HP Omen 15” laptop a few weeks ago. I’ve been all Apple for years, but so far, really happy with this Windows machine. It handles 4K with ease in Premier Pro, and Resolve. I didn’t try h265. That may be a different animal. I’d had my eye on a new MacBook Pro, but to spec it similar it would have cost me another 1K over what I paid for the HP.

 

[Gealousy]

HP Spectre?

Early 2019 Model
Refurb at B&H is $1000 flat.

It handles anything I throw at it. Including H.265 4K60 (with a mild proxy), but still.

I have disabled the nVidia card, as it causes problems with Adobe. My Intel 620 runs everything fine.




Oh and I can use it as a 15" tablet for my drone!
(I've done it one time, but it was sort of a hassle, SO WORTH IT though)

You think the refurb is legit? I always feel sketchy about refurb stuff when it comes to pricey electronics... they don’t give a lot of info on the condition of the units... looks like they are 2017 models not sure if that matters.

 

[Gealousy]

I picked up an HP Omen 15” laptop a few weeks ago. I’ve been all Apple for years, but so far, really happy with this Windows machine. It handles 4K with ease in Premier Pro, and Resolve. I didn’t try h265. That may be a different animal. I’d had my eye on a new MacBook Pro, but to spec it similar it would have cost me another 1K over what I paid for the HP.

That one looks perrty nice as well!

 

[itsneedtokno]

You think the refurb is legit? I always feel sketchy about refurb stuff when it comes to pricey electronics... they don’t give a lot of info on the condition of the units... looks like they are 2017 models not sure if that matters.

I can speak from personal experience that B&H refurbs are actually pretty **** good. They come with short warranties, and you can get a 2 year no questions asked plan.

 

[Dale D]

Hi all,

Not trying to turn this in to an Apple vs. Microsoft thread - I'm just trying to get some advice. I have an old antiquated HP Desktop that can't handle anything when it comes to video editing so I was looking for something affordable but that will be good for most video editing and other photography needs.

My family has iPhones, we have iPads, but computers, both work and at home we've always had Microsoft products (Dell, HP and such) - I narrowed down to 2 that are in my price range, a Macbook Pro 13" and a HP Pavilion.

I admit I'm not computer savvy so I don't know a lot about video processing and such, but on paper it looks like the HP Pavilion is the better machine for what I'm trying to accomplish (video and photo editing, and other normal/general household computer use), and is less expensive which isn't a bad thing (GRIN).

Just wanted to get some thoughts on what folks think here that are more experienced in the video and photo editing world (I know Apple has a good following in the graphic design and digital content world).

Here's the stats (let me know if I missed something) of each.

OR, if you have an alternative you would recommend in the same price range I'm open to that too (not necessarily trying to build one though).

Thanks in advance for opinions and advice!



Macbook Pro 13"

• 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology;
• 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch, 16:10 aspect ratio
• 8GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645
• 1.4GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz, with 128MB of eDRAM
• Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for: Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
• Wi-Fi; 802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

HP Pavillion

• Display: 15.6 inch Full HD IPS BrightView Micro-edge WLED-backlit Touchscreen (1920 x 1080) Display
• Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080; Touchscreen
• Memory: 32GB DDR4 SDRAM
• Hard Drive: 2TB HDD
• Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U Processor Quad Core (8MB Cache, 1.8GHz Up To 4.0 GHz)
• Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620
• Operating system: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
• Ethernet: 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet, Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.2, WLAN Connectivity: 802_11_AC,
• MCR Card Reader: Micro SD Card Reader
• Ports: 2 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Headphone Out/Microphone in Combo Jack, 1 x RJ-45

I feel qualified to answer this on the basis of my own long experience. I was a Dell PC guy for hundreds of years, doing Photoshop and Lightroom and timelapse with Lightroom. There was never more than a 2 month period when I did not need tech support (I have a local computer guy who was amazing with my PC). There was always something wrong with the PC. I finally jumped to Apple platform, first a Mac BookPro. Then, when I got into video editing because of the drone, I switched to higher end Mac Book Pro, and then, finally, an iMAC. I am attaching the configuration.

Just as you probably know, MAC products are designed or graphics designers!!! They are extremely intuitive. Their support for all things photographic and video are amazing, from Photoshop and Lightroom to Premiere Pro and After Effects. I went out and bought the most RAM I could buying am extremely happy with my iMAC and Mac Book Pro for travel. Here is a screen shot of my specs. I no longer have to use pro clips for video. The rendering process is fast, and everything just goes well with the MAC. I will never go back to a PC.

 

[rehkram]

Maybe the OP should also consider a 2nd hand- or refurbished Macbook Pro or iMac like yours Dale. They're generally not cheap though, holding their value well depending on the spec

I have two Macs, a 2012 Macbook Pro Retina and a 2018 Mac Mini. The Mac Mini was a good deal but has a fairly pedestrian graphics processor and I ended up not using it much at all.

I bought the Mac Mini because the Macbook had issues. The battery was old, keyboard was water damaged and the card reader had what turned out to be a serious buildup of fluff. All needed replacing or fixing. In the end I sourced all the parts & instructions from iFixit and did the repairs myself. I'm no electronics hardware whiz but it's as good today as it was when I bought it. Runs Final Cut Pro X fine even though it's only got 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. The huge media files from the drone I push off to an external NAS device.

 

[Km5er]

I find so many of these posts interesting. I purchased my first computer in 1977 from Tandy, then after several years started building my own to get the exact parts I wanted, then when mass-produced products became so cheap started to buy assembled packages. Then my expensive Dell desktop had a cracked motherboard that failed one month after warranty. Then Mac changed to an intel processer and I tried a mini....I have now been using macs for 20+ years. I am also a retired degreed engineer that happened to obtain my certified Novel network engineer certification. So after all this...bottom line is that if you look at most video processing companies you will find a lot, if not mostly Macs. If you buy a Mac like a Mac-air or other standard Mac then you are not serious about video. You mentioned Macbook pro and this machine is purposed for video and will serve you well. If you use Final Cut Pro you will be well taken care of. The discussion about Mac moving to a new processor is interesting. Do you really think Apple would allow millions of users, including major video industrial users, to become obsolete and unsupported instantly by the introduction of a new processor? The Mac pro will last you many years in its as purchased condition and it will be supported all that time. Your PC laptop will have to be replaced at least once in that time because that is why you typically pay more for a Mac. Some people will claim they use the same components and are subject o the same failure rate. Ok...that is nice...but that is not my and most Mac users experience. If you are going to use if for mostly video then you can not go wrong with the Mac. It is the better choice. But if you plan to load it up with games and the such then the PC choice may be better. Other software like Word, Powerpoint, etc. is the same for both. It is also interesting the number of people that have gone from PC to Mac. You do not hear about many that go Mac to PC. You do have to get used to the MAC operating system....which is really easier than Windows...but am not sure now because every few years Windows changes completely and in that history, there were some awful versions. GO to the store and play with the two operating systems and see which one your prefer...then check on the price of the software you plan to use for video....this will help you decide.

 

[SkyeHigh]

The discussion about Mac moving to a new processor is interesting. Do you really think Apple would allow millions of users, including major video industrial users, to become obsolete and unsupported instantly by the introduction of a new processor?

Apple aren’t in the least interested in the broadcast video industry as was amply demonstrated when they dumped Final Cut Pro. They no longer wanted the expense of supporting a demanding professional customer base and chose, quite deliberately, to concentrate on the money making consumer market.

Eventually Apple launched the dreadful Final Cut Pro X, much to the benefit of Adobe’s Premiere Pro and the still industry leading MediaComposer from Avid.

Mac’s are used far less in the video broadcast industry than you seem to believe. Since the demise of Final Cut Pro high-end Windows workstations from Dell and HP dominate.

How do I know? I’ve worked in the industry since 1978.

 

[bushie]

I guess I am rusted on MC user, and for a number of reasons don't like Apple.

I have recently purchased a new PC mainly as my old one struggled with running Davinci Resolve and had got to the stage that upgrades did not suit.

I am not familiar with the computer scene in the US but have generally found that, rather than buying a prebuilt package, I end up with a much better deal by getting a local computer build/repair shop to build to meet my needs. It then makes it easier to upgrade as they already know what I have.

On the software side I used Adobe for many years but did not like their business model when they changed to requiring regular payments. After not doing much editing for a few years I purchased a Mavic and that re-awakened my interest in editing and I found Davinci Resolve - an amazing piece of free software. Will meet my needs for the foreseeable future.

 

[Dave Maine]

Apple is very interested in professional application. Final Cut Pro X has been around since Apple switched from FI also Cut Pro 7.

The key to all of this is the size and video codec you plan to use. The toughest case is 4K h.265 at 60p. If you plan to use this combination, you will need a real beefy computer to avoid pauses and stutters on playback. 1080 30p h.264 will work on many less powerful computers.

Also think about using multiple video streams - like drone footage and titles or other special effects. If that is in your plan, select the computer based onthat requirement.

 

[radman]

Many years ago my kid received his degree in cinematography and went to work for Microsoft. He created the graphics for Bill Gates’ speeches on Apple computers.