choosing the right laptop for live looping , real time DSP processing and running Video

["RICK WALKER" <looppool@cruzio.com>]

Kris wrote:

"And I hear now that with mac, no one has these problems because they have 
their core audio and force everyone to comply to their standards so that 
users don't have to suffer as a result of so many diverse driving coding 
standards across the globe."


I have to admit.    I've been a real skeptic about the whole Mac world for 
a 
long time.

Now,  hear me out before you make any judgements here about what I"m 
saying...................
To preface what I'm saying,  I'm actually seriously considering investing 
in 
a Macbook pro.
Please help me out with my fears if you don't mind:

To my mind, Macs have always seemed unnecessarily overpriced (especially 
for 
peripherals)
and surrounded by almost fetishistic devotees who could never admit that 
valid music making was possible on a PC.

 Also,  frankly,   I was a little jealous because I just couldn't afford 
one 
and it seemed like they become obsolete every three years without the 
ability to upgrade as is possible,  $100 at a time in the PC world.   For 
a 
long time I just couldn't afford to be in that world so I learned how to 
overcome IRQ conflicts,   edit my registry,  install new drivers and fight 
off the myriad spyware/adware/malware and viruses that plague the 
Microsoft 
world.

That said and done,  this is the first sentence (by Kris stated above) 
that 
I've read that is making me reconsider my next purchase of a laptop for 
making music (and video).

Now one last thing fills me with a little fear and it is here where I 
truly 
need your advice all you experts (Mac and Windows alike):

I honestly love a whole suite of programs that are PC only (and a zillion 
VST and VSTi plugings the either don't run on a Mac or don't run well).
These are FlStudio Producers Edition for which there is no single program 
in 
the Mac domain that will do, specifically, what this incredible program
will do............Sony ACID,  Sony Sound Forge,  Sony Vegas Video,  
Tuareg 
2,  Granulab and a bunch of simple proprietary sound design progams too 
numberous
to mention.

I have heard it said by some that running Windows XP on on the Intel Macs 
is 
exactly the same as running it on a specific Windows maching
and I've heard it said that Win XP does NOT run as effeciently on an Intel 
Mac as on a high powered Windows desktop or laptop.

Which is it you guys?

Can anyone who has truly deep experience running Windows XP on an Intel 
Mac 
tell me whether I'm safe running all my favorite programs
on the WIN XP side of an Intel Macbook Pro?     I don't want to hear 
theoreticals just because I have heard way too many Mac enthusiasts who've 
had no experience whatsoever
with a lighting fast dual processor WinXP machine make critiques of it 
that 
are ludicrously innaccurate.

Assuming I have the money,   and if the Intel Macbook Pro is truly just as 
good as a fast Win XP machine then I'd be a fool not to buy one
if for no other reason than doing all of my browsing and e-mail on the 
much 
safer OS-X side of the machine, whilst using my favorite programs on
the WinXP side of the machine.

Thanks in advance for any advice people have to give me.

yours,
Rick Walker