Mac book pro

[Sarah]

Hi, I wouldn't be using my laptop to write to my hard drive if that's what you mean. I have a P.C at home that I would use for sourcing, ripping music etc. I would purely be looking for the mac to run my said hard drive through for gigs if that makes sense?
Thank you
Sarah x

[katman]

I wouldn't be using my laptop to write to my hard drive if that's what you mean.

If you are using Virtual DJ you would be. It stored the database as an XML file on each drive that it catalogues tracks from.

[Sarah]

Sorry, I'm a real novice when it comes to computers and anything about going virtual at the moment.
I've been practicing on the free home edition of Virtual D.J on my home P.C.
I would install Virtual D.J version 7 to whatever laptop I decide to buy.

Do you mean that if the tracks on my external hard drive were ripped via a P.C they wouldn't work through a Mac?

Sorry if I sound thick, lol x

[DazzyD]

Mmmm! What is your laptop Dazzy D, please.

Sarah x

It's a simple little Compaq Presario CQ56 with AMD V mobile processor and 3Gb Ram. It's got Windows 7 on it and it runs VDJ7 with no problems at all.

Sorry, I'm a real novice when it comes to computers and anything about going virtual at the moment.
I've been practicing on the free home edition of Virtual D.J on my home P.C.
I would install Virtual D.J version 7 to whatever laptop I decide to buy.

Do you mean that if the tracks on my external hard drive were ripped via a P.C they wouldn't work through a Mac?

Sorry if I sound thick, lol x

It's my understanding that PCs and Macs use totallying different formatting /file structure standards so I'm not too sure your music ripped to HDD from your PC would actually be readable on a Mac. I'm not sure so I'm waiting to be corrected!! (although I do know you can do it if you first dual-partition the drive - this would mean erasing all your hard work and starting again!)

[Sarah]

Thanks Dazzy D, I remember your lap top choice now from help you gave me before.

Phew, I'm eagerly awaiting a response too. My nephew did them all for me on my home P.C. He was climbing the walls, cost me 3 square meals a day for him and all the Stella he could drink.

I think it's fair to say the mac will be well out the 'windows' if it won't work!!

[Jiggles]

Mp3s ripped from a pc will work perfectlly fine on a mac. If the hdd is formatted with ntfs then without a plugin. Fat32 is a format that both can read. Personally a mac is ideal for what you want the fact you don't need vts drivers for latency free sound which is brilliant as its not something extra to go wrong they also can be used as a normal laptop a home without worry. Pc it's really not reccomended.

Trust me the mac will work. First time and every time. Top tip: don't try an work a mac like you work windoz. You won't get far before you find it doesn't work or hard to use.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Personally a mac is ideal for what you want the fact you don't need vts drivers for latency free sound which is brilliant as its not something extra to go wrong they also can be used as a normal laptop a home without worry. Pc it's really not reccomended.

Trust me the mac will work. First time and every time. Top tip: don't try an work a mac like you work windoz. You won't get far before you find it doesn't work or hard to use.

Rubbish. As usual.

Laptops work and are cheaper and aren't any more hassle than Macs. I have been DJing for almost 10 years with Pcs without problems. Drivers are downloaded and installed very easily.


Pay you money and take your choice, but please don't listen to the propaganda from the Apple boys. Make your own mind up.

[DazzyD]

Mp3s ripped from a pc will work perfectlly fine on a mac. If the hdd is formatted with ntfs then without a plugin. Fat32 is a format that both can read. Personally a mac is ideal for what you want the fact you don't need vts drivers for latency free sound which is brilliant as its not something extra to go wrong they also can be used as a normal laptop a home without worry. Pc it's really not reccomended.

Trust me the mac will work. First time and every time. Top tip: don't try an work a mac like you work windoz. You won't get far before you find it doesn't work or hard to use.

Do you mean NTFS with a plugin?? That really doesn't read right with me. I thought NTFS and FAT32 were different standards?

Anyway, Callum, thanks for clearing it up that it is possible to use the HDD on both - provided it's the right format and doesn't need to be twin-partitioned.

Before I get accused of being a Mac-hater (again!!) I'd just like to point out that I'm simply proferring a more cost-effective option. I remember Sarah saying a couple of months ago that she didn't have loads to splash out on equipment. And even Ian said he thought the MacBook Pro was overkill for the application under discussion. And I did state in my first post that I believed the MacBook Pro would be up to the job!

Just thought I'd clear that up - just in case anyone misinterprets my intentions (and absolutely nothing to do with me reading about the proposed anti-trolling laws that are all over the web news pages today!! )

[Jiggles]

Rubbish. As usual.

Laptops work and are cheaper and aren't any more hassle than Macs. I have been DJing for almost 10 years with Pcs without problems. Drivers are downloaded and installed very easily.


Pay you money and take your choice, but please don't listen to the propaganda from the Apple boys. Make your own mind up.

Drivers are an extra point of failure. Speak to the Ati graphics boys on what problems crap and poorly made drivers cause. Most equipment for mac is a simple plugin and play. Real plugin and play the drivers are all built into the system. I have lost count the number of times windoz has locked up with running nothing serious on it before switching to mac. Been using windoz since 95. Best move I did yeh they cost but worth it for the 100% stability of the system.

Do you mean NTFS with a plugin?? That really doesn't read right with me. I thought NTFS and FAT32 were different standards?

Anyway, Callum, thanks for clearing it up that it is possible to use the HDD on both - provided it's the right format and doesn't need to be twin-partitioned.

Before I get accused of being a Mac-hater (again!!) I'd just like to point out that I'm simply proferring a more cost-effective option. I remember Sarah saying a couple of months ago that she didn't have loads to splash out on equipment. And even Ian said he thought the MacBook Pro was overkill for the application under discussion. And I did state in my first post that I believed the MacBook Pro would be up to the job!

Just thought I'd clear that up - just in case anyone misinterprets my intentions (and absolutely nothing to do with me reading about the proposed anti-trolling laws that are all over the web news pages today!! )

NTFS writing isn't supported natively on mac due to
M$ being stilly with the licences. FAT32 is the only format both windoz and mac will read and write too.

I would see the mac as an investment for future proofing. My current mac is running its original install of OSX. That was 4 or so years ago. Pcs to keep the same performance a reinstall one a year is the only way to keep it so I find. Also none of the faffing of trying to streamline the mac as its already streamlined. Disabling services etc all on demand.


Sorry for the rather fragmented replays on my phone!

[Sarah]

I have no idea whether the CD+G's or music discs were copied to the external hard drive in FAT32 or not. No clue at all. The apple lad at Currys was a real whiz. I think I'll take the hard drive up to him. Obviously he won't have software to play it through. Will it just be recognised on the mac then if it works?
God, I really want to get up-to-date and stop having to haul case loads of discs round with me but this is head battering cos I'm so far behind with it all.

I've watched a you tube tutorial on the Denon 4500 and really like how it controls both computer and C.D players. Am I right in assuming it only controls Denon C.D drawers then? This wouldn't really matter if I kept my Kam mixer and dual C.D+G players.

I did see that the 4500 won't connect to an analogue mixer, is my Kam Pro 1500 analogue?

I can understand why it may seem the easier option to get a cheap lap top and the D.J.2.Go through my current set up.

It's my birthday today, maybe I'm getting carried away with wanting a few expensive presents for myself!!

Thank you all x