What is the cheapest way to get a good mac for video editing?

Q: I need a monitor, a keyboard, mouse, speakers, and final cut pro.

A: The words "cheap" and "Final Cut Pro" are rarely heard in the same discussion. Nowadays, you buy Final Cut Studio for about $1300 because FCP is part of the package and no longer sold separately. A lower priced semi-pro version is Final Cut Express for $199. If you buy a Mac second-hand that already has FCP installed, that might be your cheapest option. Most shops that sell 2nd-hand Macs prefer to erase the drive and install just what comes on the OS X DVD but eBay or CraigsList.com might offer what you need. Typically, no install disc will be included so if it ever develops corruption, you would be out of luck. Of course, someone could suggest a pirated version but I don't suggest that as it is illegal. You would probably want an HD-capable version and that would be beginning with version 3.0 but for HDV, you need FCP 5 or 6 or Final Cut Studio.

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