Hello General Discussion!
Whether I'm special or just like to think I am, I once again find myself seeking advice that does not fit into any of the provided categories (in this case the tomshardware Forum)... so I'm going to tweak my question to fit this one.
I have a very interesting "work & education" situation as I am currently living in Albania (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania it's located just north of Greece) working with a governmental volunteer agency from the U.S. called the Peace Corps. I will be here for another 15 months with the primary assignment of promoting health education. This "volunteer position" (that does pay for me to live here) has left me with so many opportunities here, it's ridiculous.... not really opportunities for future employment or anything like that (yet, at least), but opportunities to be creative and get involved in a community unlike anywhere I had ever been before.
Anyway, it's a great growing and learning experience that's really tough at times, but can also be very rewarding. And considering how difficult it can be to get a job these days, I consider myself extremely lucky to be here. I'd love to answer any questions about how I got here/what I'm doing here/the state of things as I see them here/ etc.
BUT, I'd really love some advice from you. One of my hobbies, and skills if I may be so bold, is video production. And while I have an adequate (for my situation) MinoHD flip video camera, I have an inadequate Inspiron Mini 1012. There is no way in hell I could ever edit anything on here... It's great for carrying around, getting on the internet, and blah blah blah, but I need something different. I have friends with Macbook Pros, but even those seem to be slow with respect to video editing these HD files... SO, I was thinking that I would like to buy/assemble a desktop PC that is fast enough for video editing. I feel like this MIGHT be my best option as it would be faster than a laptop and I wouldn't need to transport it until I leave here in 15 months. But, knowing very little about all this stuff I have some questions...
So--
1. I want to have a finished product that will cost no more that $900 if possible. How do I find the deals, what cpu/ RAM/ video cards are the best for my price range and will work optimally together, etc.
2. How would I get the computer/ parts here to Albania? The mail system works well, but is it feasible to have this stuff sent in the mail across countries? Is it going to be extremely expensive? What problems am I looking at here?
3. Is Albania going to kill my computer? The power situation is not great here. In my city, the power is a lot more consistent than others, but every now and then there are power surges, brownouts, and blackouts. I will purchase a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) in order to be safe, but will this not be enough?
That's my story/situation. Again, any questions, comments, or advice will be happily received. There is actually an awesome volunteer here with a lot of computer knowledge... I actually feel bad for him because every volunteer with computer issues goes to him, and that's the last thing you'd want to deal with, a freaked out volunteer that doesn't understand a thing about the problem and looks to you for a magical solution... so I'm coming to you guys. I just feel like I'm wasting an opportunity I have here by not creating any media. I've met so many interesting people and seen so many interesting things... being able to create videos that allow me to share these people/experiences (and have fun while doing it) would be worth more than the price of the computer. Please give me confidence in a purchase plan. Thanks in advance!
Whether I'm special or just like to think I am, I once again find myself seeking advice that does not fit into any of the provided categories (in this case the tomshardware Forum)... so I'm going to tweak my question to fit this one.
I have a very interesting "work & education" situation as I am currently living in Albania (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania it's located just north of Greece) working with a governmental volunteer agency from the U.S. called the Peace Corps. I will be here for another 15 months with the primary assignment of promoting health education. This "volunteer position" (that does pay for me to live here) has left me with so many opportunities here, it's ridiculous.... not really opportunities for future employment or anything like that (yet, at least), but opportunities to be creative and get involved in a community unlike anywhere I had ever been before.
Anyway, it's a great growing and learning experience that's really tough at times, but can also be very rewarding. And considering how difficult it can be to get a job these days, I consider myself extremely lucky to be here. I'd love to answer any questions about how I got here/what I'm doing here/the state of things as I see them here/ etc.
BUT, I'd really love some advice from you. One of my hobbies, and skills if I may be so bold, is video production. And while I have an adequate (for my situation) MinoHD flip video camera, I have an inadequate Inspiron Mini 1012. There is no way in hell I could ever edit anything on here... It's great for carrying around, getting on the internet, and blah blah blah, but I need something different. I have friends with Macbook Pros, but even those seem to be slow with respect to video editing these HD files... SO, I was thinking that I would like to buy/assemble a desktop PC that is fast enough for video editing. I feel like this MIGHT be my best option as it would be faster than a laptop and I wouldn't need to transport it until I leave here in 15 months. But, knowing very little about all this stuff I have some questions...
So--
1. I want to have a finished product that will cost no more that $900 if possible. How do I find the deals, what cpu/ RAM/ video cards are the best for my price range and will work optimally together, etc.
2. How would I get the computer/ parts here to Albania? The mail system works well, but is it feasible to have this stuff sent in the mail across countries? Is it going to be extremely expensive? What problems am I looking at here?
3. Is Albania going to kill my computer? The power situation is not great here. In my city, the power is a lot more consistent than others, but every now and then there are power surges, brownouts, and blackouts. I will purchase a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) in order to be safe, but will this not be enough?
That's my story/situation. Again, any questions, comments, or advice will be happily received. There is actually an awesome volunteer here with a lot of computer knowledge... I actually feel bad for him because every volunteer with computer issues goes to him, and that's the last thing you'd want to deal with, a freaked out volunteer that doesn't understand a thing about the problem and looks to you for a magical solution... so I'm coming to you guys. I just feel like I'm wasting an opportunity I have here by not creating any media. I've met so many interesting people and seen so many interesting things... being able to create videos that allow me to share these people/experiences (and have fun while doing it) would be worth more than the price of the computer. Please give me confidence in a purchase plan. Thanks in advance!
In that case, what would be a good laptop to do what I want to do (video editing) and not have to wait for hours on end as things import and render? Also please consider that I don't want to have to spend a lot of money as I plan on building a desktop in another year or 2. What do you all think?
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