Davinci Resolve - A Great Experience When Using It With an M1 Mac

I mentioned maybe a month ago that I'm now using Davinci Resolve to manipulate videos to post to YouTube.  I'm still using it.  I don't think I'm going to be able to go back to using iMovie.

Prior to iMovie, I was using Cyberlink PowerDirector, which was OK, but felt a bit bloated and cumbersome to use.  That software as full-featured, though, and much more robust than iMovie.  I used Cyberlink PD on my Del G7 17", and while PD didn't crash, it always caused the cooling fans to kick in.  As well, it would take a while to create videos.  I had bought a one year subscription and let it lapse.  While the software was OK, it wanted something better.

I tried Davinci Resolve because I heard someone mention it on one of the Mac-centric subreddits.  Not only that, I wanted to try to use my M1-powered Mac to crunch video, as I'd only used iMovie.  I knew that Resolve would leverage GPUs (it's probably a requirement) and had heard that M1 Macs were very efficient when compiling video footage.  Yeah, I'd used iMovie, but no real professional is using that to create movies.

When I crunched my first video on my M1 Mac, using Resolve, I was shocked.  Two things were immediately apparent.  One, the M1 Mac didn't studder when editing footage like my Dell G7 does.  Granted, my G7 is only powered by a 5 yr old i5 CPU and is running a mobile version of the RTX 2060.  The system is probably throttling, too (most non-Mac laptops do).  Secondly, the compilation portion is FAST, no matter what configuration you are using.  I crunched some ProRES footage and the M1 positively flew through the process.

Yeah, I'm not going back and will probably purchase a license for Resolve so that I can use some of the features that are locked in the free version.  I may as well pay for a license if I'm going to use it as my primary editor.

Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 and Dell XPS 8930

2-3 years ago, I bought my daughter a Dell XPS 8930.  It was nothing special but was a good base in case she needed to expand the system a bit.

Not long after purchase, the motherboard went bad.  I had on-site support for it but never got around to getting it repaired until maybe a month before support expired.  A contractor showed up and replaced the mainboard. 

My daughter only used it a few months then decided to build her own.  The XPS was sitting in a corner, barely used.

I've a cheap system I bought from TigerDirect that is running Ubuntu.  It is currently running Ubuntu Desktop 18.04.  I'd installed Owncloud on it, but the install got jacked up.  it's all out of sync now, package-wise.  I'd attempted to update Owncloud and it choked.  I've not been able to get it running again and it has crucial data on it (it has two drives and the Owncloud data is on the 2nd non-system drive).

I decide to run Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 on the XPS.  I'd initially installed LTS 22.04 but at this time that version has issues with systems that have Nvidia cards and I didn't want a headless system (I already have several of those), so I opted for Desktop.  The Desktop install was seamless.

Desktop 22.04 already has a cloud-based system included in the default install - Nextcloud.  I'm still playing with it but I'll more than likely use that since it's within the Ubuntu repository (Owncloud wasn't when I last checked).

Some things I don't like about these latest Ubuntu versions (noticed this will LTS as well):

• vim wasn't installed by default.  vi is installed by default.  I think this is a licensing thing (I don't believe vim is POSIX).  As well, if vi is already installed, I guess vim wouldn't need to be.  If anyone needs vim, they can use apt to install it post-install.
• ifconfig was not installed by default.  IMO, ifconfig should be essential to a default install.  You might need to troubleshoot a network issue immediately after installing the distro and if you don't have a network connection, you're screwed.  ifconfig is included in the net-tools package.  That package shouldn't be excluded from the base install.

Everything else seems to be good with this distro version, but I'm sure I'll find something amiss as I use the system.

Had to Rearrange My Desk

 I've rearranged my desk so that I can use the Macs at one end of the (long) desk.  

This resulted in moving my 27" iMac, placing it next to my Mac Mini.  The enables me to use the iMac as a monitor for my Mini, using Target Display Mode (TDM).  I had to buy a USB-C to mini-Displayport cable and use the one of the Thunderbolt slots to connect to the iMac.

Even though I can use TDM, there's the issue of having two sets of keyboard and mice between both systems.  I don't think there's a worthwhile way around that issue.

I'm also using a bluetooth mouse and keyboard with the Mini.  The mouse is a Corsair Harpoon that has a bluetooth mode.  I'd been using that mouse with my work laptop until I found that it had BT functionality, then I repurposed it for use with my Mini.  The keyboard is a Seenda ISJ-ZXKB01.  It has mapped controls for MacOS.  It works well, but tends to take a few seconds to reconnect when it is hibernating (I've to tap a button and wait maybe a second or two for it to awaken before I can use it).

Since I took the iMac from my work setup, I am mow using my Dell 27" monitor as my second screen for work.  I'd previously been using it as a second monitor for use when I'm streaming gameplay, but since that system has a 34" UW display, I really didn't have an excuse to use an additional monitor.  It did make things a bit more simple, as I could use OBS on that screen while the main screen was outputting gameplay.  I may buy another 27" screen from Dell if I want to go back to that setup, but I'd have to rearrange the desk or get a wallmount for it (or the iMac).  We'll see.

The Macbook Air (MBA) is doing well.  I've been using it to do light things such as blog posts, research, and note-taking (using OneNote).  I'd heard folks with M1 Macs using the MS Edge browser because it's less resource-intensive than Firefox and Chrome.  I've been using Firefox as my main browser, but I've to watch it closely because it tends to consume lots of memory.  I might try Edge soon.

M17x R3 Has Arrived

  

  

My M17x R3 has been delivered!

It was delivered 3/20/2013, late in the evening, around 7:45PM (rather late, but that's another story).

I cracked it open but decided not to capture the box-opening on video...there are FAR too many videos of this on the internet as it is.  Once you've seen one, you've basically seen them all.

Anyways, this is a large notebook, especially since I've been using a 13" Macbook almost exclusively.  This notebook positively dwarfs the tiny Macbook in size as well as weight (this notebook weighs at LEAST 10lbs).

The screen is awesome.  It's on par with my iMac's screen for brightness and clarity.  I'll certainly test both, as I plan to use the iMac screen when gaming on the M17x via a mini-DisplayPort-to-mini-DisplayPort cable.  I played BF3 several times over the weekend using the new notebook and my KDR went up at least on percentage point (it has been dropping in the last six months).  I primarily use the sniper class and noticed that I can aim and shoot quicker on this system, so I decided to use the engineer class last night.  This is something I usually don't use, unless I anticipate having to fix vehicles.  I used that class in Operation Metro, which usually has me dying left and right.  I used the AKS-74u.  In 8 minutes of gameplay using that class and that weapon, I raised my engineer score by several thousand and killed without mercy...checking BFStats.com, I found that my accuracy with that weapon went up 1.14% with that gaming session alone...unbelievable.  And with the M40A5, my accuracy went up 1.87% just with last night's few hours of play.  A large part of this is probably due to the video card in this system.  I also played some BF3 on my AMD 6-core system and noticed immediate differences in clarity.  I still have to install Fraps onto the M17x but I'm positive that the 580M is outgunning the ATI 5600-series card in my desktop system.  I've seen this before, when moving up from an Nvidia 7500 to a 9500...my gameplay kill scores skyrocketed due to pure FPS increase.  This means I might consider upgrading the vidcard in my desktop (again...when will it end????).  And we'll see if things get even better when I push the video to the 27" iMac screen...

I find I don't play as well if I have to use the notebook's keyboard (I bought the TacX keyboard for use with this notebook).  The TacX keyboard and mouse are awesome!  I play better with this keyboard because I'm used to the external keyboard layout when I game.  I have to have the arrow keys when gaming (I'm not a fan of WASD and never have been...been gaming since FPS became prevalent), as well as the upper row between the numpad and QWERTY keys.  I *might* try to adapt to the laptop's keyboard...we'll see.

I've installed only a few apps, such as Norton 360 and Norton Management, Origin, TeamSpeak, WinDirStat, HWINFO64, Chrome, BF3, and one or two others.

Temperature-wise, the 580M has been good, so far.  There are quite a few complaints of throttling due to heat on the NotebookReview.com forums, but the highest I've seen so far is 59C when playing BF3.  *knock on wood*

I've a few desktop gadgets running:  CPU usage, GPU meter, drives meter, and network meter.  When I installed Norton, it installed it's own desktop gadget, which I'll tolerate since it should keep me situationally aware.

I haven't noticed any issues with the notebook so far, which is good, since Dell's support appears to be rather shakey (from what I've gathered on the forums, as well as the pains I went through to even get the notebook delivered).

One last note.  The RAID 0.  It's getting a rather low WEI rating, due solely to the performance (or lack thereof) of the RAID 0 setup.  Now, I've not noticed anything abnormally slow with the drive writing and reading at all.  WEI has been massively sensationalized...the system runs good regardless of the low rating.  I don't need an SSD at this moment in time...really.  Many people are pushing for SSD, but it won't do much but help the OS start and shut down a few seconds quicker.  It might help game loading a bit, but not really much.  Besides, SSDs are REALLY expensive and to afford one, I'd have to buy a small one and shift my games back and forth between a platter drive and the SSD...not conventional at all and certainly not convenient to have to micromanage the notebook in such a manner.  No thanks...it's not for me.

Alienware M17x R3

It's been awhile since I've posted here and at my iWeb site.  I'm a bit turned off by Apple, their Macs, and some of the software debacles lately, so I've been debating on where to post my Mac material.  I'm hating iWeb more and more (and it's not being updated any longer...as well as MobileMe being end-of-life), so it looks like I'll stick to this site as my main blog.  I'm not even going to bother with trying to import my other blog entries over to this site.

On this note, I've bought a new notebook.  And it's not an Apple product.  I bought an Alienware M17x R3.  The specs are below:


Stealth Black, soft-touch
Intel Core i7 2760QM 2.4GHz (3.5GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz (4DIMMS)
17.3-inch WideFHD1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M
1.5TB Raid 0 (2x 750GB 7,200RPM)
Custom Nameplate
AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
Alienware Command Center Software, M17X
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit Service Pack 1, English, w/Media
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Reader (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
Killer Wireless-N 1103 a/g/n 3x3 MIMO Technology

I opted out of the 3D 1080p screen (I don't care about gimmick items), although the resolution is a tad better than what I got.  I almost got the red version, but thought that the AlienFX coloring might clash with the red case color.

I'll be making space next to my iMac for this machine, as I plan to use the 27" screen for gaming.  I also  to use this notebook in tandem with my AMD 6-core desktop system.  In some regards, the M17x will replace my gaming desktop, especially when I'm traveling.

I also bought the Alienware TacX keyboard and mouse, a My Book Live 2-TB NAS drive for extra storage (I'll speak further on this later).  I bought a Cooler Master NotePal LapAir and Swiss Wenger messenger-style Legacy Slimcase (which is checkpoint-friendly).  I also bought a Cooler Master NotePal  U2 desk cooler with fan system, for the desk.

The system is due to be delivered March 13th.  I may be taking off that day to be sure I'm home to pick up the system and get it situated.  I ordered it Feb 18th, so I've been waiting awhile for the system to be built.  There was/is a stocking issue with the NV GTX580M video card, due to this past winter's flooding in Asia.

Another thing:  RAID 0 with the HDDs on a laptop.  They configured RAID 0 to offer optimal speed, but if one drive fails, I lose all the data of both drives (since data will be spread over both drives).  I'll see how fast the machine is, and if I'm not satisfied, I'll contemplate changing to RAID 1.  Then again, this is why I got the NAS drive.  I'm not ready to go the SSD route...I've spent enough on this system to where I just want to use it for awhile before buying anything else.  I *might* install more RAM, since I eventually plan to use virtual machines.  Also, I'm not planning on running Linux natively on this machine...there's just no need, since I've a ton of natively installed *nix machines already.  I might at least install Cygwin, though, as I've found Cygwin to be invaluable to use on Windows systems.

About the NAS drive, this thing was a PITA to get working with my Macbook.  After doing some internet digging, I found that I have to ensure that my Macbook is already connected to the NAS drive via AFP (not SMB) as a user, otherwise Time Machine won't connect to it.  It took me maybe a week to figure that out, and it's not anywhere on WesternDigital's knowledgebase (but is on their forums).  The NAS' network connection speed is satisfactory.  I was able to back up the Macbook in 24 hours (close to 70GB of data over a network connection).

I'll do some videos and take pics of the system when it arrives.  I will NOT video the unboxing of it...there's enough of those types of videos.

OSX on a Dell Mini??!!

http://vimeo.com/2206943