So I guess I wanted to be a voice from the other side of the wall. I run Norton, games, Pop-Up Stopper, I check my email with Outlook while rendering, I surf online and edit, I have Norton Defrag media drives, and God Only Knows Whatever the Hell Else (GOKWHE for short) and the only problems I have had were the result of the 3.5 initial botch release. Since 3.5.3 and 4 no problems...(except with that stupid JVC HR-DVS3U deck)
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It seems to me that we are using computers that are quite a bit faster (and/or stronger, more reliable, more stable, the difference between say George Mikan and Shaquille O'neal, someone that is a lot better at EVERYTHING) in fact, so much so that the rules that once applied no longer need apply because the nature of the game and the beast is different.
I realize that I do not have a lot of experience with Avid hardware (none in fact) and have only used XDV for a year, but I do know, as do most of my X-Gen familiars, that computers are meant for as much multi-tasking and different applications as can be thrown their way. This is not to encourage running Planetside or Quake 3 Arena with Avid and After Effects both Rendering (though someday, someday...) but I believe that 30 years of computer R&D has provided us with a bit more freedom than what marketing strategists have us believing, that we need more computers more software licenses, more hardware, all to run ONE program on a computer that is powerful enough to have run the US Defense Dept. in the sixties (in fact any PDA could have done so too...)
If I could afford to own an Avid turnkey system, I would if for no other reason than the sheer vanity of it. I must admit that I do not use Avid to earn a living, nor do I have that intention in the near future, as I am in school. Do not take this to mean that you won't get better render time, faster response (I don't about this one) etc, by going the "Only Have Avid Installed" route it may well help, but I know that the next generation of NLE users are like me and want to their computers to do all of this and more. I think it is time to expect this from Avid, FCP, Premiere (what a joke) etc.
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No harm done, and yeah I do agree that the BEST option is to have a dedicated comp, and like I said I would jump at the chance to have dedicated hardware, the problem is that with the limited space available (my studio is in one half of my San Francisco apartment) limited resources (lets be real, there is no point in getting an entry level Dell IF it is going to be a dedicated rig) and the fact that I do not, I repeat do not experience any of the problems that one would associate with the kind of manic-depressive OCD multitasking I do.
But, I just thought of another thing.
I used to work as a CSR, then an IT technician for Kinkos, where I was responsible for maintaining computers in three different branches, both Mac (OS 9.2) and PC (Windows 98) and found that the main issue was the difference in how a computer works when one person uses it 99% of the time, vs. how it works when anybody and the Witches of Eastwick use it.
Which is to say that they may as well be on a permanent schedule of clean installation every month. And they were. So, I do take back a bit about what I said, because with multiple users, God only knows what is happening to the poor thing. I would make quite a bit more sense to be dedicated, if multiple users WERE using it, and that implies more budget to play with more computer to buy.
To recapitulate, If you are by your lonesome, and are fairly well-versed in the computer "stuff" go ahead be brave and do whatever the hell you like with the damn thing (you know you will anyway, but now you have permission and you can blame me if anything goes awry) and if you are designing it to be for a post house or boutique or school lab or training facility or rental establishment, or anywhere else that has many different users do what Baklap said, and make it do Avid really well exclusively.
Hope that clears the air.
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