AUMC AV Blog

As our country decides who our next president will be, I am trying to get my mind off of the idea that we are picking the wrong guy. So, here is what I am thinking about for the computer and computer software in our new building. I put this here to get your feedback. If I am missing something, or you disagree with me, speak out and tell me what you think!

Hardware:
iMac: $2,368.00
24", 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB memory, 500GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB memory, price includes Apple Care.
Honestly, this one buggs me. I know that it wouldn't be smart, but part of me says "Wait until Apple updates the iMac" (which should be mid-January). See, my last iMac I bought two months before they were upgraded, and it still buggs me that I missed out on a better computer for the same price. I guess I am destined to do it again. Anywho, I want to get the top of the line iMac. If we will be doing video and other heavy processing, I figure it is worth the extra couple hundred bucks to get the best.

Some kind of mouse: $30-$100
Sorry Apple, the Mighy Mouse sucks, especially if you need precision mousing like we will need. So I suggest that we splurge on a different mouse. I personally own the Logitech MX Revolution. It is expensive (just under $100), but it is an AMAZING wireless mouse.

Apple Mini-DVI to DVI Adapter: $19.00
A monitor cable to hook the iMac up to our video system.

Kensington lock: $30
So the iMac doesn't walk away.

2 more GB of RAM: $30
Lots cheaper than the $150 Apple wanted.

Necessary Software: (IE: Software we will use on a weekly basis)
ProPresenter: $340
This will be the backbone of what we project. We will use it for projecting songs, scriptures, videos, etc. The more I use this program, the more I like it.

Microsoft Office: (already purchased)
For those times that we need to use PowerPoint, we will need Office. It has served us well so far, so we will have it in case we need it. (The sermon notes might end up being displayed in Office every week.)

Audacity: Free!
Audacity is a great app for recording audio. It will be easy to record the audio from the board so that we can easily put sermons on the website.

DropBox: $100/year
A great utility for moving and sharing files on several computers. I will probably pay the upgrade for 50GB so that we can store everything online... this will also serve as an off-site backup.

Not Necessary Software (IE: Software that we won't use on a weekly basis, but it will probably be installed on the computer anyway)
Quicksilver: Free
A great little app that can do just about anything. If you haven't used it, it is hard to explain what it is. If you have used it, you know why it will be on the computer.

Covenant Eyes: $100/year
Covenant Eyes is a program that watches what web pages you view and it reports to someone else what you have looked at. While mainly used for people seeking an "accountability parter", it can also be used for keeping track of what others are looking at on your computer. Not that I plan on the internet being abused on the church computer, but I think it is wise to hold people accountable when they are browsing the web.

Adium: Free
A multi-client IM program. We might use this to receive notices from the children's wing.

Meteorologist: Free
A great weather-in-the-menu-bar app.

Maybe Later Software (IE: Software that we will need one day, but probably won't get right away.)
PhotoShop Elements: $90
This is good for editing backgrounds and photos and stuff. There have been many Sunday morning where I was in the booth and just wanted to touch-up a photo so bad...

Final Cut Express: $200
For basic video editing and the like. However, iMovie will have to do for now.

Well, I am sure that I have left something out, in which case I will add it in later. Outside of things I have missed, what do you think of the list?

EDIT: I have added: Kensington lock, extra RAM, DropBox, and Meteorologist.

Matthew