PB for dv editing and fx?

[Phoenix]

Ok i know theres a few threads about PBs now, but i am thinking about getting one and its pretty much going to be used for dv editing and effects, graphics, and 2d animation. I am wondering a) will the Pb be able to handle this properly and b) what the best setup would be in terms of PB setup, external HD, etc. Im pretty new to a lot of the mac stuf so go easy on me! I will be travelling overseas soon and then back again, so bear that in mind. Thanks heaps
T

[zenarcade]

I have a G4 pBook with 1 GHz and 768MB ram in it. I am happy with this setup. Obviously, the more intense and advanced work you do will get you to render from time to time. If you are not doing HD stuff, the pBooks will be more than enough !

Zon

[autodata]

I also have a 1 ghz powerbook with 1 GB of RAM and it works perfectly for editing and motion graphics.

[Phoenix]

Ok so is the 17" not necessary for what i want to do. I dont have access to an apple shop because i live in the middle of no where, so i cant go and have a look. But i have been told the 17" is far too big. Remembering i am travelling overseas and will want to be able to use it on planes as well. I am thinking going the 15" with all the extra's, including 2gb of RAM, and for the time being getting a nice big monitor to use when im at home. Is this sensible?
Also i am still confused about external HD's. If i were to purchase a 7200rpm one would this be the best and fastest option? If i were to get that would i need some kind of stand-alone firewire card?
And lastly, i am wondering about the monitors. I want to be able to hook up an external monitor. I am looking for something fairly big at this stage, and money is generally not much of an issue. I love the look of the apple monitors, but they seem to be fairly expensive. I was looking at the 30" by the way. But i want to be able to hook it up to be my tv as well as my monitor. Is this how they work? im really not good with this hardware stuff. I just get on the computers at work and edit and animate. I dont have to worry about the setup. But now im doing so much work for other people its time i invest in my own stuff. Thanks so much for helping me out. I really am hopeless. And this seems to be the place ive found with the most insightful people. Again thanks.
T

[autodata]

the 15" is perfect for planes, a faster drive will allow you to do more (but I've done fine with 5400 rpm drives) and an external firewire drive is indeed good if you have a lot of footage, but remember that the larger ones aren't really portable.