2.66 Ordered...Clovertown, oh should I cancel?

[Monyx]

After much deliberation I ordered a MacPro 2.66 X1900XT airport, then just as the documentation email arrives outlining my right to cancel within 10 days I'm reminded of the futility of keeping up re: Clovertown announcements.

"AAArgh!" my wife exclaims just buy the damn thing already!

It's nice to move at the right time get gd value, and that's what tempts me to hold off...but it could be for nothing if come Jan/Feb all that's added is top-line Clovertown and minor price adjustment to Woodcrest.

Also mindful of $ needed for RAM & HD in MP. 8-core might be a compromise if all I can afford is the 1.86 Ghz due to lack multi-threading software.

I'm buying primarily for: FCS 5.1 (esp. Compressor speed), Aperture, Nikon CaptureNX.

Utterly indecisive, and obviously it is more a want than need otherwise I wouldn't have the luxury waiting, but with the G5 gone it will be frustrating wait back to the G4 DP500 as stop-gap.

 

[Queso]

I agree with your wife, just buy the thing. Clovertown processors are going to be very expensive, so if they do go into the Mac Pros, the resulting model will be way more expensive than the config you're talking about now.

I'm seeing so many of these threads popping up, so you're not alone, but if you keep thinking like this, you'll never buy the computer, ever. Intel move a damn sight quicker than Motorola and IBM did. There's always a "great new thing" around the corner.

 

[iMeowbot]

1. Do you need a new computer now?

Yes: Buy the computer now.

No: Do not buy the computer now, wait until you need one.

a. Will you need a new computer when Clowntown comes around?

Yes: Buy the computer then.

No: Do not buy the computer then, wait until you need one.​

 

[auyongtc]

1. Do you need a new computer now?

Yes: Buy the computer now.

No: Do not buy the computer now, wait until you need one.

a. Will you need a new computer when Clowntown comes around?

Yes: Buy the computer then.

No: Do not buy the computer then, wait until you need one.​

Do you have the spare cash lying around?
YES: Go buy APPL, and when the promised 80-core Intel system come around with, you'll probably have enough to get it free from the profit
NO: Oh well, can't help you there

 

[Monyx]

1. Do you need a new computer now?

Yes: Buy the computer now.
​

Trouble with Apple is they make this old clunkers last so well! i.e. G4 500 DP 832MB 9800Pro runs 10.4.7 FCS as editor okay, sure no Motion, no Aperture so I had a fiddle with Adobe Lightroom beta.

I know I'm not true prof...those guys turn out fantastic work on 3+yo machines & upgrade only when they have to!
I think I'm happy to let as is - I'm starting to rebalance the clock speed vs cores as I see many benchmarks showing no advantage to Quads - but I know I use them surely for compressor, FCP rendering.​

 

[iMeowbot]

Trouble with Apple is they make this old clunkers last so well! i.e. G4 500 DP 832MB 9800Pro runs 10.4.7 FCS as editor okay, sure no Motion, no Aperture so I had a fiddle with Adobe Lightroom beta.

Yeah, I know, in a few years there will be new software that simply won't run so well even on your fancy new Woodcrest beast. But you know that the same thing is going to happen with Clowntown machines.

Waiting may buy you a few more months of functionality, but those are the same few months you went without a new computer. By the time the 8-core machines come out, we'll be hearing about the wonderful new 16-core version that will be coming out any month now to make those Octomacs look silly and pathetic.

Get the new machine and enjoy it! If you try to keep ahead of the game, you'll only get old faster.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

This is a tough one. Intel has announced they are ahead of schedule on Clovertown so very good chance we'll see a bump either pre-Xmas or at MWSF '07 at the latest. I think pricewise Apple will continue to be as aggressive as they are now with the Woodcrest.

That said the Clovertown CPU is pin compatible with the current MP logicboard. If you need that kind of power you can always upgrade. Quite honestly though, the Clovertown is going to be so fast unless you are going to install a RAID card and lots of RAM all that power is going to be lost in a bottleneck. There isn't going to be any way a stock machine can really harness the power of Clovertown without some serious hardward additions.

I think the prevailing logic applies here: if you NEED a new machine now buy now. If you can wait, computers are getting faster and less expensive every day. (I wish I could say the same for the MP's RAM)

 

[Monyx]

I will stay with the 2.66, I'm already excited and ordering stuff for it Digital TV USB device, but TBO I'm not sure where the $$ are coming for the much needed addtionals like:
2x SG 7200.10 320Gb + 160 stock
RAM 2Gb http://www.maxupgrades.com/istore/i...&product_id=157&CFID=4144058&CFTOKEN=45883597

Trouble is I look at the bottom line of stock 2.66, don't really want to add up all the extras which really are needed to get the most out of it i.e. X1900XT, HD, RAM. So on that basis Clovertown beyond reach and would need even more hardware as pointed out.

Just the obligatory buyer's chill, if there was no "you are entitled to cancel this with 10 days" I'd just shrug and say "it's done"

<shrugs> says "It's done"

 

[Platform]

I agree with your wife, just buy the thing. Clovertown processors are going to be very expensive, so if they do go into the Mac Pros, the resulting model will be way more expensive than the config you're talking about now.

I'm seeing so many of these threads popping up, so you're not alone, but if you keep thinking like this, you'll never buy the computer, ever. Intel move a damn sight quicker than Motorola and IBM did. There's always a "great new thing" around the corner.

Agree, buy it now and enjoy the speed already present, and in the future, if you do want to upgrade, your machine can take it and your apps will benefit from it since they are already multithreaded

 

[TheFuzz]

you made the right move. i've yet to use more than 2.5 cores rendering in fcp or compressor and have only maxed out the processing power when rendering a video out of after effects while compressing another in compressor, just to do it.

 

[QCassidy352]

Waiting may buy you a few more months of functionality, but those are the same few months you went without a new computer.

This is what I think too. I actually disagree with the notion that "if you need it now you should buy it now" unless you really NEED it now. For example, nobody should buy a MBP now unless they actually need to start a job with it in the next few days.

The reason is that on a MBP, waiting a few weeks will buy you a few months of usability on the other end. OTOH, iMeowbot is probably right in saying that with the Mac Pro, you're going to lose as many months of usabilty by waiting as you gain on the other end. So buy it now.

 

[solvs]

Keep it. The new ones probably won't be out for awhile. I hear they're pin compatible though, so you may be able to just drop the new chips in if you want and sell the old ones. Of course, you'd probably void your warranty, and the new ones will be really expensive, but you can.

 

[technicolor]

Besides you can upgrade to cloverton chips yourself later down the line if you so choose.

 

[psingh01]

Unless you need it now, I would wait until you need one then get that one. Myself, I've been waiting for the "dual 3ghz G5"

 

[PowerMike G5]

Just buy the thing already ... you can use it now instead of waiting ...

 

[Killyp]

And there was a news item on MR a while ago about someone who had swapped the CPUs in their Mac Pro for some other ridiculous Turdtown processors or something stupid. You never know, Clovertown might be compatible with your current Mac Pro, allowing you to swap the processor chips over if you really feel the need to (although I doubt you will).

Oh yeah, don't quote me on any of that

The Mac Pro as it is is ridiculously powerful anyways, go and buy the damn thing!

 

[minnesotamacman]

After much deliberation I ordered a MacPro 2.66 X1900XT airport, then just as the documentation email arrives outlining my right to cancel within 10 days I'm reminded of the futility of keeping up re: Clovertown announcements.

"AAArgh!" my wife exclaims just buy the damn thing already!

It's nice to move at the right time get gd value, and that's what tempts me to hold off...but it could be for nothing if come Jan/Feb all that's added is top-line Clovertown and minor price adjustment to Woodcrest.

Also mindful of $ needed for RAM & HD in MP. 8-core might be a compromise if all I can afford is the 1.86 Ghz due to lack multi-threading software.

I'm buying primarily for: FCS 5.1 (esp. Compressor speed), Aperture, Nikon CaptureNX.

Utterly indecisive, and obviously it is more a want than need otherwise I wouldn't have the luxury waiting, but with the G5 gone it will be frustrating wait back to the G4 DP500 as stop-gap.

BUY NOW!

 

[Monyx]

The Mac Pro as it is is ridiculously powerful anyways, go and buy the damn thing!

Yep - when it arrived I was very excited and I hit the VISA for 2GB extra RAM and 2x320GB HD...all set and will plenty of power. Absolutely fine system

 

[THX1139]

There are a lot of people on the sidelines waiting for Coreduo 2 in the laptops, and even though the chip is shipping, Apple isn't using it yet. This may be the case with the Macpro too. When Clovertown ships it doesn't mean Apple is going to suddenly adopt it. Even if they do, buyers might be looking at another long ship schedule. So if Clovertown gets announced at MWSF in '07, it might take another month or so before they are delivered... especially if you order custom. So looking at the calendar, we could easily be looking at another 5-6 months to the next major chip change.

 

[generik]

WWDC for Q1 '07 speced Mac Pros anyone?

 

[PowerMike G5]

Look at it this way ... the Core 2 Extreme is seen as the top dog of processors for Desktop computers right now ...

One of the 3.0ghz Xeons is already faster than the Extreme ... and there are 2 in the MacPro ...

Just buy it already