Buy now or wait? MP for everyday and occasional HD video work

[globetrottin]

I am working on a Mac Pro that is 3 years old and I have a budget to replace it. I do some intense video editing to produce a promotional piece for several months each summer/fall and then don't do much video until the following summer. I have a JVC HD camera (GY-HM100U).

The other 9 or 10 months of the year I'm doing some Adobe CS projects and office tasks.

I think FCP X looks like it's going to be lots of fun when it's released in June. There are rumblings about whether an updated Mac Pro will be out soon. Most of what I'm reading suggests it won't be until late '11 or maybe '12. Perhaps it makes sense to just get the new MacPro and wait for FCP X to become available. I can afford something like an 8 core with 24GB ram (ram mostly purchased separately of course) and I already have 23" monitors and a promax 4GB Raid 5 to keep all the video files safe.

So... buy now or wait?

 

[beto2k7]

Do you need it now of not?

 

[derbothaus]

Unless FCP X is perfectly multi threaded you'd be better off with the 3.2 single Quad for similar money. But I'd wait. Anything you get will give you some buyers remorse. It has been 250+ days since apple released the 2010 Mac Pros. They are still charging the same amount for components that are, off the shelf, almost half the price now. If you buy now you get a major "apple tax".

 

[globetrottin]

My current Mac Pro is a 2008 with quad core and 10GB ram. It just went past the 3 year old mark and is no longer eligible for Applecare support and my employer doesn't support it at all. So... I have the budget approved to replace it.
I am not *required* to buy the new one now for any reason. It's just that nobody seems to know what or when the replacement Mac Pro will be released.
I know that the currently available MP would serve me well and suit my needs but just keep thinking that the newer model MP might be out soon and it might be "so darn much better" that I should wait.

I can see going either way with this. Just thought I'd toss it out for discussion.

Thanks!

 

[derbothaus]

For future proof and if budget allows, get the 6-core 3.33. At least those CPU's are still spendy currently. W3680 is 1059.00. 2x E5620's are around 700.00. I am in the same boat right now at work. We need to have 10.6 bootable pro's. If the 2011-12 Pro's ship with Lion and we wait we are very unhappy. So we are most likely buying a fleet of 3.33 6-cores. Update to lion after 10.7.4+. The users currently have 2.26GHz 8-core and they hate them for the Adobe work they do.