Your better off saving the money and take your girlfriend/wife out on a trip abroad and get busyNow that's investment
Sorry to break it to you, but that will cost you in the long run $$$$.
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Is the Mac pro For me
- Thread starter Carguy172
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Sorry to break it to you, but that will cost you in the long run $$$$.
I think the 20/24" iMac would be good for your needs. (comp in my sig) and that is plenty fast. Since they have new processors now theyre even faster. Get the 256mb card (X1600 for 20" 7600 for 24") and 2gb's of RAM that will be great for gfx and web design.
I do graphics and no this is not a hobby Im really get serious and thanks for your help im getting a pro and for all you who think im throwing my money away. I'm not because this computer will last years and years and its expandable the imac is not.Even though I dont need a whole lot of raw power right now i will later so thats one reason why im getting it.
Also someone said dont get it to impress your friends and honstly that is just STUPID I would never throw away $3500 to impress my friends im getting this computer so I can take advantage of all 4 cores this thing has, I might even get in to some 3d animation so I would also take advantage of that ati graphics card too.
So thanks for you input
Also someone said dont get it to impress your friends and honstly that is just STUPID I would never throw away $3500 to impress my friends im getting this computer so I can take advantage of all 4 cores this thing has, I might even get in to some 3d animation so I would also take advantage of that ati graphics card too.
So thanks for you input
car guy- seems to me you know the mac pro is what you want, considering the ability to expand down the line, and your clear statement that you want a power house. so if you can do it, go for it
thx1139- i think you could have easily said everything you did, but in a much less aggressive tone. this is not a forum for venting whatever your frustrations may be to those who are seeking advice and/or help, and especially those attempting to help, such as frederic. i appreciated his input as another reader of this thread, so please don't go speaking for everyone, particulalry given that you're using a harsher tone than needed.
frederic- i work with FCP and am will likely be moving into HD video from SD sometime next year...so the move to MP is inevitable. just wondering if you're working with HD or not, and how you configured your MP system given that you are so pleased with the results. perhaps car guy could also benefit given he is leaning toward the MP. thanks in advance.
thx1139- i think you could have easily said everything you did, but in a much less aggressive tone. this is not a forum for venting whatever your frustrations may be to those who are seeking advice and/or help, and especially those attempting to help, such as frederic. i appreciated his input as another reader of this thread, so please don't go speaking for everyone, particulalry given that you're using a harsher tone than needed.
frederic- i work with FCP and am will likely be moving into HD video from SD sometime next year...so the move to MP is inevitable. just wondering if you're working with HD or not, and how you configured your MP system given that you are so pleased with the results. perhaps car guy could also benefit given he is leaning toward the MP. thanks in advance.
You don't always need a Mac Pro for POWER ...
Having large collections that take up loads of HD space, and playing around with design and editing are enough.
The Mac Pros RAM capacity and built in HD/Optical capacity are more than enough to swing the vote its way.
These days 3GB RAM is a computer that will be replace soon, while a machine that can handle 32GB RAM and 4HDs inside and also eSATA drives is quite a bit of future proofing for most people.
A Mac Pro you don't need for its computing power will likely be on your desk longer than an iMac anyhow.
Edit: Enjoy your Mac Pro ...
I bought the MP to work with FCS and Shake but I just started using Aperture and I must say it is awesome. I just started working with FCS about a month ago so I don't know everything about the kind of power needed for every task. I edit only SD video for the moment because I don't have a HD camera yet. In basic editing, an iMac or a slower machine is fine but it is so much better on the mac pro.
FCS: I started a couple of weeks ago learning filters and effects, more specifically color correction and it is very important to have enough power in this case. The manual that comes with final cut specifically states that if you don't have a computer powerful enough you might not be able to use the three-way color correction (you're then stuck with the basic color correction). Rendering and using Compressor pushes the processor between 320%-360% and that probably means that it is running roughly twice as fast as on a two core computer.
Shake: If you plan on doing any Shake, you need a Mac Pro. When using the flipbook to preview (before rendering), you can see in activity monitor that Shake is using 365% of the processors (Probably the max it can use while leaving some for the OS). Even then, it cannot run the preview in real time but it is running fast enough to get of good idea of what you're doing. 2.66Ghz * 365% means that Shake is using the equivalent of 9.71GHz (There is no other mac computer than the Mac Pro (or the powermac quad) that can deliver that kind of power).
Aperture: I just started using Aperture this week so I don't know much yet but here it is. When I imported my iPhoto library, it generated the thumbnails afterwards creating a 175% demand on the processor (You couldn't get that on an imac either because 175% * 2.66Ghz equals about 200% at 2.33Ghz and you can never achieve the 200%, the operating systems and everything else needs a tiny little bit also.) Aperture, as is Motion (I don't know if you plan to use Motion) is very GPU demanding and the Mac Pro is very well GPU equipped with the x1900XT (I never saw these programs running on a 24" iMac with the 7600GT so I cannot really compare).
The specs: I chose the 2.66Ghz because I think the difference with 2.0Ghz is considerable and the price difference was okay. I think the 3Ghz is a bit too expensive right now (at least to expensive for my budget). I went with 2GB of ram because it really is a minimum for what I am doing, I couldn't get the 4GB upgrade (couldn't afford) and it is easily upgradable in the future. I also went with the x1900XT (and no, I am not a gamer) to improve the performance in Motion and Shake and I am quite happy that I did now that I use Aperture. The last thing is the hard drive, I took the 250 GB because it was enough for now and I will probably buy one soon (within the next year) at a cheaper price then Apple.
I think that is about it. Don't hesitate if you still have questions. It is truly a great computer.
Frederic
A Mac Pro will last you much more than 3 years. 4 or 5 at the least. But that all depends on how much of a power user you are...
And also dont forget , a computer lasts longer if u dont make often software updates, cause they can make your machine run slower due to their hardware expanding requirements. So a rule for keeping your machine to be as fast as possible is to stick to the same app version that u use, and make upgrades only but only if u really need them!
Sorry to break it to you, but that will cost you in the long run $$$$.
Know you tell me
It seems like whenever we go downtown she's eyeing my credit card to buy HER some clothes - Everytime I tell LOL.Shhhs what is it I spend 20min in the Apple Store or other electronic store and she complains compared to her hour and half in Mango
I think I did, no I meant that - and i'm serious! A user from Apple Discussions sometime ago was going to spend obscene amounts of money on a Mac Pro - and guess what - the kid was like under 18 and had the money just to show off to his friends.
I completely agreee - the only reason I would get one (and I'm planning to get one after MWSF '07) would be for the additional HD space and RAM.
For me the iMac is a great consumer model but I like that extra bit... It's comfortable to be able to think that you can upgrade your mac in the years to come than just being stuck with an enclosure that's limited such as the iMac.
For me the iMac was always a can of coke that you throw away after consumption
umm?
hey, Im way new to this thing, I got the first gen imac right before I went to college, bummed around with various other computers for a while, but now Im getting into recording my own music, and in the near future I wana learn how to do video editing and all that garbage. I also play video games. is garage band pretty much all I need for a one man recording studio or do I need to get something ellse? also can the new MBP's handle games well?
hey, Im way new to this thing, I got the first gen imac right before I went to college, bummed around with various other computers for a while, but now Im getting into recording my own music, and in the near future I wana learn how to do video editing and all that garbage. I also play video games. is garage band pretty much all I need for a one man recording studio or do I need to get something ellse? also can the new MBP's handle games well?
No, a Mac Pro has 4 HDD bays, iMac (MBP will not be considered its a laptop) has one and its not user replaceable, Mac Pro has 2 optical drive bays, iMac has one and its not user replaceable, Mac Pro has 4 PCI-E slots, iMac has none (this implies upgrades like graphic card, fiber channel cards, sound cards, tv tuners, etc), Mac Pro has easily accesible socketed processor slots and is drop in compatible with Clovertown, I wouldn't doubt if iMac has a soldered processor and even if its not, its still very hard to get inside, Mac Pro has 8 memory slots for up to 16GB, iMac has 2 for up to 3GB I think.
Now if Apple released a full tower Core 2 Duo (conroe) based system then that would be awesome, imagine a white/black polycarbonate macpro-like styled case with Conroe, 2GB DDR2 and a decent graphic cards, all that with the flexibility of Mac Pro. If such machine existed, I would have picked it up in a second over the Mac Pro I ended up with. But I think its unlikely Apple will ever release a computer like that... maybe it can be called... hmm iMac Pro? Heh the toughest challenge would be naming it...
Yeah, right on! That's why I'm still using sytem 7.5 and Photoshop 3.0 (I forced myself to upgrade because I wanted layers). My PPC 7300AV 50MHZ system rocks! I paid more for it than most of you paid for a current system, but I've gotten the most bang for my buck. Now all I need to learn are the shortcuts to speed things up more. I'd like to get another 10 years... do you think more ram would help?
well u can put extra external HDs in the iMac
also external optical drives
u cant put extra PCIcards no, so i guess that u cant do
concering the grafx card i think u can upgrade
memory goes up to 3GB
as for the MacPro u cant upgrade over clovertown, so u only have one option there as far as CPUs are concerned,
but guys hold on a sec who... realy who, is really making upgrades to keep his mac for another 2-3 years after he seems he cant hold on mutch longer? i believe most users just go and buy a new computer, thats what i do!
I think I did, no I meant that - and i'm serious! A user from Apple Discussions sometime ago was going to spend obscene amounts of money on a Mac Pro - and guess what - the kid was like under 18 and had the money just to show off to his friends.
Wow thats stupid I can't belive how people just throw away there money it's ridicules.
Oh and the mac pro's processor can't be upgraded as far as I know but pretty well everything else can be. thats why it's great for people who want computer that won't give up on them in a year or two.
What do you mean? That if you buy a 2.0 GHZ processor then you cannot switch it with a 3.0 GHZ later? Because you can.
If you're talking about the lack of upgrading possibilities ATM, that's another matter.
Mac Pro v others
I do use professionally but don't really ¨need¨ that power.
But iMacs are problematic - a few annoying dead pixels and the whole thing wasted.
Minis are just a little too inflexible eg RAID, extra RAM etc
If you want a desktop Mac Pros are the only option - I'm juust trying to save up for one.
My view is that for most people Minis are ok - but if you can afford it, need pro power or just are an enthusiast then get the pro - the base version isn't too bad cost wise.
I do use professionally but don't really ¨need¨ that power.
But iMacs are problematic - a few annoying dead pixels and the whole thing wasted.
Minis are just a little too inflexible eg RAID, extra RAM etc
If you want a desktop Mac Pros are the only option - I'm juust trying to save up for one.
My view is that for most people Minis are ok - but if you can afford it, need pro power or just are an enthusiast then get the pro - the base version isn't too bad cost wise.
I'm actually getting tired of the Mac Pro debate especially its also being discussed in '8-Core Mac Pro with Clovertown...In November?' Thread
My opinion if you can afford it buy it - its a hell of machine (I'm personally waitning til they release Leopard so I can buy one)
You will not be dissapointed and as everything is coming over to do with film and music ie. the ipod I would suspect that its only about time that users will want to convert their legally owned dvd's over to .mp4. So you need the power.
And also think about the 30" Apple Cinema Display (if you opt for one):
How beautiful would P**N look like espcially in HD
My opinion if you can afford it buy it - its a hell of machine (I'm personally waitning til they release Leopard so I can buy one)
You will not be dissapointed and as everything is coming over to do with film and music ie. the ipod I would suspect that its only about time that users will want to convert their legally owned dvd's over to .mp4. So you need the power.
And also think about the 30" Apple Cinema Display (if you opt for one):
How beautiful would P**N look like espcially in HD
What your right arm is for
I find it more convenient to watch it on a portable laptop in a more comnfortable setting.
Sitting at a desk is just too awkward and potentially messy - Mac Pros aren't good enough on their own.
I supose streaming might be an idea but that's mixing metaphors... or something... or at least a different genre.
Zikes - only just started posting and might get banned
I find it more convenient to watch it on a portable laptop in a more comnfortable setting.
Sitting at a desk is just too awkward and potentially messy - Mac Pros aren't good enough on their own.
I supose streaming might be an idea but that's mixing metaphors... or something... or at least a different genre.
Zikes - only just started posting and might get banned