Mac Pro for a Non-Pro

[VirtualRain]

i am in the same position



i'm thinking buying it as a personal computer but most people act as if i am committing some kind of criminal offence and i have no right to purchase this machine

Most people are probably just trying to warn that it may not be the best value for casual computing. Although I say... If you want the best Mac, just buy it and enjoy it! I mean, if everyone just bought the cheapest car possible that got them from A to B, life would be pretty boring. There's nothing wrong with running to the corner store for milk in an M5.

 

[ybz90]

How well is that MacMini going to run the 2-3 monitors that the OP wanted to run? Think that might be stretching the limits of the MacMini there.

Honestly, perfectly fine. The OP isn't going to be gaming or running any sort of graphically demanding software. To drive an additional display itself takes maybe around 50MB VRAM depending on resolution. The Mac Mini's integrated graphics can easily do this, and should it ever get updated, Iris will be able to carry as well. Hell, my nearly three year old MacBook Air can push its screen and 2560x1440 without a hiccup. People overestimate the processing overhead required for additional displays. This isn't 1999.

 

[Agent007pr]

Its funny how we all assumed that we know what the OP is using the nMP or anything in this case for. The OP needs to clear many things up for anyone to give him a clear and correct answer.

 

[VirtualRain]

Its funny how we all assumed that we know what the OP is using the nMP or anything in this case for. The OP needs to clear many things up for anyone to give him a clear and correct answer.

Given the OP hasn't been back, there's a good chance he's sitting back chuckling at some of this nonsense.

 

[Agent007pr]

Given the OP hasn't been back, there's a good chance he's sitting back chuckling at some of this nonsense.

Yes he is...

 

[Consultant]

Hello everyone,

I have been doing some research on this heck of a machine about to be released. I am not a video editor, and I do not create music or anything. I am actually a healthcare professional who needs to be able to simultaneously have many programs running including ones for work, and ones for personal use.

I am thinking of opting for a 256gb flash drive, and connect my 6TB external hard drive via thunderbolt and use the computer as a server for all my multimedia needs. Ideally, I would run 2 or 3 screens on this mac pro.

I want a computer that will last for the next 5-10 years without slowing down or rather a computer that'll keep up for next 5-10 years.

Is the mac pro a good option? What specs?

Thank you!

here's one which has recently passed its 10 year b-day..

[powermac g5]
(not meant as a counterpoint to what you've said)

I am running a PowerMac G4 from 2001 as a server. It still works as intended. Running 24/7.

Given the OP hasn't been back, there's a good chance he's sitting back chuckling at some of this nonsense.

Yup. Or he's busy "managing" his PC.

 

[Sean Dempsey]

that's a nice vacation somewhere. Or a nice TV.

I'd easily take my vacation fund or tv fund and buy the nMP.

Checkmate.

 

[ybz90]

I'd easily take my vacation fund or tv fund and buy the nMP.

Checkmate.

Good for you. No one cares about what you would do. The question is "should the OP do that?"

The answer to that question is a resounding no.

 

[flat five]

The answer to that question is a resounding no.

count the yay vs nay in the thread

 

[goMac]

Even you. Who are you to say that one person's hobby is stupid. Some people spend money on golf, fishing, skiing, diving and enjoy it. It's no more stupid than spending most of your time on this forum criticizing other people.

The OP clearly said he was thinking about it because it would last longer. Hobby wasn't part of what he said.

If you've got money to burn, sure, why not. That doesn't mean you're going to get extra utility out of the machine.

 

[ybz90]

count the yay vs nay in the thread

Mobocracy does not always yield truth. This boils down to "buy it if you can afford it, you'll enjoy it so much it's worth the money" and "you don't need the power, and it's a waste of your money."

One camp is projecting their own desires/utility onto the OP with no consideration for the OP's needs; the latter is being level-headed and stating the objective truth -- the OP would be wasting money on something he doesn't need, and based on the fact he's asking this question in the first place, is unlikely to gain thousands of dollars worth of utility from the satisfaction of owning a nMP.

Also, stop quoting/responding to literally everything I post. It's creepy and stalkery. I'm starting to think you're in love with me.

 

[flat five]

Also, stop quoting/responding to literally everything I post. It's creepy and stalkery. I'm starting to think you're in love with me.

ok sir.. will do

(but make sure while you're counting yay vs nay in the thread-- to also see who started talking to who first)

 

[OS6-OSX]

Given the OP hasn't been back, there's a good chance he's sitting back chuckling at some of this nonsense.

He provided some chuckles of his own!
1. He has been doing some "research" on the nMP but shared no conclusions
2. Mentions zero apps by name that will be running simultaneously
3. Think the nMP will last 10yrs without slowing down!
4. Not returning to ask questions
5. If he currently has a 6TB TB drive, what is it now connected to?
6. Can that "mystery" computer be the one to keep if tweaked?

 

[theSeb]

Most people are probably just trying to warn that it may not be the best value for casual computing. Although I say... If you want the best Mac, just buy it and enjoy it! I mean, if everyone just bought the cheapest car possible that got them from A to B, life would be pretty boring. There's nothing wrong with running to the corner store for milk in an M5.

Exactly. Life is a journey with the same end destination. What matters is how you get to that destination. Personally, I prefer to get there with the tyres squealing and power sliding sideways, metaphorically speaking.

 

[Tanax]

This is basically very simple.

First examine what type of computer horsepower you need. CHECK.
Then see what type of Mac models would fit your needs. CHECK.
After that, examine how much money you're willing to spend on overflow horsepower that you don't need. NO-CHECK
Then examine if Mac Pro is still a viable choice for you. NO-CHECK
If yes, buy it. NO-CHECK

You asked if the Mac Pro is a good option? Of course it's a good option. It's the best option Apple has. It will out-shine all other Macs in almost all types of operations.

Is it over-powered for your needs? Yes. But if funding is not a problem and if you want it, then why do you need confirmation from an online community if you should buy it or not? Even if you've done relatively little research you should know that the Mac Pro is their best computer.

 

[Cubemmal]

On my 2009 MP I've presently got some 20+ Safari tabs across 8 windows, 16 Spaces, Win7 running in VMWare, Ubuntu in VMWare, Xcode, IntelliJ, 15+ iTerm windows, 10+ Preview windows, SourceTree plus about 10 other miscellaneous applications. These are the windows that have collected over time reflecting the activities I normally do. My 2011 mini barely could manage 1/10 of this.

I'm looking forward to my nMP being - in addition to a kick butt development computer - a great all in one that will do everything I throw at it without making any noise, and throwing off a low amount of heat.

 

[wildmac]

On my 2009 MP I've presently got some 20+ Safari tabs across 8 windows, 16 Spaces, Win7 running in VMWare, Ubuntu in VMWare, Xcode, IntelliJ, 15+ iTerm windows, 10+ Preview windows, SourceTree plus about 10 other miscellaneous applications. These are the windows that have collected over time reflecting the activities I normally do. My 2011 mini barely could manage 1/10 of this.

I'm looking forward to my nMP being - in addition to a kick butt development computer - a great all in one that will do everything I throw at it without making any noise, and throwing off a low amount of heat.

This is the thing... it really does come down to what apps the OP needs to run, and might be running in the future. Other consideration is displays, OP didn't say what he has currently.

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Honestly, perfectly fine. The OP isn't going to be gaming or running any sort of graphically demanding software. To drive an additional display itself takes maybe around 50MB VRAM depending on resolution. The Mac Mini's integrated graphics can easily do this, and should it ever get updated, Iris will be able to carry as well. Hell, my nearly three year old MacBook Air can push its screen and 2560x1440 without a hiccup. People overestimate the processing overhead required for additional displays. This isn't 1999.

Weren't the graphics in the Mini downgraded a while back? (or was it the server model that was downgraded?)

----------

One camp is projecting their own desires/utility onto the OP with no consideration for the OP's needs; the latter is being level-headed and stating the objective truth -- the OP would be wasting money on something he doesn't need, and based on the fact he's asking this question in the first place, is unlikely to gain thousands of dollars worth of utility from the satisfaction of owning a nMP.

I do think there is some jealously in that "level-headed" side as well.

Perhaps the real problem here is there isn't much middle ground in the Apple lineup.. MacMini and then jump to a MacPro, for a multiple monitor system like the OP is talking about.

 

[flat five]

I do think there is some jealously in that "level-headed" side as well.

in fairness, maybe the level headed side really do eat ramen noodles everyday because, after all, that is all that's 'needed' in order to stay alive..

and to them, people who like to enjoy fine dining every now and then are impractical and money wasters.

 

[VirtualRain]

in fairness, maybe the level headed side really do eat ramen noodles everyday because, after all, that is all that's 'needed' in order to stay alive..

and to them, people who like to enjoy fine dining every now and then are impractical and money wasters.

I know, I find it amusing that most people who respond to a user asking for Mac advice, try to steer them towards the absolute minimum, as if saving money is their top and only priority. If that was true, they wouldn't be lurking around forums dedicated to Apple products.

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I'd easily take my vacation fund or tv fund and buy the nMP.

Checkmate.

Now this is the right attitude for this forum!

 

[wildmac]

in fairness, maybe the level headed side really do eat ramen noodles everyday because, after all, that is all that's 'needed' in order to stay alive..

and to them, people who like to enjoy fine dining every now and then are impractical and money wasters.

Indeed.

There's all sorts of other considerations too.. like can it be a tax write-off? that might effect whether it's a reasonable purchase or not.

Do you buy the Timex or the Rolex?

I just get tired of the folks who say "The nMP is outrageously priced, get the 27" iMac instead" where there is only a $300 difference between a decked iMac and the nMP (same goes for the MacBookPro).

Would be far better if we discussed the actual needs.

 

[ybz90]

\Weren't the graphics in the Mini downgraded a while back? (or was it the server model that was downgraded?)

----------



I do think there is some jealously in that "level-headed" side as well.

Perhaps the real problem here is there isn't much middle ground in the Apple lineup.. MacMini and then jump to a MacPro, for a multiple monitor system like the OP is talking about.

Yes, but again, you're overestimating what it takes to drive monitors. Even if the Mac Mini is not updated, the HD4000 > my Air's HD3000, which doesn't even remotely struggle. If it gets Iris, this is not even a question. You should familiarize yourself with the latest hardware and requirements; you don't need a Mac Pro to drive a multi-monitor setup.

And stop projecting your condescension on to others. If you're referring to me as "jealous", re-read the thread. I not only own a 12-core Mac Pro now, I am planning to get a maxed out nMP when it comes out for work. Don't make assumptions. Instead, use facts, which is what I'm trying to do to help the OP.

 

[wildmac]

Yes, but again, you're overestimating what it takes to drive monitors. Even if the Mac Mini is not updated, the HD4000 > my Air's HD3000, which doesn't even remotely struggle. If it gets Iris, this is not even a question. You should familiarize yourself with the latest hardware and requirements; you don't need a Mac Pro to drive a multi-monitor setup.

And stop projecting your condescension on to others. If you're referring to me as "jealous", re-read the thread. I not only own a 12-core Mac Pro now, I am planning to get a maxed out nMP when it comes out for work. Don't make assumptions. Instead, use facts, which is what I'm trying to do to help the OP.

Ok, EVERYONE here is being personally sensible.. I'm terrible for seeings signs of jealously in some posts... whatever.

But you are still missing one point in the OP's request. Longevity. Is the MacMini really a solution with that in mind, or does the reduced cost make it a viable alternative with a planned replacement on some sort of interval?

 

[ybz90]

Ok, EVERYONE here is being personally sensible.. I'm terrible for seeings signs of jealously in some posts... whatever.

But you are still missing one point in the OP's request. Longevity. Is the MacMini really a solution with that in mind, or does the reduced cost make it a viable alternative with a planned replacement on some sort of interval?

Your comments seem directed at me, so that's why I responded. Also, longevity is not realistic regardless of what computer the OP gets and the nMP's longevity from a value standpoint is worse as the components will depreciate faster. So pretty much what you said in the last line.

Since the OP does not require those GPUs, he's better off not getting them, lest they go unused, depreciate, and money is wasted. With the money saved, he can therefore upgrade multiple times over the course of the period.

 

[blesscheese]

I am actually a healthcare professional who needs to be able to simultaneously have many programs running including ones for work, and ones for personal use

Is the mac pro a good option? What specs?

Thank you!

If it will help you out, then do it!

After years of trying to make do with Mini's, and MacBooks, I "took the plunge" and bought a (used) Mac Pro, and oh my god, I don't know why I waited so long?

I don't do anything hugely special, but, I run some intensive stats programs...my regular workflow involves having multiple programs open at once...I have a total of 24GB of RAM (which I'll be upgrading to 32 or more), so I have 8GB devoted to a Bootcamp partition, so I can use M$ Access and Excel (and Word...unfortunately, the PC versions of Office are a must for what I do), and then on the Mac side I have a couple of browser windows open, LibreOffice, my Stats program(s) (which are memory intensive), a Mac database program, M$ Remote Desktop (to a PC in another room), a text program, a programming IDE, etc.

With my mini's, I kept on running out of memory, having to shut down programs and restart, or even worse, reboot in the middle of something. Anyway, I have been running over 9 days now without a reboot, and I only rebooted because I wanted to play Skyrim and another game and had to boot into Bootcamp to do so (saying that I played games on my Mac Pro will probably cause some people to want to vote me off this list).

People always talk about the cost of a machine, and asking are you wasting cpu power you don't need...people also need to consider the "cost of time" fiddling around with crap on lower power machines, and realize some people (like a healthcare professional) may consider their time to be way more valuable than a couple hundred $$$'s spent on a machine that may (or may not) be more powerful than what is needed.

 

[undesign]

Honestly, no. It seems your tasks are almost entirely CPU bound and there's really no need for more than a high end i7 for what you do. You'd be wasting a lot of money on GPUs you don't need, especially when the intro nMP models
"only" feature 4- and 6-core processors whose performance you can come close to with other options. You'd be better served with an iMac or Mac Mini.

Solution would be for Apple to sell the Mac Pro with a single standard video card like a Radeon 280.