hi folks. first post here. have been out of the loop for a LONG TIME regarding all things Mac. bear with me please as i might need some hand-holding.
my mid-2007 20" iMac has been chugging along just fine- running El Capitan without an issue - except for when it comes to using Reaper or Reason, my DAWs of choice. i think this is because i've got:
2GHz intel core duo, 3GB 667 DDR2 ram, and 250gb HD.
-----
i've never used a Mac Pro, but had lots of music-friends urge me to look into one instead of just going to the Apple store and buying a new iMac. sure, why not ? after all, it won't set me back $1300+ and the specs could be nicer than what Apple is offering in their entry-level iMacs. these friends are also telling me that new Macs can be much harder (if not impossible) to upgrade.
now it seems i've got a great line on an affordable Mac Pro:
TADA !
"Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processors (8 cores) 8 GB installed memory 500 GB Hard Drive 16x SuperDrive Bluetooth, WI-FI, OS 10.11 EL CAPITAN. "
there's room to upgrade RAM, and room to put in an SSD which, i'm told, is the best thing since sliced bread.
apparently i absolutely must do it.
if i must, then, how can i find the right 250 or 500GB SSD to work with this Mac Pro ? is it a simple process to clone the disc drive and dump it onto an empty SSD ?
next, i'm totally unfamiliar with what sort of monitor i'd need. Amazon has loads of really nice LED monitors for under $200, and i'd like to stay at or under that price point. does this mean i need to go w/ VGA, HDMI, or what ? the video card in the Mac Pro is an "ATI Radeon 256MB" - is this OK ? if not, should i upgrade it ? if so, to what ? i won't be doing games or watching movies on this - just general internetz and DAW stuff.
is there hope for me ? am i venturing down the right path ?
my needs are simple and my heart is open.
teach me.
my mid-2007 20" iMac has been chugging along just fine- running El Capitan without an issue - except for when it comes to using Reaper or Reason, my DAWs of choice. i think this is because i've got:
2GHz intel core duo, 3GB 667 DDR2 ram, and 250gb HD.
-----
i've never used a Mac Pro, but had lots of music-friends urge me to look into one instead of just going to the Apple store and buying a new iMac. sure, why not ? after all, it won't set me back $1300+ and the specs could be nicer than what Apple is offering in their entry-level iMacs. these friends are also telling me that new Macs can be much harder (if not impossible) to upgrade.
now it seems i've got a great line on an affordable Mac Pro:
TADA !
"Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processors (8 cores) 8 GB installed memory 500 GB Hard Drive 16x SuperDrive Bluetooth, WI-FI, OS 10.11 EL CAPITAN. "
there's room to upgrade RAM, and room to put in an SSD which, i'm told, is the best thing since sliced bread.
apparently i absolutely must do it.
if i must, then, how can i find the right 250 or 500GB SSD to work with this Mac Pro ? is it a simple process to clone the disc drive and dump it onto an empty SSD ?
next, i'm totally unfamiliar with what sort of monitor i'd need. Amazon has loads of really nice LED monitors for under $200, and i'd like to stay at or under that price point. does this mean i need to go w/ VGA, HDMI, or what ? the video card in the Mac Pro is an "ATI Radeon 256MB" - is this OK ? if not, should i upgrade it ? if so, to what ? i won't be doing games or watching movies on this - just general internetz and DAW stuff.
is there hope for me ? am i venturing down the right path ?
my needs are simple and my heart is open.
teach me.
