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Mac Pro vs MacBook Pro...

Change is great. Apple upgraded to MBPs pretty heavily this time around and a lot of users in the middle are now finding a better value proposition in a mobile format. Cool.

However, that is no substitute for a workstation class product. The power supply, cooling, interface options and expandability are incomparable to a mobile platform. Those that need MPs hopefully have very large budgets to buy them. In time Apple will even upgrade the processing of the current MPs so they will sound trounce the MBPs again.

Move on, nothing to see here folks. :)
 
I have a 2008 Mac Pro, love it lots - but I'm drooling over the new MBP's. Come on, who wouldn't? Quad core in MBP's finally! Thunderbolt is great even if nothing is out there that uses it yet.

I got this Mac Pro because I was doing a big video project for a client, and of course, I wanted all that power and expansion on my desk. Got a flashed 4890 in it, and it's great when I want to game. Unfortunately, my biggest peeve with my Mac Pro is the heat it pushes out, even if it is idle. It warms up my office too much. I've been thinking of options to fix the cooling/ac in here - like adding a single room AC unit, or adding a 2nd AC vent in the ceiling, or so forth.

That's the big thing - with my video project well past done - the heaviest I push the Mac Pro now is doing the occasional handbrake encode to add to my iTunes library. If the new 15 or 17 inch MBP has quad cores, and 8 GB of RAM (I bet you once 8 gb sticks are cheaper, we'll find it will work with 2x8GB like other MBPs in the past, supported more RAM than they officially could), I can live with that if it will help with the heat issue, and I would love to have my desktop be easily portable - esp with my iPad replacing my on the go needs.

Just gotta make the decision to throw it on eBay or wherever, and use that $ for a MBP. Always been a portable guy - and been looking forward to the day of Quad MBP's. :)

I guess to each their own - no need to belittle others just because they don't use their Mac Pro the way they are "supposed" to, or whatever. The old adage stands - if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. :D
 
I have both an my MBP is not faster than my 1,1 MP (iRip, Geekbench and games).

But I am very happy with my MBP.
 
ActionableMango said:
Yes, I'm poking fun at this whole thread.

The link is real actually, but it doesn't prove anything. The iPad2 could be faster simply because it is using lower quality settings.
Click to expand...

I was laughing because the entire app is different than the desktop version and so is the OS. So a HW bench would be ridiculously inaccurate.
 
Long time Mac tower guy..... Think 9600 :)

My new MBP 15 base model is just a hair less than equivalent in horsepower to my MacPro (2009, Quad 2.93)......

For my target application (pro tools, logic, light CS4 work).... the MBP is actually enough. I am still using PCIe cards for pro tools but depending on the next generation of hopefully thunderbolt interfaces I think this MacPro is my last........

Now for heavy loads, the MacPro will still be the weapon of choice (for a bit). Literally tons of ram and cooling so that load really has minimal effect on temps. For me though the MBP loading may only reach 25%. Fans at 3500 and pretty darned quiet (I have my MacPro in an isolated are anyway.....)

Last point is RAM, though the price truly sucks OWC already has a 16G option. I read some posts of people already using it........

Hi Ho Thunderbolt.......

PS>> and all for less than $1700 !!! (just shop around a bit :))

-Lee
 
My new MBP 15 base model is just a hair less than equivalent in horsepower to my MacPro (2009, Quad 2.93)......
Click to expand...

How can it be when the MBP has a 2.0GH/z i7?????? It may seem as quick for basic tasks that dont push it. But Your Mac Pro will be much faster for more CPU intensive tasks.
 
mdgm said:
The 8GB RAM limitation is a major, major problem.
Click to expand...

hugodrax said:
having 16GB is real nice. I could never go back to anything less.
Click to expand...

DeeEss said:
8GB of RAM is useless for me.

I've tried iMac's and Macbook Pro's as replacements in the past and it has never worked out. Yes, they are great machines but are dead end machines in terms of upgrading.

I was hoping the new Macbook Pro would allow 16GB of RAM which I could get away with but sadly not the case.
Click to expand...

The Early 2011 MBPs do technically support 16GB of RAM
 
mjsmke said:
How can it be when the MBP has a 2.0GH/z i7?????? It may seem as quick for basic tasks that dont push it. But Your Mac Pro will be much faster for more CPU intensive tasks.
Click to expand...

Good point...... in the real world of a particular application your reasoning looks correct (and I have no "proof otherwise")...... but the devil is most likely in the details and the right answer is probably "it depends" ..... the new sandy bridge i7 has some refinements from the original i7.....

New proc in the base 15 is the 2635QM, 2009 Nehalem Mac Pro was W3540.
On the surface I can compare......

Ram..... 1066 Buffered in '09 vs 1333 unbuffered in '11
and Turbo boost 2.0 in 2011

But this of course goes way deep..... try this article for one....
http://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/zardon/intel-core-i7-2600k-and-core-i5-2500k-review/

Still in general I can honestly say the 2011 MBP is miles from the 2010..... Probably the next major refresh will be all the machine I ever need..... this one is pretty close already.....

Of course there will be those kinds of uses where you NEED every bit of performance... then Mac Pro for sure...... For me and project studio recording.... a single quad core Nehalem is already doing the job......
 
propower said:
Good point...... in the real world of a particular application your reasoning looks correct (and I have no "proof otherwise")...... but the devil is most likely in the details and the right answer is probably "it depends" ..... the new sandy bridge i7 has some refinements from the original i7.....

New proc in the base 15 is the 2635QM, 2009 Nehalem Mac Pro was W3540.
On the surface I can compare......

Ram..... 1066 Buffered in '09 vs 1333 unbuffered in '11
and Turbo boost 2.0 in 2011

But this of course goes way deep..... try this article for one....
http://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/zardon/intel-core-i7-2600k-and-core-i5-2500k-review/

Still in general I can honestly say the 2011 MBP is miles from the 2010..... Probably the next major refresh will be all the machine I ever need..... this one is pretty close already.....

Of course there will be those kinds of uses where you NEED every bit of performance... then Mac Pro for sure...... For me and project studio recording.... a single quad core Nehalem is already doing the job......
Click to expand...

So really its wrong to say the MBP is faster than the MP. The MBP is only faster for some every day tasks. But when it comes down to CPU/GPU power/speed the base MP still beats the high end MBP.
 
Bithero said:
Actually, when I saw the spwcs and the prices of the new MBP line today I was reminded that the Mac Pro is actually quite "good value" compared to the mobile "pro" line.
With a current limit of 8GB RAM it is anyway not a serious machine anymore in the days of 64bit applications. The quad CPUs are OK, but certainly no comparison to the Xeons, let alone the Hexcores and the GPU with 1GB is really expensive and far slower than the 5770. The anti glare higher resolurtion display is still limited in size for serious graphical jobs and also costs 150 more, so you still need a second display. The HD could certainly be replaced, but with a 5400 2,5" disc I don´t want to work anymore, which means you HAVE TO use external storage all the time and you have not portability whatsoever. And on it goes.....
I can´t see myself using a laptop anymore. For my mobile needs the iphone is not ideal but OK and the MBA and MBP are just too expensive and too limited - no alternative for me anymore.
Click to expand...

the mac pro is a good value even compared to a home-built rig of similar specs.

Even decked out, the MP comes in around the same price as this monstrosity, and you don't have to build it and it has a warranty!

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4025/holiday-2010-system-builders-guide/9
 
Just looked on the apple store and the base mac pro is only a tiny bit more expensive the top end 15" MBP. And the MP is faster.

I know the MP needs a monitor, but then the MBP would need a bigger external monitor too.
 
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