MacPro: ATI X1900 XT Price Drop?!!?

[Trekkie]

Well I decided to change my order placed on 8/7.

I dropped Aperture to get the X1900. Of course now my ETA at my door is 10/5/06 instead of 9/12/06.

bah.

Oh well, I think I'll be happy.

 

[Trekkie]

im getting mine for partypoker.com
i figure i can play 12 tables at once on the 30"acd.
im dead serious.
professional workstation be damned

Sounds like a plan to me. How long will it take you to pay for it with your winnings?

 

[Renovatio]

Well I decided to change my order placed on 8/7.

I dropped Aperture to get the X1900. Of course now my ETA at my door is 10/5/06 instead of 9/12/06.

bah.

Oh well, I think I'll be happy.

I have been on the fence back and forth the past couple days. Whether I should cancel and order again without the X1900 and get it later or just stick it out.

I am going to be using Aperture and Motion heavily and am running dual 30" screens so I finally decided to just stick it out. I would rather wait longer for a machine that does everything I need it to right out of the box.

I think we'll be glad we waited

 

[macgeek2005]

I have been on the fence back and forth the past couple days. Whether I should cancel and order again without the X1900 and get it later or just stick it out.

I am going to be using Aperture and Motion heavily and am running dual 30" screens so I finally decided to just stick it out. I would rather wait longer for a machine that does everything I need it to right out of the box.

I think we'll be glad we waited

Yeah, I just wish apple would tell us what's causing the delay.

 

[Trekkie]

Yeah, I just wish apple would tell us what's causing the delay.

That and not shipped me the 23" monitor and charged me for the Applecare the day I ordered them. even when I said don't do it.

 

[macgeek2005]

That and not shipped me the 23" monitor and charged me for the Applecare the day I ordered them. even when I said don't do it.

Well, my 23" moniter shipped today, because I waited for a while with ordering it.

With my Mac Pro having overnight shipping, and all the rumors about the X1900XT shipping soon, I decided to order the moniter, just to ensure it arrives before the Mac Pro.

However, if the Mac Pro ships today, tommorow, or even the day after, it'll arrive before my moniter....

I don't buy applecare, that's why I could order them in seperate orders.

 

[kered22]

I have been on the fence back and forth the past couple days. Whether I should cancel and order again without the X1900 and get it later or just stick it out.

Went through that yesterday when I saw the price cut... been thinking about it today too. LOL Be nice to have the Pro later this week or early next week but I've decided to just wait it out too.

We should threaten another call in revolt, the last one garnered the $100 price cut yesterday.

 

[I'mAMac]

Getting the iMac. Then whe leopard comes out, giving iMac to my dad and i'm getting the Mac Pro. Not an ideal situation but at least the kinks will be all worked out and it's better than this mini im on right now.

 

[MovieCutter]

I think we'll be glad we waited

For some reason, this makes no sense to me. You're waiting for a machine that you could have had weeks ago because of graphics card? One which you can order separately for a measly $150 more than it would cost to upgrade. On top of the fact that you can put in yourself once you get it, while spending several weeks prior to receiving said graphics card with the machine getting pretty decent performance. Am I missing something here? I mean, sure it's an extra $150, but when you're dropping almost $3k on a system, what's $150 more to get it as soon as possible?

 

[Cowinacape]

For some reason, this makes no sense to me. You're waiting for a machine that you could have had weeks ago because of graphics card? One which you can order separately for a measly $150 more than it would cost to upgrade. On top of the fact that you can put in yourself once you get it, while spending several weeks prior to receiving said graphics card with the machine getting pretty decent performance. Am I missing something here? I mean, sure it's an extra $150, but when you're dropping almost $3k on a system, what's $150 more to get it as soon as possible?

That 150.00 could go along way to purchasing Apple Care for a lot people, or other sundry goodies as seen fit. I for one, would much rather have the money in my pocket, that Apples.

 

[Trekkie]

Dropping the $3000 on the machine is at the absolute extreme of my budget, at this point I'm doing anything I can to keep it around there. Buying two video cards is one of those things I can't afford to do without trading out something else.

 

[Renovatio]

For some reason, this makes no sense to me. You're waiting for a machine that you could have had weeks ago because of graphics card? One which you can order separately for a measly $150 more than it would cost to upgrade. On top of the fact that you can put in yourself once you get it, while spending several weeks prior to receiving said graphics card with the machine getting pretty decent performance. Am I missing something here? I mean, sure it's an extra $150, but when you're dropping almost $3k on a system, what's $150 more to get it as soon as possible?

Those were exactly the thoughts I was struggling with. I know that with either video card I will be blown out of the water with speed improvements over my Powerbook.

I guess my decision is based more on my preferences instead of just having a new system as soon as possible. I would rather be able to use both my displays out of the box, I would like to have full Aperture and Motion performance up to full power right out of the box. And while I am to a certain extent experienced with messing around the insides of a computer, I would rather not be installing a bunch of stuff myself.

Also, just because someone drops $3,000 on a computer doesn't mean they have money to spare. I spent close to $9,000 on the computer, displays, ram alone, and another couple thousand dollars on other technology upgrades for the business ... so while $150 is not a lot compared to the rest, every penny counts. I didn't even purchase overnight shipping until I got the money back from the price drop. I do not spend money unless I feel seriously justified in doing so.

I am a patient person ... I can wait a few weeks if need be. Now, if I get an e-mail from Apple saying it is going to be delayed further then I will seriously reconsider ... lol

I totally get where you are coming from though, and for you that may be the right decision. Actually, for a lot of people it might be the right decision. But waiting works for me ... even though I don't feel very patient

 

[MovieCutter]

I guess I see it from a productivity standpoint. Several points:

-The sooner I get my machine, the sooner I can put it to work to start making money with it. I already paid it off in the week that I've had it. That project that paid it off wouldn't have been around in 3-4 weeks. But again, that's just me.

-If you're spending $3k and you don't have $150 to spare, I would take another look at your needs/budget ratio. If you're that strapped for cash, perhaps a $3k machine isn't a good financial decision for you, but everyone's different.

-AppleCare can be purchased at anytime within the first year, so to me, saying that $150 can go towards AppleCare doesn't make a lot of sense when you're losing 4-5 weeks of use from your machine.

-You can always sell your video card once you get the x1900.

-You (not anyone in particular, but in general) had the option of getting your machine 5 weeks sooner, but chose a component that you could have gotten at a later time, and now you're complaining about the wait???

For example, I could have ordered Airport Extreme built-in, but seeing as it would have delayed the machine 3-4 weeks, I opted to order it without. Instead I bought an Airport Express to give my Mac Pro wireless functionality, and plan on installing the airport kit myself when they are available.

I never said that user was wrong in making that decision, but to me (again, this is my view) it seems like a very inefficient, unproductive, and generally poor purchasing decision.

I would rather be able to use both my displays out of the box, I would like to have full Aperture and Motion performance up to full power right out of the box.

But using 2 displays in 4 weeks < using one display now
Using Aperture and Motion at 100% throttle in 4 weeks < Using Aperture and Motion at 60% throttle now

 

[Renovatio]

I guess I see it from a productivity standpoint. Several points:

-The sooner I get my machine, the sooner I can put it to work to start making money with it. I already paid it off in the week that I've had it. That project that paid it off wouldn't have been around in 3-4 weeks. But again, that's just me.

-If you're spending $3k and you don't have $150 to spare, I would take another look at your needs/budget ratio. If you're that strapped for cash, perhaps a $3k machine isn't a good financial decision for you, but everyone's different.

-AppleCare can be purchased at anytime within the first year, so to me, saying that $150 can go towards AppleCare doesn't make a lot of sense when you're losing 4-5 weeks of use from your machine.

-You can always sell your video card once you get the x1900.

I never said that user was wrong in making that decision, but to me (again, this is my view) it seems like a very inefficient, unproductive, and generally poor purchasing decision. I forwent Airport built-in so I could use my machine NOW. I bought a spare Airport Express to give my Mac Pro wireless function and plan on installing the new Airport card myself when available.

But using Aperture and Motion at full power in 4 weeks < Using Aperture and Motion at half speed to almost full speed now.

Again, just my point of view.

Very, very good points. And you have just renewed my struggle

I definitely get your point about productivity though as this is what fueled the majority of my purchasing decisions. And I am not saying I'm strapped for cash ... just that I don't want to throw away $150 solely for the purpose of getting it here sooner. However, the productivity of having it now might make it worth it.

I'll have to do some more thinking about this

 

[MovieCutter]

Very, very good points. And you have just renewed my struggle

I definitely get your point about productivity though as this is what fueled the majority of my purchasing decisions. And I am not saying I'm strapped for cash ... just that I don't want to throw away $150 solely for the purpose of getting it here sooner. However, the productivity of having it now might make it worth it.

I'll have to do some more thinking about this

Sorry to confuse you further, but it's a simple equation. Will you get $150 worth of return in the next 4 weeks if you get your machine now? If the answer is yes - Change order. If the answer is no - Hakuna Matata and just keep on waiting.*

 

[Mr. Mister]

This thread has taken a bad turn, needs more people whining about not having their Mac Pros followed by macgeek telling us that they're going to be shipping soon.

True. If you order a X1900XT now, you'll get a ship date of September 29th or something. However for the people that ordered on August 7th, they were told "3 to 5 weeks" back then. 5 weeks from August 7th is September 14th. There is no way any of our orders are shipping close to the 29th of september.

Why do you think this? The most logical explanation for the price drop is to keep us complacent for another two weeks.

 

[MovieCutter]

This thread has taken a bad turn, needs more people whining about not having their Mac Pros followed by macgeek telling us that they're going to be shipping soon.

And not just "soon", but "tomorrow for sure" over, and over, and over again*

 

[macgeek2005]

Alright fine. I don't know when they'll be shipping. All I know is it will be soon.

 

[EvilMonk]

Alright fine. I don't know when they'll be shipping. All I know is it will be soon.

Bla bla bla, shut up and be quiet

 

[Renovatio]

Sorry to confuse you further, but it's a simple equation. Will you get $150 worth of return in the next 4 weeks if you get your machine now? If the answer is yes - Change order. If the answer is no - Hakuna Matata and just keep on waiting.*

Well, I finally made my decision to go ahead and purchase the graphics card seperately. I actually wouldn't be paying an extra $150 because I realised that if I purchased my extra HDs from a third party instead of from Apple I would save more than that.

Alas, such did not work out.

After a 40 minute phone call with Apple here is what ended up:

• Removing the ATI card from my Mac Pro did not affect it's ship date at all. The rep said that the backlog was not due to the ATI cards but just overall exceedingly high demand. *Any* BTO purchases, they said, would have the same delay.

• The factory where my Mac Pro will be shipping out from is in Asia and they currently list their commitment time as between 15 and 21 September. They are quote "beefing up production" so they recommend checking back in a week to see if there is any change.

Arghhh! As an upnote I *was* able to downgrade my hard drives without affecting my ship date.

This strikes me as odd because if I go into the Apple store right now and configure a 3Ghz Mac Pro with the wireless package it's ship time is listed as 3-5 days. However, when I downgraded my computer to these same specs it still had the same shipping estimate of 21 September.

 

[kered22]

Thanks for the update Renovatio. Somewhat reassuring what they said... but at the same time a bit perplexing.

 

[Sm0kejaguar]

No, they are not for playing games or any other consumer tasks. They are a professional WORKSTATION, not a desktop. You may not understand the difference, but just about everybody else does. There is a good reason why nobody offers xeon based machines for gaming.

And yes I am angry. I'm angry that everytime Apple comes out with something really great, they also do something really stupid that limits the potential of said great item. Apple could be selling a lot more computers than they are if they'd stop shooting themselves in the foot.

Oh the h8. I don't see how you have come to the conclusion that i must be some stupid kid thinking my MacPro is an xbox 360... actually, if you had READ my post you'd see that i do, in fact, use final cut studio pro to do a lot of video editing both academically and professionally. So. Yeah. As far as Apple goes, hey man, if you have good ideas then go tey to get a job there! (serious even)... like, heck, i don't mind! If you have somthing to bring to the table then bring it, i just dont get why everyone is so angry all the d@mn time... these are just computers, really, they are. Anyway <3 Smokejaguar =).

P.S Renovatio, good name =), thats the name of my WOW guild... oh snap, sorry, talking about games on a MacPro forum again *slaps hand* Bad Llama!

 

[Mr. Mister]

The only reason the Mac Pro isn't a recommendable gaming machine is because no games right now can put four cores to full use. That said, it's a spectacular gaming machine, just a bit of overkill until Vista and more multi-core games.

 

[Renovatio]

Thanks for the update Renovatio. Somewhat reassuring what they said... but at the same time a bit perplexing.

Well ... I know why it was so perplexing what they were saying. After another 45 minute phone call.

After I got off the phone, and the rep had verified all the prices and changes, I checked online and the price of my Mac Pro had shot up over $100 even after I removed one 500GB drive and downgraded the other to 160GB. Clearly, she screwed something up.

I called back and after being transferred several times spoke to a senior administrator who told me the lady gave me mis-information and did not modify my order correctly.

Come to find out it DOES affect the time if you take out the ATI card and order it seperately ... duh! ... which the first rep should have known if she did it correctly.

So now I will get my Mac Pro in about a week and my graphics card in a bit over a month. I am exhausted

One interesting thing that came up during the conversation is that apparently Apple will soon let you bring in your current Mac Pro and get Airport/BT installed at any Apple Store. I wrote more about it here in case it proves helpful to anyone.

 

[macgeek2005]

Well ... I know why it was so perplexing what they were saying. After another 45 minute phone call.

After I got off the phone, and the rep had verified all the prices and changes, I checked online and the price of my Mac Pro had shot up over $100 even after I removed one 500GB drive and downgraded the other to 160GB. Clearly, she screwed something up.

I called back and after being transferred several times spoke to a senior administrator who told me the lady gave me mis-information and did not modify my order correctly.

Come to find out it DOES affect the time if you take out the ATI card and order it seperately ... duh! ... which the first rep should have known if she did it correctly.

So now I will get my Mac Pro in about a week and my graphics card in a bit over a month. I am exhausted

Those girls that work there know absolutetly nothing. Zero. Zip.

They say things that make no sense and simply aren't true, because they just don't know.

A few of the things they have said (including what you've reported), have been things like:

"Modifying your order won't affect the ship date"

"The X1900XT is not what's causing the delay"

They even were stupid enough to.. blah. Check this out!

I called them to ask why my estimated delivery date was a week after my estimated ship date, in spite of having overnight shipping.

After being put on hold for 10 minutes, the girl comes back and tells me that she went into my account to try and give me free 2 day shipping, but then she saw that I already had it. WTF? What did this have to do with what I asked?? Why would she go into my account and try and give me "free 2 day shipping" when I JUST TOLD HER that I have overnight shipping???

I said "I don't have 2 day shipping, I have overnight shipping. Right?". I want to know why the delivery date shows October 3rd instead of September 27th.

She didn't really have an answer, she kept saying nonsense, until finally I said "So I guess those dates don't mean anything" and she said "yah".

whew. Annoying stuff.