Need Advice. To Buy A MacPro Now, or should I Wait??? That tis' the Question

[MyrokRolles]

Hi everyone, first off I want to say thank you for reading this post and offering up your advice.

Basically, i have about $4500 and I am looking to get a new MacPro. I am an audio engineer and composing producer who requires a very powerful computer to successfully work. Because the programs I use are so dependent on huge amounts of RAM and processing power, these are my two biggest concerns.

What I'm looking at right now is getting the $3499 base model 8-core Mac Pro, then upgrading to 16gb of RAM on my own.

My concern is.....

should i go ahead and get this machine now, or should I wait until the next round of updates to the Mac PRo?

I've looked at the recent releases and see that Apple updates the MacPro what seems like every summer, either June or July...

Do you guys think that they are going to update again this July?

I would hate to spend $4000 on a computer in April just to have Thunderbolt and new processors added in July...

So what do you guys think?

Any other advice on my purchase?

I really appreciate the help

 

[Umbongo]

There won't be a July update. It'll be November 2011, January 2012 or February 2012 most likely.

You might want to get a 3.33GHz 6-core if you can budget it in. I know you lose the memory space, but you can still get 16GB and you can buy 8GB or 16GB DIMMs in the future.

 

[Transporteur]

Not sure which applications you mainly use, but Logic for example scales very well on the 8 core. It is in fact faster than the 6 core.

 

[zenio]

Hi everyone, first off I want to say thank you for reading this post and offering up your advice.

Basically, i have about $4500 and I am looking to get a new MacPro. I am an audio engineer and composing producer who requires a very powerful computer to successfully work. Because the programs I use are so dependent on huge amounts of RAM and processing power, these are my two biggest concerns.

What I'm looking at right now is getting the $3499 base model 8-core Mac Pro, then upgrading to 16gb of RAM on my own.

My concern is.....

should i go ahead and get this machine now, or should I wait until the next round of updates to the Mac PRo?

I've looked at the recent releases and see that Apple updates the MacPro what seems like every summer, either June or July...

Do you guys think that they are going to update again this July?

I would hate to spend $4000 on a computer in April just to have Thunderbolt and new processors added in July...

So what do you guys think?

I _really like_ my new Mac Pro,

but the issues are too numerous to mention & quiet honestly, it's hard to have an intelligent conversation here since there are so many haters that attack anyone that brings up a weakness or problem.

My suggestion is to wait since Apple tech support assures me the problems I'm having are being worked on. Whenever this has occurred in the past (I'm a very long time Mac user) Apples done a good job of fixing the issues.

Cheers

 

[MyrokRolles]

I _really like_ my new Mac Pro,

but the issues are too numerous to mention & quiet honestly, it's hard to have an intelligent conversation here since there are so many haters that attack anyone that brings up a weakness or problem.

My suggestion is to wait since Apple tech support assures me the problems I'm having are being worked on. Whenever this has occurred in the past (I'm a very long time Mac user) Apples done a good job of fixing the issues.

Cheers

What are some of the issues you are experiencing?

also, logic and pro tools will be the programs I am most concerned about.

Why are people so sure that there will not be a summer update? I see that OSX Lion will be coming out this summer, and with the recent MBP update wouldn't it make sense for apple to continue their yearly update tradition? Waiting until 2012 isn't really an option unfortunately

thanks again

 

[Transporteur]

Why are people so sure that there will not be a summer update?

Because there are no processors the Pro could be updated with. Simple as that.

 

[rmitchell248]

Why are people so sure that there will not be a summer update? I see that OSX Lion will be coming out this summer, and with the recent MBP update wouldn't it make sense for apple to continue their yearly update tradition? Waiting until 2012 isn't really an option unfortunately

thanks again

Because there are no processors the Pro could be updated with. Simple as that.

To elaborate on Transporteurs comment.
The understanding is that the Sandy Bridge Workstation CPUs will not be released until the end of 2011 and ready to distribute in systems early 2012. That is why many say there will be no update until then. The notebook CPUs are obviously ready just not the workstation CPUs.

Apple must have a CPU available to them in order to upgrade CPUs

 

[Umbongo]

What are some of the issues you are experiencing?

also, logic and pro tools will be the programs I am most concerned about.

Why are people so sure that there will not be a summer update? I see that OSX Lion will be coming out this summer, and with the recent MBP update wouldn't it make sense for apple to continue their yearly update tradition? Waiting until 2012 isn't really an option unfortunately

thanks again

Apple don't have a 12 month cycle release tradition with Mac Pros:

August 2006
January 2008 - 17 months later
March 2009 - 14 months later
July 2010 - 16 months later

 

[DeeEss]

How long is your upgrade path? If it's just a couple years then buy now but if your likely to hold onto the computer for 4-5 years then I would personally wait. If you think you could benefit from Thunderbolt and you have some time up your sleeve wait until you can at least find if we will see backwards compatibility and TB cards for current Mac Pro. I don't thikn it will be long before we hear rumours of retrofit cards or even just the possibility of them. I think it will have a bearing on upgrade paths, the peripherals you will buy between now and then and of corse resale on the Mac Pro. I can see people stretching themselves in a few years time to make sure they get TB even if it means buying new when they wouldn't normally. Also, the massive leap in performance we've seen in the macbook pros from Sandy Bridge Processors, we're going to likely see the same kind of leap in the next Mac Pro. If you can hold out for it I think it would be worth it, but if you need the machine to work get the best you can now.

 

[derbothaus]

Not sure which applications you mainly use, but Logic for example scales very well on the 8 core. It is in fact faster than the 6 core.

Do you have a source for this? If using the 9.1.3 (Fully Multicore aware) the 6-core gets 115 Tracks. Last I saw the 2.4 8-core got close to that but not better. The other tests were done with previous (busted) versions of Logic.

 

[Transporteur]

The other tests were done with previous (busted) versions of Logic.

That might well be the tests I've seen. I really can't remember where they came from. Barefeats maybe?

 

[MyrokRolles]

Yes, this is a computer that I am planning to have for 5 years. If the only updates that are going to be made to the next round of MacPro's are a more powerful processor and TB then i think i will be okay just buying one now. The current models have more than enough power and cability to do what I am asking out of them. On the Logic Benchmark the 8-Core MacPro can run about 110 Logic Tracks in 64-bit mdoe. This is more than enough as i only need 40-70 tracks at a given time. I suppose it would be safe to just buy it now. Is there anyone out there who thinks that I should absolutely wait?

Also... i see that OSX Lion is coming out in the summer. If i buy a MacPro now, will i be able to update to Lion for free in the summer or will I have to pay?

thanks... if you can't tell i'm a bit of a MAc newbi.

 

[MyrokRolles]

also, are the current model MacPro's missing anything else vital that i should wait for / know about?

like USB 3.0? Or are there already 3.0 ports on the MacPros?

or anything else...

And does anyone know how flexible apple's return policy is?

Say i buy a MacPro right now with AppleCare and something unfortunate were to happen about 6 months after the next generation comes out, when I take my MacPro in to return it for repair will they just repair it or give me a new one like they would with the macbook pros?

anyone ever try taking advantage of apple care with any luck?

im sure some little apple employees are gonna come on and say blah blah thats illegal and is the same as insurance fraud but honestly, when im paying $4000 for a computer I expect a little leeway... I do the same thing with most my electronics (like speakers... buy that $70 warranty on $500 speakers and about 3 months before warranty is up i'll have an unfortunate "accident" so I can get a new pair of the new models for free)

just trying to figure out my options.

thanks a lot folks

 

[iDemiurge]

Because there are no processors the Pro could be updated with. Simple as that.

I know workstation sandy bridges aren't expected any time soon. But a new FCS is apparently just around the corner and some thunderbolt ports might come handy to editors who use their MBPs on the road and a Mac Pro at the studio. It's all wild speculation, granted. Only thing I don't understand is why so many people believe an in-between upgrade to be so unlikely. Is there no hope for some thunderbolt ports and perhaps some clock-speed bumps while still on Westmere?

 

[Umbongo]

Only thing I don't understand is why so many people believe an in-between upgrade to be so unlikely. Is there no hope for some thunderbolt ports and perhaps some clock-speed bumps while still on Westmere?

Because it has never happened before and because it doesn't benefit Apple financially.

 

[DeeEss]

Well I think you answered your own question. The update will be a while off yet so if you think the current machine will serve you well than personally I would go with the current one. Check out Apple Refurb too by the way. I saved about £500 that way and meant I could push the RAM and SSD's some more.

No, Apple won't go USB 3. They are all about Thunderbolt. There are some proprietary cards around already though that work with that manufacturers drives.

The current machines are screamers though so buying now is certainly very safe IMO and if you know it's gonna work for you then perfect.

Just research what the best processor choice for your needs are. Google it there's usually alot of info about on it.

 

[iDemiurge]

Say i buy a MacPro right now with AppleCare and something unfortunate were to happen about 6 months after the next generation comes out, when I take my MacPro in to return it for repair will they just repair it or give me a new one like they would with the macbook pros?

WTF? Should have read that before posting here. If you're lucky they'll simply repair it. If you're not you'll ruin your 4k system for good.

 

[rmitchell248]

anyone ever try taking advantage of apple care with any luck?

im sure some little apple employees are gonna come on and say blah blah thats illegal and is the same as insurance fraud but honestly, when im paying $4000 for a computer I expect a little leeway... I do the same thing with most my electronics (like speakers... buy that $70 warranty on $500 speakers and about 3 months before warranty is up i'll have an unfortunate "accident" so I can get a new pair of the new models for free)

just trying to figure out my options.

thanks a lot folks

Its one thing do do that sort of thing and keep it to yourself. Its another to go online and talk openly about it.

 

[mchalebk]

And does anyone know how flexible apple's return policy is?

Say i buy a MacPro right now with AppleCare and something unfortunate were to happen about 6 months after the next generation comes out, when I take my MacPro in to return it for repair will they just repair it or give me a new one like they would with the macbook pros?

anyone ever try taking advantage of apple care with any luck?

im sure some little apple employees are gonna come on and say blah blah thats illegal and is the same as insurance fraud but honestly, when im paying $4000 for a computer I expect a little leeway... I do the same thing with most my electronics (like speakers... buy that $70 warranty on $500 speakers and about 3 months before warranty is up i'll have an unfortunate "accident" so I can get a new pair of the new models for free)

Are you seriously saying that you think it's okay to purposely break something to get a cheap upgrade? It doesn't take a "little Apple employee" to point out that that is not only illegal, but just plain wrong.

 

[Thessman]

Hi everyone, first off I want to say thank you for reading this post and offering up your advice.

Basically, i have about $4500 and I am looking to get a new MacPro. I am an audio engineer and composing producer who requires a very powerful computer to successfully work. Because the programs I use are so dependent on huge amounts of RAM and processing power, these are my two biggest concerns.

What I'm looking at right now is getting the $3499 base model 8-core Mac Pro, then upgrading to 16gb of RAM on my own.

My concern is.....

should i go ahead and get this machine now, or should I wait until the next round of updates to the Mac PRo?

I've looked at the recent releases and see that Apple updates the MacPro what seems like every summer, either June or July...

Do you guys think that they are going to update again this July?

I would hate to spend $4000 on a computer in April just to have Thunderbolt and new processors added in July...

So what do you guys think?

Any other advice on my purchase?

I really appreciate the help

If the next update of the Mac Pro series is six months away, then consider that if you don't own a Mac right now, then the difference between buying a Mac Pro now and waiting the supposed six month period for the next update, is equivalent to the money you will make from a current Pro for the next six months minus the cost of the then new Mac Pro plus the resale value of the current Mac Pro at the then current value.

In a few words: if it will make you money buy it now.

 

[DocNo]

Logic does have a bug right now with it's mutli-core support:

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=13010400

I don't want to scare you off from the two socket configuration, but figured I would at least warn you

The buyers guide advises wait if you can:

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac_Pro

Seems like sound advice combined with the commentary about CPU availability elsewhere in this thread. Then again Apple has been known to get CPU's ahead of the rest of the industry so who knows!

Don't forget this handy table:

http://www.appleinsider.com/mac_price_guide/

and there is also the refurbished gear at the Apple store - you can get good deals in there too.

Since Logic is one of the few applications that really does take full advantage of all available cores (well, when it's not affected by multi-core related bugs ) I personally would stick with the two socket Mac Pro (8 or 12 core). Not only do you get double the cores but double the RAM slots as well. There are some pretty good deals in the refurbished section of the Apple store right now, and there have been some recent deals with previous generation stuff from resellers - I think the most recent one I kicked myself for missing was from Samy's Camera in LA?

 

[DeeEss]

And does anyone know how flexible apple's return policy is?

Say i buy a MacPro right now with AppleCare and something unfortunate were to happen about 6 months after the next generation comes out, when I take my MacPro in to return it for repair will they just repair it or give me a new one like they would with the macbook pros?

anyone ever try taking advantage of apple care with any luck?

ha. No I don't think this would work at all. Well i won't judge you like everyone else seems it's the normal thing to do here but I really don't think that would work at all. Firstly I'm almost 100% sure they would know and secondly the Mac Pro is modular and they would just replace the part that you broke, and most likely at rather large expense to you too.

 

[MyrokRolles]

ha. No I don't think this would work at all. Well i won't judge you like everyone else seems it's the normal thing to do here but I really don't think that would work at all. Firstly I'm almost 100% sure they would know and secondly the Mac Pro is modular and they would just replace the part that you broke, and most likely at rather large expense to you too.

This is because Apple's $350 AppleCare doesn't cover accidents... which is total ********.

A $2500 Alienware from the Microsoft store costs $300 to get 3 years of coverage with no questions asked including any and all accidental coverage.

I could accidentally shoot my PC and get a brand new one no questions asked.

You can call it illegal or whatever you want, but to me it's just getting my moneys worth.

If I wasn't so obsessed with Logic I would say **** apple and just build a nice PC to run Pro Tools.... but alas.... Logic is too nice...

And to those of u who say its stupid of me to post those kind of statements online.... reallly? i mean cmon,... reallly? They're gonna charge you $300 for a ****** service and they mark up everything they sell to the point that its almost exaggeratedly overpriced, don't try and give me **** for getting my moneys worth.

and yea maybe my car will be the next thing to have an accident.. well actually i'll probably wait til next year so i can make sure to take advantage of the system at just the right time.

Dont hate the player, hate the game.

 

[100Teraflops]

Interesting Thread

also, are the current model MacPro's missing anything else vital that i should wait for / know about?

like USB 3.0? Or are there already 3.0 ports on the MacPros?

or anything else...

And does anyone know how flexible apple's return policy is?

Say i buy a MacPro right now with AppleCare and something unfortunate were to happen about 6 months after the next generation comes out, when I take my MacPro in to return it for repair will they just repair it or give me a new one like they would with the macbook pros?

anyone ever try taking advantage of apple care with any luck?

im sure some little apple employees are gonna come on and say blah blah thats illegal and is the same as insurance fraud but honestly, when im paying $4000 for a computer I expect a little leeway... I do the same thing with most my electronics (like speakers... buy that $70 warranty on $500 speakers and about 3 months before warranty is up i'll have an unfortunate "accident" so I can get a new pair of the new models for free)

just trying to figure out my options.

thanks a lot folks

I have to agree with rmitchell248 that in the future you might want to be a bit more discrete regarding your "personal practices." However, I am not offended that you experience "accidents," as your choices are personal and everyone of us lives in a glass house, so to speak. Back to the regularly scheduled program!

Nonetheless, I am on the ropes debating the purchase of a Mac Pro. I think Apple might refresh the Mac Pro before or during summer, but I see I am a member of the minority group. Hey, if anything, it is wishful thinking! I understand that Sandy Bridge has to be R&D etc for workstations, but we are being unrealistic that a new Mac Pro can launch during the summer?

I am defending my position that waiting to buy the refresh is better for me. Maybe I need a dose of reality?

 

[rmitchell248]

This is because Apple's $350 AppleCare doesn't cover accidents... which is total ********.

A $2500 Alienware from the Microsoft store costs $300 to get 3 years of coverage with no questions asked including any and all accidental coverage.

I could accidentally shoot my PC and get a brand new one no questions asked.

You can call it illegal or whatever you want, but to me it's just getting my moneys worth.

If I wasn't so obsessed with Logic I would say **** apple and just build a nice PC to run Pro Tools.... but alas.... Logic is too nice...

And to those of u who say its stupid of me to post those kind of statements online.... reallly? i mean cmon,... reallly? They're gonna charge you $300 for a ****** service and they mark up everything they sell to the point that its almost exaggeratedly overpriced, don't try and give me **** for getting my moneys worth.

and yea maybe my car will be the next thing to have an accident.. well actually i'll probably wait til next year so i can make sure to take advantage of the system at just the right time.

Dont hate the player, hate the game.

I think considering how your going to 'upgrade' you might as well just buy one now. Also you could always skip the apple care and go for some sort of homeowners, renters or business equipment insurance. 'Accident' 'theft' or what ever they will take care of it for you.