THE ANSWER to MAC PRO VS IMAC

[TheMasin9]

this is a question im seeing more and more on the forums and the answer is becoming painfully obvious.
IF YOU ARE ASKING THIS QUESTION, GET AN IMAC.
There, ive said it. reason being, pros know they need a pro machine thus they get the mac pro. For all of us who are debating between the two, we are still trying to figure out how much power we really want, we should get the imac, it is powerful enough to do final cut, aperture, adobe etc. the only folks who can justify getting a mac pro are those PROfessionals who make their livings off of the machines. Everyone else, such as those who continually ask this question, are best off with a ram loaded C2D iMac.

 

[Chone]

this is a question im seeing more and more on the forums and the answer is becoming painfully obvious.
IF YOU ARE ASKING THIS QUESTION, GET AN IMAC.
There, ive said it. reason being, pros know they need a pro machine thus they get the mac pro. For all of us who are debating between the two, we are still trying to figure out how much power we really want, we should get the imac, it is powerful enough to do final cut, aperture, adobe etc. the only folks who can justify getting a mac pro are those PROfessionals who make their livings off of the machines. Everyone else, such as those who continually ask this question, are best off with a ram loaded C2D iMac.

Not necessarily, what about power users who want to keep the computer for a long time? What about those who want it for gaming (and need OSX for work reasons or something like that), what about those who have a sweet 30" display ? what about people who don't want to sacrifice a 17-20-24 monitor when the computer is too slow (and can't be upgraded), ever think of that? Or how about someone who does lots of intensive apps (not necessarily for work or anything) and want something fast and have the cash to consider it?

The question is not dumb and the Mac Pro is not necessarily exclusive to professionals.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Maybe I should sell my 30 inch display when I am ready to upgrade my Powermac. The iMac 24 is probably right for me for my gaming and disk space needs. I wonder if I will miss my 30 inch display.

 

[Jay42]

This is not necessarily true. I know that many people think that the Mac Pro, with a good amount of ram, is night and day compared to the new iMacs. My friend just returned his iMac for the Mac Pro to run Aperture and Photoshop. He is much happier with the new tower.

 

[ThunderLounge]

And what about someone that just flat out wants one that's maxed out, simply because "they can"?

Although for that reason alone, all I can say is... Must be nice!


I see what you're getting at though. The basic users that don't grasp the power difference, most likely don't need it to write an email to Grandma or the kids. As for longevity, iMac's would be fine for general use even 4 or 5 years from now. Granted they won't be the fastest mower in the shed, but they'll still do OK for general use.

 

[Chone]

And what about someone that just flat out wants one that's maxed out, simply because "they can"?

Although for that reason alone, all I can say is... Must be nice!


I see what you're getting at though. The basic users that don't grasp the power difference, most likely don't need it to write an email to Grandma or the kids. As for longevity, iMac's would be fine for general use even 4 or 5 years from now. Granted they won't be the fastest mower in the shed, but they'll still do OK for general use.

That is true, for many people iMac will be the best choice (it does have that nifty little iSight which believe it or not CAN be a decisive factor for the "iLife" crowd) but for some (like me) "general use" is not enough, I do all kinds of activites that demand lots of power, both for play and work so long-term economically speaking Mac Pro is just better for me and I'm sure many others.

 

[joe50000]

I thought about getting a mac pro just becuase of the upgradability and longevity of the system, as well as being able to use an external display. Then I realized, after 5 years, pretty much any computer/display you were using, regardless of expandability, must be replaced if you want to retain a top of the line or at least cutting edge system. So i'm comfortable with an iMac because it meets my current power needs.

 

[petite]

Sounds like many people are trying to justify a purchase

 

[irishgrizzly]

I thought about getting a mac pro just becuase of the upgradability and longevity of the system, as well as being able to use an external display. Then I realized, after 5 years, pretty much any computer/display you were using, regardless of expandability, must be replaced if you want to retain a top of the line or at least cutting edge system. So i'm comfortable with an iMac because it meets my current power needs.

Fair point, but I imagine that an upgraded Pro will last a lot longer than an iMac. In my workplace they are still using G4 towers with maxed RAM etc and they were released 5+ years ago.

 

[joe50000]

Fair point, but I imagine that an upgraded Pro will last a lot longer than an iMac. In my workplace they are still using G4 towers with maxed RAM etc and they were released 5+ years ago.

True enough, but you're at a pro level. And maxing RAM on a Mac Pro/Power Mac can get expensive.

 

[2ndPath]

this is a question im seeing more and more on the forums and the answer is becoming painfully obvious.
IF YOU ARE ASKING THIS QUESTION, GET AN IMAC.
There, ive said it. reason being, pros know they need a pro machine thus they get the mac pro. For all of us who are debating between the two, we are still trying to figure out how much power we really want, we should get the imac, it is powerful enough to do final cut, aperture, adobe etc. the only folks who can justify getting a mac pro are those PROfessionals who make their livings off of the machines. Everyone else, such as those who continually ask this question, are best off with a ram loaded C2D iMac.

The advantage of a Mac Pro is not only the computing power. It is also the only Mac into which you can add more hard drives and an additional optical drive. For all other Macs that has to be done external, which means lots of boxes and cables. This feature alone is not necessarily worth the difference in price, but then the Mac Pro is the only Mac to offer these features.

 

[I'mAMac]

The Mac Pro, as many others have already said, has the capability to expand anything. Even the new Clovertown processors can be dropped in there instead of the Xeons (not that i would, the xeons are faster and i do not need 8 cores).

This computer would last you a very long time, where as the C2D iMac wouldnt. The 7600 will be pretty slow soon but the XT will be a great card for a long time.

I'm also pretty sure that 16gb of RAM won't be outdated in less than 6 years (at least!).

3 TB of storage? The united states postal service has 60TB of info. So 3TB for 1 person should be suitable. I'm pretty sure which computer you get is based on needs and price range. If you can get a mac pro and want one, go for it. The Pro in Mac Pro doesn't limit the computer to professionals.

 

[twoodcc]

The advantage of a Mac Pro is not only the computing power. It is also the only Mac into which you can add more hard drives and an additional optical drive. For all other Macs that has to be done external, which means lots of boxes and cables. This feature alone is not necessarily worth the difference in price, but then the Mac Pro is the only Mac to offer these features.

exactly.

so to the OP, i don't agree with you. i have a mac pro and an intel imac, and you cant even compare the 2. i got the imac first, b/c i couldn't afford the mac pro at the time. let's just say that i regreted that purchase.

 

[mac4evan]

Maybe I should sell my 30 inch display when I am ready to upgrade my Powermac. The iMac 24 is probably right for me for my gaming and disk space needs. I wonder if I will miss my 30 inch display.

You will probably miss it... That being said, the 24 inch screen on the iMac is still nice.

 

[lowfi]

iMacs are ugly...

 

[I'mAMac]

iMacs are ugly...

What's ugly about it? I think it looks pretty cool.

 

[Macmadant]

I'm a 15 Year old student, the imac would be adequate for me (we own a C2D iMac and its very fast) however i want the upgradeability of the mac pro, such things as multiple HDs and The 8 Ram Slots, but i'm no pro by any means, and i don't want to start of a Headless iMacs thread but the power of the imac in a small tower for around £1000 would suit me down to the ground

 

[Carguy172]

I have a better Idea decide your self who else is going to know best except your self you know what you need so compare models. I mean apple tells you what each model is good for.

 

[SkyBell]

Maybe we should start using less Apps.

I like to max out a computer, see what it can do, and push it to it's limits.

I'm getting a Mac Mini soon, and I'll be using it for 10 years at least, if not more. Sure, in 10 years it'll be horribly slow. But think about it. If a computer does everything you need it to do today, you're set! The problem is, as time goes on, people use thier computers for differnt things. Don't!

In 10 years, there will be games that won't be able to run on your computer. So? In my mind, this by no means justifys buying a new computer. You don't buy a new computer because it's to slow to run a few games. You lived without that particular new game before, why do you need it now? Don't keep trying to update! iTunes 9.0 won't run on your particuler system? Keep it at 8!(I'm speaking in future tense here.)

The problem is, technology moves too fast. I'll be using my Mini until it dies, or is to old to get on the internet anymore.

But maybe that's just me.

I can understand, all you pro's out there, who need the latest technology. But I'm talking about the general consumer, who does some internet, iLife, and some gaming.
In 10 years, keep doing the things you are now.

Maybe someone can clue me in on why you need a new computer every 3 years, and prove me wrong.

 

[Macmadant]

Maybe we should start using less Apps.

I like to max out a computer, see what it can do, and push it to it's limits.

I'm getting a Mac Mini soon, and I'll be using it for 10 years at least, if not more. Sure, in 10 years it'll be horribly slow. But think about it. If a computer does everything you need it to do today, you're set! The problem is, as time goes on, people use thier computers for differnt things. Don't!

In 10 years, there will be games that won't be able to run on your computer. So? In my mind, this by no means justifys buying a new computer. You don't buy a new computer because it's to slow to run a few games. You lived without that particular new game before, why do you need it now? Don't keep trying to update! iTunes 9.0 won't run on your particuler system? Keep it at 8!(I'm speaking in future tense here.)

The problem is, technology moves too fast. I'll be using my Mini until it dies, or is to old to get on the internet anymore.

But maybe that's just me.

I can understand, all you pro's out there, who need the latest technology. But I'm talking about the general consumer, who does some internet, iLife, and some gaming.
In 10 years, keep doing the things you are now.

Maybe someone can clue me in on why you need a new computer every 3 years, and prove me wrong.

Actually the man or i presume women(tried to check on Photo Directory but you didn't have one) talks a lot of sense for the average person however for a person who does freelance work in their field such as design, they will need an upgrade every 2 years or so, but my grandfather is using the same iMac g3 for the past six years, and he still does all the old things he usually does, and he video conferences with me, and is running tiger with only 368 MB or Ram

 

[Chone]

Actually the man or i presume women(tried to check on Photo Directory but you didn't have one) talks a lot of sense for the average person however for a person who does freelance work in their field such as design, they will need an upgrade every 2 years or so, but my grandfather is using the same iMac g3 for the past six years, and he still does all the old things he usually does, and he video conferences with me, and is running tiger with only 368 MB or Ram

Different needs for different people, its not a necessity to upgrade every 3 years but the truth is some people want to because they want to do more things with their computers that they can't do with what they have currently.

 

[Dane D.]

this is a question im seeing more and more on the forums and the answer is becoming painfully obvious.
IF YOU ARE ASKING THIS QUESTION, GET AN IMAC.
....the only folks who can justify getting a mac pro are those PROfessionals who make their livings off of the machines. Everyone else, such as those who continually ask this question, are best off with a ram loaded C2D iMac.

The choice boils to expandability or not. I won't buy an iMac because of the limitations with respect to expandability. Sure they look great, will be able to handle most anything thrown at it in terms of software. My home desktop unit is 7 years old, but stuffed with 4 HDs and max RAM, plus I can put different OSs on the HDs (OS 9 and OS X). I can buy whatever monitor size and make I want. For the user that wants email, internet, iTunes and other consumer based software, the iMac is fine. These people aren't the ones pushing their units hard or buying the latest hardware, they just want something that works and lasts. I respect your opinion, but disagree that only Pros should get an MacPro.

 

[Dark]

Yeah I have a g5 iMac with 1.5 gigs ram and I really want a Mac Pro. I'm not a pro, but im currently a junior in H.S. and I plan on going to college for photography. I use aperture a whole lot and my iMac runs it, but very painfully as it lags and locks up a lot. A Mac Pro would really be ideal for my needs.

 

[pseudobrit]

I run both a five-year-old PowerMac G4 466 and a five-year-old iMac G3 500.

The differences in speed and usability are glaring.

I already have 24- and 19-inch widescreen displays and want to span.
I want not to need another computer for the next five years, and the bandwidth limitations of the iMac will start to show before then.

I will be buying a Mac Pro next month, Clovertown be damned (bank account be damned too).

 

[lowfi]

What's ugly about it? I think it looks pretty cool.

The beard....