to wait or not to wait

[sAy2k]

Alright, I'm back. In a previous thread I asked if I should go for a MBP or a G5 tower. Based on my intended graphic/ art use, the tower was the way to go. But it looks like the dough I'll be raking in from some killer art sales won't be in my hot hands, waiting to burn a hole in my pocket, until mid august. SO, with some announcements that may or may not be made in terms of a Mac Pro, should I wait for a mac pro? Or snap up a G5 when the prices fall? They will fall right? The last thing I want to do is blow a wad of cash on a tower and have the price drop AFTER I buy it.
Thanks,
s

 

[dankatana]

hello all, my first post here.

I've pretty much decided the same thing; to get a G5 tower rather than a Mac Pro or whatever it will be called.
But will the price drop on the G5 when the Mac Pros come out? Is this a market trend with hardware or is it safe to buy now?

 

[xfiftyfour]

well, the powerbooks took a huge hit when the MBs came out, so I assume the same can be expected for the G5's. However, the hit probably won't be AS large because the G4 >> Intel was two jumps (since G5's never made it into PBs), whereas the G5's are only one step behind the intels.

 

[Mac Rules]

Well, that decision is a toughie, at the end of the day, the Mac Pro's will be awesome, possibly with quad-core woodcrest processors, so speed and power will be though the roof, however, the PowerMac is very powerful also, and they should drop in price quite significantly after the Mac Pro's happen. Its entrely up to you, but wouldn't you just love to thave the latest Mac Pro with intel processors and the ability to run Windows if required...
Choice is yours, personally I'd go Mac Pro, and pay that bit more...

Cheers

 

[nater.]

I am kinda in the same boat. Debating if I should wait for the Mac pro or just buy PowerMac.

With all the problems people talk about with their mbp's and mb's...I am not sure I'd want to deal with that on a desktop. But the PowerMac's have been out for a while, seem pretty solid and work faster then my current computer. Seems safe...

Will their prices for the PowerMac drop that much? I mean, Adobe wont be switching over till its next verison (maybe spring of 07?). Apple might just keep the PowerMac's price wise where they are, becuase the know pro users who rely on Adobe and other PPC software use them and will pay for it's speed.

I dunno - I think I have been thinking too much about all this...I think I'll just order that g5!

 

[sAy2k]

so tuff

hmmm... so hard. Really I don't have the cash yet, so I'm just debating on how long I want to wait. But your right, the adobe stuff won't be universal until sometime later... and even thought I'm sure the new Mac Pro will be blazing fast, I remember how painfull the first version of OSX was and using classic. Really I just want something faster than my pb. Maybe the top end G5 will drop in price a fair bit...

 

[JackSYi]

I don't think Apple will sell the G5s for cheap once the Mac Pros come out. I say you wait for the Mac Pros.

 

[Ladybug]

Just speculating but... would Apple need to drop the price on the Pro machines as long as Photoshop isn't universal? I would think that anyone that needs this machine along with Photoshop would buy one regardless, simply out of need. I mean even if they come out with a new version of this machine using Intel, the need for a pro machine that runs PS natively would still be there. Anyway, I'm just speculating.

 

[Shadow]

I'd actually get the money before deciding.

 

[sAy2k]

haha

I'd actually get the money before deciding.

true dat... the money is coming... it needs to work it way from the client to the gallery to me... it funny how its burning a hole in my pocket before I even get it. Just excited about my first sell out.

 

[xfiftyfour]

I don't think Apple will sell the G5s for cheap once the Mac Pros come out. I say you wait for the Mac Pros.

Apple won't, but users will. eBay, CL, or here - here might be the best place to look first, since many of the MR users are the "bleeding-edge" type, and will likely want to upgrade once the Mac Pro's come out. eBay's prices might stay the same for a little while after the Mac Pro's are out, but, just like they did with PBs, they'll eventually fall, as well.

 

[BAspecialCake]

It's literally just a few more weeks...

I say wait and see what happens. More news will be released soon. Patientence could yield savings.

 

[Renovatio]

Sounds like the same situation I was in three years ago when purchasing my 17" Powerbook. I did not want to purchase off eBay or anything used because of bad experiences I have had before. Instead, I found something very interesting in Apple's policy that in the end finalized my decision and I benefited from greatly.

I don't know if this policy is still in affect but basically what Apple would do is if a new version of the computer you purchased was released within 10 days of your purchase you could either A) exchange it for the new version or B) receive a refund for the price difference. I purchased my Powerbook about a week before a new version was rumoured to be announced and after all was said and done walked away with a $500 refund from Apple. I didn't really care for the minor improvements they were doing and would rather have a brand new computer direct from Apple with a hefty refund.

I find myself in that same spot now while I am probably going to be upgrading to a PowerMac Quad. This time it is a little easier because they are not just going to be introducing better speeds/features but a new chip altogether. Since I don't anticipate purchasing a new computer but every 3-5 years to me this seems the smart time to try to stay on the cutting edge as possible.

Either way, G5 or Woodcrest, it will be a screaming improvement over my 1Ghz Powerbook. And of course you can never truely stay on top of technology without spending a fortune. Even if I purchase a Mac Pro this August I already know in several months time they very well release the 8 core macs. However, if I play this game I will wait forever.

I am planning on using mine for a lot of video work (main reason I am upgrading as my laptop simply can't handle it) so this influences my decision as well. I see you are using yours for graphic work. In that case I think the G5 would definitely suffice especially since CS3 won't be around for a while anyway.