But you can't say state that Bulldozer's performance won't be good. It has not been released.
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But you can't say state that Bulldozer's performance won't be good. It has not been released.
Now that's just evil!But just for the record, I prefer the contaminator role.
I agree that only an idiot would be running Windows without a decent AV package. Unfortunately, I see this a lot with home users and even some SMB's (no IT personnel of any kind) for whatever reason (i.e. AV software is what came with the system, and is long expired).
But if they don't have enough presence of mind/common sense to keep the AV software up to date, it's a good bet they don't have any sense as to what sites they go to or what they download either, which is why then end up with infected systems in the first place.
I can and will buy my own when the time comes. So yeah, $500-2000 savings roughly.
And as for Applecare Vs Dell ... again, moot, but my warrantee on individual components is usually longer than either.
Also, comparing the cost of anti-virus software to applecare is silly. There are free packages available. In addition, I've never had a virus on any PC I've owned (or my years here using bootcamp). Not only that, but even running a PC bareback (no protection) doesn't mean any hardware damage, just an annoying virus sweep or at worst a reinstall of the OS. It's not even remotely the same thing as a hardware failure.
Also note that a hardware failure when my Mac turns 5 (as my current mac pro 1,1) would be catastrophically expensive as Apple uses so many custom components and the hard drive warrantees expire with Applecare instead of lasting 5 years like my aftermarket drives. With a dell I just buy a new component for cheap on New Egg and swap it out.
Sounds a little like grasping at straws to make the MP look cheaper than a Dell, which is not only futile but moot considering I can home-build. Also silly considering Apple hasn't refreshed in like 8 months--same components at the same price. I have more options on the Dell.
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Comparing OEM and home build PC isn't exactly fair. While it is an option, you can't say that Mac Pro is overpriced because you can build your own for less. You must compare it to another OEM PC, which in this case was Dell Precision T5500.
You get absolutely no support for your homebuilt machine. When you buy an OEM PC, one thing you are paying for is service. If your machine doesn't work, it's one phone call and you should have some kind of an appointment to get it fixed. Dell even offers various warranties and some include onsite service.
What if a part in your homebuilt machine fails? You are the one that must do the troubleshooting. Also, while the warranty of individual parts is usually longer, getting it fixed may take longer, at least from what I have heard. In most cases, you have to send it to somewhere where it will be tested. If they find that it is defective, they will send you a new one. You can't just walk into an Apple Store and ask them to fix it. The service offered by manufacturer of the components is not nearly as fast or good as from OEMs (although it varies a lot but in general).
While homebuilt PCs are great and I do that too, they have their own disadvantages. I don't know do you want or need the service offered by OEMs but there are people who do, especially when it comes to workstations. Gaming PCs are a different case since they are mainly for entertainment but if you have a workstation that is your main source of income and it is used 8 hours a day, you can't afford to lose it for two weeks because your GPU failed.
Not saying that homebuilt isn't brilliant but mainly adding some reasons why OEM PCs are more expensive and why you can't really compare them and homebuilt ones.
You didn't quite get my point. Well, you didn't get it at all. But hey, no hard feelings.
As for free AV software, you get what you pay for.
For me, OEM support is one of the major disadvantages. If something fails on my home-built computer, I can troubleshoot it myself and replace the part if necessary (~30 minutes). But with apple care, I have to wait for them to fix it (takes forever)
An example: A few months ago the laser in my macbook pro superdrive failed. I have Apple Care and an Apple store 20 minutes down the road, so no problem right? Well, first I needed to make an appointment, the soonest of which was the next morning. So I go in first thing the next morning and tell them that the CD drive failed and I need a new one. They said they had the part in stock, and that they would give me a call when the repair was done. Shocked, I asked why I couldn't just wait while they do it (I've replaced these drives before in under 20 minutes) but they said they had a queue for this sort of thing. I asked if they could just give me the part and they said no. I told them I could literally do the repair right there and give them the bad drive so they could sign off on it. All I needed was the damn part, but no, I had to let them do it their way. So I go home and wait. 10 hours later, they finally call me to say that the repair is done. I lost a full day of work because of that.
Bottom line: having some company cover my repairs has always been an unnecessary hassle for me. They always need to test it to determine the problem and coverage implications, then go through specific procedure to fix it which takes forever. I don't need that. All I need is the part. That's why now I only ever use home-built machines for critical work related tasks. I know exactly what parts I used and exactly how to fix it quickly if anything goes wrong.
So yes, I think it's perfectly fair to compare a mac pro to a home-built PC since you save a ton of money AND have the added bonus of not being tied down to proprietary parts.
Now you are talking about a laptop which isn't the same anymore. I have yet to see a homebuilt laptop. If you have an OEM desktop, you can still replace the part on your own if you want to. However, at least Dell tells you that they offer next business day onsite service as standard. Same day service is an option.
Apple sucks at this, they don't know how to treat enterprise customers. I don't have personal experience with Dell but at least on paper their service seems to be great.
Again, homebuilt PCs are good for entertainment but what if you have 6500$ workstation like OP is planning to buy? You most likely don't want spend hundreds or even thousands on a new part if it has warranty. Also, when it comes to workstation parts, you most likely don't find them from the next-door Best Buy. Especially if the motherboard fails.
At the very least Mac Pro Care should come with three years default and the warranty extension should make it five years and bump you to the front of consumers because it's a frickin' Pro Machine
True, all good points. I'm just fed up with manufacturer repair programs. Apple is particularly frustrating because everything is so proprietary and you can only get the parts from them. Ah well.
You can get ALL parts on the internet from third party sellers, well, you have to pay for them though.
That being said, those parts that are prone to failure (drives and RAM) are standard PC hardware which you can get pretty much everywhere.
And the Apple hardware support being so bad as you described, depends heavily on your local Apple Store / AASP.
The AASP I usually go to changes parts over night and I don't have the opportunity to get computer hardware locally, so personally, I can't be happier with the provided hardware service.
But then again, that's just my local shop. Others certainly operate quite different. Especially the Apple Stores (the ones with the very competent Geniuses) seem to be horrible.
Hadn't thought of that before...but that's quite true. Particularly when you consider the premium price.