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why should i get a mac pro ?
- Thread starter skitzodancer
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I'm 50/50 on this, even something as simple as hooking up a MOTU audio interface on Mac seems to just be easier than on Windows. No changing drivers, no driver modes, no latency crap to worry about. Just grab the Motu software if you want to control the interface via software.
It just feels so much less bloated than Windows. The whole HW/SW integration, really looks like just a bunch of pre-configured drivers, but even still, at least they are pre-configured for you. You won't have to install OS X then go to ever manufacture's web site and download the latest updates, it's just going to work out of the box.
Sure Mac's aren't magic, but since switching from Windows to Linux to a Hack to a Mac Pro, my day to day has just gotten simpler with each step. And the simpler the boring, time wasting crap gets the more fun stuff I can actually do.
My workflow has sped up considerably, and I use my Mac for my day job, so this is boring browser/excel/ms office/reports/research/communication stuff that really any modern computer can take care of. Whether it's me or OS X, I just like it better here. I can leave a million things open and then fly around and take care of stuff as I get to it or bring it up when I have to talk about it and it doesn't hesitate.
Maybe the Mac isn't magic and the integration is a lot of marketing fluff but I do like the "extra" time I have back in my day now.
It just feels so much less bloated than Windows. The whole HW/SW integration, really looks like just a bunch of pre-configured drivers, but even still, at least they are pre-configured for you. You won't have to install OS X then go to ever manufacture's web site and download the latest updates, it's just going to work out of the box.
Sure Mac's aren't magic, but since switching from Windows to Linux to a Hack to a Mac Pro, my day to day has just gotten simpler with each step. And the simpler the boring, time wasting crap gets the more fun stuff I can actually do.
My workflow has sped up considerably, and I use my Mac for my day job, so this is boring browser/excel/ms office/reports/research/communication stuff that really any modern computer can take care of. Whether it's me or OS X, I just like it better here. I can leave a million things open and then fly around and take care of stuff as I get to it or bring it up when I have to talk about it and it doesn't hesitate.
Maybe the Mac isn't magic and the integration is a lot of marketing fluff but I do like the "extra" time I have back in my day now.
Alright, you asking if you need a Mac Pro is the same as me asking myself why I need a 17,000 dollar workstation at work.
If your asking us if you need a Mac Pro.
You don't need it.
If your asking us if you need a Mac Pro.
You don't need it.
I use dual gpu's for audio work.
3x1680x1050 20"
1 edit window
1 mix window
1 sound miner window
37" 1080p for video
If they new mac has a 3 output card from ati I will probably get a black magic card for video.
Not sure you need dual GPUs for that either... One GPU can drive both those displays with no slowdown unless you're doing graphics work.
A 1080p buffer is what : does math : around 8 megabytes of VRAM? That means both displays framebuffers are 16 megabytes total of VRAM...
What I mean is that a) because Apple writes its OS to deal with only a limited subset of possible hardware configurations, it helps with the stability of the platform if you are talking about just a single Mac. And b) when you start adding additional Macs to the equation - your own, visiting friends, co-workers, Macs make things really simple. For example people who know very little about networks can still share documents around very easily, set up little networks among themselves, share an internet connection. Because the range of HW that the OS needs to know about is so limited it I assume it just asks the other machine what it's model is, and it knows everything it needs to know to create a connection.
I have only a little recent experience with Windows PC HW - and that is with my friends' and co-workers' PCs. I can only tell you from experience that an average Windows machine appears to need more user intervention when creating these little ad hoc networks. Some PCs will need no intervention of course, and some will not be able to join at all - at least not with the skill level of their owner. The Macs are all able to create the connections to share documents. Or in a hotel that allows only one machine per internet connection (luckily becoming thing of the past) a Mac can share its connection with another Mac with a simple check box. Little things, but things that make me productive at least.
I've got a Windows VM, and I gotta tell you I disagree entirely. If you think OS X is in your face, then I suggest perhaps you are trying to use a Mac the same way you would use Windows. I've watched people switching to OS X drive themselves nuts trying to figure out how to make OS X work like Windows... I barely touch the OS, it's just about the applications. When I do lose a file - as an example - I pop into the Finder and find it in a jiffy, and then I'm out of the OS.
One of the things I've observed about Windows users is that they like to 'tweak' things.... OS X will drive you batty if you are a tweaker. And they often don't get drag-'n-drop. I open my applications, I work in them, I save/print/PDF/move/etc the document. In my work I actually do have to work in the Finder a lot as I combine different types of documents as I work on them. Drag-'n-drop is my friend. As is Spaces. I wish I could convey in words what I see when I am working with Windows colleagues. It is sometimes almost painful watching them do things because they can get so frustrated. But that's just me.
I have no argument with you there! And, to be fair... I often will advise people to not switch to a Mac. Macs are not magic... they have a certain way they want you to do things. If that style of working suits your workflow, they can be very powerful tools. And if you don't want to work that way, OS X doesn't care and it will drive you 'round the bend.
All those quotes are true, and I'm a huge Apple loyalist. I just think that even if Apple can break even on parts and labor selling Mac Pros, the Mac Pro development department (salaried employees) might be a money drain. And in terms of the software incentive -- the software made to run on workstations (final cut, Logic etc..) is an equally minuscule portion of their business.And there you have it. Workflow integration, expandability, a solid OS, stability (and I would add to chrono1081's comment that compatibility is also a Mac strength due to it's ability to run Windows also as you're already aware), productivity, OSX-specific features that you like, and because, well, it sounds like you just wanna. And there's nothing wrong with that!
I would also add that there's just something about the Mac experience IMO!If the only thing holding you back is the price, then consider:
For every 1 person who buys a Mac Pro, fifty quintillion people buy an iEverything, so from every angle, the MP is just a nuisance product for Apple. It's a much different landscape from 15 years ago.
In terms of stability and power, if you eliminate the warm and gooey Apple love, I bet you could build a 12 core Windows workstation every bit as powerful and stable as a Mac Pro for "slightly" less money. But you could upgrade components much more often and for a fraction of the price.
Profit is Profit... successful companies don't turn down profit however small it is. I don't think it's the building and designing of the MacPro that is a drain on Apple, it's the after sales support. Parts have to be kept on hand for a minimum of 3 years (AppleCare warranty repairs), plus training technicians to handle repairs on something that some techs may not see in from year to the next.
As has been shown - over and over - any system costs less cash to build yourself than buying any equivalent system from a store. What you save in cash - which can be considerable, no question - you spend in time. If you have time and not much money then it pays to build your own. If you prefer to have somebody else do the leg work (and handle the one stop warranty coverage) then you spend more cash.
When you look at equivalent store bought workstations then the MacPro costs about what they cost, sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less.
As has been shown - over and over - any system costs less cash to build yourself than buying any equivalent system from a store. What you save in cash - which can be considerable, no question - you spend in time. If you have time and not much money then it pays to build your own. If you prefer to have somebody else do the leg work (and handle the one stop warranty coverage) then you spend more cash.
When you look at equivalent store bought workstations then the MacPro costs about what they cost, sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less.
The thing is, sure some workstations might cost the same as Mac Pro start off ( I wont even get into what I use at work, I've done so far to many times. ).
BUt many many workstations in the 2500-4K price range. Have SATAIII, USB 3.0, Dual GPU support, and good GPU support?
ATI 5000 series? Really? I wouldn't wipe my ass with one.
When you look at equivalent store bought workstations then the MacPro costs about what they cost, sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less.
The thing is, sure some workstations might cost the same as Mac Pro start off ( I wont even get into what I use at work, I've done so far to many times. ).
BUt many many workstations in the 2500-4K price range. Have SATAIII, USB 3.0, Dual GPU support, and good GPU support?
ATI 5000 series? Really? I wouldn't wipe my ass with one.
I was not arguing that point... just a "I can build it myself cheaper" statement.
This new MacPro seems to be placeholder ... If there were going to discontinue it, they would have. This new/old MacPro seems to me to be merely filling a gap with a minimal update while they work on something that will replace the MacPro. Apple seems to think there is enough demand for this MacPro to make worth the effort to at least incorporate the new Xeons... but why not any other new technologies? Beats me. I could believe that Apple doesn't see the need for Thunderbolt in a MP. I've read a convincing argument that TB is redundant on a system with PCI slots... But not USB 3? That's a really weird one. And that's before we get to upgraded SATA/PCI/GPU specs. Hmmm.....
So - enough sales to make this minimal upgrade worth their while, but no upgrades that would have boosted the sales .... very curious.
It's an odd upgrade for sure. And like you said, very curious. Clearly they seem to be playing things very close to the chest (not that that's anything new with Apple), but as others have posited: why bother if they're planning an EOL? It doesn't add up. I don't believe they're EOL-ing it, but rather that they're working out details unknown to us and that there will be a full refresh worthy of public announcement (though I recognize that a replacement for the MP is also a possibility).