Mac Pro or PC , Diffrents,Prices

[Foray]

Hello Everyone, I having a trouble choosing a Mac pro or a PC that cost around the same as the Mac pro

So a Mac pro Westmere 6 Core, 3GB Ram , graphic card , 2x optical drives

Then it cost around -> $3,999.00
Then i want to know how mutch i can get for a PC for at around the same prize as the Mac pro up there, and whats the diffrent, Why choose the Mac and Why to choose the PC..
What do i get most from etc, Whats the best etc.

I'm a Gamer Wow-STC2 , Video editing etc in Final cut pro , Adobe after effects and iMovie etc

Link the PC u configure at the same prize $3,999.00 <-

[Concorde Rules]

The Mac Pro depending on spec is 10 to 100% more expensive than the equivalent PC.

If you can live with Windows then use Windows, if not buy the Mac Pro as OS X is the better operating system.

:)

[Foray]

Okay well i love the Mac OS X operating system, i cant be without it but the thing i see bad for the Mac that i want is for PC, Programs etc.

For the prize as 4000 dollar, What can i get for that in the PC World?

[cnstoll]

Buy a Mac to use Mac OS... Build a pc to use windows. Everyone here is going to tell you Mac OS is better, because that's what we use. If you mostly use windows then you've answered your own question. You can definitely build an extremely powerful pc for 4000 bucks. But, if you mostly use Mac OS (ie for Final Cut) then I don't know why you're even considering a pc in the first place.

[Honumaui]

Apple needs to offer a i7 tower ! but they do not

when comparing a Apple to Dell or Hp or other ? go compare their Xeon workstations

sadly the apple store is like walking into a Porsche dealer ? they are worth it but you get more ? will you use it all ? most dont but it is what it is ? nothing you can do about it so you either buy one or not ?
thats the way I look at it ;)

OS X of course is a big part of why you choose a mac and the other is like Porsche once you own one you understand why they say "Their is no substitute"

[Hellhammer]

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DPCWHX1&s=dhs

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.477864

Basically, you can get ANYTHING for 4000$. That second link leaves you money for big SSD and second GTX 480

[Bartman01]

Hello Everyone, I having a trouble choosing a Mac pro or a PC that cost around the same as the Mac pro

So a Mac pro Westmere 6 Core, 3GB Ram , graphic card , 2x optical drives

Then it cost around -> $3,999.00
Then i want to know how mutch i can get for a PC for at around the same prize as the Mac pro up there, and whats the diffrent, Why choose the Mac and Why to choose the PC..
What do i get most from etc, Whats the best etc.

I'm a Gamer Wow-STC2 , Video editing etc in Final cut pro , Adobe after effects and iMovie etc

Link the PC u configure at the same prize $3,999.00 <-

A better question is how much would it cost to get the same thing but as a PC. I did a quick price out a couple of weeks ago (didn't save it) and without looking for deals priced a 6 core system with USB3, SSD+regular HD, and 12GB ram for about $2500. Could have knocked a few hundred off by bargain hunting plus it would be tax free.

Apple has kept the same insanely high profit margin on their 4/6 core systems.

[Honumaui]

A better question is how much would it cost to get the same thing but as a PC. I did a quick price out a couple of weeks ago (didn't save it) and without looking for deals priced a 6 core system with USB3, SSD+regular HD, and 12GB ram for about $2500. Could have knocked a few hundred off by bargain hunting plus it would be tax free.

Apple has kept the same insanely high profit margin on their 4/6 core systems.

6 core xeon or 6 core i7 ?

see not that I think we need xeon ? but they are so to be fair price it out with Xeon and SAME stuff ?

you can get a Honda with SIMILAR specs as a Porsche but one is not the SAME !

if you are saying I can build a PC for cheaper with SIMILAR stuff i7 compare to Xeon ? while nitpicking the SAME is not true its SIMILAR ?

I can get the SAME Porsche ? I can get something SIMILAR to a Porsche big difference

[Hellhammer]

6 core xeon or 6 core i7 ?

see not that I think we need xeon ? but they are so to be fair price it out with Xeon and SAME stuff ?

you can get a Honda with SIMILAR specs as a Porsche but one is not the SAME !

if you are saying I can build a PC for cheaper with SIMILAR stuff i7 compare to Xeon ? while nitpicking the SAME is not true its SIMILAR ?

I can get the SAME Porsche ? I can get something SIMILAR to a Porsche big difference

Xeon 3xxx parts cost the same as equivalent iX parts according to Intel. Might cost a hundred or two more in a shop but that won't really change the game. Besides, for gaming, Xeon is worse as they tend to not OC as well as non-Xeons. You don't need Xeon unless you want ECC and for most of us, that it irrelevant.

[davelanger]

Okay well i love the Mac OS X operating system, i cant be without it but the thing i see bad for the Mac that i want is for PC, Programs etc.

For the prize as 4000 dollar, What can i get for that in the PC World?

Get a mac and use bootcamp.
I have heard windows 7 runs better on an intel mac than it does on a windows machine

[ovrlrd]

Xeon 3xxx parts cost the same as equivalent iX parts according to Intel. Might cost a hundred or two more in a shop but that won't really change the game. Besides, for gaming, Xeon is worse as they tend to not OC as well as non-Xeons. You don't need Xeon unless you want ECC and for most of us, that it irrelevant.

Overclocking leads to instability, there is no reason to do any of that crap, but I guess gamers love to push the limits of their system all in the name of speed. I will say that an Xeon is a bit overpriced if all you want is gaming though, but I digress.

You wouldn't say ECC is irrelevant when you start having memory corruption issues because you bought cheap ass RAM. Your computer starts crashing and you spend forever trying to figure out what is wrong. Yes, there is a chance that you would have no issues at all, ever. But paying extra for that kind of comfort is not "irrelevant."

[upaymeifixit]

Why not just build a Hackintosh? A $4000 hackintosh will be more than enough for just about anything. I have a $800 one and it handles everything fine.

[snouter]

After Effects runs great on a PC.

Premiere Pro is maybe better than FCP at this point.

You could build a stacked 6 core PC for $2000, easy.

I don't have any irrational dislike for WIndows 7, so trying to convince me that OS X is worth $2000 won't wash with me.

FOr $4000, I'd build a 6 core PC, Adobe Production Pro CS5 and an 18MP Canon T2i (which also shoots 30fps 1080p video). But that's just me.

[alphaod]

Hello Everyone, I having a trouble choosing a Mac pro or a PC that cost around the same as the Mac pro

So a Mac pro Westmere 6 Core, 3GB Ram , graphic card , 2x optical drives

Then it cost around -> $3,999.00
Then i want to know how mutch i can get for a PC for at around the same prize as the Mac pro up there, and whats the diffrent, Why choose the Mac and Why to choose the PC..
What do i get most from etc, Whats the best etc.

I'm a Gamer Wow-STC2 , Video editing etc in Final cut pro , Adobe after effects and iMovie etc

Link the PC u configure at the same prize $3,999.00 <-

If you're using Final Cut Pro and iMovie, I don't even think Windows is an option here?

For Windows you could get Premiere Pro, which I think is pretty good and it integrate well with After Effects… though I don't think you'd be saving any money if that's the route you went.

[Bartman01]

6 core xeon or 6 core i7 ?

see not that I think we need xeon ? but they are so to be fair price it out with Xeon and SAME stuff ?

you can get a Honda with SIMILAR specs as a Porsche but one is not the SAME !

if you are saying I can build a PC for cheaper with SIMILAR stuff i7 compare to Xeon ? while nitpicking the SAME is not true its SIMILAR ?

I can get the SAME Porsche ? I can get something SIMILAR to a Porsche big difference

Sorry, but Xeon vs ix is not porsche vs honda it is porsche with a gold plated shifter knob vs porsche with the plain shifter knob. Switching to Xeon (which I don't need) would add at most 500 to the total price, so I pay 3k (less if I bargain shop) for a a machine that has everything the 4k base apple 6 core has but with more/better drives, tons more memory, USB3 support, 2 sets of 3 channel memory slots, and the new SATA standard all built in. Or I save the additional 500 and stick with ix and non ECC for a machine with the same performance (for all practical purposes).

[nanofrog]

Okay well i love the Mac OS X operating system, i cant be without it but the thing i see bad for the Mac that i want is for PC, Programs etc.

For the prize as 4000 dollar, What can i get for that in the PC World?
If I'm understanding you correctly, you want to use Windows for your primary OS (primary work)?

Assuming that's the case, I'd get a PC and hack it (presume ATM you don't want to bother with a DIY system so you have a single point of contact for warranty service).

Granted, a Mac can run Windows, there can be some issues here and there (some solved with more expensive solutions than a PC, some not at all; depends on the specific problem encountered).

Your other option (still based on ready-built systems), is to get a PC for Windows, and a Mini for OS X. Tad expensive, but would certainly get you both OS's.

Hacks have come a long way from what they were (hardware selection is important), it's worth checking out places like insanelymac.com before buying anything, even if you do decide a DIY solution is viable.

Assuming you want a Xeon based system (same W3680 CPU), spec out a Dell Precision T3500 (http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=bw1s1360&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&kc=workstation-precision-t3500). You can opt to get the upgrades from Dell or get them yourself (so long as you're willing to deal with the vendor for warranty support). That system also includes a 3 year onsite warranty, and that can be upgraded if you wish (worth going to the Pro version; warranty work is usually a much better experience than Apple, and a far cry better than what you'd get with a consumer grade system).

BTW, you can usually get better pricing over the phone.

6 core xeon or 6 core i7 ?
The only difference is ECC is enabled in the Xeon versions (i.e. i7-980X vs. W3680). Same features otherwise, and even the same price per Intel's published Quantity Price List. :eek:

Retail prices can differ though. But last I checked, the W3680 could be had for ~$1063USD. Not far off of the pricing for the i7-980X (based on new prices, not eBay or Craig's List).

There can be differences in other areas of the systems where corners may have been cut (i.e. small HDD, cheapest graphics card possible, PSU, case,....).

I do have to give Apple a leg up on the case, but that's not worth the price difference on it's own. Professionals needing a single point of contact for OS or warranty support is (i.e. user is earning a living with it). They usually don't have the time to deal with diagnosing the problem, shipping parts off, waiting for new one/s to arrive, and repair the system. Though there's some valid complaints as to the length of time it can take Apple to complete a warranty repair.

I'm more familiar with Dell, HP,... that get a person out next day on the standard warranty, and it's possible to get same day (i.e. 4hr) response coverage.

[Honumaui]

Xeon 3xxx parts cost the same as equivalent iX parts according to Intel. Might cost a hundred or two more in a shop but that won't really change the game. Besides, for gaming, Xeon is worse as they tend to not OC as well as non-Xeons. You don't need Xeon unless you want ECC and for most of us, that it irrelevant.

yup agree and sadly why apple needs to start offering single core i7 and leave the dual core to the xeon ?

[davelanger]

Another thing to keep in mind when going with a mac is, after a few years if you want to upgrade, you will be able to get at least 50% of what you pay for this mac back if you resell it.

Just take for example how much the used 2008 mac pros are going for.

if you buy a $4000 mac pro today, in 2012 2013 you should be able to sell it for at least 2000-2500.

Macs have a good resell value. Where as if you were to buy a pc for 4k in a few years you would be lucky to get 1k for it

But I agree with other posters, I even made a thread about it a few weeks ago.
They need to make a gaming type mac for around $1500, which would be basically an imac but in a tower with an i-7 that you can upgrade.

[nanofrog]

yup agree and sadly why apple needs to start offering single core i7 and leave the dual core to the xeon ?
Look at it from a financial POV.

The i7 and Xeon (same socket, clock speed, and die size) are the same cost. Just one has ECC enabled, the other not (it's actually there, but the user can't activate it). Since there's no cost savings that can be passed on for these parts, the only way prices would be lowered is if Apple would reduce their margin. And that's about as likely as a snowball in hell. :eek: :p

So you might as well go with the ECC compliant version and use the added reliablility it brings to the table as a means to sell MP's to those that actually need ECC (scientific simulation that relys on recursive algorithms for example). Basically, it gives the potential of expanding the target user base without adding costs.

[Honumaui]

Look at it from a financial POV.

The i7 and Xeon (same socket, clock speed, and die size) are the same cost. Just one has ECC enabled, the other not (it's actually there, but the user can't activate it). Since there's no cost savings that can be passed on for these parts, the only way prices would be lowered is if Apple would reduce their margin. And that's about as likely as a snowball in hell. :eek: :p

So you might as well go with the ECC compliant version and use the added reliablility it brings to the table as a means to sell MP's to those that actually need ECC (scientific simulation that relys on recursive algorithms for example). Basically, it gives the potential of expanding the target user base without adding costs.

I am ore on apples side you pay to play kinda like a Porsche I can take out on track day drive hard and drive it home and still have brakes :)
cant do that with many cars !!!!! and apple is like that they want that reliability which makes them apple :)

I do wish they would some how offer a mid mac ? then again in some ways like Porsche they then become honda and Porsche is Porsche and Apple is Apple and does not want to be Dell

I just think this last round of 5,1 macs are strange options ? but oh well :)

[davelanger]

I am ore on apples side you pay to play kinda like a Porsche I can take out on track day drive hard and drive it home and still have brakes :)
cant do that with many cars !!!!! and apple is like that they want that reliability which makes them apple :)

I do wish they would some how offer a mid mac ? then again in some ways like Porsche they then become honda and Porsche is Porsche and Apple is Apple and does not want to be Dell

I just think this last round of 5,1 macs are strange options ? but oh well :)

Even an i5 mac tower would be fine. They need to make macs that are just like the imacs but in tower form that you can upgrade (with no monitor).

I think if they could make a basic mac in the range of 1500 they would really pull a lot closer to PC.

I would never get an imac because you cant upgrade it, so I always have to pay 2500-3000 for a pro (like i just did).

I should be able to get a good decent mac for 1500.

[nanofrog]

I just think this last round of 5,1 macs are strange options ? but oh well :)
Given the recent issues, it seems the quality has gone down compared to past systems (audio bug, eSATA problems in some systems, ...).

As per "strange options", they're using Intel parts, so there's only so much that can be done. But given the price increases (due to Apple's increased margins), the MP's no longer have the value associated with them that past Intel systems did (harder to compare with PPC, but they were willing to use newer technology before others that added value; now, not so much). As a result, the enthusiast/hobbyist users are being run off due to the pricing, and given information offered by independent pros, they're becoming uncertain if they're going to be able to stay with the platform as well.

Software offerings are also making the PC side more attractive as I understand it (Windows and Linux has become more stable/usable, as well as professional suites offering newer features unavailable on the OS X side), which adds fuel to the fire (additional incentive to jump ship Apple).

Intel's direction isn't helping matters either IMO, as the Xeon systems are going to continue to increase core counts for the enterprise market (servers). The workstation parts will be the same as the enthusiast desktop parts (segments are merging). This means SP based systems with 8+ cores in the not too distant future. Quite a viable move IMO, but the pricing isn't known and Intel's pushing their prices up lately.

Add Apple's margins on top of Intel's recent pricing in this segment, it's a serious source of uncertainty IMO, and it's not unwarranted. :(

[arogge]

After considering the latest Apple desktop prices, I have dropped Apple from consideration. At those prices, I can start looking at high-performance, certified systems, with certified graphics and a huge market of other certified parts that are Unix/Linux/Windows compatible.

It was different when Apple had a CPU advantage over Intel, but now I can compare Intel-Intel, and the old Think Different argument doesn't work anymore. Apple has to do more than compete on price. It has to compete on hardware compatibility, and Apple is still on the bottom of the priority list, if it is there at all. I wonder when the next Intel CPUs will be coming out. Maybe Apple will wake up by then and start competing against the rest of the professional market. OS X is nice, but it isn't certified Linux or Windows.

[Honumaui]

Given the recent issues, it seems the quality has gone down compared to past systems (audio bug, eSATA problems in some systems, ...).

As per "strange options", they're using Intel parts, so there's only so much that can be done. But given the price increases (due to Apple's increased margins), the MP's no longer have the value associated with them that past Intel systems did (harder to compare with PPC, but they were willing to use newer technology before others that added value; now, not so much). As a result, the enthusiast/hobbyist users are being run off due to the pricing, and given information offered by independent pros, they're becoming uncertain if they're going to be able to stay with the platform as well.

Software offerings are also making the PC side more attractive as I understand it (Windows and Linux has become more stable/usable, as well as professional suites offering newer features unavailable on the OS X side), which adds fuel to the fire (additional incentive to jump ship Apple).

Intel's direction isn't helping matters either IMO, as the Xeon systems are going to continue to increase core counts for the enterprise market (servers). The workstation parts will be the same as the enthusiast desktop parts (segments are merging). This means SP based systems with 8+ cores in the not too distant future. Quite a viable move IMO, but the pricing isn't known and Intel's pushing their prices up lately.

Add Apple's margins on top of Intel's recent pricing in this segment, it's a serious source of uncertainty IMO, and it's not unwarranted. :(

whats the eSATA thing ? I missed that one ;)


downsides to PCs are still the interface ? also the color management is not as good ? and not going to get into it :) but Macs are still better at color management ? things are changing in some ways but the other side is not for me but many in the creative industry is they are not tech savy dont want to be dealing with virus and other isses are a pain so TOC is still better with Macs for some since they can figure most things out themselves ?

I keep thinking hackintosh :)
I used to be both PC and mac for years but when OS X came out I dumped PC completely as it filled the hole that I thought was missing since about OS 5 or os ?

yeah its a tough thing :)

as the options :) I guess I should have said configurations :) like 3.2 with last years 3.3 ?

the fact adobe needs to get off their ! and rebuild PS from the ground up to take better advantage of more cores ?

so for the photographer a huge market share of the now small side of apple ! in the Mac Pro offerings are two machines really ! the 3.2 quad and the 6 core 3.3 ?
the video guys are OK

[Honumaui]

Even an i5 mac tower would be fine. They need to make macs that are just like the imacs but in tower form that you can upgrade (with no monitor).

I think if they could make a basic mac in the range of 1500 they would really pull a lot closer to PC.

I would never get an imac because you cant upgrade it, so I always have to pay 2500-3000 for a pro (like i just did).

I should be able to get a good decent mac for 1500.

I dream to :) its a tough back and forth :) the price since I have been using and buying macs since the first 128K and it was 3k :) back then and before that I had ][e

I WISH but cant see it happening especially now with what they are doing ?

from above :) hackintosh is calling me maybe ?
then again I make a living so a few bucks for me is not the big deal ! spread over 3 years ?
and when I was on PCs I spent a bit to make a super high quality machine

the only thing I do miss is the availability of parts ! the things I do not miss is the interface ! still hate windows stuff
once in the program its not so bad but I also spend a lot of time out of the programs ?

part of me also thinks build a insane PS and LR box and have a nice Imac :)
might be a good mix of things

I can build a killer PC and house my drives inside and not have the juggle issue of where and what do I put things etc..

the 3.2 for the wife puts her on a more even field with mine and who knows the idea of a hackintosh or ??? always open to what works best

[Honumaui]

After considering the latest Apple desktop prices, I have dropped Apple from consideration. At those prices, I can start looking at high-performance, certified systems, with certified graphics and a huge market of other certified parts that are Unix/Linux/Windows compatible.

It was different when Apple had a CPU advantage over Intel, but now I can compare Intel-Intel, and the old Think Different argument doesn't work anymore. Apple has to do more than compete on price. It has to compete on hardware compatibility, and Apple is still on the bottom of the priority list, if it is there at all. I wonder when the next Intel CPUs will be coming out. Maybe Apple will wake up by then and start competing against the rest of the professional market. OS X is nice, but it isn't certified Linux or Windows.

its not the prices so much for me ? since a quality XEON workstation from Dell or HP is about the same ? its the fact that the Xeon I think is not needed as much anymore for a quality machine when the parts now for a i7 can be very good ?

memory of course like nanofrog said above things can be a bit better on the error checking side ?

but in the past when I built my PCs and had macs they would end up costing close but I can sell the macs for more :)

at least for me ? certified does not matter I have to work in PS and LR to make a living and to get that living out I need email and FTP and a few other things and color management that is top notch ?
its becoming a mixed field where I might go back to both ?
I do like for personal stuff having the movie editing on a mac since its so easy but again a Imac can handle that ? granted the HDD access kills me ?

I just am at a this is a strange year for me/us (as in those who agree) and the macs and many others feel like me/us !

I do want a Ipad :) and I have a Iphone and our Iphone works with us and our setups
also I do love OS X over windows big time and cant use *nix since I have to use adobe and be color managed properly ?

OK back to editing :)

[Hellhammer]

Overclocking leads to instability, there is no reason to do any of that crap, but I guess gamers love to push the limits of their system all in the name of speed. I will say that an Xeon is a bit overpriced if all you want is gaming though, but I digress.

If you have good components, then OCing does not make your system unstable although it depends how much you OC. If you're already buying the best parts on the market, then it's not that big deal as games will anyway run at max settings but if you're on budget, OCing is amazing way to improve your performance, for free. For example, you get i5-750 and GTX 460. Give the CPU some OC and you have faster CPU than what Intel offers for LGA 1156 socket. Some OC for GTX 460 and tadaa, it just became GTX 470.

If you know how to do it, then there is no harm. Just pay little extra on cooling and get powerful PSU

You wouldn't say ECC is irrelevant when you start having memory corruption issues because you bought cheap ass RAM. Your computer starts crashing and you spend forever trying to figure out what is wrong. Yes, there is a chance that you would have no issues at all, ever. But paying extra for that kind of comfort is not "irrelevant."

I've never had any issues like that with non-ECC RAM. I think you're exaggerating. If you need a machine for work and your work requires big renderings, then it's priceless as you don't want your multi hour work to screw up because of RAM problem but as I said, for most of us that is irrelevant.

[nanofrog]

whats the eSATA thing ? I missed that one ;)
There's been reports of problems with SIL3132 based cards here and there (hard to nail the issue down, as others got them working on different models), but after the Marvell 6.0Gb/s cards came out, some couldn't get those to work properly either.

From information available, it seems the 2009 systems with B08 firmware are the offending systems. Except for an offer to at least one person to downgrade it back to B07, there's no fix or any information publicly released from what I've seen/heard of. As it's unknown as to what B08 may offer, there's hesitancy to do this vs. issues that exist with earlier firmware.

downsides to PCs are still the interface ? also the color management is not as good ? and not going to get into it :) but Macs are still better at color management ? things are changing in some ways but the other side is not for me but many in the creative industry is they are not tech savy dont want to be dealing with virus and other isses are a pain so TOC is still better with Macs for some since they can figure most things out themselves ?
I've never used it (wouldn't know what I'm doing anyway), and am ony going by information posted by other members that are on the fence. Most seemed to be commenting on video suites IIRC, but for photo work, maybe they were more accustomed to the issues/willing to deal with it, doesn't affect them as much if at all (i.e. don't touch it), and don't do color management (I do recall that OS X is better for this has been mentioned a time or two before).

the fact adobe needs to get off their ! and rebuild PS from the ground up to take better advantage of more cores ?

so for the photographer a huge market share of the now small side of apple ! in the Mac Pro offerings are two machines really ! the 3.2 quad and the 6 core 3.3 ?
the video guys are OK
From what gets posted, it definitely seems like Adobe isn't putting the developer time into it.

Why has this market shrunk do you think?

Is this related to the reduction in printed materials?

its not the prices so much for me ? since a quality XEON workstation from Dell or HP is about the same ? its the fact that the Xeon I think is not needed as much anymore for a quality machine when the parts now for a i7 can be very good ?
Yes, the consumer part quality is decent (i.e i7's and Xeons are the same save ECC when on the same die size).

But traditionally, and it still holds true, the workstation has to be able to accomodate scientists and engineers. That particular type of usage tends to involve software that runs recursive programming (data just generated is now input data for the next run of the process, and so on). So if an error occurs during any part of this, all subsequent data points are incorrect. When you need to depend on the accuracy of that data (i.e. may even have an effect on life and death; think about the computer used to design your car for example), it has to be accurate.

But depending on your usage, this may not be the case at all (more likely actually). Photo/video work doesn't rely on this type of processing, so if a mistake occurs, it doesn't screw up the entire project (i.e. one bad pixel blows the entire animation sequence).

So ECC in such a case isn't a necessity per the application. That doesn't mean it's not nice to have, but it's not critical, nor does it have a negative effect on the final output if you do use it.

But what's more important to realize, is that you didn't have a choice not too long ago. The 2006 - 2008 MP's used CPU's that were tied to FB-DIMM (all that could be used in those systems). This changed with Nehalem (you can run non-ECC memory on the 35xx/55xx and 36xx/56xx Xeons; just don't mix it with ECC).

Given there's no cost difference in the consumer variant of the Xeon, the only cost difference (assuming the rest of the system is identical), would be the cost of the RAM. And for large vendors, they get it at quantity pricing that makes it a negligible increase to the overall cost of the system (same frequency and capacity).

but in the past when I built my PCs and had macs they would end up costing close but I can sell the macs for more :)
MP's are a niche market in comparison, so the demand for used systems is higher than the supply vs. the PC side.

I've never had any issues like that with non-ECC RAM. I think you're exaggerating. If you need a machine for work and your work requires big renderings, then it's priceless as you don't want your multi hour work to screw up because of RAM problem but as I said, for most of us that is irrelevant.
It all depends on the software you're using. For most users, it wouldn't make a difference.

[gotanimac]

I have heard windows 7 runs better on an intel mac than it does on a windows machine

How is that possible? the components are the exact same...

[newmacuser23]

IMO the perfect situation to be in is to buy a mac pro and if possible build your own pc so for the price you pay for the mac pro you could save on the pc side.

But as I say this is in a perfect situation.

[davelanger]

How is that possible? the components are the exact same...

That is not really true, since pcs always have different components depending on what you put in it where as macs are always built with quality parts. That is my guess.

I dream to :) its a tough back and forth :) the price since I have been using and buying macs since the first 128K and it was 3k :) back then and before that I had ][e

I WISH but cant see it happening especially now with what they are doing ?

from above :) hackintosh is calling me maybe ?
then again I make a living so a few bucks for me is not the big deal ! spread over 3 years ?
and when I was on PCs I spent a bit to make a super high quality machine

the only thing I do miss is the availability of parts ! the things I do not miss is the interface ! still hate windows stuff
once in the program its not so bad but I also spend a lot of time out of the programs ?

part of me also thinks build a insane PS and LR box and have a nice Imac :)
might be a good mix of things

I can build a killer PC and house my drives inside and not have the juggle issue of where and what do I put things etc..

the 3.2 for the wife puts her on a more even field with mine and who knows the idea of a hackintosh or ??? always open to what works best

That is true, you could build a killer PC and get an imac for the same price as the mac pro you are looking at. That may be the best option for you.