protect my mac pro.

[Macpropro80]

Im a junior in high school and i just started looking at colleges and I was thinking about what im going to do with my mac pro. I currently have a pretty nice set up, 2.8 ghz 8core, 30inch ACD, 19inch gateway, 15 inch dell, bose speakers, logitech mouse, 2x1b my book hard drive, 1tb g-raid2 raid 0 drive. Knowing all of this, what do you recommend I do to protect my mac pro for getting damaged in college? I plan on buying locks for everything, but I also want to protect my displays from getting hit or what ever will happen to them. And I want to protect my mac pro from having liquid poured on it. How do i protect my set up?

[r.j.s]

Not take it with you.

[Tallest Skil]

Not take it with you.

This, or don't allow anyone in your room with hands or liquids.

[Pika]

Lock your room.

[Plutonius]

Insurance

[Macpropro80]

Not take it with you.

Im going to film school i kind of need it. Im thinking of installing an automated turret that shots lasers. ;) :apple:

[m1stake]

Hide your piece inside the case in a hard disk bay.

[hatehereyes]

Hide your piece inside the case in a hard disk bay.

why would he do that?

if someone were to steal the computer, they'd have the gun also.

[r.j.s]

Im going to film school i kind of need it. Im thinking of installing an automated turret that shots lasers. ;) :apple:

Then your only option is to never let anyone/anything near it, ever. And, you'll have to get your own place, so you don't have to worry about a roommate.

[Fomaphone]

do what i did... become an RA as soon as you can (to get your own room) so you don't have to worry about other people messing with your stuff... and you save money for upgrades by not paying for housing.

really, there isn't anything you can do aside from locking it up, setting CLEAR boundaries with your roommates, and not being a dick so that nobody has impetus to mess up your rig.

[m1stake]

You've got a year of high school left. Don't sweat it.

[Pili]

Best advice I can give is to not let your room become a 'hang-out' room otherwise you'll have lots of people (sometimes people you dont like or dont know) in your room at all times (it gets to be an awful situation trust me). Besides that just keep everything locked up and make sure you keep your door locked (make sure your roommate is on top of it also). I've had my mp in 2 different dorms and you just have to make sure you establish a no messing with your crap policy up front unless you really trust the people you associate with.

Stuff does happen though, my keyboard sticks from spilled beer but that can happen anywhere I suppose. You might also have to compromise on your monitors. Most standard dorm equipment cant handle anything besides a laptop so 3 screens might pose a problem.

[creon]

Just be responsible with it. Always lock your door when you or your roommate leave. As to liquids...don't drink r eat near your MBP.

[Tallest Skil]

Just be responsible with it. Always lock your door when you or your roommate leave. As to liquids...don't drink r eat near your MBP.

It's a desktop. There's a difference; it wasn't just a typo.

[Fomaphone]

by the way, i don't know where you're headed to school, but you better hope that the dorms are huge and well ventilated if you plan to run that machine without living in a sauna (or tinderbox... get a good UPC). my room was insanely hot Freshman year... between the TV's, my roommate's desktops and monitors, our fridges, and my g5/monitors, we never closed the window and had the door open most of the time.

there are a couple things you could do, i guess, but they're not stylish and would really just kind of make you seem like a prick-- like making hard covers for your monitors or stashing your keyboard in your (locked) desk when you're not around. again... trust and boundaries are the best solutions until you can get your own place. beyond that, make sure that you're covered on your (parents') home owners insurance.

additionally, you're going to move in and out three to eight more times after you initially get to school. that means hanging on to the packing materials for everything you own. keep that in mind as an important part of protecting your stuff

[POLOgt]

my room was insanely hot Freshman year... between the TV's, my roommate's desktops and monitors, our fridges, and my g5/monitors, we never closed the window and had the door open most of the time.

This is very true, you will find out very fast how hot it gets with that setup.
Try to turn off your monitors when not in use, and setup Energy Saver on them.


make sure that you're covered on your (parents') home owners insurance.


Best way to protect if any accidental damage happens!
Including if the sprinklers go off or any reason.


additionally, you're going to move in and out three to eight more times after you initially get to school. that means hanging on to the packing materials for everything you own. keep that in mind as an important part of protecting your stuff

Also a great way to protect your equipment from getting dings, because you will get them when moving your stuff.

I would just recommend taking the 30" for freshman year and when you move out to an apartment bring the other monitors with you when you get your own room, and not in a dorm.

[McShizzel]

Install this http://www.orbicule.com/undercover/

[r.j.s]

Install this http://www.orbicule.com/undercover/

That isn't going to physically protect the monitors and such from damage.

[Flash SWT]

I think some of the best advice is establishing right away a policy with your roommate of always keeping the door locked. I lived in a dorm 3 years with 3 different roommates and never really had a problem after conveying that keeping the room locked was important to me.

In addition to keeping my stuff safe it also prevented us from being "pranked" like others on our floor. The guys next door came home one night to find everything in their room upside down. Everything.

I'd also suggest keeping the Mac Pro up on the desk instead of the floor. This will help with spills and avoiding dust. On the heat issue it will really depend on your dorm and how the HVAC is setup. I was always able to keep my room very cold (no electricity bill) however other dorms on campus didn't have as much control over the temperature.

Man, typing this reply sure brings back some memories.... :D

[Macpropro80]

I might buy a tenba air case for the mac pro and 30 inch ACD, and then lock that it an a closet when im not using it.


http://www.tenba.com/products/Transport-Apple-Mac-Pro-Tower--Air-Case-for-Computer-Equipment.aspx

http://www.tenba.com/products/Transport-30-Apple-Cinema-HD-Display--Air-Case-for-Computer-Equipment.aspx

The cases cost alot but my computer costed more so i guess its ok.

I may be taking this to the extreme but I just can't stand people using my stuff, no matter how small or unimportant it is.

[ekoe]

You could install Undercover. It's about $50 and it will send screenshots of any activity that occurs on your Mac Pro if it happens to get stolen. It has other capabilities, but they don't particularly apply to Mac Pro's. Check out the link provided above. I think it's most suited to portable machines with built-in iSight.

You can expect your roommates to pretty much consider themselves entitled to use your computer. It's like that with hi-fi equipment and anything else. If you don't let them use it, you still can't control who your roommates are... you'll likely be 'lucky' enough to land a very charismatic roommate who'll host beer-pong tournaments each night and will obsess doing keg-stands atop your Mac Pro. Someone will undoubtedly puke on your displays, all three of them.

I'd say sell your kit and purchase a lightly used 17" Macbook Pro (and whatever else you might need) and save yourself much distress. Don't subject your Mac Pro to such torture. I just see something awful happening. I was a film student too. I've had some terrible roommates through school, and sometimes I was the terrible one as well. Have fun, relax and don't leave too much to the whim, caprice and negligence of others.

It sounds like you're knowledgeable enough to get part-time work in the computer lab at your school. Plus, the film department should have equipment available for you to utilize, if it's a decent program. If you feel you need to bring your own kit, it might not be the right school.

[Pika]

Locks can be unlocked with a bolt cutter or an angle grinder.

I think you need to do something like this:

http://hughsung.com/images/Serendipity_8A4/tn_DSC04666.png

Turn your Mac Pro into a mega MacBook Pro :D

50KG !!! :eek:

[Fomaphone]

the air cases are extremely overpriced considering that space will be an issue and that they won't really protect your investment if you plan to lock it in a closet... they'll be protecting an inconvenient piece of depreciating hardware.

most colleges have a variety of housing options... try getting a suite (dorm with a living room) so that your room doesn't have to be the place people are going to hang out. plus there's an exterior door to lock in addition to your bedroom, and you probably won't have more than two people per bedroom.

also, grow up about people touching your stuff for unimportant things. boundaries are one thing, but i can't stress enough that being a jerk to your roommates is mostly just a good way to find pubic hair inside your monitor screen.

[GimmeSlack12]

Not take it with you.

You're only a junior. You have pleeeenty of time to figure this out. My thought is to not take it with you. Get an MBP and leave the Mac Pro at home (or sell it?).

[scaley]

Insurance

Definitely, get renters insurance and make sure that it covers this equipment. The monthly cost will more than outweigh the piece of mind and security in this.

[Kilamite]

I know you are going to film school - but would a MacBook Pro not be powerful enough for what you'd be doing to start with? Just an idea - FireWire 800 drive for the scratch disk and use your 30" ACD.

I'd find a laptop much easier to take care of when in a dorm, and you can lock it away somewhere quite easily too.

[ceezy3000]

Locks can be unlocked with a bolt cutter or an angle grinder.

I think you need to do something like this:

http://hughsung.com/images/Serendipity_8A4/tn_DSC04666.png

Turn your Mac Pro into a mega MacBook Pro :D

50KG !!! :eek:
dude thats so legit