Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

monkeybagel

macrumors 65816
Jul 24, 2011
1,139
61
United States
Unless you have a Fat Birthday or something coming up where you can get the New Mac Pro for 2013: Ask and make sure the Gift Card will last a year, and wait for the Mac Pro 2013, if you get scared you can try MacMall (maybe they'll use the gift card) last minute for a left over MP model, if Apple does something screwy like not make a 2013 Mac Pro.

While you are waiting like some of us, you can buy some Thunderbolt drives or accessories, that you should be able to use with you AIR that should hold you over...

But you want something new NOW don't ya? :p

EOL
A few years ago, I would had said the same thing. But Apple is turning into a consumer company more and more and less of a professional company. Every time it seems they update a product they remove things I use from the new model, and for no legitimate reason. The "thinner" iMac was a joke to me, and with the delay of the Mac Pro refresh, I would almost bet money this is going to be a significant redesign. And judging by history there is a good chance it could go in the wrong direction.
 

minifridge1138

macrumors 65816
Jun 26, 2010
1,175
197
It's a very interesting problem.

From what the OP has described, he could probably make due with less computer than he has.

One thing that I find interesting, is that he wants TB (at least in the short term) so he can carry a large amount of data quickly. While there are other ways to do this (eSata, NAS, etc) the best computer you could possibly get to hold large volumes of data is a Mac Pro.

All things being equal, I'd say the Mac Pro will have a longer life: it will take longer for software to require more hardware than the MP can throw at it (not that the iMac is a slouch, but software will catch up to it before it catches the MP).

But I'm not sure all things are equal. Apple is (arguably) more of a consumer's company than a professional's company now. So I can easily imagine Apple supporting the iMac with TB longer than they'd support the MP (they'd basically be supporting the 2009 system). It could become the next arbitrary cutoff point for future OS releases.

Personally, I'd probably keep the MP. Simply because I think it will be useful longer (you've had your current MP for 6 years?) and it could store more of your data internally (and therefore not need TB to go between machines). I'm also not so sure that TB is going to catch on. The industry has become pretty happy with USB. I could see TB becoming another FireWire: the best option that nobody chose.

As some others have stated, you could post this same question in the iMac forum and see why they tell you to get an iMac.

Good luck!!!
 

biggd

macrumors 6502
Apr 6, 2008
345
0
Calgary
take it back, get iMac, give ur parents remaining cash
win
parents love you forever

your folks = A+
 

Lil Chillbil

macrumors 65816
Jan 30, 2012
1,322
98
California
hi everyone. I first want to say merry christmas and happy holidays to all. I have a "nice" problem to pose and hope i can get some feedback.

My parents got me a new mac this christmas. Please understand i'm very thankful and grateful (let me get that out of the way first to avoid potential abuse in the thread).

As happened the last time my parents gave me computer, my mom called apple and sought out (was talked into) the very most extreme thing they had to offer, a 12 core mac pro. This is outrageous overkill for my needs. Just like last time, the apple phone rep apparently sensed my mom's lack of tech knowledge and convinced her that i could use a machine like this "so i don't fill it up with all my photos." :rolleyes:

I use my current desktop computer (2006 mac pro) to house my itunes media library, to play with photos and video in a very amateur way, and do other mundane things. I also have a 2011 macbook air that i use mostly for work related things (i'm an engineering professor).

I am considering exchanging the mac pro for a high-end 27" imac. Because of the price differential, i could also add an additional thunderbolt display, thunderbolt backup drives, fusion drive, and a few other perks. My current thinking is that i would take this unopened mac pro to the apple store, ask for a gift card for the purchase amount, and place an order for january delivery of a new imac. There are a few reasons i am thinking about doing this.

I know apple has something new in store for the mac pro in 2013. I feel that major updates might shorten the length of time this machine is eligible for updates and upgrades. I already feel a little burned by apple with regard to my 2006 mac pro, which cannot run mountain lion (easily) and which i have had to jump through ridiculous hoops to pair up with a marginally up-to-date graphics card. The fact that this 2012 mac pro doesn't have thunderbolt (cannot even connect to the thunderbolt display!) makes me feel that it will not be enjoying the apple love for very long.

Another advantage of the exchange is the nice display options i'd have. Currently my mac pro is hooked up to a 20" cinema display (from when the aluminum models first came out a number of years ago). I feel an upgrade to two 27" screens would be a more definitive advantage than having a zillion processing cores.

I realize that the imac is almost un-upgradable and as such is more of a disposable product that might not have the legs of the mac pro. However, based on my experience with my current mac pro, apple hobbles the upgrade path to these wonderful machines, which should be so superbly upgradable, and in the process really diminishes what should be the mac pro's crowning advantage.


I am basically wondering if anyone can think of a compelling reason why i shouldn't do this — maybe something spectacular about this mac pro that i've overlooked? Will i somehow find a use for those 12 cores that i don't currently understand? Does it really have a value for a user like me, given the pricetag?

Your help would be appreciated.

my parents got me fricking socks for christmas!!!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Pakaku

macrumors 68040
Aug 29, 2009
3,120
4,361
You can use the free app called BootChamp from http://www.kainjow.com to solve your dual-booting issues easily if you have one OSX and one Windows partition.

You can also go into the System Preferences and set your boot partition/drive.

What I meant to say was if you install a third-party graphics card that has no EFI support, you lose the ability to load the grey screen, with the list of connected drives, if you boot up your Mac while holding down Option. If the graphics card does not support EFI, you only see a black screen until your boot OS loads. It even ignores Option, as far as I can tell, going straight to my OS.

So to solve that problem, I keep a light, EFI-supported graphics card in another PCI slot, and connect it to a secondary monitor if I need to dual-boot. Then the grey screen will show up on that screen. The main graphics card stays connected to my main monitor, and that screen always remains black until the OS loads.
 

tjlazer

macrumors member
Jul 27, 2005
93
3
Tacoma, WA USA
If you need the money I would return it for a refund since you have other macs and don't really need it. I'm guessing since your parents bought this for you they are not hurting financially. If your not hurting either, I would just keep it and replace your old one. You can donate the MP 1,1. Or sell it on CL for a good price. ~$400

Personally I would stay with a Mac Pro as they are much easier to upgrade and fix. Upgrade HD's, RAM, CPU, and graphics cards is worth having one. Plus you can hack newer graphics cards or unsupported OS if you have to. (Your MP 1,1 can use Mountain Lion)
 

apple_iBoy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 28, 2003
734
495
Philadelphia, PA
Well, for those interested, I have decided to trade this Mac Pro in, but will wait to see what 2013 has in store before making a replacement purchase.

At the moment, the 27" iMac seems to be the best fit for me. However, I am open to the possibility that my opinion might change when the next generation pro system is unveiled (presumably this coming year). I'll wait until then to make my decision.

I have been particularly swayed by those who pointed out the ability to adapt to new graphics cards with the Mac Pro. Although my experience has been a little spotty in that regard, I understand it is easier with the newer models. I also have been reminded of the rock-solid build quality of the Mac Pro. I hope whatever model might come next will also have long-lasting components and upgradable architecture.

If I do ultimately purchase another Mac Pro, it would probably be a mid-range model coupled with a new display.

For those who have criticized me for making an exchange of a Christmas gift, I respect that perhaps your family dynamic or personal mores work a little differently than mine. In my case, my family is trying to give me a nice upgraded computer experience because they know I enjoy technology — neither they nor I have an emotional investment in a particular box with particular specs. They want me to get the most out of it. Like my parents, I take very good care of my things and keep them for many years, so it's important to us that the fit be right.

Thanks to all (or at least most) for helping me make my decision...to wait to make my decision.
 

All Taken

macrumors 6502a
Dec 28, 2009
780
1
UK
Well, for those interested, I have decided to trade this Mac Pro in, but will wait to see what 2013 has in store before making a replacement purchase.

At the moment, the 27" iMac seems to be the best fit for me. However, I am open to the possibility that my opinion might change when the next generation pro system is unveiled (presumably this coming year). I'll wait until then to make my decision.

I have been particularly swayed by those who pointed out the ability to adapt to new graphics cards with the Mac Pro. Although my experience has been a little spotty in that regard, I understand it is easier with the newer models. I also have been reminded of the rock-solid build quality of the Mac Pro. I hope whatever model might come next will also have long-lasting components and upgradable architecture.

If I do ultimately purchase another Mac Pro, it would probably be a mid-range model coupled with a new display.

For those who have criticized me for making an exchange of a Christmas gift, I respect that perhaps your family dynamic or personal mores work a little differently than mine. In my case, my family is trying to give me a nice upgraded computer experience because they know I enjoy technology — neither they nor I have an emotional investment in giving me a particular box with particular specs. They want me to get the most out of it. Like my parents, I take very good care of my things and keep them for many years, so it's important to us that the fit be right.

Thanks to all (or at least most) for helping me make my decision...to wait to make my decision.

Traded in? As in refund, gift card or actual trade in at a loss?
 

All Taken

macrumors 6502a
Dec 28, 2009
780
1
UK
Traded at the Apple store for gift cards.

Probably the option I would have gone for. So you don't need a new Computer now? How did Apple treat the gift card refund? Were they fine about it? How long are they valid for? Anything you can't do with them, order on Apple website, custom order etc?
 

apple_iBoy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 28, 2003
734
495
Philadelphia, PA
Probably the option I would have gone for. So you don't need a new Computer now? How did Apple treat the gift card refund? Were they fine about it? How long are they valid for? Anything you can't do with them, order on Apple website, custom order etc?

I definitely can wait.

The refund process was pretty smooth. I called Apple ahead of time to find out the details.

I took the Mac Pro back to a Apple store in a large shopping mall. The mall, like the store, was very crowded, so I had to haul that thing quite a long way. It's damn heavy!

They took care of me right away at the store. It was almost like the parting of the Red Sea when they saw me with that ginormous box. The guy who did the return was quick and friendly enough about it, and just seemed curious why I wanted to bring it back (he didn't seem to know a whole lot about the MP).

The only slight hiccup was that he demanded a receipt. The Apple phone rep I had talked to earlier specifically told me that it wouldn't be required — because the computer was purchased in my name, they could just look it up for me. But no dice. Maybe I look shady and they thought it was hot merchandise. :p I suggested that he use my driver's license and look up a Mac Pro purchase under my name, but he wouldn't.

Fortunately my mom had PDF-printed a copy of receipt onto my MBA desktop (too bad it wasn't saved in my email or in the cloud). I had to run back out to my car to get my Air. At first the dude was going to make me carry the Mac Pro back and forth to my car :)eek:), but fortunately another employee stepped in and told us it wouldn't be necessary, that they could watch over it in the store. Whew.

Because of the amount, they had the split the refund up over multiple cards, but said it wouldn't be a problem to use them together (you can combine up to 8 gift cards). I was told there wasn't an expiration, and that they could be used either for in-store or online purchases. Only things I can't buy are other gift cards and iTunes purchases.
 

gpzjock

macrumors 6502a
May 4, 2009
798
33
I can also see his reasoning in this case returning an overpriced, overblown, out of date model when a seriously upgraded version is possibly just over the horizon.

If it were me, I would have returned it too, taken the gift cards, upgraded the Mac Book Air to a Retina 15" MBP and built a Hackintosh with $1000 of my own money. Then used the remaining gift cards for the 2013 release MP when it arrived, eBaying the Hack and MBA once both the new Macs were bedded in.

Just my 2c.
 
Last edited:

comatory

macrumors 6502a
Apr 10, 2012
738
0
What a cool parents you have!

I think you made the right decision and if the folks are OK with it, why not. 2013 will probably bring something in Pro area. I bought 2nd hand 2009 Quad, I sort of wish I could wait whole year to purchase new machine but again, I wouldn't probably have money for it anyway, not with the price policy in Europe now.

My MP is still great machine for HD editing and such, I want to keep it for 3-4 years, so that'll be until 2016/17 - by that time Apple should be decided whether they're keeping pro machines or not. If they do, I'll get Pro machine 2nd hand again. Meanwhile, I'll probably just upgrade the thing, I already maxed the RAM at 32gigs, all drive bays are full but I could still get better gpu (5870 now), USB3 card and possibly larger display (I have old but still decent 24" photography display) - Ultrasharp 27" would be great (or maybe keep an eye for used Cinema LED display).
 

reel2reel

macrumors 6502a
Jul 24, 2009
627
46
At first the dude was going to make me carry the Mac Pro back and forth to my car :)eek:), but fortunately another employee stepped in and told us it wouldn't be necessary

Haha they are indeed heavy! I can't imagine having to drag it through a mall. Glad they were able to take care of you with relatively little pain.

I can also see his reasoning in this case returning an overpriced, overblown, out of date model when a seriously upgraded version is possibly just over the horizon.

Hmm, my overpriced, overblown, out of date model has been worth every penny. I guess it depends if you're actually using the computer for something other than a prize. Seems like you'd never be happy, though. Even if you can boast you have the latest and greatest, there's always a "better" one on the horizon. And if you build yourself a screaming, hackintosh, well, so? Do you actually have a need for it?

Just my 2 cents.
 

gpzjock

macrumors 6502a
May 4, 2009
798
33
No offense to those who need the big bad workstations.

Hmm, my overpriced, overblown, out of date model has been worth every penny. I guess it depends if you're actually using the computer for something other than a prize. Seems like you'd never be happy, though. Even if you can boast you have the latest and greatest, there's always a "better" one on the horizon. And if you build yourself a screaming, hackintosh, well, so? Do you actually have a need for it?

Just my 2 cents.

I understand the needs some have for a big, fast, 24 core MP and in your case if you need it, you will enjoy it.
Horses for courses ofc.

The OP was reasoning the MP was all of the overs above and I was only saying what I would do, I hope your beast serves you as well as my Octo 3,1 has over the last 5 years. I'm building a Hack so I can use Mountain Lion, Nvidia cards and all the new iCloud toys while my 3,1 stays Snow Leopard and services my old software library.
My Hack (£1200 budget) won't scream and will only be mildly quicker than the 3,1 I suspect, I'll post it when it's built if you like. :)
 

Phrygian

macrumors regular
Nov 26, 2011
196
0
Haha they are indeed heavy! I can't imagine having to drag it through a mall. Glad they were able to take care of you with relatively little pain.



Hmm, my overpriced, overblown, out of date model has been worth every penny. I guess it depends if you're actually using the computer for something other than a prize. Seems like you'd never be happy, though. Even if you can boast you have the latest and greatest, there's always a "better" one on the horizon. And if you build yourself a screaming, hackintosh, well, so? Do you actually have a need for it?

Just my 2 cents.

except you can build a pc and do nearly everything, or as you mentioned, build a hackintosh (if able) for significantly less money.

No one is saying the MP 2012s are complete garbage. Its they are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced:apple:

if you got the money and thats what you want thats fine, but it doesn't make it a solid investment. I got a friend whose dad buys a new mac pro every year but is a complete trogladite. Guy can barely surf the web. But he makes millions a year, so power to him.
 

minifridge1138

macrumors 65816
Jun 26, 2010
1,175
197
except you can build a pc and do nearly everything, or as you mentioned, build a hackintosh (if able) for significantly less money.

No one is saying the MP 2012s are complete garbage. Its they are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced:apple:

if you got the money and thats what you want thats fine, but it doesn't make it a solid investment. I got a friend whose dad buys a new mac pro every year but is a complete trogladite. Guy can barely surf the web. But he makes millions a year, so power to him.

No computer is an investment. It's a commodity that loses value as soon as you pay for it.
 

Phrygian

macrumors regular
Nov 26, 2011
196
0
No computer is an investment. It's a commodity that loses value as soon as you pay for it.

thanks for the semantics lesson. Not only does it not change the point of my post, its somewhat inacurate.

An example would be a company investing in new computers with faster processors to increase productivity and thus increase revenue.

But yes, electronics lose value over time.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.