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Advice needed, big big decision. iMac v Mac Pro.

H

HighContrast*

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 3, 2008
29
0
Right, first things first. First post! I have been browsing for a while, but the time has come now to make up my mind and buy a Mac :)

Since April , i have been saving for initially, a Pc(custom built , quad core) But since then , I have switched to wanting a mac.This is for many reasons , including i am fed up of windows and its many viruses etc. Basically because I am wanting to study and be a graphic designer/photographer. So the industry i wish to go in is Mac driven.

However I don't know which machine is for me, people have told me the 24" iMac or the Mac pro(Monitor is ok, got one) . I will be using the machine for

  • Photoshop
  • Illustrator
  • Football Manager
  • Age Of Empires 3/4
  • Msn
  • Safari
  • iTunes/Winamp

All at the same time, bar PS/IL. So lets discuss the first option.

**Also, I can get the Mac -17.5% so thats why the prices are cheaper.**

The machine ideally will last me 5 years( the end of University) So this is what has drawn me to the Pro.

Mac Pro
Brilliant machine, will obviously serve my purposes well, and last 5 years. It is also upgradeable , something the iMac isn't. Which gives it another advantage over the iMac. This will obviously prolong the machines life span.

iMac
Lovely machine none the less, looks great. But I just can't help but think that it won't last 5 years. I can see my self wanting something much greater than this(mac pro!) in the future.

The price is obviously a massive factor, so for a Mac Pro this is the price you are looking at ( Bar monitor as I have one(samsung hd tv 22" !)

2 x 2.8ghz.( i am only considering this for prolonging the machine, and also its resale value)

Subtotal

£1,611
* Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
* 2GB (2x1GB)
* 320GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
* NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
* One 16x SuperDrive
* Apple Mighty Mouse
* Keyboard (British) & User’s Guide (English)
* iWork '08 preinstalled




1x 2.8ghz.

£1,339

* One 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
* 2GB (2x1GB)
* 320GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
* NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
* One 16x SuperDrive
* Apple Mighty Mouse
* Keyboard (British) & User’s Guide (English)
* iWork '08 preinstalled

iMac

I would require a 24" model, and would go for the 2.8ghz.

£1,280.01
* 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 4 GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x2 GB
* 750GB Serial ATA Drive
* NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS w/512MB GDDR3
* Apple Mighty Mouse
* Keyboard (British) & User’s Guide (English)
* iWork '08 preinstalled

So from that, the difference is £400( from the least to the most) For £100 or so more(bar more ram for the Pro(get it later) you get a Quad processor etc.

What would you guys reccomend?

need some help!
 
Either 1x or 2x ...

A GPU upgrade, added RAM, and adding drives will likely be the major things you need in the future to prolong the machines life.

In 3-4 years when most of the Apps begin taking real advantage of the stuff being offered for Snow Leopard would the 1x or 2x decision really make a whole lot of difference.

Sort of like the single or dual PPC decision was being kicked around for some and didn't pay off until Apple switched to OS X. Snow Leopard puts force the tools this time, but you won't see any payoff until the developers start making apps for 10.6 or later, and maybe not for a bunch of them unless they rewrite for the new threading options.

aka, it is a stretch now that will pay off about the time you start thinking about upgrading to the latest architecture.
 
You may not need the graphics card upgrade for what you say you will be doing with the machine. There may also be better graphics cards in the future.

The single processor would probably be enough, I mean 4 cores!
 
Reading what you have put, i think it would be wise to go for the 2 x. For the future of the machine, also taking into account you cannot upgrade this

Yes?

Also, is it worth getting iWork presinstalled? or is it cheaper else where?

And another thing, where is a cheap place to buy extra ram.
 
HighContrast* said:
Octore!
Do you think they will update the pro line until nehalem?
Click to expand...

That's what I call them. Easier to spell, easy to pronounce.

Nope. There's nothing to upgrade otherwise. Nehalem is either at MacWorld 2009 (no FB-DIMMs) or at WWDC 2009 (FB-DIMMs, sixteen cores, and exactly the same amount of time between Penryn and Nehalem as there was between the first Mac Pro and Penryn)
 
Tallest Skil said:
That's what I call them. Easier to spell, easy to pronounce.

Nope. There's nothing to upgrade otherwise. Nehalem is either at MacWorld 2009 (no FB-DIMMs) or at WWDC 2009 (FB-DIMMs, sixteen cores, and exactly the same amount of time between Penryn and Nehalem as there was between the first Mac Pro and Penryn)
Click to expand...

Presumably they will be a lot more expensive aswell? I mean the 4 and 8 core lines?
 
When I moved to the Mac last year, I weighed the Mac Pro vs. the iMac. I needed a new monitor, so in the end the iMac was half the price of the Mac Pro so I bought the iMac.

A year later, I have totally committed not just to the Mac platform, but the Mac "lifestyle". I've converted my entire CD collection to digital and now wish to do the same with my DVD collection and get an :apple:tv. I am also experimenting with music and video production. All of that really requires Mac Pro power.

So I sold the iMac, bought a MacBook Pro and monitor to hold me over for a few months, and will be buying a Mac Pro around Christmas (just waiting to see if the move to the Nehalem platform can happen at MacWorld 2009).

So I'd recommend the Mac Pro and get both CPUs. You'll pay more then $500 for the CPU and heatsink on the open market, and this way it's all under warranty.



HighContrast* said:
Presumably they will be a lot more expensive aswell? I mean the 4 and 8 core lines?
Click to expand...

I expect Intel will be somewhat aggressive with Nehalem pricing, if for no other reason then to really put the screws to AMD. Apple may decide not to offer a single-CPU (four core) system and just the dual-CPU model (eight-core).
 
CWallace said:
When I moved to the Mac last year, I weighed the Mac Pro vs. the iMac. I needed a new monitor, so in the end the iMac was half the price of the Mac Pro so I bought the iMac.

A year later, I have totally committed not just to the Mac platform, but the Mac "lifestyle". I've converted my entire CD collection to digital and now wish to do the same with my DVD collection and get an :apple:tv. I am also experimenting with music and video production. All of that really requires Mac Pro power.

So I sold the iMac, bought a MacBook Pro and monitor to hold me over for a few months, and will be buying a Mac Pro around Christmas (just waiting to see if the move to the Nehalem platform can happen at MacWorld 2009).

So I'd recommend the Mac Pro and get both CPUs. You'll pay more then $500 for the CPU and heatsink on the open market, and this way it's all under warranty.
Click to expand...
So the move to Mac has impressed you then :D

I hear great things about it tbh, of family and freinds.
 
HighContrast* said:
I presume this is why you are waiting till then to buy a pro?
Click to expand...

I'm waiting because I've waited twelve years* and can stand to wait until I can have the best. Best meaning: A computer that will last me through grad school even though I'm going for a computer science degree.

*Long story. I'll tell you if you ask.

I'm waiting because even though I have the money, it would be unwise to purchase now (read: I don't currently need it).
 
HighContrast* said:
Reading what you have put, i think it would be wise to go for the 2 x. For the future of the machine, also taking into account you cannot upgrade this

Yes?

Also, is it worth getting iWork presinstalled? or is it cheaper else where?

And another thing, where is a cheap place to buy extra ram.
Click to expand...

4 cores or 8 cores... either is good. If you can afford it why not?
I get all my RAM from crucial.com and have never had any problems. They are cheap and if you have problems you can return stuff. The service has always been really good I've found.
 
Tallest Skil said:
I'm waiting because I've waited twelve years* and can stand to wait until I can have the best. Best meaning: A computer that will last me through grad school even though I'm going for a computer science degree.

*Long story. I'll tell you if you ask.

I'm waiting because even though I have the money, it would be unwise to purchase now (read: I don't currently need it).
Click to expand...

12 years? That's a long time to wait for a computer! You have some explaining to do I reckon ;)
 
phakebrill said:
12 years? That's a long time to wait for a computer! You have some explaining to do I reckon ;)
Click to expand...

Rightyo.

I'm starting college this fall. Namely, going to Ireland with Taylor University. I have a G3 iBook, which I deem to be all that I need, but my mom is getting herself a (hopefully Montevina) MacBook Pro so that I can take something "better" over until Nehalem (see sig) comes out.

Since I'll be in Ireland, I won't need (or be able to take) a Mac Pro. This allows me to wait for Nehalem. Why have I waited? I've dreamed of having the top-of-the-line, bleeding-edge professional Mac desktop since I was six and used a Performa 6100 at school. I never imagined that my dream would come true... in COLLEGE of all places.
 
Just a thought, Tallest Skill pointed out in PM

I could always sell the Pro and buy a Nehalem pro if it was deemed necessary. And would break even

Just a thought, think Ill order in the next few days.
 
This is true, but the price of the Penryn Mac Pro would drop drastically the moment they announce the Nehalem one I'd imagine, so tread lightly.
 
If you're looking to make your computer last for 5 plus years and "future-proof" it, go with the octo mac pro. The expandability on this machine means you won't max it out for many years to come probably.
 
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