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Mac-Addict

Mac-Addict

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 30, 2006
1,424
4
London
I was planning on getting a macbook pro for christmas with money I have and money my parents are giving me for christmas and lending me the rest.. and that comes to around £1,600. I don't need a notebook but it would be a benifit. But I just checked out the refurbs and saw a MacPro (Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon "Woodcrest" processors
1GB memory (667MHz DDR2 fully-buffered DIMM ECC)
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics with 256MB memory
250GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive1)
Leaving me like £200 on a screen (And yeah I know it would be like 15" but I wouldn't care because its a flipping MacPro!) A MacPro would be.. WOW!! but I wouldn't feel solid with it because I would only be able to get a small screen. But on the other hand theres the Macbook Pro, a speedy nice laptop just been updated no need to worry about screens or whatever.
Honestly What would YOU do if you had a top budget of £1,600 (No education discount..)?
 
Mac-Addict said:
I was planning on getting a macbook pro for christmas with money I have and money my parents are giving me for christmas and lending me the rest.. and that comes to around £1,600. I don't need a notebook but it would be a benifit. But I just checked out the refurbs and saw a MacPro (Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon "Woodcrest" processors
1GB memory (667MHz DDR2 fully-buffered DIMM ECC)
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics with 256MB memory
250GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive1)
Leaving me like £200 on a screen (And yeah I know it would be like 15" but I wouldn't care because its a flipping MacPro!) A MacPro would be.. WOW!! but I wouldn't feel solid with it because I would only be able to get a small screen. But on the other hand theres the Macbook Pro, a speedy nice laptop just been updated no need to worry about screens or whatever.
Honestly What would YOU do if you had a top budget of £1,600 (No education discount..)?
Click to expand...

£200 would get you a third-party 19" or 20" monitor. Make sure you choose one with DVI input.
 
I'm assuming you're in your teens so I'd say that the best bet for you would be a MBP because portability is great. Specially if you're in college/deciding to go to college. To be honest most people don't need the 4 cores in the Mac Pro unless they're using applications that take advantage of all cores or they do 4 processor intensive tasks at the same time. Even then the boost from 2 to 4 cores vs 1 to 2 cores isn't very significant. I really think you'd enjoy a MBP and it would last you a long time. If you're one of those people that don't like to use computers unless they're at a desk, then maybe a Mac Pro would suit you. Even then though, you'd have to make an argument for a 24 inch iMac
 
ricgnzlzcr said:
I'm assuming you're in your teens so I'd say that the best bet for you would be a MBP because portability is great. Specially if you're in college/deciding to go to college. To be honest most people don't need the 4 cores in the Mac Pro unless they're using applications that take advantage of all cores or they do 4 processor intensive tasks at the same time. Even then the boost from 2 to 4 cores vs 1 to 2 cores isn't very significant. I really think you'd enjoy a MBP and it would last you a long time. If you're one of those people that don't like to use computers unless they're at a desk, then maybe a Mac Pro would suit you. Even then though, you'd have to make an argument for a 24 inch iMac
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I have thought about a 24"incher but it just doesn't steal my heart as much as the MacPro or Macbook Pro..
Logically A MBP would be great but a MacPro just screams BUY MEEEE (to me..) And yeah I am in my teens. And also me being stuck with my 265MB Ram, 800mhz (or something like that) PC I crave as much speed as possible.. even if I don't need it. Andd I want something that will last as long as possible as I'm not rich xD
 
You don't need a Mac Pro. Unless you make a living editing video, recording audio, or doing graphic design, it will just be a machine with wasted potential.
One of the new C2D Macbook Pro's will knock you on your ass speed-wise.
And if you can only have one computer, having a notebook makes much more sense than having a desktop unless you do one of the above mentioned tasks. And even then, the MBP can handle that stuff pretty darn well.
 
mopppish said:
You don't need a Mac Pro. Unless you make a living editing video, recording audio, or doing graphic design, it will just be a machine with wasted potential.
One of the new C2D Macbook Pro's will knock you on your ass speed-wise.
And if you can only have one computer, having a notebook makes much more sense than having a desktop unless you do one of the above mentioned tasks. And even then, the MBP can handle that stuff pretty darn well.
Click to expand...
Kill joy :( But I like the "One of the new C2D Macbook Pro's will knock you on your ass speed-wise." part..
No but seriously I really want as much computer as I can afford and I would like a desktop and the whole slot off the door and pop in more ram or an extra hard drive thing because it means I can without any hassle or fuss upgrade it when needed.
 
What kind of stuff do you do on your computer? Honestly, my MacBook is really fast for me, and having an MBP must be a lot better.
 
I would edit and record a lot of TV shows from eyetv and maybe making a video podcast and taking a lot of photos and storing them, a lot of frontrow stuff (does The MacPro come with front row?!), talking on amsn or iChat or any other IM client 24/7. I know you will most likely all say get the MBP but I actually really want the MacPro and I want the speed of it I know I dont need the speed of it. But for the same price I can get it!
 
If you think a desktop solution will work for you, the best bang for your buck in my opinion is a 24" iMac, either 2.16 or 2.33 2GB RAM, I would go 500GB HDD but the 250 is viable, 7600GT 256MB VRAM. More screen real estate, larger, faster drive, good video. It will last a while, you can always take it apart and up the drive, it has FW800 so you can always add an external cheap and easy.
 
Mac-Addict said:
I would edit and record a lot of TV shows from eyetv and maybe making a video podcast and taking a lot of photos and storing them, a lot of frontrow stuff (does The MacPro come with front row?!), talking on amsn or iChat or any other IM client 24/7. I know you will most likely all say get the MBP but I actually really want the MacPro and I want the speed of it I know I dont need the speed of it. But for the same price I can get it!
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No the Mac Pro does not include remote and Front Row.
I agree that it is great speed, but like someone said, the speed is overkill and will you really use it or will it get wasted?

Not to mention, those things are huge. Do you really want something that big, in, under, or on your desk?
 
If you will be doing a lot of photos, video chat, tv, and front row, the screen of the 24" iMac makes the most sense. It really is a great computer.
 
Mac-Addict said:
I would edit and record a lot of TV shows from eyetv and maybe making a video podcast and taking a lot of photos and storing them, a lot of frontrow stuff (does The MacPro come with front row?!), talking on amsn or iChat or any other IM client 24/7. I know you will most likely all say get the MBP but I actually really want the MacPro and I want the speed of it I know I dont need the speed of it. But for the same price I can get it!
Click to expand...

Well, Sounds like you have already made up your mind.
 
I'd say get the mac pro.. it's much more bang for your buck, and will last you longer. since you're still in high school (or whatever the equivalent over there is), you don't really need a portable to carry with you to and from class. most of the time you'll be using the machine in your room, right? yeah. mac pro.

not to mention, you've already made up your mind anyway, it seems.. why ya asking us? ;)
 
There comes a point where the amount of speed in your computer simply isn't used at all. From the stuff you say you are going to do, it sounds like you simply will not benifit from using a Mac Pro when you could be using a MBP or an iMac.
 
I love portable admitedly my computer doesnt move out of my room often but i like being able to move around my room watch a movie in bed sit in my egg chair.

I would go witht the mbp but it sounds like you really want the idea of the power, though I find it doubtful you'll ever use and more importantly notice the power.

(seriously you wont notice unless your using some serious pro apps games arent going to run faster as they dont utalize the cores, still for the money it's a good deal. Just dont under estimate how nice having computer you can move is, even if you only move it around your house.)
 
Phil9579 said:
There comes a point where the amount of speed in your computer simply isn't used at all. From the stuff you say you are going to do, it sounds like you simply will not benifit from using a Mac Pro when you could be using a MBP or an iMac.
Click to expand...

AP_piano295 said:
I love portable admitedly my computer doesnt move out of my room often but i like being able to move around my room watch a movie in bed sit in my egg chair.

I would go witht the mbp but it sounds like you really want the idea of the power, though I find it doubtful you'll ever use and more importantly notice the power.

(seriously you wont notice unless your using some serious pro apps games arent going to run faster as they dont utalize the cores, still for the money it's a good deal. Just dont under estimate how nice having computer you can move is, even if you only move it around your house.)
Click to expand...

You two aren't thinking down the road, though. Does the OP need the power now? Absolutely not. But in 5+ years, the MBP will be hardly bearable, whereas the MP could be upgraded to keep it chuggin' along.
 
I say get the Mac Pro. If you are planning to record a lot of shows, edit them, and possibly do video in the long run(just in case) then MP it is. The 24" iMac is a great powerful machine with a huge HD capable screen, however even with a 500GB HD and upgradeable CTO Video Card, it lacks in upgradability to extend it's life.

You will fill up that HD quickly if you are recording shows in HD, or storing any kind of videos. The FW 800 is great, but you only have one and the one FW 400 is a limitation as well. You will have to start daisy chaining drives and from my experience with iMac's the FW buses are not very powerful to handle daisy chains.

To me the ability to add more USB/FW ports, upgrade the Video Card, and increase it's internal storage is a huge bonus. Yeah, you won't probably use all the cores unless you are doing some FCP rendering, etc... You are paying for all the other feature it brings as well. If you can afford it, want it, and don't need the portable then get it and enjoy it.
 
xfiftyfour said:
You two aren't thinking down the road, though. Does the OP need the power now? Absolutely not. But in 5+ years, the MBP will be hardly bearable, whereas the MP could be upgraded to keep it chuggin' along.
Click to expand...
In 5+ years he should be eyeing up a new mac anyway.
Significant upgrades can be a money pit when spending just a bit more can get you an up-to-date computer.
 
This is stupid. You don't even need a Mac Pro...at all.

iChat...MacBook pro has built in iSight and mic. Mac Pro has neither.
Photos...MacBook Pro has front row with remote. Mac Pro does not.
for a few extra bucks, you can get a nice big hard drive for tv shows

If you're going to ask opinions, don't ask them then say I don't care what you say I want this. (...yes without the proper punctuation)

How old are you anyways? My guess is a good 12 or 13.
 
xfiftyfour said:
:confused:
Click to expand...

Ohh...I actually was meant to the poster that was thinking in 5+ years it will be time to upgrade anyway. If one looks at it that way, then an iMac would be outdated in half that time, so a MP would probably last those 5 years before it's time to move on. Of course no one knows how even in 2 years what kind of system will be out there. It could be 16 core, but it could also slow down a bit as the core race gets crazy.
 
My vote goes for the 24" iMac.
You get the power of the C2D as you dont need to spend extra money on a tiny 15" screen. You will just loooove the 24" screen.....Its huge!
 
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