Hi, I have been struggling for weeks deciding on whether to get a mbp or mac pro to use for Aperture 1.5, its just killing me. The computer I have now- a mac mini core duo with 2gb ram, 7200rpm hard drive, and integrated graphics is too slow and I can only use one screen. A mac pro or macbook pro (for now) would be fast enough:
-If I got a macbook pro now I'd get the 2.2ghz with 4gb ram for $220 from OWC and the 160gb 7200rpm seagate and put it in myself.
-If I got a mac pro now I'd get the 2x2.66 with x1900xt and an extra 2 or 4gb ram from OWC.
*If Aperture will be *much* faster with a 50gb library of 12mp raw files and raptor/raid arrays with the mac pro/x1900xt, then I think I should just go for one now instead of the mbp- I don't know how much better the mac pro does aperture though- would it be noticable? For now I mostly want no slowdowns when quickly browing and rating pics- no rendering delay.
Here is my plan: if I buy the mbp now I will for sure resell it and buy the new mac pro as soon as its released in winter '07/08; if I buy the mac pro now I will probably keep it even when the new mac pro is released because I highly doubt it will drastically improve aperture performance which is already more
than perfect with a current mac pro- but if i did want to swap mac pro's I would take a bigger loss than coming from the mbp.
If the mac pro wasn't likely to recieve a small update soon or certainly a huge update in probably November then I would certainly buy one now since I don't care whatsoever for portability. I plan to get the ultraportable mac when it is released someday and have a 2.5lb dell x1 for now anyways if I need a portable machine. If I got the mbp now it would be used as a desktop machine only with a 1920x1200 display and with aperture- in dual display mode; using the low res internal screen itself would be annoying.
If I did get the updated mac pro in winter I would lose money selling whatever I get now- but I'd lose less with the mbp since it will be current for quite a while now and a 4gb one would probably sell for decent money considering how much apple charges for a 4gb upgrade.
I personally hate laptops for performance, expansion options, the fact your stuck with a small low res screen, its not compfortable to type on compared to wireless desktop keyboards/mice, etc.- I am also a big fan of WD raptor hard drives and raid arrays which I think would speed up aperture- to do that with the mbp I would need an expensive $120 esata expresscard (only 2 port though) and external drive cases- but I would still have a slow laptop drive to boot from even with the newly released fastest laptop drive- they're still way slower than a raptor. Also if I ever need to I can put more than 4gb ram in the mac pro but not the laptop. Therefore, the laptop would just be getting me by until I get the new mac pro.
Anyways, I know this is a big spaz and I have issues, but I really appreciate any advice. Maybe I shouldn't be so cheap and just go with the mac pro now even if its going to depreciate more- *I wonder how severely it would depreciate when they are updated... Oh- regardless of which one I get I save $200 with education discount and also get a free nano. I plan to use an ADC 20% discount in the winter for a new mac pro (if I don't have one yet) or ultraportable mac.
-If I got a macbook pro now I'd get the 2.2ghz with 4gb ram for $220 from OWC and the 160gb 7200rpm seagate and put it in myself.
-If I got a mac pro now I'd get the 2x2.66 with x1900xt and an extra 2 or 4gb ram from OWC.
*If Aperture will be *much* faster with a 50gb library of 12mp raw files and raptor/raid arrays with the mac pro/x1900xt, then I think I should just go for one now instead of the mbp- I don't know how much better the mac pro does aperture though- would it be noticable? For now I mostly want no slowdowns when quickly browing and rating pics- no rendering delay.
Here is my plan: if I buy the mbp now I will for sure resell it and buy the new mac pro as soon as its released in winter '07/08; if I buy the mac pro now I will probably keep it even when the new mac pro is released because I highly doubt it will drastically improve aperture performance which is already more
than perfect with a current mac pro- but if i did want to swap mac pro's I would take a bigger loss than coming from the mbp.
If the mac pro wasn't likely to recieve a small update soon or certainly a huge update in probably November then I would certainly buy one now since I don't care whatsoever for portability. I plan to get the ultraportable mac when it is released someday and have a 2.5lb dell x1 for now anyways if I need a portable machine. If I got the mbp now it would be used as a desktop machine only with a 1920x1200 display and with aperture- in dual display mode; using the low res internal screen itself would be annoying.
If I did get the updated mac pro in winter I would lose money selling whatever I get now- but I'd lose less with the mbp since it will be current for quite a while now and a 4gb one would probably sell for decent money considering how much apple charges for a 4gb upgrade.
I personally hate laptops for performance, expansion options, the fact your stuck with a small low res screen, its not compfortable to type on compared to wireless desktop keyboards/mice, etc.- I am also a big fan of WD raptor hard drives and raid arrays which I think would speed up aperture- to do that with the mbp I would need an expensive $120 esata expresscard (only 2 port though) and external drive cases- but I would still have a slow laptop drive to boot from even with the newly released fastest laptop drive- they're still way slower than a raptor. Also if I ever need to I can put more than 4gb ram in the mac pro but not the laptop. Therefore, the laptop would just be getting me by until I get the new mac pro.
Anyways, I know this is a big spaz and I have issues, but I really appreciate any advice. Maybe I shouldn't be so cheap and just go with the mac pro now even if its going to depreciate more- *I wonder how severely it would depreciate when they are updated... Oh- regardless of which one I get I save $200 with education discount and also get a free nano. I plan to use an ADC 20% discount in the winter for a new mac pro (if I don't have one yet) or ultraportable mac.
