An 8-core (yes, 8 cores are the standard config) Mac Pro will rape any iMac you can possibly configure and is far more expandible and future proof. Since in your case, you don't need the sheer power of one, then yes — the iMac is the better value. The Mac Pro was never meant to be a value oriented machine. It's targeted at professionals not home consumers looking to save some money.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Baseline Mac Pro...
- Thread starter ArtOfWarfare
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You realize that nearly everything in the iMac is mobile based right? The iMac is basically a laptop that sits on your desk. Just the simple fact that the low end pro as 4 cores compared to 2 of the iMac is reason enough to "upgrade" if you need the power or don't want a glossy monitor.
If you dont need the raw power of the Mac Pro then get an iMac but please dont try and compare the two, it makes you seem foolish.
I think I'm missing something because if you do any video work, 3D (animation or just render static objects) the Mac Pro will be a better machine and it "will" save you time "if" it's what you do for a living.
Also not that it matters by the way this is going but you compared an iMac which wasn't "baseline" at first to a baseline Mac Pro (actually you had to choose to get the baseline it wasn't a standard model).
You will pay more if you need another HDD (more for less because it will be external vs internal). Sound issue, that's really personal because while the iMac is directly in front of you the Mac Pro can be placed anywhere so it really is a moot point (even though the Mac Pro's that I've heard aren't loud such as some PCs).
RAM, well your stuck at 4GB with the iMac and for most this is a great spot but for others I thought I just heard Woody yell to infinity and beyond
But you get the picture, maybe.
Display options, yes a 24" iMac is awesome glossy screen or not it's just nice to have pallets open everywhere (if that's your thing-it's mine anyway). I know you can support up to another 23" display on the iMac but up to two 30" displays (or more depending upon the gfx card. is WOW) on a Mac Pro.
Last with the iMac you pay whatever now, maybe add an external HDD or two later on and max out the RAM now. Your done until you need more at which point buy a new iMac. With the Mac Pro, yes it's more $$$ now but over time it becomes a better deal and it holds it's resale value better.
Also if something goes wrong anywhere within the iMac or the screen goes bad (I know this one first hand) you are without a machine and your 24" screen.
I'm not against the iMac "just see my sig" but to compare the two and hope for a fair comparison is well unfair.
Also not that it matters by the way this is going but you compared an iMac which wasn't "baseline" at first to a baseline Mac Pro (actually you had to choose to get the baseline it wasn't a standard model).
You will pay more if you need another HDD (more for less because it will be external vs internal). Sound issue, that's really personal because while the iMac is directly in front of you the Mac Pro can be placed anywhere so it really is a moot point (even though the Mac Pro's that I've heard aren't loud such as some PCs).
RAM, well your stuck at 4GB with the iMac and for most this is a great spot but for others I thought I just heard Woody yell to infinity and beyond
But you get the picture, maybe.Display options, yes a 24" iMac is awesome glossy screen or not it's just nice to have pallets open everywhere (if that's your thing-it's mine anyway). I know you can support up to another 23" display on the iMac but up to two 30" displays (or more depending upon the gfx card. is WOW) on a Mac Pro.
Last with the iMac you pay whatever now, maybe add an external HDD or two later on and max out the RAM now. Your done until you need more at which point buy a new iMac. With the Mac Pro, yes it's more $$$ now but over time it becomes a better deal and it holds it's resale value better.
Also if something goes wrong anywhere within the iMac or the screen goes bad (I know this one first hand) you are without a machine and your 24" screen.
I'm not against the iMac "just see my sig" but to compare the two and hope for a fair comparison is well unfair.
WOW>>i could swear that the sound must come out of speakers on my MP, i guess the MP just can emit sound without them...
I could swear..the 8800 GT in the MP was better than the 8800 GS in the iMac
I wonder, how long would it take to you to replace a faulty hd in ur iMac, i could replace one in my MP in..give or take.. 2 min without ending my warranty.
Speaking of hds..how many can the imac hold? o thats right..ONE, the MP can have 4 standard.
how many firewire ports does the imac have..yep..half of waht the MP has.
Wireless internet probably isnt included bc the Mac Pro...is amazingly made for PROfessionals.. who.. wireless would probably be too slow or, not allowed in the work place.
and..the isight would work really well on a MP. considering where many people put it..you could get in ichat and say..hey guys..do you like my computer desk?
Yes, the Mac Pro is WAY overpriced, and so is the highend iMac, or heck, even the low end iMac if all you do is type up on forums about how a computer you obviously dont need isnt worth the money, when you obviously dont know anything about it.
He's also assuming that you have to buy the extra RAM and HDD space directly from Apple. If you were to, say, buy the hard drives from NewEgg and the RAM from Crucial or DMS or somewhere, you'd save quite a bit of money.
But since he seems insistent on 'proving' the iMac is a better choice than the Mac Pro, let's take a look at two comparable systems:
Mac Pro:
One 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (quad-core)
2GB (2 x 1GB)
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB (Two dual-link DVI)
One 16x SuperDrive
AirPort Extreme card (Wi-Fi)
Apple Mighty Mouse
$2,549.00
Here's a 24" monitor for $329. So the total price comes out to $2,878.
Now for the iMac
24" iMac:
3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS w/512MB GDDR3
500GB Serial ATA Drive
Apple Mighty Mouse
Apple Keyboard (English) + User's Guide
$2199.
So the iMac comes out to approximately $700 cheaper, but with the Mac Pro you get two more cores, a better graphics card (slightly, but still better), far more RAM and HDD capacity, and a better monitor. Fair trade for me.
I nearly forgot to mention: the Mac Pro does have built-in speakers. He apparently doesn't realize that.
But since he seems insistent on 'proving' the iMac is a better choice than the Mac Pro, let's take a look at two comparable systems:
Mac Pro:
One 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon (quad-core)
2GB (2 x 1GB)
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB (Two dual-link DVI)
One 16x SuperDrive
AirPort Extreme card (Wi-Fi)
Apple Mighty Mouse
$2,549.00
Here's a 24" monitor for $329. So the total price comes out to $2,878.
Now for the iMac
24" iMac:
3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS w/512MB GDDR3
500GB Serial ATA Drive
Apple Mighty Mouse
Apple Keyboard (English) + User's Guide
$2199.
So the iMac comes out to approximately $700 cheaper, but with the Mac Pro you get two more cores, a better graphics card (slightly, but still better), far more RAM and HDD capacity, and a better monitor. Fair trade for me.
I nearly forgot to mention: the Mac Pro does have built-in speakers. He apparently doesn't realize that.
so..i think you made a typo, but i'm not sure what you meant. You have been using Macs your whole life, but you bought ur first one Oct 2007.
Let me try again.
Lets say you make $100/hr editing videos (simple number for ease of calculation). Lets say you only make money when you are actually editing the work, not when waiting for it to render.
So a project on a dual-core system takes you 16 hours to finish work, but you can only charge for 8 hours. That will be $800.
The same project on a quad-core system takes you 8 hours (high-end software can really use the extra threads). You get $800 for the same project in half the time. Or you can work on TWO projects, while one is rendering, you are editing or doing sounds or whatever. You just made an extra $800.
Do you see where that system would make sense?
Again, workstation vs. home computer. If time is NOT money, expandability is NOT an issue, and you want the smaller-foot print, blah blah blah, THEN the iMac is a better deal.
I have to agree on this as I had to take some video footage to a friends home where he has a Mac Pro and the time difference was absurd compared to my iMac. What would take me about an hour and a half was done in about a quarter or a touch less in time. I'm glad I don't do video "full time" or I'd be crying and the power company would love me
Also as I'm just starting to use 3D apps. I know in Blender you can set it for your processing power needs so my iMac has become a grandpa machine compared to the Mac Pro (not that grandpa's aren't loved
).
OMG I don't believe this guy.
So misinformed he is. All fired up with his opinion of how stupid mac pro's are. That anyone would have to be dumb, to buy one. WHAT, SO NOW I'M DUMB thanks friend.
Don't try to hard to help him see anything differently,
He just can't grasp the idea. That people need more from their computers then he does.
So misinformed he is. All fired up with his opinion of how stupid mac pro's are. That anyone would have to be dumb, to buy one. WHAT, SO NOW I'M DUMB thanks friend.
Don't try to hard to help him see anything differently,
He just can't grasp the idea. That people need more from their computers then he does.
I am just hoping that he will give anybody he gives advice to the other side of the coin so they can make an informed decision.
As many others had said. The iMac is for consumers, it is still a very powerful computer at that. It still runs Photoshop CS3 pretty good and some other pro applications. But it is much better at everyday type stuff. The only reason I did not buy a Mac Pro, my budget was only $1,600. So after taxes that put at the iMac line in my signature. I would have love to have the current Mac Pro. As the standard model would blow the top of the line iMac out of the water for the software I need it to run. Even a BTO, loaded out iMac. I would even venture to say a BTO 4 core Mac Pro would beat a loaded out iMac in pro apps. But like many have said, Mac Pro's belong in the professional environment. I am not by all means a professional, but I take my work seriously. Being a serious person, I realized the short comes of the iMac. I even looked at the last model Mac Pro's. But they are still out of my price rage. Because they are still very capable and still offer what most of Apple's competitors have as a standard today (In it's class). That being said.
As there are many positives about the iMac. But here are the negatives.
1. No expandability.
2. 4 gig RAM limit and none ECC.
3. No RAID and Limit HD's.
4. Dual Core... Quad cores tend to last longer in Pro Apps. Plus you also have a much faster rendering time.
5. You have a consumer class processor.
6. iSight. (Allot of major company's can not have cameras in the building.)
7. The 20' iMac uses TN panels and the 24' uses H-IPS panel.
That is why allot of the guys/girls who use pro apps allot, tend to stay away from the iMacs. While the 24' iMac still has a very good screen it is not as good as the ACD or others with S-IPS.
You should do a bit more research. As you may seen, there are two types of applications. There is the consumer application and then there's the professional. They both are designed two different way's.
~Steven
Also you should not be giving out advice. You just proved your self an idiot to allot of people.
As there are many positives about the iMac. But here are the negatives.
1. No expandability.
2. 4 gig RAM limit and none ECC.
3. No RAID and Limit HD's.
4. Dual Core... Quad cores tend to last longer in Pro Apps. Plus you also have a much faster rendering time.
5. You have a consumer class processor.
6. iSight. (Allot of major company's can not have cameras in the building.)
7. The 20' iMac uses TN panels and the 24' uses H-IPS panel.
That is why allot of the guys/girls who use pro apps allot, tend to stay away from the iMacs. While the 24' iMac still has a very good screen it is not as good as the ACD or others with S-IPS.
You should do a bit more research. As you may seen, there are two types of applications. There is the consumer application and then there's the professional. They both are designed two different way's.
~Steven
Also you should not be giving out advice. You just proved your self an idiot to allot of people.
Sounds to me like he was just jelause. That his friend might get a mac pro.
Didn't want his friend to have the upper hand.
Didn't want his friend to have the upper hand.
Sounds to me like he was just jelause. That his friend might get a mac pro.
Didn't want his friend to have the upper hand.
Or he was using reverse psychology to use us to convince someone to skip the iMac and get a MacPro instead!
The iMac has a fan..... Also the speakers kinda suck, compared to aftermarket. But for built in they are pretty clear.
~Steven
and i guess idk what MP you(the original poster) have used. But mine is very quiet. like..i didnt know it was on quiet.
I thought people can't be more hard headed after the whole 2600 vs 8800 thread popped up on the iMac forums but I think we have a new winner here.
I always wonder where all those 'brilliant' minds come from...
I always wonder where all those 'brilliant' minds come from...
Or he was using reverse psychology to use us to convince someone to skip the iMac and get a MacPro instead!
Isn't reverse psychology when you reverse the polarity on the electric chair when you electrocute a psychologist?
wow...
well, I knew I had to be wrong about all of this.
The statistics posted by echoout combined with Mackilroy's facts convince me.
I didn't realize the extra cores made that much of a difference. And I didn't know there were speakers included with the Mac Pro. And I didn't realize you could get 1920x1200 24" flat screens for that little. (Although it probably doesn't have as much of a viewing angle... but that doesn't really matter.)
Plus someone else pointed this out...
expandability really is useful.
In 4-6 years the iMac will have old slow stuff in it and you'll have to pay $2,000+ again for it. But the Mac Pro can have new life breathed into it for a lot less than that.
Additionally, top of the line stuff is very valuable to people for which time = money. Doing something twice as fast means you make twice as much money. So there is no such thing as fast enough. The Mac Pro that goes 2x as fast and that costs just 30% more would very quickly pay for itself.
So, good points you've all made.
...
well, most of you.
Some of you didn't help to explain where my logic was failing at all and just made me think, "There's one of the idiots dumb enough to buy a Mac Pro."
well, I knew I had to be wrong about all of this.
The statistics posted by echoout combined with Mackilroy's facts convince me.
I didn't realize the extra cores made that much of a difference. And I didn't know there were speakers included with the Mac Pro. And I didn't realize you could get 1920x1200 24" flat screens for that little. (Although it probably doesn't have as much of a viewing angle... but that doesn't really matter.)
Plus someone else pointed this out...
expandability really is useful.
In 4-6 years the iMac will have old slow stuff in it and you'll have to pay $2,000+ again for it. But the Mac Pro can have new life breathed into it for a lot less than that.
Additionally, top of the line stuff is very valuable to people for which time = money. Doing something twice as fast means you make twice as much money. So there is no such thing as fast enough. The Mac Pro that goes 2x as fast and that costs just 30% more would very quickly pay for itself.
So, good points you've all made.
...
well, most of you.
Some of you didn't help to explain where my logic was failing at all and just made me think, "There's one of the idiots dumb enough to buy a Mac Pro."
<flame on>
Can someone smack this guy? Not only do you not much about graphics cards, but you don't know much about Macs or computers in general. A Dual processor, 8 core Mac Pro smokes an iMac. The Mac Pro is workstation, not a desktop. Learn the difference. The Mac Pro is a Pro machine, not a consumer machine. It's designed to be extremely powerful and upgradable. From ridiculous amounts of memory, to 2 optical drives, 4 hard drives, on board SATA, upgradable graphics and multiple expansion cards.
I can't believe we're actually having this discussion with someone so ignorant and narrow minded.
</flame off>
Can someone smack this guy? Not only do you not much about graphics cards, but you don't know much about Macs or computers in general. A Dual processor, 8 core Mac Pro smokes an iMac. The Mac Pro is workstation, not a desktop. Learn the difference. The Mac Pro is a Pro machine, not a consumer machine. It's designed to be extremely powerful and upgradable. From ridiculous amounts of memory, to 2 optical drives, 4 hard drives, on board SATA, upgradable graphics and multiple expansion cards.
I can't believe we're actually having this discussion with someone so ignorant and narrow minded.
</flame off>
I'm man enough to step up and say that yes, I'm that dumb.
For my stupidity I got:
-A way more powerful workstation
-The ability to have up to 4TB of storage in the system
-The ability to have up to 32GB of RAM
-If say, the Superdrive dies, I don't have to send in the whole system to be repaired
-If I want a bigger monitor I just go buy one, not a whole new computer
-My monitor is non-glossy which is better for my graphic design work
Man... If I had only known of all these problems I would face when I bought my Mac Pro... Why didn't you post this earlier? Now I'm stuck with this POS Mac Pro.
For my stupidity I got:
-A way more powerful workstation
-The ability to have up to 4TB of storage in the system
-The ability to have up to 32GB of RAM
-If say, the Superdrive dies, I don't have to send in the whole system to be repaired
-If I want a bigger monitor I just go buy one, not a whole new computer
-My monitor is non-glossy which is better for my graphic design work
Man... If I had only known of all these problems I would face when I bought my Mac Pro... Why didn't you post this earlier? Now I'm stuck with this POS Mac Pro.
He's already admitted he didn't look at everything guys, lay off.
Art, no worries. I actually just picked the cheapest 24" I could find, getting a quality one would easily bump the Mac Pro's total cost over $3,000. But to each their own – I actually use a pair of 20" monitors with my computer. A 24" iMac would've been pretty sweet though...
Art, no worries. I actually just picked the cheapest 24" I could find, getting a quality one would easily bump the Mac Pro's total cost over $3,000. But to each their own – I actually use a pair of 20" monitors with my computer. A 24" iMac would've been pretty sweet though...