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Expected price drop for 4-core Mac Pros after...?

D

dupedd

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 20, 2007
46
0
I'm having a really hard time deciding if it's really worth waiting up until June for the 8-cores and Leopard. I'm looking to get a quad-core anyway, but I'd like to know what to expect as far as price drops for thr quad-cores once the the 8core comes out.

The thing is, I'm anxious to get my home recording studio up and running for some time and I've been doing all this research and am finally beginning to obtain the components I need except for the computer. I'm struggling here with my ancient, sometimes insufferable Dell Dimension xps T700r(pentium3).

I've just about had it. What do you all think? Are we looking at any kind of significant price drop? I'm looking at a basic Apple refurb 2.66 for $2200 right now.
What would you all do in my situation?
 
You'll always be waiting if you think like this. If you need it, pull the trigger. It's a great machine and goes so far beyond any capabilities that you will need for audio recording for a VERY long time to come.
 
I'm in exactly the same position - I want a Mac Pro and I'll be buying Logic etc and recording with it. But indeed I'm wondering if it's best to wait for at least some kind of roadmap from Apple on the new machines which could lead to a substantial price-drop on the current line-up.

Then perhaps I could decide to invest anyway in an 8-core or buy a cheaper 4-core.

I hasten to add that if I was in The USI would buy today the refurb 3.0 with the 1900 video card and not wait but we don't have a deal like that in Europe, in fact Apple Store Belgium doesn't have any refurb Mac's of any descriptions, idiots...

So, to answer your question, if I were you, in the US I would buy refurb now.
 
If you are going to use Logic, then waiting until the new Logic is announced actually would make sense, particularly as you will have to wait for the software anyway, or buy an upgrade very soon after purchase.
 
Waiting however will provide you three things...
1. a lower price on the quad core due to obsolesence
2. a choice that you can now quantify (compare benchmarks, etc)
3. New OS that you wont have to buy later.

Buying involves both emotion and logic. Remove the emotion and you're answer is often clear... If you can sit for another 5 weeks or so, I think it might be time well spent.. Heck, you've made it almost 4 years with the pentium and 512ram right.. :) .. good luck.
 
$2199 Quad 2.66GHz Mac Pro Is A Great Deal

dupedd said:
I'm having a really hard time deciding if it's really worth waiting up until June for the 8-cores and Leopard. I'm looking to get a quad-core anyway, but I'd like to know what to expect as far as price drops for thr quad-cores once the the 8core comes out.

Are we looking at any kind of significant price drop? I'm looking at a basic Apple refurb 2.66 for $2200 right now. What would you all do in my situation?
Click to expand...
I would wait two and a half weeks more to see what unfolds Sunday April 15 at 11AM PT when the Apple NAB event unfolds. There's a pretty good chance the next gen Mac Pros will be revealed there. Those refurbs aren't going to go away. So it's not like you won't still be able to get that deal. But there may be enough changes and price drops to make buying the next generation Mac Pro wise.

You're going to have to be patient with all these hardware and software changes unfolding this Summer. So no matter what you do, it ain't gonna be pretty. ;) Are you in close touch with tech support at all your music/audio parts manufacturers and publishers? You need to be on the phone with them freqently to make sure they are ready for Leopard and, if not, asking when will they be?
 
Well, perhaps too much emotion in buying decisions is not a good thing.

If you are buying for commercial use, then buy it asap. If it is just a "toy", I guess you can wait until you feel ready.

I waited for the much heralded "new" Mac Pros to be unveiled at Macworld SF in January 07. Put my buying decision off for 2 months. MW SF came and went. No new Mac Pros. So, day after I went to the Apple Store and got a refurb 2.66 Mac Pro. Have been adding hard drives and RAM. My work gets done.

Never regretted buying it. :)

Of course, almost 3 months later, and I could still be waiting… but I am glad I made the jump.

For what it's worth. :)
 
Multimedia said:
You're going to have to be patient with all these hardware and software changes unfolding this Summer. So no matter what you do, it ain't gonna be pretty. ;) Are you in close touch with tech support at all your music/audio parts manufacturers and publishers? You need to be on the phone with them freqently to make sure they are ready for Leopard and, if not, asking when will they be?
Click to expand...

There are always hardware changes unfolding. Santa Rosa isn't going to seem so great in 2008, nor are whatever the current chips are on April 15, even if they are 4 cores per chip. That said, for audio recording the current MP is already way beyond overkill. It will serve you for years to come (this ain't HD Video).

Still, I think that the compelling reason to wait is if there is a release of Logic Pro (8?) just around the corner. If there is, I would sit out until that is delivered to avoid having to buy an expensive upgrade license just after you buy the machine (unless you already have another version of Logic Pro to use in the interim).
 
If you've waited this long wait a bit longer.

makes sense, save more money and then place an order the day the 8 Core Mac pro is released.
 
dupe, i'd hang in there for 2 more weeks. that's what i'm desperately trying to do. i can't tell you how many times in the last week that i was out n' about and just about drove right to the local reseller and pulled the trigger on a mac pro.

BUT, i keep telling myself that with new one supposedly coming out....it just makes sense to hang on.

then again, if you have work that you can finish or need to finish in the next week or 2 and clients are waiting....that's a call you need to make. sounds like you have some time getting everything set up? I would wait if that's the case.

17 days from now :)

cheers,
keebler
 
Well, there are no clients waiting or anything like that. It's just me and my two bandmates that have been wanting to get working on getting our music down on 'tape' for sometime now. We've been holding off making new recordings with our old tape 8-track for our move to digital recording. We're actually getting all new equipment basically, mics, monitors, everything, so it's not just the computer we're waiting on and upgrading.
Argg, I just don't know. I'm still picking up the other components so April 15th is not too far I suppose.

Are you in close touch with tech support at all your music/audio parts manufacturers and publishers? You need to be on the phone with them freqently to make sure they are ready for Leopard and, if not, asking when will they be?
Click to expand...
- Multimedia

I'm not sure what you mean by this. I know for example the audio interface I'm buying, the MOTU 828mk2, is known for it's excellent reputation with Macs, as far as drivers and such goes, if that's kinda what you mean.

I'm not sure we'll even be going for Logic right away, so waiting for the new Logic isn't really a deal.
Thing is, I don't want to spend much more than what the 2.66 refurbs are going for now($2199). I don't really see springing for the 8-core if I waited because I'm guessing they'll be much more expensive, right? So just how much do you all think 4-core prices will drop once the 8-core comes out? I'm not sure if one could guess really, but is there a pattern at all that's been recognized for situations like this....?

I'm gonna stick it out here for NAB I guess but June has got me sorta crazed over the idea.
Thanks for your replies, y'all. I think I do/did need to "remove some of the emotion" from buying my new computer:)
 
Sometimes refurb prices don't drop very dramatically when new models come out -- sometimes people snap up the old models to ensure compatibility with their existing machines/networks/software, and that drives up the price of older models.

So counting on a big price drop for 4-core systems when an 8-core system is finally announced is probably not a great idea. I suspect the savings will be $200 or so at most.
 
dupedd said:
Yeah, $200 or so is not that much really. Hmmm


ANOTHER Tuesday!
Click to expand...

It's not like they're going to stop selling quad core machines. They're just going to add the option to go to 8 cores. I don't see the price dropping at all.

darren
 
I'm With Darren — No 4 Core Price Drop Below $1999

kixsand said:
It's not like they're going to stop selling quad core machines. They're just going to add the option to go to 8 cores. I don't see the price dropping at all.

darren
Click to expand...
Me neither. Why should they? All they're likely to do is offer a more expensive 8 core Dual Clovertown Processor option along with new graphics cards and HD Optical drives. Anyone who expects the 2GHz Quad Mac Pro price to drop below $1999 is deluded. Of course there might be a 2.66GHz Quad Mac Pro offered for $1999. And the 3GHz might go for $2499. Is that what you mean?

Look. The $2199 refurb is not going to evaporate overnight. They're still selling Quad G5 PMs for the same $2699 I bought mine for over a year ago. So why not wait to see what other options they add you might want to buy new instead for the same base price?
dupedd said:
Well, there are no clients waiting or anything like that. It's just me and my two bandmates that have been wanting to get working on getting our music down on 'tape' for sometime now. We've been holding off making new recordings with our old tape 8-track for our move to digital recording. We're actually getting all new equipment basically, mics, monitors, everything, so it's not just the computer we're waiting on and upgrading.
Argg, I just don't know. I'm still picking up the other components so April 15th is not too far I suppose.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. I know for example the audio interface I'm buying, the MOTU 828mk2, is known for it's excellent reputation with Macs, as far as drivers and such goes, if that's kinda what you mean.

I'm not sure we'll even be going for Logic right away, so waiting for the new Logic isn't really a deal.
Thing is, I don't want to spend much more than what the 2.66 refurbs are going for now($2199). I don't really see springing for the 8-core if I waited because I'm guessing they'll be much more expensive, right? So just how much do you all think 4-core prices will drop once the 8-core comes out? I'm not sure if one could guess really, but is there a pattern at all that's been recognized for situations like this....?

I'm gonna stick it out here for NAB I guess but June has got me sorta crazed over the idea.
Thanks for your replies, y'all. I think I do/did need to "remove some of the emotion" from buying my new computer:)
Click to expand...
This is for music? Are you crazy? If you don't think you need an 8 core Mac Pro for music you are out of your mind. Ask any of the musicians over at the 8 core thread. They will all tell you straight up that you need 8 cores for music. Have you done your 8 Core research?
 
There are a handful of products which just hold their value. I have read (mainly on this forum) that even ancient Mac's (by computer standards anyway) command a much higher resale value than their PC counterparts. A few short years ago, I would have been surprised to learn this. After years in this industry, the last time I was really smitten by a computer was when I was given a relatively new SGI Indigo (w/21" monitor).

When I first beheld the PM dual 2.0, connected to a 23" ACD, and with the outside cover off, it literally stopped me dead in my tracks! That was 2004, and I was freed from the chains of bondage that day.

I come from a career in aerospace manufacturing; precision machining actually. My former company makes the bolts which hold the engines on the wings of Boeing commercial aircraft, among other equally critical components. The design, and manufacturing engineering of a Mac, is at another level than its' competitors. That is a fact!

So, it is no surprise that Mac's continue to find eager buyers and welcome homes. Just look at the signatures on this website. You have members with machines three, or more, generations old. That should tell you a lot right there. Compare that to the PC world. I have two Dell 1.7 MHz P4's, which I cannot give away.

People post here about issues they have with their Mac's. Many are legitimate and approach the forum as someone seek advice, possibly help. Then there are a large number who write:

"Hi, I am new to Mac's, and I love my new (fill in the blank). (Optional sentence with additional professtations of fealty). But, the hard drive has failed, and it was running slow, any the lid did not fit, and the screen seemed 'dim', and vista would not load, and I really do not like the MM, and can I just load Vista without OSX, and the black case was turning white, and I can't share files between it and my VCR. I called Apple care and got a genius named Jeffrey Dahmer. He was very rude not helpful. I sent it to Apple nine months ago, and am still waiting. I still love my Mac. I am just frustrated.

You would think all of these alleged problems with Mac's, would generate a huge surplus of refurbished Mac's. Yet, there are so few. Hard to explain.
 
Multimedia said:
Me neither. Why should they? All they're likely to do is offer a more expensive 8 core Dual Clovertown Processor option along with new graphics cards and HD Optical drives. Anyone who expects the 2GHz Quad Mac Pro price to drop below $1999 is deluded. Of course there might be a 2.66GHz Quad Mac Pro offered for $1999. And the 3GHz might go for $2499. Is that what you mean?.................
Click to expand...

So, you think that Apple will still offer the 2.0? I don't think so.
I believe it will be replaced with a 2.33 version instead and offered
at $1999. Then the 2.66 will probably go to $2299 and the 3.0 to
around $2899. Just my two cents. :D
 
Anyone who expects the 2GHz Quad Mac Pro price to drop below $1999 is deluded. Of course there might be a 2.66GHz Quad Mac Pro offered for $1999. And the 3GHz might go for $2499. Is that what you mean?
Click to expand...

Yep, that's exactly what I'm looking for. I agree $2199 for a 2.66 is a good deal. I was just looking for some educated guesses on how much that price might drop once the 8-cores come out. I see the point in waiting, at least until NAB. I started reading the 8-core thread and I'll go and read it from the beginning, but I'm surprised about your statement regarding audio recording and 4-cores being insufficient.
This is for music? Are you crazy? If you don't think you need an 8 core Mac Pro for music you are out of your mind. Ask any of the musicians over at the 8 core thread. They will all tell you straight up that you need 8 cores for music
Click to expand...

Before reading up at MacRumors I was doing my research for building my computer based recording setup at StudioCentral.com and from what I gathered, 4-core Macpros had plenty of firepower for what I'm looking to do. I won't be recording orchestras anytime soon, I have a rock band. I'll read up on what the waiting 8-core musicians have to say.
You're right though, it's worth sticking it out to see what options I'll have. To echo everyone else, I hope I'll have those options sometime in April rather than June.:rolleyes:
 
I Think Apple May Drop 2GHz & 2.66GHz Quad Xeons

4God said:
So, you think that Apple will still offer the 2.0? I don't think so. I believe it will be replaced with a 2.33 version instead and offered
at $1999. Then the 2.66 will probably go to $2299 and the 3.0 to
around $2899. Just my two cents. :D
Click to expand...
Oh no I don't think that at all. I'm wondering if they'll drop the Quad 2.66 and put a Quad 2.33 in the bottom, make Quad 3 the middle and Dual Quad 2.66 top. My GUESS is they'll kill the Quad 2.66GHz so the Quad 2.33 @ $1999 will be further apart from the Quad 3GHz $2499 while making more money off the Quad 2.33 bottom at the same time they deliver the illusion the bottom is now more powerful than before. I'll bet the sales of 2GHz Quads was very low.

If they do this, the Quad 2.66GHz refurbs @ $2199 will become instant classics. But then for only $300 more you can get the updated Quad 3GHz for only $2499 Natch. ;)

Octocore will prolly come in at $2999 base with two 1GB RAM sticks to generate big buzz and a million bonus orders from everyone who thought they would cost more. But by the time it's tricked out, it'll be more than $4k. No problem. Still a bargain for those of us who need the power.

Hey I'm totally speculating now. This is not a prediction. It's just my latest GUESS since you asked. Please don't harsh my buzz if things turn out different. I'm no freaking soothsayer. Just plain old speculating. I really don't care if the base price is $3999. Whatever is, it it'll be worth it.
 
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