Resolved Is the Mac Pro worth it for me?

[egy195]

hi guys, i talked about this alot but i can't decide so i really need your help
i'm currently using a toshiba laptop for everything i do and it has served me well for the past 2 years but it's starting to overheat alot and the fans are getting pretty loud, i have no plans to replace it right now as i'm still in college and it does everything well for that, but in the long term i want a computer that will last me many many years and i was thinking of the mac pro for that, after college i won't be doing anything other than usual stuff facebook youtube surfing the web and these kind of stuff, i want to but a mac pro if i can afford it, i know it would be a massive overkill but i want a desktop computer that will last and i don't like the imac really, what should i do ?
btw i've never used an apple computer as my main machine before and i asked about advice few weeks ago but i don't want to buy a macbook as i'm beginning to hate laptops altogether


update : the 'after college' part i was only talking about the things i'll be doing with the computer, not with my life obviously, that's for you Mcdevidr

 

[maflynn]

i want a computer that will last me many many years and i was thinking of the mac pro for that, after college i won't be doing anything other than usual stuff facebook youtube surfing the web and these kind of stuff, i want to but a mac pro if i can afford it, i know it would be a massive overkil

I'd say it will be a massive over kill, and a rMPB would be a better fit imo.

 

[egy195]

I'd say it will be a massive over kill, and a rMPB would be a better fit imo.

i know but i'm really sick of laptops and even the imac if anything goes wrong with it i can't fix it myself

 

[paulrbeers]

i know but i'm really sick of laptops and even the imac if anything goes wrong with it i can't fix it myself

But how much do you think you will be able to repair the Mac Pro? Custom GPU's, Custom power supplies.... About the only user serviceable parts are the memory and SSD (which again is a custom part with no off the shell replacements).

If you figure in the cost difference, you could probably buy two rMBP's over the next 5 years for the same price as 1 Mac Pro (so if something fails with rMBP you can always get another).

Just sayin'

 

[Mcdevidr]

So after college you are planning to be sitting around youtubing, facebooking and websurfing on a 3 thousand dollar computer ( minus screen and who knows what else) instead of looking for a job?

As for the computer why not a Mac mini? I think it may be able to do some youtubing and Facebook.

 

[maflynn]

i know but i'm really sick of laptops and even the imac if anything goes wrong with it i can't fix it myself

If you want a Mac, then you'll be hard pressed to do any repair yourself. Apple has been moving in a direction that really decreases your ability to repair the computer. The MBPs are probably the most restrictive but that doesn't mean the MacPro is that much better.

I'd look to see what machine best fits your needs, get the AppleCare extended warranty which buys you two more years of coverage (on top of the existing one year warranty) and not worry about repairs.

If you like to tinker and tear computers apart then the Mac is probably not the computer for you

 

[MattA]

You can buy a lot of Mac Mini's for the cost of a Mac Pro.

The Mac Mini is usually not people's first choice when looking at Macs, but it is about the best value that Apple currently has in computing. I've had 2 Mac Mini's in the last 5 years, and I have been totally happy with them. Trouble free, quiet, fast, nice machines. And you can even get them with a quad-core i7. What's not to like?

That's the system you should be looking at, not the Mac Pro.

 

[egy195]

So after college you are planning to be sitting around youtubing, facebooking and websurfing on a 3 thousand dollar computer ( minus screen and who knows what else) instead of looking for a job?

As for the computer why not a Mac mini? I think it may be able to do some youtubing and Facebook.

absolutely not, i'm studying pharmacy now and of course after i finish i'm getting a job, about the computer it's a future thinking man nothing for now

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thank you guys alot for the advice, haven't really thought much about the mac mini to be honest, it's a desktop and from what i hear it's a pretty reliable machine and would save me lots of money, thank you

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If you want a Mac, then you'll be hard pressed to do any repair yourself. Apple has been moving in a direction that really decreases your ability to repair the computer. The MBPs are probably the most restrictive but that doesn't mean the MacPro is that much better.

I'd look to see what machine best fits your needs, get the AppleCare extended warranty which buys you two more years of coverage (on top of the existing one year warranty) and not worry about repairs.

If you like to tinker and tear computers apart then the Mac is probably not the computer for you

thing is i'm from egypt and here we don't have any apple stores, whatever applies to you guys in america doesn't apply to us

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You can buy a lot of Mac Mini's for the cost of a Mac Pro.

The Mac Mini is usually not people's first choice when looking at Macs, but it is about the best value that Apple currently has in computing. I've had 2 Mac Mini's in the last 5 years, and I have been totally happy with them. Trouble free, quiet, fast, nice machines. And you can even get them with a quad-core i7. What's not to like?

That's the system you should be looking at, not the Mac Pro.

thank you for your advice my friend, after reading this the mac pro is off the table for me, mac mini i think it will be

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But how much do you think you will be able to repair the Mac Pro? Custom GPU's, Custom power supplies.... About the only user serviceable parts are the memory and SSD (which again is a custom part with no off the shell replacements).

If you figure in the cost difference, you could probably buy two rMBP's over the next 5 years for the same price as 1 Mac Pro (so if something fails with rMBP you can always get another).

Just sayin'

well, i watched A LOT of youtube videos about the old tower mac pro and saw people changing just about everything other than the power supply so i thought the machine would be nice in that respect, the new design though is another story

 

[r0k]

I recommend the CURRENT Mac mini which has easily upgradeable HDD and RAM. When the next mini comes out, it might be considerably harder to upgrade on your own. There's nothing wrong with waiting until it comes out to decide. That way if it's as easily upgradeable as today's mini, you can get the latest machine. If it's not easily upgradeable, you should be able to find today's mini in stock for a few months after the new one is announced.

 

[egy195]

I recommend the CURRENT Mac mini which has easily upgradeable HDD and RAM. When the next mini comes out, it might be considerably harder to upgrade on your own. There's nothing wrong with waiting until it comes out to decide. That way if it's as easily upgradeable as today's mini, you can get the latest machine. If it's not easily upgradeable, you should be able to find today's mini in stock for a few months after the new one is announced.

i've yet to do any research about the mini but from what you said i think it will be the right computer for me, would be a nice introduction to the mac world i think

 

[jlehman]

Mac Mini would be perfect. I have one for learning how to record / mix. It's been great so far. It makes me wish OSX ran on other hardware easier. If i build another gaming PC i might look into Hackintosh but I'm getting to the point where i don't PC game as much. I'd rather just spend $400 on a PS4 then buy a $400 video card every 2 years. It's starting to get old and not fun. I do picture myself getting a Mac Pro if i need it. It would be a heavy investment though and probably wouldn't pay for itself even if i did recording projects here and there.

 

[egy195]

Mac Mini would be perfect. I have one for learning how to record / mix. It's been great so far. It makes me wish OSX ran on other hardware easier. If i build another gaming PC i might look into Hackintosh but I'm getting to the point where i don't PC game as much. I'd rather just spend $400 on a PS4 then buy a $400 video card every 2 years. It's starting to get old and not fun. I do picture myself getting a Mac Pro if i need it. It would be a heavy investment though and probably wouldn't pay for itself even if i did recording projects here and there.

i don't really like to game a lot on my computer, the ps4 would be great for you and that way you will save lots of money, i wanted the mac pro as it seemed to last for many years, but if you intend to use it for work i think it would be a nice investment

 

[maflynn]

thing is i'm from egypt and here we don't have any apple stores, whatever applies to you guys in america doesn't apply to us

Fair enough, but don't you think spending 600 dollars (USD) for a Mac Mini is better then spending over 3,000 (USD). you can use the cost savings and buy another Mac Mini if the first one breaks and still have a lot of money left over.

That's on top of the fact that the Mac Mini is fairly repairable as noted in this thread.

 

[egy195]

Fair enough, but don't you think spending 600 dollars (USD) for a Mac Mini is better then spending over 3,000 (USD). you can use the cost savings and buy another Mac Mini if the first one breaks and still have a lot of money left over.

That's on top of the fact that the Mac Mini is fairly repairable as noted in this thread.

i first wanted the mac pro in its old form factor as it would last me for years due to my light needs, but now with the new design yes i agree that the mac mini is better for me

 

[maflynn]

i first wanted the mac pro in its old form factor as it would last me for years due to my light needs, but now with the new design yes i agree that the mac mini is better for me

Search around, you can still find the old version of the Mac Pro, though it will still be pricier then the current Mini.

 

[egy195]

Search around, you can still find the old version of the Mac Pro, though it will still be pricier then the current Mini.

actually some stores here still offer the old one brand new as the new one is not available yet but as i said before this is future thinking so maybe then something will change, who knows

 

[casperes1996]

Waiting...

actually some stores here still offer the old one brand new as the new one is not available yet but as i said before this is future thinking so maybe then something will change, who knows

I agree with everyone pointing to the Mini, but if possible, I think it would be stupid to go buy it now. If you can afford a little wait then you really should wait for the next upgrade, rumored really soon. The Mac Pro is sweet, but as people have pointed out, you could buy 3 Minis for one Pro, and even with a wee bit extra serviceability (old design Mac Pro), it's really not worth it in the end. Mac Mini is more than solid enough for many years of use anyhow

 

[iSayuSay]

i know but i'm really sick of laptops and even the imac if anything goes wrong with it i can't fix it myself

Even you can't fix a MacPro by yourself. Not the new one at least. Everything is custom made and non standard, except for RAM.

Yeah you get the accesibility, you can easily open the enclosure and reveal the inside. Doesn't mean it's easy or cheap to replace something. With Apple, it's never easy. It's just their basic philosophy.

If you can live with integrated graphic and don't need anything super intensive, Mac Mini will serve you just fine? Get a good monitor, display, keyboard and you're ready to go.
My Mini also doubles as media server for the entire house, and home theater PC. In my setup its usefulness is super awesome.

 

[egy195]

I agree with everyone pointing to the Mini, but if possible, I think it would be stupid to go buy it now. If you can afford a little wait then you really should wait for the next upgrade, rumored really soon. The Mac Pro is sweet, but as people have pointed out, you could buy 3 Minis for one Pro, and even with a wee bit extra serviceability (old design Mac Pro), it's really not worth it in the end. Mac Mini is more than solid enough for many years of use anyhow

it's pretty much a done deal that i'll go with the mini as my first apple computer, the exact model i really don't know but i'm not in a hurry to buy so no harm

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Even you can't fix a MacPro by yourself. Not the new one at least. Everything is custom made and non standard, except for RAM.

Yeah you get the accesibility, you can easily open the enclosure and reveal the inside. Doesn't mean it's easy or cheap to replace something. With Apple, it's never easy. It's just their basic philosophy.

If you can live with integrated graphic and don't need anything super intensive, Mac Mini will serve you just fine? Get a good monitor, display, keyboard and you're ready to go.
My Mini also doubles as media server for the entire house, and home theater PC. In my setup its usefulness is super awesome.

yeah i won't be doing anything other than media stuff and internet, no video or audio editing.
sounds like an awesome machine, i think it will be great as an introduction to apple computers for me, not too pricy and with good firepower

 

[thekev]

i've yet to do any research about the mini but from what you said i think it will be the right computer for me, would be a nice introduction to the mac world i think

The mini makes the most sense. If you're just speculating on future purchases, you could wait to see what it receives in terms of updates. It hasn't gone to haswell yet. It shouldn't make a difference for anything you're doing. I mention that only because it's due for an update. Intel is doing their typical mid cycle spec bump soon. I suspect you'll see a soft haswell refresh of the macbook pros with a .1 ghz bump or so along with an update to the mini. Right now it is as it was in 2012, although it still seems like the best option. If you intend to do any light gaming, then it would be woth the wait. For your uses an ssd may be nice. Things launch a bit faster with one. You should be perfectly fine with 8GB of ram. If you want to bump it down the line, it can go as high as 16. That's more if your requirements change and you find yourself running out. If you care about displays, there are plenty of nice office displays on the market. A nice display is something you may appreciate for casual use. A good keyboard is another thing. I suggest putting the money where you will see a tangible benefit in actual use.

 

[egy195]

The mini makes the most sense. If you're just speculating on future purchases, you could wait to see what it receives in terms of updates. It hasn't gone to haswell yet. It shouldn't make a difference for anything you're doing. I mention that only because it's due for an update. Intel is doing their typical mid cycle spec bump soon. I suspect you'll see a soft haswell refresh of the macbook pros with a .1 ghz bump or so along with an update to the mini. Right now it is as it was in 2012, although it still seems like the best option. If you intend to do any light gaming, then it would be woth the wait. For your uses an ssd may be nice. Things launch a bit faster with one. You should be perfectly fine with 8GB of ram. If you want to bump it down the line, it can go as high as 16. That's more if your requirements change and you find yourself running out. If you care about displays, there are plenty of nice office displays on the market. A nice display is something you may appreciate for casual use. A good keyboard is another thing. I suggest putting the money where you will see a tangible benefit in actual use.

i'm planning on keeping the mini for as long as i can as it will be the only computer available for my home so ssd and maxed out ram from the beginning i think is the way to go thanks for your advice

 

[gochi]

yep it is worth it--- id try for the older models.

but ideally the mini shall do.

 

[bigeasy_uk]

i'm planning on keeping the mini for as long as i can as it will be the only computer available for my home so ssd and maxed out ram from the beginning i think is the way to go thanks for your advice

How much are apple products in egypt? My dad lives in Sharm so I know some things can be extortionate due to import tax.

 

[egy195]

How much are apple products in egypt? My dad lives in Sharm so I know some things can be extortionate due to import tax.

it depends on the products, the highest is the mac pro mid 2012.. costs 23.000 egp and that's for the base model

 

[gavinstubbs09]

I agree with everyone pointing to the Mini, but if possible, I think it would be stupid to go buy it now. If you can afford a little wait then you really should wait for the next upgrade, rumored really soon. The Mac Pro is sweet, but as people have pointed out, you could buy 3 Minis for one Pro, and even with a wee bit extra serviceability (old design Mac Pro), it's really not worth it in the end. Mac Mini is more than solid enough for many years of use anyhow

That wait has been long! Watch them say "Coming in August" but give us a nice details page about the new stuff to look at for six months just like the nMP