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Mac Pro iMac or Macbook Pro

B

bumzo1

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 31, 2009
550
0
Dallas, TX
Hello,
I'm debating whether to purchase a stock 2x2.8ghz mac pro 3.06ghz 24" iMac or a topped out 2.8ghz macbook pro. As of now I'm using an old white iMac and it is just way too slow for what i need it to do. I am a college student and qualify for a student discount which lands the three options in about the same price range with the iMac being the cheapest. Currently I do a lot of video editing in final cut express and use photoshop quite often. I love the idea of a laptop but I already have an older compaq that can be used for basic tasks. Since this is such a large purchase I would also like to be able to use it for long time without it going absolete which is something I have run into with other puchases of mine. So which one should I get?
 
Tallest Skil said:
When do you need it?

I can't give you any more info (in good conscience) until we figure out when you can buy.
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tallest skil is a very knowledgeable individual on the mac pro's and is currently waiting on the next generation chipset.

if you dont need one any time soon, then you might want to considering waiting.

as for a new imac, they are rumored to be updated very soon as well...so you might want to see what happens in that direction...who knows.

in all honesty, i dont see why the new macbook pro's WOULDNT be good enough for what you do. you would see a very nice increase in performance, allowing you to do your final cut express and photoshopping. also adding on an external monitor could suite your need for a desktop...

then you can begin to save up for a mac pro that can last you a good amount without getting obsolete as well as having to have replaced that aging compaq lappy.
 
liquidtrend said:
in all honesty, i dont see why the new macbook pro's WOULDNT be good enough for what you do. you would see a very nice increase in performance, allowing you to do your final cut express and photoshopping. also adding on an external monitor could suite your need for a desktop...

then you can begin to save up for a mac pro that can last you a good amount without getting obsolete as well as having to have replaced that aging compaq lappy.
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Thanks for the compliment.

This is a good idea right here: Get the base model MacBook Pro (6GB of third-party RAM), and then save up for a Mac Pro.

By the time you have the money for it, the Westmere Mac Pro will be out (Depending on how quickly you save money, of course. Westmere should be in the Mac Pro in Q4 2010).
 
I'm actually leaning toward the mac pro at this moment but I dont think I want to wait until June but the current ones would suit me and last alot longer than the imac or macbook pro its a tough decision
 
If you're thinking about the 2.8 MBP 15" why not the 17"?
But I have to say for video rendering, the Mac Pro will kill all the other options out there :p
 
liquidtrend said:
tallest skil is a very knowledgeable individual on the mac pro's and is currently waiting on the next generation chipset.
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Don't lie. We are all full of it since we can never really know what will happen with Apple next. :p
 
How about a MacBook Pro with an external display. The MBP is a powerful computer and becomes an instant desktop.

I would say, that right now, the best buy is the MBP because is most recently released. The portability and an optional attached ACD makes best of both notebooks and desktops.

Yes, you have another laptop, but it's not a Mac. Having a one computer setup is the best way to go. I have a MBA revB, and just got a 24" ACD. It works as a desktop for me too. Granted, I don't do the Final Cut or advanced stuff. But the point is a Mac Notebook, especially the MBP, works both ways which means you always have all of your files, applications, and etc wherever you go. You are not limited to your desk at home. You can take the MBP to the couch, to school, while travelling, and etc.

If you really don't care about portability at all, the iMac is a great solution as long as you wait for the update that you projected for March. I have been convinced that every Tuesday is the day it will be released. When doesn't come Tuesday, I project Wednesday for sure. Wednesday always goes by without an update, and I think I guess Apple wants to release on Thursdays now! Never happens. I don't even want an iMac but am addicted to all things Apple and cannot wait to see it. So this Tuesday for certain.

If you really have the extra money, sure buy the Mac Pro. But I would think it's overkill. Good luck with your decision. Congrats whichever way you go. They are all great computers.
 
If you want a great quality display (it's a similar panel used in the 24 inch LED cinema display), and a very fast computer, at a very good price, the 3.06 iMac is for you.

Mac Pro is overkill.

I would recommend a Macbook Pro only if you will need a powerful portable. Since you already have an old Compaq, you could use that for typing up an assignment and things, so the portability isn't much of an issue.

Due to the bigger, much better quality screen in the iMac, combined with a cheaper price and more speed, I'd definitely recommend the iMac as the way to go.

Macbook Pro + 24-inch LED cinema display is also a great combination, but also damned expensive. Save your cash and get the iMac.
 
If obsolescence is a big concern, buy the Mac Pro. It'll cost more up front, but in the long run you can upgrade it for less than the cost of replacing an iMac every few years. You can even replace the processors in the Pro (not cheaply, mind, but it is technically possible).

Don't forget to add in the cost of a monitor to the Mac Pro. :)
 
Demosthenes X said:
If obsolescence is a big concern, buy the Mac Pro. It'll cost more up front, but in the long run you can upgrade it for less than the cost of replacing an iMac every few years. You can even replace the processors in the Pro (not cheaply, mind, but it is technically possible).

Don't forget to add in the cost of a monitor to the Mac Pro. :)
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This is one of the reasons I'm considering the mac pro because while it may be overkill and more expensive now it will probably be faster than any notebook (or imac maybe) apple comes out with in the next 10 years where if I buy the mbp then I will feel like I have to upgrade more often. so while the mac pro is more expensive now it will be cheaper in the long run and I will have a freaking awesome setup in which i can use to convince my friends to buy a mac. and if I feel like I need a new laptop to bring to class I can just buy a 2.0ghz macbook and not be AS worried if i drop it or if it gets stolen.
 
bumzo1 said:
This is one of the reasons I'm considering the mac pro because while it may be overkill and more expensive now it will probably be faster than any notebook (or imac maybe) apple comes out with in the next 10 years where if I buy the mbp then I will feel like I have to upgrade more often. so while the mac pro is more expensive now it will be cheaper in the long run and I will have a freaking awesome setup in which i can use to convince my friends to buy a mac. and if I feel like I need a new laptop to bring to class I can just buy a 2.0ghz macbook and not be AS worried if i drop it or if it gets stolen.
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10 Years is a bit hopeful with technology. I remember when the first G5's came out they were deemed "future-proof". But less than 3 years later my macbook pro was kicking it to the curb. Id say get what you need for now, in the next three years or so as you may be looking for an upgrade whatever you buy.
 
Nitrocide said:
10 Years is a bit hopeful with technology. I remember when the first G5's came out they were deemed "future-proof". But less than 3 years later my macbook pro was kicking it to the curb. Id say get what you need for now, in the next three years or so as you may be looking for an upgrade whatever you buy.
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email me when they can fit 8 cores and 32gb of RAM into a macbook pro
 
bumzo1 said:
Tallest, How do you know these things by the way
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This, I am guessing. :D

An extrapolation from the first wave of quad-core laptop processors being seen at the end of this year... Clarksfield.

Clarksfield just happens to be the candidate for the next line of MacBooks. It's the mobile Nehalem chip.

I figure that Westmere won't have any increases in cores on the mobile end at least, so that leaves an eight core laptop processor for Sandy Bridge... in 2012. :cool:

And if not Sandy Bridge, Haswell, its successor, has eight cores by default. So unless Intel changes their mind, Haswell, planned for late 2012, will bring us 8-cores across the board.

Except for the Mac Pro. The Haswell Mac Pro should have like... 32 or 64 cores...:eek:
 
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