mac pro or imac?

[loseit]

hi, i've been reading through these forums and other resources just trying to figure out which is better for me. right now i have an ancient 1.2ghz g4 ibook, and i'm ready to upgrade to a real computer. its taken me a long time to replace this, simply because nothings wrong with it. anyway, i would classify myself a little above an "average" computer user. i know my way around a good amount of programs pretty well. i would generally be using it for music production like using pro tools and reason. i couldn't really find any threads talking about that here. i'm not really a professional, but its more than a hobby. i know how to maintain my computer and like it to run as fast as possible at all times. the way the computers are described by apple, i see myself as more of a mac pro user as opposed to an imac user.

i guess with that being said, here are my main concerns:

1. people are saying the mac pro will be updated between november and january, i was just wondering which is more likely. and if the price will be competitive with the imac.
2. this sounds kind of dumb, but are the mac pros geared more towards "professionals" i.e. scientists, architects, engineers etc...
3. is it worth it to spend the extra money on the pro, or would an imac be more than enough?

any suggestions are greatly appreciated. thank you.

 

[netdog]

If you record in the vicinity of your computer, the near-silence of the iMac may make it more appropriate for you. Honestly, this is why I wish they had kept on with the cube. Fan-free silence was a great feature of that particular Mac.

 

[twoodcc]

well they are both nice machines.

i think it depends on how long you want it to last, how much hard drive space you need, etc. the iMac only holds 1 hard drive, while the mac pro holds 4 (or more).

but yes, the mac pro is due for an update, so if you decide to get that one, wait til the new one comes out

 

[MacinDoc]

The MP will always be significantly more expensive than the iMac, because it uses server-class CPUs and RAM.

 

[Cromulent]

i guess with that being said, here are my main concerns:

1. people are saying the mac pro will be updated between november and january, i was just wondering which is more likely. and if the price will be competitive with the imac.
2. this sounds kind of dumb, but are the mac pros geared more towards "professionals" i.e. scientists, architects, engineers etc...
3. is it worth it to spend the extra money on the pro, or would an imac be more than enough?

any suggestions are greatly appreciated. thank you.

• Yep the Mac Pro will definitely get updated sooner than later. As to when it is anybodies guess. As for price, the iMac and Mac Pro are not priced to compete with each other really. The Mac Pro is aimed at the professional markets (video, audio, graphics, animation etc) where as the iMac is aimed at the home markets and semi-professional markets.
• Well it is called the Mac Pro for a reason. It is a workstation level computer, where as the iMac is just a standard PC. Two different markets that they are aimed at.
• If you need the extra features that the Mac Pro offers then of course, if you can get by without (and by the sounds of it you could) then an iMac would be more than sufficient. The only downside to the iMac is the need for external hard drives.

 

[superleccy]

I use a MBP (see sig) for music recording and production. Okay so I'm using Logic Pro and not ProTools/Reason, but my machine is easily powerful enough (although I have run out of hard drive space already).

If you've got the funds for a MP, consider a MBP. It's like an iMac, but portable!

SL

 

[Mundy]

I decided to "downgrade" from a Mac Pro to an iMac. I sold the Mac Pro (2.66 GHz) in the Spring after deciding that it was overkill for my needs. The primary applications I use are Photoshop CS3, Logic Express 7/Logic Studio 8, and Cinema 4D. Despite the fact that these are all high-end applications, it was pretty rare that I was pushing the Mac Pro to its limits. Not to mention the fact that the Mac Pro had a noticeable impact on my power bill.

I decided that a dual-core desktop would be sufficient for my needs, but I didn't actually order one until yesterday (I've been using a MacBook for the past six months). I ordered an iMac Core 2 Extreme (2.8 GHz) with 4 GB of RAM. If you check the Geekbench results at Primate Labs, this is the first iMac to ever surpass the performance of the PowerMac G5 Quad (by a not-too-shabby 500 points). In fact, the iMac Core 2 Extreme benchmarks extremely close to the level of the 2.0 GHz Mac Pro (the spread is a mere 170 points). I know a couple of people in Nashville who are using 2.33 GHz and 2.4 GHz iMacs in studio environments running applications like Logic, ProTools, and Digital Performer, and they find these machines to be more than capable.

So your question could be put this way: Is the performance level of a PowerMac G5 Quad sufficient for your needs? If so, just order one of the new iMacs.

 

[irishgrizzly]

I'd say ask yourself how badly your current setup does everything you need. Do you often find your yourself waiting for tasks to complete? If you're doing ok now with your current mac, you should look into getting a tricked out 24". The money you save can go on more RAM or new programs.

 

[Fuzzy Orange]

Go with the iMac. The Aluminum, 24-inch one should do you nicely. There really isn't a reason to get a MP unless you are doing things that require the multiple CPUs and the obscene amount of RAM you can put in it.

 

[npdale]

Anyone know how the 24inch iMac would handle Final Cut Studio and CS3 etc... I have a Dual 2Ghz Powermac G5 at the mo and am thinking of an iMac as a stopgap before making another HUGE investment into a Mac Pro... I do some Hi-Def video and sound editing but mainly photo work in CS3 and Aperture...

Can the iMac (ill obviously trick it out with 4GB RAM and 1TB HD) handle these programs and the Hi-Def throughput?

At the moment I am only handling a small number of projects so I'm not too sure I could justify a Mac Pro, but can anyone give me their opinions on this?

Would be very grateful...