MacBookPro or MacPro(Quad) or MacPro(dualQuad)?

[Maxinterax]

Hi
I am about to buy a Mac Book Pro or a Mac Pro and am undecided which to buy. Also which configuration.

I design Flash CS3 educational science software (my other work is teaching and writing about chemistry). At the moment I have a ibook G4 which is fast enough, but my old G4 tower is aging (at almost 8 years old, it has done well). I will be running parallels and XP.

OK, as I work in three locations I want the portability of a laptop. The ibook G4 will just suffice. When at home I need a larger faster machine, so I want a Mac Pro. I would like an extended desktop across two monitors.

Q1. Should I buy a Mac Book Pro and use it as my sole machine? Or should I buy a Mac Pro for home use and keep the ibook G4 laptop?

Q2. If I buy the Mac Pro I have options within my financial constraints:
a) downgrade the processor to just Quad core, and upgrade the graphics card,
b) keep the 8 processor (dual quad core), and leave the graphics card.

Q3. Will 8 processors be useful? Does Mac OS share out the processing across all the processors? Will one Quad core be enough? Over time will the OS upgrade and so in the future will I wish for dual quad?

Of course, which ever route taken I will buy as many GB or RAM as I can afford.

In anticipation, thanks for your advice,
Max

 

[Maxinterax]

Mac Pro

Hi

A student technical friend has suggested that,
the new Mac OS efficiently shares out the work load over the processors, so the dual quad is a good idea;
the Mac Pro would last longer;
the Mac Pro is much more powerful.

So I am going to buy the Mac Pro.

Posted just in case someone is int he same quandary,

Max

 

[snorky]

I went through the same issue and ended up getting a Mac Pro. Main reasons are expandability, already have several laptops, and POWER!!! The Macbook Pro would probably have done the job fine, but I have a better comfort factor since laptops are more "dainty".

 

[cydspal]

Me too, except I was debating a decked out Imac and thanks to this groups advice just ordered a Mac Pro. I want to be able to add on over the next few years....

 

[Maxinterax]

Thanks

Thanks for the encouragement!
power, expandability, and it will last!
Max

 

[schreck]

You'll love the new Pro. I too went back and forth between the Mac Pro and the MacBook Pro and finally decided to just go for the tower. I have doubt in my mind that you won't regret this purchase. (Unless you absolutely need portability at some later date, that is) The expandability is amazing.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

Get as much RAM as you can afford. Do not buy Apple's RAM, do the minimum on that.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

I have been in your eacact same boat and now I am more or less sorry that my choice became a MBP solely as a desktop replacement (although working out fine).

I also started with an iBook G4 and in retrospect I should have kept it and just bought a Mac Pro.

Three of the reasons why I sold the iBook and bought a MBP this november were that a) I am a student and I needed money for the lease on my new apartment, b) it was the 14" model iBook and it was fairly big to lug around (I didn't I buy the PowerBook 12" due to the RAM and HD limitations), c) I already had a macbook from my workplace.

If neither of these reasons were valid, I would definitely have kept the G4 and just replaced my old Windows desktop in a jiffy.

Moral of the story: Don't tumble dry your boxers. It makes them shrink.
Also go with the Mac Pro base. You can always upgrade to the 8800gt later on.

 

[Maxinterax]

Useful, thanks

Thanks. The expandibility, power and likely long life are attractive.

I will go for the dual Quad as I want the machine to last and I do want to run Flash CS3 with Parallels, whie using other software.

The ibook G4 is a sturdy machine so will be OK as the laptop...

The eight year old G4 will be used by my wife....

thanks Guys. I hope this discussion helps other people. I will post later and give an update,

Max