Macpro,IMAC or Macbookpro?

[2MacalypseNow]

I am a P.C. user in his last days of using P.C. I am scared to death of switching to Vista. I just don't trust the product anymore


I almost made the switch to Apple in 2002. But I called it off when it was on the assembly line.

Anyways, here i am in 07 facing the last days of my p.c. and so many viruses/spyware I could give a crap. I don't play PC games so I don't really have that much of a issue. But this computer is a crap setup now. And it's time to say sayonara.


I am kind of torn between the 3 high range Mac's

Macbook Pro
Macpro

and the IMAC


I just don't know what to get. I do have a price range but then I guess I could just do monthly installment plan.

How does monthly installments work at apple? Is there interest? Can I pay a big down payment? This is the only way I could see myself investing in a machine. But I don't know if I could go 2 years paying off a computer
If I get the MAC Pro desktop then I have to get a monitor for it. Probably something but definitely not APPLE. And that's a little offsettling


If I get the IMAC, how much will I lose when it comes to resell value down the line? That kind of matters to me as well

Macbookpro- I hear the hard drive is a bit slower. True or not? The battery life is eh too.


I will be using this for multimedia and design work that I am currently interested in.

Thanks if you can steer me in the right direction. I am currently looking at refurbished models of different Mac's.


Thanks for your help ........

 

[ebouwman]

personaly i would go with the mac pro because i like the idea of having lots of power (too bad i dont have the money)

if you want it to be portable of course go with the MB Pro

if not having a screen is that big of an issue for you and you don't want your computer to eat up lots of space then the iMac is a good choice i suppose,

i kind of like the new iMacs that i've tried, but i really wouldn't want to give up the portabilaty that a laptop gives me

 

[twoodcc]

don't get an iMac...either the mac pro or macbook pro. depends if you want/need portability

 

[2MacalypseNow]

don't get an iMac...either the mac pro or macbook pro. depends if you want/need portability

What about the issue of the payment plan? What's the catch with apple? What kind of interest? I am seriously considering this if it's a good deal.


If I do go with a Macpro desktop I will go with a Samsung Monitor. I can only make so much a leap. And the Samsung Monitor looks as good as I need it nd the price is right to me.


The Portability what's the performance vs. a macpro desktop? Where does the MacBook pro lack in terms of speed and response?

Thanks for the suggestions thus far.

 

[jotadeo]

What about the issue of the payment plan? What's the catch with apple? What kind of interest? I am seriously considering this if it's a good deal.

I just ordered a Macbook Pro. I can't speak for 's financing plans (afaik, they only have the Juniper card). However, in my case I got a credit card specifically for buying the MBP since I don't have $2000 to plunk down. And if I had some money to put down on it up front, I would. With the CC, whenever I have extra cash on hand, I can pay a little more that month. I got a card from my local credit union with a 9.9% apr (as opposed to the at least 13.74% you get with the Juniper Visa). Plus, I have the card in case there are any extras I need (read: want).

If I do go with a Macpro desktop I will go with a Samsung Monitor. I can only make so much a leap. And the Samsung Monitor looks as good as I need it nd the price is right to me.

I got a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 941BW from newegg.com for $164.99 after the $20 (plus shipping and tax). Buy.com has the same one for $169.95 after the rebate with free shipping and a similar one that goes for $164.95 with free shipping but only supports analog. You can also save $10 more @ buy.com if you're a first time google checkout user. If you get it from newegg, you'll have it about 2 hours after you place the order...well, not that quickly, but they do get it to you FAST (I have no idea how they do it ).

You should also know that updates are (most likely) coming soon on the MBP and the iMac--the Mac Pro has just been updated. For more info on this stuff, check Macrumors' Mac Buyer's Guide and search around the forums for the "should I wait or should I buy now" threads...they won't be hard to find.

One last thing, I switched over from the dark side just over 2 years ago and my only regret is that I hadn't done it sooner. M$ frustrates me more and more each time I am forced to deal with their OSs and most of their software (gf has a Dell). I am a now Mac fanboy to a certain extent, but I definitely recognize that 's products are not perfect (such as the fact that it's difficult to maximize a window or block out the windows behind the active one, though opt-cmd-H is useful...at least give us the option to have some sort of screen to block out the inactive windows, no?) and I have some harsh criticisms for (though the EMI deal has placated me a bit ).

Hope this helps!
jdo

 

[2MacalypseNow]

I just ordered a Macbook Pro. I can't speak for 's financing plans (afaik, they only have the Juniper card). However, in my case I got a credit card specifically for buying the MBP since I don't have $2000 to plunk down. And if I had some money to put down on it up front, I would. With the CC, whenever I have extra cash on hand, I can pay a little more that month. I got a card from my local credit union with a 9.9% apr (as opposed to the at least 13.74% you get with the Juniper Visa). Plus, I have the card in case there are any extras I need (read: want).



I got a 19" Samsung SyncMaster 941BW from newegg.com for $164.99 after the $20 (plus shipping and tax). Buy.com has the same one for $169.95 after the rebate with free shipping and a similar one that goes for $164.95 with free shipping but only supports analog. You can also save $10 more @ buy.com if you're a first time google checkout user. If you get it from newegg, you'll have it about 2 hours after you place the order...well, not that quickly, but they do get it to you FAST (I have no idea how they do it ).

You should also know that updates are (most likely) coming soon on the MBP and the iMac--the Mac Pro has just been updated. For more info on this stuff, check Macrumors' Mac Buyer's Guide and search around the forums for the "should I wait or should I buy now" threads...they won't be hard to find.

One last thing, I switched over from the dark side just over 2 years ago and my only regret is that I hadn't done it sooner. M$ frustrates me more and more each time I am forced to deal with their OSs and most of their software (gf has a Dell). I am a now Mac fanboy to a certain extent, but I definitely recognize that 's products are not perfect (such as the fact that it's difficult to maximize a window or block out the windows behind the active one, though opt-cmd-H is useful...at least give us the option to have some sort of screen to block out the inactive windows, no?) and I have some harsh criticisms for (though the EMI deal has placated me a bit ).

Hope this helps!
jdo

Yes this helps a bit,thanks. The reason why I am switching over is spyware,viruses and security. I just lost my faith in P.C.'s. Nothing personal but I really feel that Mac deserves their shine in the marketplace with their "Computers"

It really comes down to, "System reliability" And Microsoft can't gurantee spyware blockage. Not with any program. These companies are lying to you. I will hip something to people that alot of people are unaware of. And I also think that's when I had my final revelation why Microsoft can't be trusted.

The weatherbug on your computer on your p.c. on some models flips open a port so it can surveil your system. Sometimes you download the weatherbug and you don't even know it because it's packaged on a program you need like instant messenger. I learned that from listening to the radio when the topic came to Computer Privacy. This computer technician was explaining what port and what that port specifically does.
Who wants to deal with just *that* alone? Flipping Ports on? You got to be kidding me.

Yea.... "should I wait or buy now" threads. Critical Mac Strategy at it's finest. I think I will go with the refurbished though, so that probably doesn't apply to me with the "should I wait" or...does it?

Thanks for the insight


I guess I would just pose a silly hypothetical:

"What would Takagi do" (the computer visual designer artist who composes visuals and then composes music to the rhythm of the visuals)


Hell, he probably gets his apple equipment for free.


P.S. do you think "Heroes" is made on a MAC? I do now.



Subtle Heroes Reminder!

 

[Andrew D.]

Each one has their ups and downs. As stated above, if portability is important then MBP would be your best bet.

The Mac Pro is sheer power for the Mac line, it is very flexible in terms of upgrades and ability.

 

[KershMan]

I have an arsenal of Macs in my house. We switched in January 2001 (from mostly PCs with Mandrake Linux and VMWare running Windows). We currently have an old PowerMac G4 (dual 450Mhz), 15" PowerBook G4, MacBook, iMac G4, 12" PowerBook G4, Mac Mini G4, and the newest edition is a 17" iMac that I bought two weeks ago. I hooked it up to our 20" ACD and it has been great so far.

I would say the iMac is actually a really great computer. The screen is awesome and the Core 2 Duo rocks in it. I bought 2GB RAM from OWC and have had zero issues with it.

Now, I only use iMovie/iDVD, but I have done more work in the last two weeks on iMac making home movies than I have done in the last year on the Mac Mini. A lot of that work was converting all my existing movies to AppleTV formated QuickTime movies, but I also cranked out two new ones this weekend. I was completely impressed. I made about a 30 minute movie from Seaworld footage from our last vacation.

Once the DV was imported, it took me 48 minutes to process in iDVD and burn 3 copies of the movie to DVD. That is a fraction of the time any of my G4s have ever taken.

So, long story short, there is a bit of a benchmark for you. 30-minute movie encoded and burned to DVD in well under an hour. I think it was around 28 minutes for the first one to complete. Something like that.

 

[2MacalypseNow]

Each one has their ups and downs. As stated above, if portability is important then MBP would be your best bet.

The Mac Pro is sheer power for the Mac line, it is very flexible in terms of upgrades and ability.

Hmm, that's why I am gearing towards that. Although I see why alot of consumers fall back to the IMAC. Because some people don't have the current funds to cover 2 g for a computer especially in recessive times like this. We all know this is happening.

Bills,Expenses and Fun money is taking significant portions.

I wonder who sets the "PRICES" at Apple. Apple might want to experiment with the Price drop a little more. Not to the point of dell, but I just think there are so many people close to that line but not there yet. I would think that if you hit the thresh hold for consumers who were on the brink of purchasing Mac Pro, you might find you can increase your monthly sales.


Unless it's a sales decision to sell more IMAC's.

I would guess IMAC's sell more than Mac Pro's.

Thanks for your response.

 

[2MacalypseNow]

I have an arsenal of Macs in my house. We switched in January 2001 (from mostly PCs with Mandrake Linux and VMWare running Windows). We currently have an old PowerMac G4 (dual 450Mhz), 15" PowerBook G4, MacBook, iMac G4, 12" PowerBook G4, Mac Mini G4, and the newest edition is a 17" iMac that I bought two weeks ago. I hooked it up to our 20" ACD and it has been great so far.

I would say the iMac is actually a really great computer. The screen is awesome and the Core 2 Duo rocks in it. I bought 2GB RAM from OWC and have had zero issues with it.

Now, I only use iMovie/iDVD, but I have done more work in the last two weeks on iMac making home movies than I have done in the last year on the Mac Mini. A lot of that work was converting all my existing movies to AppleTV formated QuickTime movies, but I also cranked out two new ones this weekend. I was completely impressed. I made about a 30 minute movie from Seaworld footage from our last vacation.

Once the DV was imported, it took me 48 minutes to process in iDVD and burn 3 copies of the movie to DVD. That is a fraction of the time any of my G4s have ever taken.

So, long story short, there is a bit of a benchmark for you. 30-minute movie encoded and burned to DVD in well under an hour. I think it was around 28 minutes for the first one to complete. Something like that.

Counterpoint to the Mac Pro! So, would you say IMAC is a great multimedia machine, and I shouldn't be concerned with the limited upgrade abilities and resell value? I keep ping ponging between Mac Pro and IMAC.

What makes you buy an IMAC rather than say a Macpro? Did you consider it when you saw the MacPro? I am just interested because it seems you have alot of Mac technology invested in your household. And this is a curious little detail I noticed. Is this for family options or something?


Is there something I am missing about IMAC that makes a decision clear other than compact nature and it's functionality?



Thanks for this informative response as well. It kind of clarifies it a bit.


P.S. This forum responds quickly. It's kind of funny though. This is the biggest of my problems facing me, a computer decision. It's kind of silly in retrospect, i guess. It seems to me that every line of Mac currently out, you can't go wrong with if you want a high performance machine. That's kind of the lesson that I am learning even though some may quarrel on performance.

And the worst that could happen is I lose 10 % percent of my investment reselling it on Amazon or EBay.



If I was to give a bar graph rating on where I am deciding

MacBookPro Desktop
===================

IMAC
=================

MacBookPro
==========

IMAC might win if Apple's interest on payment plan is a bad deal.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The iMac is fast and is a good deal...now. But the Mac Pro has more staying power - and it has twin Xeons, man!

I'm a big fan of the power, upgradeability and longevity of the Mac Pro.

 

[twoodcc]

The iMac is fast and is a good deal...now. But the Mac Pro has more staying power - and it has twin Xeons, man!

I'm a big fan of the power, upgradeability and longevity of the Mac Pro.

i agree. you can't go wrong with the mac pro. (as long as you can afford it)

i bought an iMac once......and sold it and bought a mac pro and haven't looked back!

don't make the same mistake i did

 

[RRK]

If you are making money with your computer then you are a pro and you should get the macpro. If you require a computer on the go and you are making money with it then get a macbook pro. If you are not making money with your computer and you do not need to take it off of your desk then get an iMac. You can extend that logic for the macbook, of course, and the mini is like a second computer and answer to the persistent macs are to expensive chant. Contrary to all of the mini tower fans around here, I think apple has a perfectly simple computer line for all of our needs.

 

[KershMan]

We have a large family (four kids) and everyone but the youngest has their own computer. All hand-me-downs from the wife and I. The PowerMac is a file/print/backup server.

I have looked at the Mac Pro in depth, and would love to have one. I just could not justify the cost. Especially when the iMac does everything I need it to do, with pep. I also like to change computers every 1-2 years, hence all the hand-me-downs. If I invested that much into a Mac Pro, it would have great staying power as others have mentioned, but that also means I would be more stuck with it and could not push the wife for an allowance to upgrade in a year or two.

Bottom line is for what I need to do, non-Pro apps, the iMac is a great choice and pretty cheap. Comparatively.

 

[2MacalypseNow]

i agree. you can't go wrong with the mac pro. (as long as you can afford it)

i bought an iMac once......and sold it and bought a mac pro and haven't looked back!

don't make the same mistake i did

Oh you guys are killing me. I wonder if I can give blood in trade for Mac down payment? Maybe I can save up a little more for the summer.
I live alone and my family are all P.C. users. They haven't seen the light that Viruses that P.C.s have are going to be more sickening than ever before.

Ah, I missed another refurbished. Aint that something. I guess I will have to save up 58 a month. The only thing is I want a downpayment where I don't have to pay for 2 years.


I bet there will be good deals in the summer. Maybe Apple will start cutting Apples in half (Oh you knew that was coming)

 

[2MacalypseNow]

The iMac is fast and is a good deal...now. But the Mac Pro has more staying power - and it has twin Xeons, man!

I'm a big fan of the power, upgradeability and longevity of the Mac Pro.

On another note, Black Adder rules.

I wonder if anyone made Black Adder computer game.

 

[tristan]

You have to decide how important portability is to you. You pay a big premium for portability and make a lot of compromises - smaller screen, keyboard, less power, etc.

If you need sometimes portability and reasonable power, then MBP + External Display and keyboard is the way to go. That's a lot of money though to do it right. 20"+ monitor, 2gig RAM, good HD, Applecare, etc. $2500 minimum.

The iMac is definitely the most cost effective - i.e. most bang for your buck. People say its not upgradeable, but who cares, sell it and buy another one in two years. It'll probably do everything you need for $1500. Except you can't move it.

My guess is that if you need a Mac Pro, then its probably obvious to you. Billing at least $100k in the next two years would be a good indication. Otherwise, it's just a really expensive toy that's going to lose a ton of value at the next upgrade cycle.

 

[Kaiser Phoenix]

Macbook Pro for me.

You can always get an external monitor and protability is something that you might think you dont need but once you have the option, you realize how great it is.

Like for example you can carry your entire itunes CD collection on the go, ur photos, and u can compose songs, mix down projects, make a movie, make a webiste etc anywhere you please. You can go to a friends house and do a mixing session together for example (though i know youre doing more film related stuff so this may not apply).

Just get a nice monitor for use at home and get a macbook pro. It was the best decision i ever made.

 

[akadmon]

I just ordered a Macbook Pro. I can't speak for 's financing plans (afaik, they only have the Juniper card). However, in my case I got a credit card specifically for buying the MBP since I don't have $2000 to plunk down. And if I had some money to put down on it up front, I would. With the CC, whenever I have extra cash on hand, I can pay a little more that month. I got a card from my local credit union with a 9.9% apr (as opposed to the at least 13.74% you get with the Juniper Visa). Plus, I have the card in case there are any extras I need (read: want).

Huh? I get CC offers with 0% for 12 months practically every week! And most of them come with 0% interest on balance transfers. That's free credit for life, folks!

 

[2MacalypseNow]

Huh? I get CC offers with 0% for 12 months practically every week! And most of them come with 0% interest on balance transfers. That's free credit for life, folks!

off topic:
PBS Frontline special on Credit Cards. This is why I just have a credit/debit card. It's worse than ever before what they can do.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/credit/view/


great special to those who want to know how the Card Game works. You should watch this before you apply for any cards. I think it will be a revelation to some on here.


::::::We now return you back to your Mac frequency.:::::::::

 

[2MacalypseNow]

You have to decide how important portability is to you. You pay a big premium for portability and make a lot of compromises - smaller screen, keyboard, less power, etc.

If you need sometimes portability and reasonable power, then MBP + External Display and keyboard is the way to go. That's a lot of money though to do it right. 20"+ monitor, 2gig RAM, good HD, Applecare, etc. $2500 minimum.

The iMac is definitely the most cost effective - i.e. most bang for your buck. People say its not upgradeable, but who cares, sell it and buy another one in two years. It'll probably do everything you need for $1500. Except you can't move it.

My guess is that if you need a Mac Pro, then its probably obvious to you. Billing at least $100k in the next two years would be a good indication. Otherwise, it's just a really expensive toy that's going to lose a ton of value at the next upgrade cycle.

Tristan, I think you summarized it quite well for my situation. 100 k billing? Are you talking about professional billing from my occupation?

It's looking like the IMAC is going to win this round. It's sort of upgradeable when you consider the ram. But it's like you say it's a business expense. I actually wonder if the consumers who purchased the MP use the MP to it's caliber of performance it was intended. I guess it would be a interesting survey.

250 gigs is alot of memory though. I'm not Lucas arts studio, so why would i need 3 tb of information?


Maybe someone can give a ideal example of occupation or situation where a Macpro is vital. People would be right in their assumption if I have Macfever now.

But again I guess MAC can't possibly understand unless they have been with P.C. for a long time and encountered the undetectable/unerasable spyware.

If I can get a really good deal on a refurbished MacPro I might go for that then the IMAC. I think you have narrowed it down to two with that response,Tristan. Do I want to go up another over 1000 right now with the Macpro?


BTW, per chance your name "Tristan" isn't taken after Patrick Wolf's song "Tristan" on Wind in the Wires is it?

Man, wouldn't this be easy if you were just endorsed by Apple and they gave you every piece of gear to use for free.

 

[2MacalypseNow]

Huh? I get CC offers with 0% for 12 months practically every week! And most of them come with 0% interest on balance transfers. That's free credit for life, folks!

Akadmon, I am curious. How much of this 1.5 tb do you use? How much of the capabilities of this machine are you using? I love the sound of terabyte. I am also interested in the professional background where this machine is essential. If you could give me an idea what you use for your professional/casual life I think alot of people reading this thread might be curious as well.
Maybe that will help alot of us make our decisions more clearly.

Thanks alot for your valid input

 

[2MacalypseNow]

Macbook Pro for me.

You can always get an external monitor and protability is something that you might think you dont need but once you have the option, you realize how great it is.

Like for example you can carry your entire itunes CD collection on the go, ur photos, and u can compose songs, mix down projects, make a movie, make a webiste etc anywhere you please. You can go to a friends house and do a mixing session together for example (though i know youre doing more film related stuff so this may not apply).

Just get a nice monitor for use at home and get a macbook pro. It was the best decision i ever made.

Is there any better deal than apple store on MacbookPro for Refurbished units? My only issue with buying a MBPro is that it would cost a grand more for a laptop. I may have to wait before I invest in a laptop.

Thanks for the response.

 

[tristan]

Glad I could help. I have a late model Powerbook G4 + External display/keyboard setup. Mine's a business expense but I'm not in the design industry - I'm a writer/consultant - so I need portability and ergonomics but not power, and a PBG4 still runs MS Office about as fast as a MBP because Office isn't native yet. But I still want an MBP.

If you're in the design industry and regularly billing for your work then you probably do need the high end setup - that's what I meant about billing $100k. I have a friend who does web/graphic design work part-time and he couldn't justify a Mac Pro either. He's stuck on a PC right now because he doesn't want to buy the Adobe suite all over again, but he does comment that his system's holding him back.

Tristan - It's my real name. It's from the King Arthur legends and still common in UK/Ireland. I'll ask my mother sometime why she gave a poor kid from Arlington, VA an upper class british name when all my friends are named Chris or Jason or Brian!

 

[tristan]

Is there any better deal than apple store on MacbookPro for Refurbished units?

Yes, sometimes. There's a site I visit named lowendmac.com which lists new, refurb, and used deals on Apple every week. Then there are a couple small discounters like SmallDog and PowerMax that sell refurbs fairly often, and they don't charge sales tax. I got my last PBG4 from SmallDog and the one before it from PowerMax. Not only are the prices better, but the service is good too and they will sell RAM at reasonable prices.