New Mac Pro Life Expectancy/Questions

[Roadrunner23]

Hi,

I currently own 3 Mac's, PowerMac G4 800, Mac Book Pro 2.2 and a Mac Mini 1.83DC. I'm using the Mini as my primary file server for apple TV and an encoding machine with Handbrake/VH. The mini is having a hard time keeping up with multitasking as one would expect from a low end machine, even with RAM max'd.

I'm looking at the new entry level Mac Pro 2.8 and I'm sure it will suit the bill as my primary encoding machine. The questions I have are...

1. How long do you think it will take for the Mac Book Pro/Imac lines to catch up to the processing power of the current entry level Mac Pro? 2,3 4 years or more?

2. Does the amt. of memory effect encoding performance if the only applications opened are ITUNES (for Apple TV streaming) and Handbrake/VH. Thinking of keeping the 2GB initially until I save a few extra $$$.

3. I also have the need to run Nero (windows based app) from time to time. What is the best way to run this, Bootcamp, VM Ware or Parallels?

4. Will installing a WD Raptor 150 as the boot drive make much of a difference considering what the machine is being used for, i.e. Streaming from attached external HD's and video encoding from those same external drives.

5. Is there anything else I should consider adding to the machine?

Thanks in advance.

 

[GotPro]

Hi,

I currently own 3 Mac's, PowerMac G4 800, Mac Book Pro 2.2 and a Mac Mini 1.83DC. I'm using the Mini as my primary file server for apple TV and an encoding machine with Handbrake/VH. The mini is having a hard time keeping up with multitasking as one would expect from a low end machine, even with RAM max'd.

I'm looking at the new entry level Mac Pro 2.8 and I'm sure it will suit the bill as my primary encoding machine. The questions I have are...

1. How long do you think it will take for the Mac Book Pro/Imac lines to catch up to the processing power of the current entry level Mac Pro? 2,3 4 years or more?

2. Does the amt. of memory effect encoding performance if the only applications opened are ITUNES (for Apple TV streaming) and Handbrake/VH. Thinking of keeping the 2GB initially until I save a few extra $$$.

3. I also have the need to run Nero (windows based app) from time to time. What is the best way to run this, Bootcamp, VM Ware or Parallels?

4. Will installing a WD Raptor 150 as the boot drive make much of a difference considering what the machine is being used for, i.e. Streaming from attached external HD's and video encoding from those same external drives.

5. Is there anything else I should consider adding to the machine?

Thanks in advance.

1) I can't imagine any time in the near future when the MacBook Pro will have the sheer torque of a current 2.8 Octo Mac Pro. Of course, I'm sure I'll be proven wrong in 8 months... but still... 8 Processing Cores with that much power is just not on the roadmap for a Macbook Pro anytime soon.

2) The amount of memory (2gb vs 4gb) did NOT increase my handbrake FPS.

3) I run several DVD ripping tools from within Windows via VMWARE. Works effortlessly. And flawlessly.

4) I auditioned the Raptor drive... and for the same money, you can get a really nice 750 GB 32-meg cache Hitachi or Samsung F1 drive that is just as fast and 3x as quiet. The Raptor is really getting long in the tooth.

5) The extra 2 gigs of ram really helped me with multi-tasking and keeping lots of things open. You can get it aftermarket for about $120.

Hope that helps.

 

[Roadrunner23]

Thanks for the info GotPro, it's most helpful. I noticed in your setup that you have the 8800GT, rather then the stock video card? Do you think that will make a difference? My gut is no as I don't game on the machine but I will use it for video editing(home movies mostly) in iMovie and iDvd.

Thanks

 

[jb60606]

I don't think we're anywhere near putting 8 server class Xeon cores in a laptop.

 

[zdobson]

Thanks for the info GotPro, it's most helpful. I noticed in your setup that you have the 8800GT, rather then the stock video card? Do you think that will make a difference? My gut is no as I don't game on the machine but I will use it for video editing(home movies mostly) in iMovie and iDvd.

This Barefeats article says 8800GT is only faster with gaming. The 2600 is faster on pro apps.

 

[krye]

Nero? Forget Nero, use Toast. There's nothing that Toast can't do that Nero can. Sure, you'll have to pony up the cash for Toast, but you'll never have to boot into Windows. That saves you time, hard drive space, and the money spent on Windows.

 

[junior77]

I don't think we're anywhere near putting 8 server class Xeon cores in a laptop.

Maybe true...but today's Mac Book Pro's are just as fast (if not faster) then 3yr old PowerMac G5 towers...

So, as new, faster, chips/buses/motherboards are developed speeds will increase.

 

[jb60606]

Maybe true...but today's Mac Book Pro's are just as fast (if not faster) then 3yr old PowerMac G5 towers...

So, as new, faster, chips/buses/motherboards are developed speeds will increase.

agreed, but they need to create adequate cooling techniques first. Inadequate cooling was one of the driving forces behind the decision to break processors up into multiple cores, instead of increasing CPU clock speeds so often.

 

[GotPro]

agreed, but they need to create adequate cooling techniques first. Inadequate cooling was one of the driving forces behind the decision to break processors up into multiple cores, instead of increasing CPU clock speeds so often.

And was also the reason that the G5 never made it into the Powerbook line.

How many years were people waiting for that?

Have you SEEN the heat sink on the XEON QUAD CPUS?

And btw... yes, IF you are not going to do gaming... the stock card is apparently faster for the PRO apps!

 

[GotPro]

Nero? Forget Nero, use Toast. There's nothing that Toast can't do that Nero can. Sure, you'll have to pony up the cash for Toast, but you'll never have to boot into Windows. That saves you time, hard drive space, and the money spent on Windows.

Absolutely untrue. There are quite a few little cool things that NERO can do that Roxio can't...

For starters... using Nero you can burn a cd or dvd with password content protection. I don't believe that Roxio can do this. Let's say there is a movie or content that you don't want your children to see... Roxio can burn the DVD or CD so that it requires a password to play or see the contents of.

Amongst others.

While I agree that Toast is very nice... let's not be so naive as to assume that just because you are on a Mac... there aren't also more capable tools in Windows...

There are more capable tools of various types on BOTH platforms, OS X and Windows.

That's one of the benefits of the new Macs... having the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

Let's not be so close-minded that we *ONLY* use OS X because we're fanboys of Jobs... and not fans of the incredible architecture that allows us to have the best of ANY WORLD at our fingertips... in a silent, beautiful, incredible value of a system!!!

-Cheers!

 

[junior77]

For starters... using Nero you can burn a cd or dvd with password content protection. I don't believe that Roxio can do this. Let's say there is a movie or content that you don't want your children to see... Roxio can burn the DVD or CD so that it requires a password to play or see the contents of.

Which version of nero?

I just got a copy of the version 8 lite express that came *free* with a DVD-RW drive. Nero has always been the more advanced buring software out there. Toast is good, but Nero definatley allows for much more options/tweeking.

 

[330toSRT8]

Intel is releasing quad-core laptop chips in Q3 2008:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/14/intels-quad-core-qx9300-laptop-cpu-in-q3/

 

[GotPro]

Which version of nero?

I just got a copy of the version 8 lite express that came *free* with a DVD-RW drive. Nero has always been the more advanced buring software out there. Toast is good, but Nero definatley allows for much more options/tweeking.

It's the Ultra version...

Found Here...

It's called SecurDisc Technology.