New MacBook Pro - Should I Wait

[jangelo]

Ok - I am trying to decide which mac I should buy next. I use my macs for Audio Studio and music composition. I hope you don't mind if I elaborate a bit, but I just want to make sure I'm purchasing at the right time because like most us, it will be a one time purchase for a period of years.

So here it goes....

Software I need to use:
Apple Logic, Digital Performer 6, Garage Band, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro - East West Sound Sample Libraries and Vienna Instruments.

What I do:
I am a school music teacher and professional musician. I use my macs to create video presentations for class and DVD's for the School district as well as a home recording studio. In the home recording studio I compose music in Sibelius or Finale and then use Logic with instrument sample libraries to recreate an orchestra (or other types of music ensembles) as realistically as possible. At school I create background tracks for my elementary and middle school performing groups to sing and play against as well as recreating the music for our musicals.

Future aspiration:
I am building a portfolio of music composition for sound scores for movie, TV, Commercial and video game music.

What I'm waiting for and questions:
1) Should I wait for Fire Wire 3200? Data transfer rates are a coinsideration for me. Vienna instruments libraries is currently stored on a 10,000 RPM hard drive and is over 800 GB size. I need to have the fastest transfer rate possible.

2) Can I get by with being mobile with a MacBook Pro or should I go Mac Pro?

I have had some problems with my macs over the past years. I own a G4 17" laptops and a G4 1.42. The Desktop has died (numerous problems) and the laptop has had the screen, hard-drive and DVD burner replaced. I am now out of apple care warranty and the replaced DVD drive has died. Moreover, they are both just way to slow to handle the software and data I am trying to use.

Any suggestions would and help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks in advance, Joe

 

[Googon]

If I were you I would go with the Mac Pro unless you really need to take the laptop with you places. But it sounds to me that you simply use it at home for recording and editing. So the Mac Pro would be the best choice. If you are doing sound and video editing, then I would strongly urge you to have at least 4gb of RAM, and a good processor. Data transfer won't be a problem with a Mac Pro, and the hard drive options for a Mac Pro is unlimited, and if your drive dies out, replacing it is as easy as one two three.

I too am an aspiring musician. I am 16 years old, and I play the trumpet professionally in the Seattle Symphony.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Take the Mac Pro for power, unless you need portability, like giving presentations in class with a projector and a laptop. If you need cheap portability options, just go with a macbook while having the mac pro doing all the heavy weight lifting. But for all means, the Mac Pro should be the match for your needs unless you want to be more portable, in that case Macbook Pro.

 

[bassproguy07]

I am in the same boat, not in music though just an aspiring cop/ mac fan. I need a computer for college, and have the money to spend bt should I wait for the new mbp or just buy the current one. School starts monday, and I wont get my loan money till september sometime but still am looking. Have a white macbook that is a family computer, but want the ability to expand which is why i am looking for a pro. Into photography and making films, and also into games etc. uggh i hate buying computers!!

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

if you buy a mac right now with the educational discount, free ipod + printer for you. and are computers a social icon or machine? just get it if you like it, not the fact that there might be an update later. sounds to me, you just like to show off.

 

[bassproguy07]

cant help that i like the best of the best!!! if you can afford it buy it is my motto

 

[zer0tails]

you can be the best of the best for all of a few months. Nothing to show off as well, whatever you have...someone has better. I see macs all the time these days anyways. Not many macbook airs, so get there if you want to show off lol.

On a more serious note: the education discount I believe is a very compelling reason to buy now, if you do intend to sell the iPod touch or wouldn't mind having one. I chose to buy one last month instead of when the new ones come out and it was because the opportunity of getting a rebate plus an extra 250 for selling the iPod touch was too hard to pass up. I ended paying much much less for my mac. 200 edu discount + 250= 4GB ram + upgrade to 7200 rpm Hard drive.

 

[bassproguy07]

wont get my loan money tilll after the deadline so no free touch for me, i have an iphone 3G already so another reason the touch isnt that big of a deal. I am just wondering will the new features be worth the wait or not sure

 

[zer0tails]

wont get my loan money tilll after the deadline so no free touch for me, i have an iphone 3G already so another reason the touch isnt that big of a deal. I am just wondering will the new features be worth the wait or not sure

uh..then wait. Even if it was better to buy now, your loan money won't be in anyways. wait wait wait.

 

[jangelo]

if you buy a mac right now with the educational discount, free ipod + printer for you. and are computers a social icon or machine? just get it if you like it, not the fact that there might be an update later. sounds to me, you just like to show off.

Not really trying to show off and have owned macs for over 20 years. So your not telling me anything new. Just really looking for someone with insight into this. Thanks anyway

 

[hogfaninga]

you can be the best of the best for all of a few months. Nothing to show off as well, whatever you have...someone has better. I see macs all the time these days anyways. Not many macbook airs, so get there if you want to show off lol.

On a more serious note: the education discount I believe is a very compelling reason to buy now, if you do intend to sell the iPod touch or wouldn't mind having one. I chose to buy one last month instead of when the new ones come out and it was because the opportunity of getting a rebate plus an extra 250 for selling the iPod touch was too hard to pass up. I ended paying much much less for my mac. 200 edu discount + 250= 4GB ram + upgrade to 7200 rpm Hard drive.

I agree. People will have the best of the best until Jobs decides to update it again in about 6 months after they purchased "the latest and greatest." Then they won't have the "latest and greatest." Sometimes I hate technology because they develop it so fast you can't see straight.