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Should i wait for a new MacPro?

Z

zoran

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jun 30, 2005
4,881
136
The title expresses my dilemma, ive waited a long time to get a Mac, but now i think ive waited long enough and its time for me to make up my mind. Is there any upgrade possible scheduled for the MPro, or are there possible updates to appear after summer?
Its in a Neutral - Mid product cycle in the buyers guide and it hasn't been revised since January 08, 2008.
 
Tallest Skil said:
If you need it now, buy it now.

There won't be updates for six to eighteen months, depending on which processor Apple uses in the next one.
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6 to 18 months? you must be joking! Apple makes updates almost every 6months!
 
zoran said:
6 to 18 months? you must be joking! Apple makes updates almost every 6months!
Click to expand...

Not for the Mac Pros. The last update took 518 days. The Buyer's Guide is misleading; it counted the 8-core addition as an update.

The Mac Pro uses FB-DIMMs. The first Nehalem processor to use FB-DIMMs comes out at the end of next year, while the first high-end Nehalem processor comes out at the end of this year. If Apple is dropping FB-DIMMs, then we'll see Nehalem Mac Pros at MacWorld '09. If Apple is keeping FB-DIMMs, then we'll see Nehalem Mac Pros at Macworld '10.
 
So Nehalem is the only possible CPU update for Apple to come?
 
damnit i cant wait anymore, and i really want better specs and somthing new to the mbp ): more then 2 usb ports at least! i dont want the 17"!

EDIT: lol sorry i didnt see we are talking about mac pros lololol
 
Yea, I would be surprised to see a Mac Pro *update* for a very long time. They might do a small speedbump next Janurary or something, but there is nothing to update it to in the near future.
 
I'm sure Apple will drop the FBDIMMs as soon as possible.... but right now I guess the motherboards they use require it.... and there aren't any that use 2x4-core Xeons that don't... at least that's my understanding.

FBDIMMs are more expensive, I think run hotter, and hinder performance to a degree, so I'm sure Apple would be happy to get rid of them.
 
Firefly2002 said:
I'm sure Apple will drop the FBDIMMs as soon as possible.... but right now I guess the motherboards they use require it.... and there aren't any that use 2x4-core Xeons that don't... at least that's my understanding.

FBDIMMs are more expensive, I think run hotter, and hinder performance to a degree, so I'm sure Apple would be happy to get rid of them.
Click to expand...

I doubt it for some reason. They choose to the use the Xeon processors deliberately when the 'standard desktop' version is just as good, cheaper and the accessories (motherboard/RAM) are also cheaper.

I'm not sure what Apple gains from using all this server grade stuff, but I'm sure someone smarter then me will tell us.
 
They won't drop FB-DIMMs anytime soon. They aren't inferior to unbuffered DIMMs, they are just extremely high end.

The Xeons actually out perform the regular desktop chips and Apple uses them because the Mac Pro is really a workstation for high end applications. Not that average users can't or won't benefit from it, but it's just a power house of a computer.

I agree that the Mac Pro update won't come for another year, but there isn't much they could do to the machine besides make the processor faster and not by much for that matter until next year. If you need to get one, get it now, you won't gain anything by waiting for an update, 8 cores ad 32GB of RAM is enough.
 
What about the Montevina isn't that going to be considered an upgrade or no? I get so confused on this sight because predictions on updates range from July 14th for and update to Late Sept. and I know it is all guesstimates so it is all good. Is Montevina going to be worth waiting for? Is it Blu Ray capable or is that a rumor?
 
Tallest Skil said:
Montevina is laptops. Blu-ray will never happen in OS X, but you can play them in Windows, I believe.
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I believe you can, because Mac OS X hasn't been written to decode HD. Since Windows lappies and desktops have had BluRay for about a year or more now I am sure Windows can do so.

You can burn BR discs using Toast and a 3rd party burner however.
 
Just bought mine!!

Woohoooo!!! Just bought my new 8-core 2.8! Long time user (Mac Classic, 9th grade - 1st Mac). . . just excited and had to post.
 
akm3 said:
I doubt it for some reason. They choose to the use the Xeon processors deliberately when the 'standard desktop' version is just as good, cheaper and the accessories (motherboard/RAM) are also cheaper.
Click to expand...

Xeon processors allow two chips/8 cores whilst desktop processors are limited to a single chip/4cores.

FB-DIMMs seem a bit of a dead end, I'm not an expert but it has been reported that manufacturers have given up on DDR3 for FB-DIMM and the chips are very expensive, the memory buffers get very hot and overall it seems remeniscent of RAMBUS.

I'm in the position of dithering over the purchase of a MacPro, for an 8 core machine they are cheap (compared to building it yourself or buying off Dell etc) - I even ordered one in Jan but cancelled because the RAM was very expensive in the UK and I didn't want to import. Now six months have gone by and I'm thinking I'll wait for Nehalem.
 
I just wish they would update and expand the vid card options. Oh, and make the extra sata port more user accessible. ;)
 
xgman said:
I just wish they would update and expand the vid card options. Oh, and make the extra sata port more user accessible. ;)
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you can get get 3rd party Raid Sata cards, like the new caldigit or some High Point Techs, both excellents. Ati is releasing the HD3970 card fot the Mac pro at only $219 (macsales.com), so I think the current mac Pro is an overkill, 8-cores, FB ram is cheap now (transintl, macsales). You can get a BR burner and burn with toast.
This mac pro is going to stay, I say 10 more months.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Blu-ray will never happen in OS X.
Click to expand...

Why not? I've been looking forward to a Mac Pro update with Blu-Ray drives for quite some time now which I though was jut around the corner, or at least at Macworld 2009? Are you saying it won't happen? If so, why? And what about 10.6?

P.S. I'm taking about watching Blu-Ray movies, not burning discs for storage.
 
Doc69 said:
Why not? I've been looking forward to a Mac Pro update with Blu-Ray drives for quite some time now which I though was jut around the corner, or at least at Macworld 2009? Are you saying it won't happen? If so, why? And what about 10.6?

P.S. I'm taking about watching Blu-Ray movies, not burning discs for storage.
Click to expand...

Embracing Blu-Ray would slow the adoption of Apple TV and give money to Sony. Judging by the Macbook Air, they're pushing towards digital downloads, not physical media.

They'll never come out and say it, but signs point to 'no way'.
 
schnee said:
Embracing Blu-Ray would slow the adoption of Apple TV and give money to Sony. Judging by the Macbook Air, they're pushing towards digital downloads, not physical media.

They'll never come out and say it, but signs point to 'no way'.
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How will Sony be making money unless Apple puts Sony brand drives in the Mac Pros?
 
alam said:
does any body knows when the mac pro will be redesigned?
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Why? Do you think it needs to be? What's wrong with the current design BESIDES that it's perceived as old? What will they be adding to functionality with a redesign? Or do you just want it to look different?

Just curious.
 
Can you see Apple sitting on the same technology while PC manufacturers jump on whatever's new? Can you see them skipping an entire product cycle from Intel? If so, come back to this thread when you're not wasted.

2009, Nehalem, Mac Pro, be there.
 
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