Which Mac Pro did you buy, or NOT?

[PowerPaw]

Interesting how early poll results (55 people voting) suggest that the octad 2.66 is the least popular configuration, which is surprising to me. I would have thought that one would have been the happy compromise between clock speed and multi-cores. In fact, it is the system I am thinking of buying...

If you need stupid speed and its going to make money for you, nobody is going to stop at the 2.66GHz 8 core. The extra $1400 is hardly compromise when you have the option not to spend it at all for a very similar performing 2.26GHz unless you need as much speed as possible as your livelihood depends on it.

In the threads on comparing or trying to buy the previous 2008 Mac Pro model, the 2.8GHz and 3.2GHz appear to be the only models discussed.

 

[mlankton]

There should be an option for 2.8 octo, surely I can't be the only one who looked at the price vs performance and opted for a Harpertown.

 

[nicolasmasset]

There should be an option for 2.8 octo, surely I can't be the only one who looked at the price vs performance and opted for a Harpertown.

I did too, am buying a 2.8 octo on saturday!

 

[Cynicalone]

I went with an Octo Core 2.93GHz, I'll wait for Snow Leopard to really add RAM. Also went for the RAID card which pushed my order into May.

 

[kellen]

I did too, am buying a 2.8 octo on saturday!

Nope, I got one at the business price. Seemed to good to pass up. My needs fall within the processing speed of an imac, but I am coming from a tower pc that I wanted to move all my HD's over. Plus I have dual monitors.

So at 1899, it wasn't too much more than a imac. Putting 2x4GB ram into it, plus a 8800GT and it is going to be my desktop for the next 5 years hopefully.

Even loading all of my photos into aperture, itunes, installing an app, ripping a dvd and watching a dvd, did nothing to bring this system down. Memory at 2gbs is the main prob.

Overkill.

 

[kirreip]

My baby:

MAC PRO
Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xe
6GB (6X1GB)
ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB
1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
One 18x SuperDrive
AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi Card-INT
Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse
WL KYBRD + USERS GUIDE-SWM
Country Kit Mac Pro-SM

APPLE LED CINEMA DISPLAY-DKS

 

[ozontheroad]

Quad 2.66... waiting for delivery was supposed to be here monday

 

[KathyD]

Which Mac Pro

Waited forever for this upgrade to replace my G5 2.0 dualie.... After looking at early benchmarks, I opted for the 2.8 octo.

The end of life business discount was too good to pass on. And as for any performance bumps with Snow Leopard, (knowing the software will take a year to catch up to that environment), I can always sell the Octo on Craig's list for what I paid for it next year.... Maybe by that time the software will be there, and the PRICES will drop?

Anyway, LOVE the Octo, and it feels like a rocket next to my trusty G5.

Now....I'm waiting for a new Apple display to come out with the money I saved!

 

[sigmadog]

I'm putting in an order for the 2.66 Quad once I get the wife's approval. She is withholding said approval until I successfully get rid of (either sell or recycle) the following Macs lying around our office:

• 233 G3 PowerBook (Wallstreet)
• 450 G4 PowerPC desktop
• 867 Dual G4 PowerPC desktop
• 867 G4 PowerBook (Ti)
• 1.67 G4 PowerBook (15")
• 1.67 G4 PowerBook (15")

I'm hoping to make enough from sales to cover a large portion of a new 30" screen.

 

[AndyDiamond]

I was gonna get a new Mac Pro but the price put me off (our exchange rate took a bath and the local prices went up a bunch).

Ended up with a used stock 2008 Mac Pro and added an extra 12GB RAM from OWC.

This thing is awesome (I just came off a five year old dual 2.5 Ghz liquid cooled machine with 4GB RAM).

 

[xraydoc]

Not buying for ~6-12 months.
Will stick with my quad 2.66GHz Woodcrest for a little while longer. Rock solid stable and fast enough for now.

 

[jmpage2]

I was strongly considering the entry level Quad + 4870 card, but I elected to wait it out at this time and have ordered a 24" iMac.

I don't see enough value for what I use the machine for at this point to spring for the current crop of Pro machines.

 

[peskaa]

Not buying.

I was going to upgrade my Octo 2.8 to a nice new Octo Nehalem, but when the prices hit I just threw my hands in the air. If I went for one it'd have to be the Octo 2.66, but the price is just too high.

Instead I bought a 30" ACD. Probably going to add 4GB RAM to the machine as well at some point, all of which works out way cheaper than a new tower.

Here's to hoping the 2010 refresh is more reasonable.

 

[JasO]

you should put an option for 2008 MP as well. quite a few people bought the 2.8 or 3.2 octos as soon as the prices/specs of the 2009 MPs went live. just a thought

Yeah. I brought a 2008 2.8 Octo because it is a lot better value (to me) than the 2.66 quad for even more money. I paid the retail price as Apple in Australia didn't care that the new models were out. I wish I was in the US and picked up the crazy cheap US$1899 business price.

 

[Plutonius]

Here's to hoping the 2010 refresh is more reasonable.

Doubt it...

 

[jeenyusboy5]

I bought the a referb 2.8 octo the other day. I am pretty amped about it.

 

[KoL]

I got an Early 2008 2.8 Octo 3 weeks ago

 

[HotPink]

Just picked up a Gainestown 2.93/6GB/1TB WD Caviar Black/4870. Almost as smokin' hot as me!

 

[UltraNEO*]

I gotten non of those..

I have the previous gen Octo 3.2Ghz.. it's more than enough for my purpose, though a little more juice never hurt! Kinda need it when your working with HD Content..

It's barely 3months old and I've not had a single issue with it.
See my siggy for stats..

 

[sigmadog]

Last Wednesday I bought a new 2008 2.80 8-Core from MacZone. Should arrive on Tuesday. Ordered additional 12GB RAM, plus (2) 1TB Western Digital Hard Drives from OWC.

I expect this machine to satisfy me for several years.

 

[DeepCobalt]

It's interesting... this site is populated by Apple enthusiasts/users, and yet only (158 - 45) = 113 people are buying some kind of new Mac Pro (as of this message). Now obviously, I'm sure something like 98% of site members already own Macs, but with a membership in the thousands (?), that number is very, very low--or many are simply not voting in the poll (another distinct possibility).

 

[Genghis Khan]

there really should be an option for the 2.8 octo from last gen...

 

[superscientific]

I did the same thing of fighting over should I get an Octo or Quad. I Just had to look at my situation. I do not render video or do that much processor intensive stuff to need 8 cores. I use photoshop and do some audio as well. After looking at the benchmarks I decided to pull the trigger on a 2.66 Quad. I am surprised with the speed of this machine!
It has met all expectations plus I got a great deal on it with a 24" LED Cinema Display. Thanks Scott if you are keeping up with this thread.
I ripped a video on Handbrake last night and it took 22 minutes. I am used to an hour and 20 minutes on my macbook pro unibody. I encourage anyone on a budget that wants a pro machine to pull the trigger on the Quad. Not all of us need 8 Cores

 

[dvince2]

*Sigh*... within the next 4 hours my new Mac Pro should be here.

 

[bluesteel]

went for the 8-core 2.26 and HD4870. put in a WD Velociraptor, 3 WD Blacks, and 16GB of RAM. the computer is plenty fast. i'll upgrade to a new mac pro in another year or so.

i won't lie, though. i really wanted either the 2.66 or 2.93 octo, but there's no way i could justify another $1400-$2400 for the upgrade and a hardly noticeable boost in speed. i've been using apple computers for 20 years, owned like 30 apple desktops so far. but i'm not giving apple $6000 for a desktop computer no matter what it would be used it for. that's ridiculous. i'd have to have a million bucks sitting around for me to do that.