Would you buy another Mac Pro?

[MacFanBoyIIe]

I wrote in another thread on this forum that if Apple doesn't unFUBAR this graphics card situation I would be selling my now obsolete Mac Pro, bought in October, just 6 months ago.
With that said, regardless of whether this problem is resolved, I'm never buying another "Pro" Mac computer. Mac Pro or MacBook Pro, it doesn't matter.
Here's why:
Apple has been in the business of marketing proprietary software and hardware for years. Want to run OS X? You have to buy a Mac. Want to listen to music purchased from iTunes? You have to buy an iPod. There are ways around this proprietary lock down, but they are difficult and annoying. So, when Apple came out and said the Mac Pro is the "most upgradeable" Mac, we all should have heeded caution. It was a smoke and mirrors act to lure high-performance PC users to switch to Mac. The trick worked on me. I've been an Apple and Mac fan for decades. But I've always reserved a place next to my desk for a PC tower to run games and processor heavy apps...until last year when I switched to a Mac Pro. I bought into the BS thinking I could upgrade anything easily. I thought the expensive price tag was worth it considering it would last me 3 years, easily. Newer/larger HD? No prob. Blu-Ray drive? Easy. More RAM? Sure thing. Need a faster GPU? Plug & Play!
Mac fans, here are the TRUE colors of Apple: In a sneaky attempt to sell more Macs, they are making it impossible to upgrade the upgradeable Mac. Need a new GPU? Sorry, you can't run 64-bit EFI, even though your hardware is fully capable of it. What happens when they start offering a Blue Ray drive for the Mac Pro? Will the firmware support 1st Gen Mac Pros? What else will they lock down in future refreshes?
In January, just 3 months after spending $4k+ on a new computer, I was told I can't upgrade my GPU. THIS video card is supposed to last me the life of my NEW Mac Pro? What PC user ever heard of NEVER upgrading a video card in their high-performance tower? It's absurd. It's embarrassing to tell PC users about this. Do you think they will switch NOW, Steve Jobs, having heard my (and thousands of others') tale?
Bottom line: I'm never buying a "Pro" Mac product ever again. I will buy the Mini for desktop use and the MacBook (the white one) for portable use. I can always drop in a faster processor, bigger/faster HD, and more RAM if I want to..no firmware update required. The Mini and the MacBook are a lot cheaper than the "Pro" Macs. By the time they are obsolete I won't be complaining about it because I will have gotten my money's worth. But how can I justify the $4k+ I spent on a Mac Pro in October becoming obsolete in January of this year, 3 months later????? I can't, and it's pathetic. It makes me sick. This MacFanBoy is sticking to the cheap, low-end, bottom-dollar Macs for my Mac experience. I'm already looking into buying a new high-end PC for the games and processor heavy apps. I don't know what the next generation of Mac Pros will do to the early 2008 Mac Pros. One can only speculate, but I bet they will be screaming up a storm in a thread not unlike this one.
I DO KNOW this: no one, NO ONE, can tell me I can't upgrade a PC. Someone will always offer the driver or the firmware update when a new product comes along. Until Steve Jobs figures this out and fixes it for the Mac, I'll take my chances with Vista for my "heavy" computer workflow. I mean really, doesn't Jobs remember the 90s?

 

[c:\windows]

Great post. I agree macs are great but if they want to compete with the PC's they need to be truly open. I totally hate iTunes but I am forced to use it because it is the only software that works with the iPod and apple store. I like the Ipod I just hate the software.

If you are a gamer you will upgrade the video card every 18 months. A pro machine should be able to do this.

 

[miniConvert]

I would buy another Mac Pro in a heartbeat. It's the best computer I've ever owned.

I'm sorry your Mac Pro is 'obsolete' because you can't get a new graphics card. I've got the original 2.66 Mac Pro and it's far from obsolete - very far, in fact - because it still does absolutely everything that I purchased it to do.

If graphics cards are your thing then, despite the ridiculous situation with Mac Pro graphics cards upgrades, you really should be using a generic PC and anyone here could have told you that from the start.

 

[c073186]

As long as I can afford it I will keep buying Macs.

 

[Hmac]

I look forward to having an 8800GT that will work in my "obsolete" 3.0ghz 4-core, but that's mostly because I'm kind of a hardware "enthusiast". In the meantime, my "obsolete" machine reliably does everything I want it to do, and does it really, really fast.

"If they want to compete with PC's"....? Hmmmm...from looking at sales numbers and market share, and from comparing my Mac Pro to any PC I've ever built, it looks to me like the ARE competing with PC's, and very effectively.

 

[Mr.Noisy]

I agree with miniconvert, he said it all,

I Love my Mac Pro, I'll run it till it Die's and then......... I'll buy another one

 

[GoKyu]

Totally agree with miniConvert - this is THE best computer I've ever owned. Upgrading the graphics card isn't a big deal to me, because I don't play games that require it (I mostly stick to using MAME - hey, I prefer arcade games )

Most of my graphics work is using Photoshop and Lightroom anyway, so 256 megs of video memory is more than enough.

For me the "upgrade factor" is being able to add new hard drives (something the iMac won't let you do) and add RAM (lots of it...64 bit means you aren't limited to 3 gigs like I had on my PC.)

Another nice benefit of the Mac Pro - the thing is SILENT. Sure, you hear about "Noise reduced" PC cases....I had one with my latest PC, and yes it was a lot quieter than previous models...but compared to the Mac Pro, it still sounded like I was at a airport. The only time I ever hear this computer is if it's spinning up a CD or DVD.

This is the computer I've always wanted, and with my discount it came out to be around $2600 - very reasonable for the kind of power it has, for the lack of noise, and for the fact that I won't need to replace it for 4-5 years....and even when I do, it'll have great resale value, offsetting some of the price on a new one!

-Bryan

 

[Tallest Skil]

Want to run OS X? You have to buy a Mac... ...What happens when they start offering a Blue Ray drive for the Mac Pro? Will the firmware support 1st Gen Mac Pros?... ...I mean really, doesn't Jobs remember the 90s?

1) And look how terribly they're doing with that in terms of profit.
2) For all intents and purposes, yes; as Apple would need to throw out all of Blu-ray's frigtarded DRM as a general update, even though they'll only make drives available for the Mac Pro.
3) What happened in the '90s? Oh, yes. Gil Emilio nearly killed Apple by allowing clones to run the Mac OS.

Steve has NEVER liked the idea of a user-upgradable system. That's why he made the Mac 512k an all-in-one. The Mac Pro is a breakthrough in this field. Give him some time to get older and more complacent and we'll have true upgradability. Better yet, wait until the Microtards support EFI in their OS and then the rest of the mainstream graphics market will work with a Mac as ATI/nVidia conform to the standard.

 

[Infrared]

Mac fans, here are the TRUE colors of Apple: In a sneaky attempt to sell more Macs, they are making it impossible to upgrade the upgradeable Mac. Need a new GPU? Sorry, you can't run 64-bit EFI, even though your hardware is fully capable of it.

"TRUE" in capitals and then a mass of speculation.

I would bet you know next to nothing about 64-bit EFI
implementations and what is involved in writing EFI code.

You have absolutely no idea what decisions were made
and what the technical challenges were[1]. Only people
on the inside really know this.

You've taken your desire for a new GPU and spun it into
a fantasy reality.

[1] Writing drivers and firmware is insanely difficult. And
one missed bug can bring down the OS.

 

[Eric Piercey]

Mac Pro's are awesome for graphics and video professionals. If you wanted a gaming rig you should have went PC, although honestly how many games out there will utilize the latest and greatest features of the cutting edge cards? My MP runs the games I play really well on WinXP. Regardless, good luck to you. I do video work and my MP tears it up even with the ATI card.

 

[pastrychef]

I agree with miniConvert and Infrared.

When I feel my machine needs to be upgraded, a new Mac Pro will be on the top of my shopping list.

 

[cohibadad]

I think your major mistake was to think Apple thinks of the Mac Pro as a gaming machine. It isn't. I can see why you would hope it would be though. If you looked at the history of Mac Pro and PowerMac you would have seen that GPU upgradeability has never been on par with PCs. If you want a gaming rig, you should do as you plan and get a PC and avoid any further frustrations. Personally, I love my Mac Pro. It is a dream machine. I use consoles for gaming and that is the way the gaming world is going.

 

[TheThirdMan]

Apple has been in the business of marketing proprietary software and hardware for years. Want to run OS X? You have to buy a Mac. Want to listen to music purchased from iTunes? You have to buy an iPod. There are ways around this proprietary lock down, but they are difficult and annoying. So, when Apple came out and said the Mac Pro is the "most upgradeable" Mac, we all should have heeded caution. It was a smoke and mirrors act to lure high-performance PC users to switch to Mac.

Those are the reasons why mac is far better than pc and why pc is riddled with substandard, unstable, inefficient and mediocre software. The fact that apple have a virtual lockdown on the mac world means they are the best computers.- "Those who want to make great software make their own hardware"

Why are you so annoyed about the graphics? Do you use it for games? The mac pro isnt a gaming machine, hence the fully buffered dimms and xeon processors.

I'll take my chances with Vista for my "heavy" computer workflow.

Using vista for heavy computing is a joke. You should use unix if you're serious about it.

 

[MacFanBoyIIe]

Those are the reasons why mac is far better than pc and why pc is riddled with substandard, unstable, inefficient and mediocre software. The fact that apple have a virtual lockdown on the mac world means they are the best computers....

Interesting post. You could use your comments to make a metaphorical argument for a fascist dictatorship.

 

[rumbletum]

I bought my first Mac Pro last August (previously owned an iMac and MBP), mainly because I liked the (limited) upgradeability it offered. Even though I am very happy with the machine I have been very disappointed with the fiasco regarding the new graphics card.

I would consider one in the future, but am more likely to go back to using an iMac I reckon.

 

[lampliter]

Man you got guts macfanboy,if the average mac user new where you live I bet you would go missing just like alot of posts saying anything negative about apple.The facts are that you are exactly right,but you are wasting your time speaking to mac users,washed brains and all.Everything you have said about your pro is exactly the same with mine.My 3000 dollar pro is not half the computer as say a new minne or an imac when you consider price.Actually an imac is much more everything than my 1 year old pro.I have said here a dozen times that my pro with the 7300 is useless compared to other units a third the price,PC or mac.I know ,I know,the 7300 is the best card in the world and in a mac pro the combination makes the system the fastest work station on the planet.There I saved those of you grinding your teeth a post.Would I buy another pro ,yes,if apple fixes this.But I think a PC is going to get a test drive next time.If this pro was upgradeable I wouldn`t need to buy another one LOL.

 

[Mackilroy]

I would definitely buy another Mac Pro, because I love mine, and even though it isn't the latest and greatest, you can add an HD2600 XT, and Apple did say Nvidia was working on introducing an 8800 GT for pre-2008 Mac Pros. Maybe they were lying, maybe it's just taking awhile due to kinks that need to be worked out, but this is still an awesome machine, and having two would mean I could do twice as much as I do now.

 

[pastrychef]

Man you got guts macfanboy,if the average mac user new where you live I bet you would go missing just like alot of posts saying anything negative about apple.The facts are that you are exactly right,but you are wasting your time speaking to mac users,washed brains and all.Everything you have said about your pro is exactly the same with mine.My 3000 dollar pro is not half the computer as say a new minne or an imac when you consider price.Actually an imac is much more everything than my 1 year old pro.I have said here a dozen times that my pro with the 7300 is useless compared to other units a third the price,PC or mac.I know ,I know,the 7300 is the best card in the world and in a mac pro the combination makes the system the fastest work station on the planet.There I saved those of you grinding your teeth a post.Would I buy another pro ,yes,if apple fixes this.But I think a PC is going to get a test drive next time.If this pro was upgradeable I wouldn`t need to buy another one LOL.

If graphics cards are so important to you, why didn't you get an X1900 or Quadro FX when you got your computer?

What is it that you do with your computer that you feel it's useless?

 

[GotPro]

Not just yes but HELL yes.

Even if I wanted a PC and not a Mac I'd STILL buy a Mac Pro and ONLY run XP/VISTA on it.

Why?

1 PRICE. Its truly a steal. Price out the parts on building a PC just as bad-a$$ed as the Mac Pro and its almost 2x as much... Heck... Just 2 2.8 Quad Cpus and a dual CPU mb for said CPUS costs near $2300ish... And the whole system from Apple with Education discount is only $2500!!!

2 Want a windows only gaming system? Its STILL a steal... Buy it... ONLY run Windows in it... And buy any damn Video Card you want for it!

Not sure why people get so upset... Kinda like being pissed at Ford because they didnt drop a Chevy LS7 motor in a mustang.

If you want a Chevy LS7 motor so freaking bad go buy the car that the motor you want comes in... Don't go whining to the other car companies fan forums that you are upset with their companies because their cars don't have the motor YOU want.

Go buy the thing that makes YOU happy and just let us do the same ;-)

No offense intended, btw!

 

[MacFanBoyIIe]

Not sure why people get so upset...

Interesting how many people saying this have early '08 Mac Pros with 8800s.


Also, that has my nomination for "worst analogy." No offense, btw.

 

[pastrychef]

Interesting how many people saying this have early '08 Mac Pros with 8800s.

Just to clarify. I had a 1st gen Mac Pro (4 cores) up until about two weeks ago when I upgraded to an early 2008 Mac Pro (8 cores).

 

[GotPro]

None taken ;-)

 

[MacFanBoyIIe]

Just to clarify. I had a 1st gen Mac Pro (4 cores) up until about two weeks ago when I upgraded to an early 2008 Mac Pro (8 cores).

LOL. Thanks man, you've proven my point. Instead of upgrading your "upgradable" Mac, you just bought a new one and called it upgrading. Good for you.

 

[pastrychef]

LOL. Thanks man, you've proven my point. Instead of upgrading your "upgradable" Mac, you just bought a new one and called it upgrading. Good for you.

To buy two X5365 3GHz quad-core Xeons from Newegg would've cost me over $2500 at the time. I sold my old system for $2000. Bought this system from Amazon for $2750 - $150 (rebate) = $2600. What makes more sense to you?

 

[TheThirdMan]

I always thought apple marketed the MP as the most customisable mac, rather than the most upgradeable one. Nothing on their site indicates upgradeable graphics as a selling point, it's merely the variety available with a mac pro.