So I'm thinking of buying a Mac Pro...
Feb 5, 2009 at 3:45 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 101
Jigglybootch

Jigglybootch

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...and I really shouldn't be. But yeah, I've always kind of wanted to get a Mac. My cousin has an iMac (an older G5 model) that I actually like, but I could never settle for the limitations of an all-in-one system, so logically if I was to get a Mac desktop a Mac Pro is about the only acceptable option for me. If I were to do it, I would probably just get the base model and upgrade the RAM and HD myself, which would be a hell of a lot cheaper than letting Apple do it. The lack of monitor isn't an issue either, as I've got a stupid awesome LCD TV plus my regular computer monitor.

I'm not a Windows hater or anything. In fact, I'm very quick to defend Windows in a lot of cases. But at the same time, there's nothing specific to Windows that I really need. Maybe for work purposes, but that's what the work laptop is for.

In any case, the temptation is very much there. Anyone out there using a Mac Pro? I hear a lot about iMacs, Macbooks, Macbook Pros and the like, but not so much Mac Pros.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 5:12 PM Post #6 of 101
Wait for the Nehalem (a.k.a. Core i7) Mac Pro to come out, probably end of March or so. The upcoming transition is the main reason why you don't hear much about the Mac Pros, because there is not much point in advertising them prior to such a major architectural change. Most of the people who would buy one know it is coming and like myself are waiting for that to upgrade.

They should have at least 30% better performance at the same clock speed than the current line. That's because Nehalems use an integrated memory controller with dedicated fast switched interconnects to memory similar to AMD Opterons or the PowerPC G5, unlike Penryns which use Intel's tired memory bus that has to be shared by all CPUs. The current 8-core Mac Pro is barely faster at most tasks than the 4-core, because access to RAM is the bottleneck, no longer the CPU.

You can run Windows on the Mac Pro for your legacy apps, either in dual-boot mode using BootCamp, or virtualized inside Mac OS X using Parallels, VMware Fusion or the free VirtualBox. Virtualized Windows runs very well, barely slower than native speeds, unlike older emulation software like VirtualPC.

I am upgrading my 2x2GHz PowerMac G5 when the new Mac Pros come out, and I will probably install an Intel X25-M SSD as the boot drive. Apple's notebooks are nice, specially as they support dual-link DVI monitors like the 30", but they are no match for the speed and expandability of a desktop.

Beware of third-party RAM, the current generation has had problems with them, and Apple doesn't quite gouge as much nowadays. The hard drives are very easy to replace, and reinstalling OS X from the DVD is also very simple.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 5:21 PM Post #7 of 101
Okay I'm curious, why do you want to switch to it? Is it the OS look?

I tried macs and I just can NOT understand their appeal. Seem like toys for playing around on a 'computer'. Very very very expensive toys. Have you tried the Mac Pro at a store and see if you like it?
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 5:38 PM Post #8 of 101
Quote:

Originally Posted by majid /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Beware of third-party RAM, the current generation has had problems with them, and Apple doesn't quite gouge as much nowadays.


$1,500 for 8 GB (that I can get for $340) seems like some pretty serious gouging to me.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 5:38 PM Post #9 of 101
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bojamijams /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Okay I'm curious, why do you want to switch to it? Is it the OS look?


I really have no good reason for getting a Mac. I've just always wanted one.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 5:44 PM Post #10 of 101
I'd say just go to an apple store and use it for 15 minutes.. as you can tell, the pricing is unbelievable on how much you get a$$rap-d for what you get. in terms of computational power. And as you know, computers depreciate so much, it can be quite the costly investment for satisfying a curiosity.

Did they ever implement right click on macs?
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 5:55 PM Post #11 of 101
Quote:

Originally Posted by Bojamijams /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'd say just go to an apple store and use it for 15 minutes.. as you can tell, the pricing is unbelievable on how much you get a$$rap-d for what you get. in terms of computational power. And as you know, computers depreciate so much, it can be quite the costly investment for satisfying a curiosity.

Did they ever implement right click on macs?


While your statement about depreciation is true in general, since Apple has only so many hardware configurations and doesn't seem to be on the same pace as the rest of the computing world one could make the argument that Macs hold their value longer. And no, there is no right click by default, but I'm pretty sure you can use a two-button mouse and have right click functionality on a Mac.

The main thing for me, though, is the OS itself. Don't get me wrong. I use Windows constantly and very rarely have major issues that I can't fix. But I still think Windows is somewhat dumb in certain ways (please get rid of the registry Microsoft, it's 2009). I've tried numerous Linux distros, but none of them worked the way I needed them to (and it certainly wasn't from lack of trying on my part). In some ways, I see OS X as the happy medium between Windows and Linux with regard to function and design, if that makes any sense. Of course, that OS X GUI is pretty slick too.
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 7:08 PM Post #13 of 101
Right-clicks have been on Macs since 2000... two fingers on the trackpad for the Macbooks/Macbook Pro's, and many-buttoned mice have been compatible since the iMac G4...
 
Feb 5, 2009 at 7:08 PM Post #14 of 101
No one in their right mind would buy their ram upgrades from Apple, unless someone else is paying. EG. business. It's just terrible value for money.

And Definitely wait for the new processors. The current ones are getting a bit long in the tooth now.
 
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