Official Mac Pro Appreciation Thread

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 112
    benroethigbenroethig Posts: 2,782member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Anklosaur


    You could attach the 24" to the video port and run 2 headed also. Just a thought.



    I love how you guys think up creative work arounds to make believe apple is always 100% right and that it's the person who disagrees that is wrong.
  • Reply 62 of 112
    benroethigbenroethig Posts: 2,782member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig


    I basically said this in another thread, but add core 2 and a P965 motherboard (and a card reader in place the first hard drive carrier) to the Mac Pro case, and Apple could kick Dell, HP, and Gateway's asses in the prosumer segment. Excuse the language of course. The Mac Pro case is simply the best Apple or anyone else has ever come up with.



    Something like this:



    Mac Home (working name)

    All models:

    Mac Pro case

    16x Superdrive (extra drive bay)

    SATA hard drive (2 extra bays)

    1 x16 PCI-Express slot

    3 x1 PCI-Express slot

    Front Media card reader

    2 Front USB 2.0, 3 rear USB 2.0

    1 Front, 1 Rear Firewire 400

    Gigabit Ethernet

    Front headphone

    7.1 Audio

    Airport Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0EDR



    3 configurations



    1.8ghz Core 2 Duo (2.0ghz BTO) with intel p965 chipset

    512mb DDR1066

    160gb hard drive (250, 500gb BTO)

    128mb GeForce 7300GS (256mb Geforce 7600GS, 512mb 7600GT, or 512mb 7900GS BTO)

    $1299



    2.4ghz Core 2 Duo (2.66ghz BTO) with intel p965 chipset

    1gb DDR 1066

    250gb hard drive (500gb BTO)

    256mb Geforce 7600GS (512mb 7600GT or 512mb 7900GS BTO)

    $1599



    2.93ghz Core 2 Extreme with Nvidia Nforce500 SLI chipset

    1gb DDR 1066

    250gb hard drive

    512mb GeForce 7600 GX2 SLI graphics card (1gb 7950 GX2 BTO)

    $2199
  • Reply 63 of 112
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig


    Something like this:







    2.4ghz Core 2 Duo (2.66ghz BTO) with intel p965 chipset

    1gb DDR 1066

    250gb hard drive (500gb BTO)

    256mb Geforce 7600GS (512mb 7600GT or 512mb 7900GS BTO)

    $1599



    I'll take it, 2.66 BTO and 7900GS Bto for £1100 ($1800-$1900)
  • Reply 64 of 112
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig


    I love how you guys think up creative work arounds to make believe apple is always 100% right and that it's the person who disagrees that is wrong.



    It's not creative, it's just common sense.



    Apple doesn't make mid range boxes. They make the iMac instead. If you think that's a big mistake, maybe you should get a job in Apple's business unit and somehow convince everyone there that all the market research they've done and all the countless hours spent computing ROI's is completely incorrect. Otherwise, stop whining and buy an iMac or a Mac Pro. If you're so price sensitive, what hardware is there that you want to add-on anyway?



    By the way, Apple is only 100% right when their stock goes up (this is because I own shares). It appears that, over the past few years, at least a couple of people at Apple have been 100% right.
  • Reply 65 of 112
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MarcUK


    . . . Virtually every manufacturer has high end systems for the pro-sumers that are a step below the workstation class, but a step above average. Except Apple. . .



    Pro isn't what machine you have, but what you do with it. 99% of all professional activities aren't greatly impacted by having the latest graphics chipset and four cores. The CPU speed can't hurt, but an iMac G5 is fast enough to do relatively complex graphics and CAD in real time -- I use an iMac G5 to do a fair bit of 2D and 3D work, and it's more than adequate for anything short of production-level animation. If all you do is surf the web, throw together an ocassional video, and use Adobe CS, a Mac Pro is overkill. The only apps I know of that can do anything useful with a Quadro tend to require Windows.



    Which brings up the point: how can a pro-sumer be so price sensitive when pro software generally costs much more than the price of the computer? For me at least, spending $2500 for a computer, instead of $1900, is totally moot.
  • Reply 66 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig


    Something like this:



    Mac Home (working name)

    All models:

    Mac Pro case

    16x Superdrive (extra drive bay)

    SATA hard drive (2 extra bays)

    1 x16 PCI-Express slot

    3 x1 PCI-Express slot

    Front Media card reader

    2 Front USB 2.0, 3 rear USB 2.0

    1 Front, 1 Rear Firewire 400

    Gigabit Ethernet

    Front headphone

    7.1 Audio

    Airport Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0EDR



    3 configurations



    1.8ghz Core 2 Duo (2.0ghz BTO) with intel p965 chipset

    512mb DDR1066

    160gb hard drive (250, 500gb BTO)

    128mb GeForce 7300GS (256mb Geforce 7600GS, 512mb 7600GT, or 512mb 7900GS BTO)

    $1299



    2.4ghz Core 2 Duo (2.66ghz BTO) with intel p965 chipset

    1gb DDR 1066

    250gb hard drive (500gb BTO)

    256mb Geforce 7600GS (512mb 7600GT or 512mb 7900GS BTO)

    $1599



    2.93ghz Core 2 Extreme with Nvidia Nforce500 SLI chipset

    1gb DDR 1066

    250gb hard drive

    512mb GeForce 7600 GX2 SLI graphics card (1gb 7950 GX2 BTO)

    $2199



    haveing 2 chip sets is not likely.

    and all systems need 1 gig min.
  • Reply 67 of 112
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    LOL - a "Mac Home" but of course it has to have "extra bays" and is obsessed with a gajillion different graphics cards.



    The "Home" user wouldn't know what the hell you were talking about.
  • Reply 68 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lorre


    Exactly, and even if it'd appear in only the most high end recording studio's, why would they use Quadro FX cards if the 7300 GT will show the GUI of their recording software just as good...





    Speaking of Mac Pro and music. I'm on my way down to the local Apple shop tomorrow to order the Mac Pro, but little was said about noise. The Intel won't make much, but what about those grafics cards? Does anyone know if I'll have to put this monster in another room.... another floor perhaps?



    anyone?
  • Reply 69 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Splinemodel


    It's not creative, it's just common sense.



    Apple doesn't make mid range boxes. They make the iMac instead. If you think that's a big mistake, maybe you should get a job in Apple's business unit and somehow convince everyone there that all the market research they've done and all the countless hours spent computing ROI's is completely incorrect. Otherwise, stop whining and buy an iMac or a Mac Pro. If you're so price sensitive, what hardware is there that you want to add-on anyway?



    By the way, Apple is only 100% right when their stock goes up (this is because I own shares). It appears that, over the past few years, at least a couple of people at Apple have been 100% right.



    A lot of mid range users want to use there own moniter and not be stuck with a build in one. and they also may want a better video card then what comes with the iMac.
  • Reply 70 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zab The Fab


    Speaking of Mac Pro and music. I'm on my way down to the local Apple shop tomorrow to order the Mac Pro, but little was said about noise. The Intel won't make much, but what about those grafics cards? Does anyone know if I'll have to put this monster in another room.... another floor perhaps?



    anyone?



    Can't speak from personal experience, but as best as I can tell from various sites (Toms Hardware, HardOCP, AnandTech and others) the default card shouldn't be too bad at all, if even noticeable. The high end upgrades (X1900XT and Quadro) would probably be noticeable, but only under heavy load (ie intense 3D gaming or rendering). All and all, it should be about as quiet as the last gen G5 PowerMacs, which are pretty quiet.



    Anecdotally, we just recently (4 months ago) updated several systems to PowerMac G5s (yea, I know, but we needed the upgrade RIGHT NOW and just couldn't wait... against my suggestions). The first Monday morning after the weekend rollout, several of the graphic artists asked me why I hadn't left the machines on over night... I had. The room full of G5s were that much quieter than our old Quicksilver 800s.
  • Reply 71 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Anklosaur


    Can't speak from personal experience, but as best as I can tell from various sites (Toms Hardware, HardOCP, AnandTech and others) the default card shouldn't be too bad at all, if even noticeable. The high end upgrades (X1900XT and Quadro) would probably be noticeable, but only under heavy load (ie intense 3D gaming or rendering). All and all, it should be about as quiet as the last gen G5 PowerMacs, which are pretty quiet.



    Anecdotally, we just recently (4 months ago) updated several systems to PowerMac G5s (yea, I know, but we needed the upgrade RIGHT NOW and just couldn't wait... against my suggestions). The first Monday morning after the weekend rollout, several of the graphic artists asked me why I hadn't left the machines on over night... I had. The room full of G5s were that much quieter than our old Quicksilver 800s.



    that's REALLY good news ! Now I just have to get my stomac back to "ice mode" and stop trembling with my VISA...



    How far to the next iMac upgrade do ya' think? I forget when it was updated last. What would the next processor in line for the iMac do you think?



    Anyone?
  • Reply 72 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MarcUK


    I'll take it, 2.66 BTO and 7900GS Bto for £1100 ($1800-$1900)





    To be honest, were it available, I'd buy this one too... for my home. But, for another $600, I'd rather have quad cores (2 duo Xeons) and an X1900XT because Oblivion and most games going forward, are going to bring that 7900GS to it's knees! Even a single X1900XT sometimes struggles to be playable at 20" LCD native resolutions with the eye candy turned up high. and really, what other reason is there right now to have a high end graphics card in a Mac if it's not to play Windows games booted in Windows?
  • Reply 73 of 112
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Splinemodel


    Pro isn't what machine you have, but what you do with it. 99% of all professional activities aren't greatly impacted by having the latest graphics chipset and four cores. The CPU speed can't hurt, but an iMac G5 is fast enough to do relatively complex graphics and CAD in real time -- I use an iMac G5 to do a fair bit of 2D and 3D work, and it's more than adequate for anything short of production-level animation. If all you do is surf the web, throw together an ocassional video, and use Adobe CS, a Mac Pro is overkill. The only apps I know of that can do anything useful with a Quadro tend to require Windows.



    Which brings up the point: how can a pro-sumer be so price sensitive when pro software generally costs much more than the price of the computer? For me at least, spending $2500 for a computer, instead of $1900, is totally moot.



    Well, all I need from a computer is a fast CPU and fast GPU and a bloody big screen. I dont need 2 superdrives, 4 Hard Disks, 3 PCI-E expansion ports, Dual Gigabit Enet, FW800, and all that stuff. And NO Im not using it to play games or browse the web.



    Just because i like to use pro apps, doesn't mean I need a workstation - Infact, if I hadn't spent so much on Pro-Apps, maybe i could afford a Mac Pro. But in reality a Mac Pro is so much more than I need, and an iMac is a downgrade. So as much as id like to use a mac, if they don't release the sort of machine I want, they'll lose another £1200-£1500 of my money like they did last time, when I switched to a PC.
  • Reply 74 of 112
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Anklosaur


    To be honest, were it available, I'd buy this one too... for my home. But, for another $600, I'd rather have quad cores (2 duo Xeons) and an X1900XT.



    except that will cost alot more than $600.
  • Reply 75 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MarcUK


    except that will cost alot more than $600.



    no it won't. I just configured it and it came to $2,474, if your willing to go with 2 2gig duo core Xeons, which should be something like the performance of a single duo core 2.66, all things being equal.





    edit: sorry, I meant "single duo core 2.66"
  • Reply 76 of 112
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    So are these X1900XT's likely to be standard off the shelf, or do they still have special bios' that means standard PC cards don't work?



    seems like there is potential for buying a 7300GT and putting a standard PC X1900XT in there and saving some cash.
  • Reply 77 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MarcUK


    So are these X1900XT's likely to be standard off the shelf, or do they still have special bios' that means standard PC cards don't work?



    seems like there is potential for buying a 7300GT and putting a standard PC X1900XT in there and saving some cash.



    That's a really good question. You would think, most of the hardware being off the shelf intel stuff (or at least something like it) you could get by with what you suggest. Somehow, I don't think I'd hold my breath about it just yet.
  • Reply 78 of 112
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MarcUK


    As much as I love screen space, the thought of that is a bit silly. I dont think your evaluation of the enthusiast market is good. Virtually every manufacturer has high end systems for the pro-sumers that are a step below the workstation class, but a step above average. Except Apple.



    Btw I used to have a low end G4 tower. That was a good pro-sumer machine. Right Price, Good spec for the time. Now there is nothing. Even the low end G5 range of towers catered for the pro-sumers.



    You're the one that complained about 'throwing away a 24" monitor. You don't have to. If the iMac is refreshed with the conroe chip this would be an excellent solution for users like you (and me for that matter). Now if iMac gets Merom instead, I take back everything I said.
  • Reply 79 of 112
    However, over at Newegg.com, a Sapphire 512Mb ATI X1900XT is still going to set you back $337, hardly any difference from the Apple BTO, while an XFX 7900 GT is around $269, a Gigabyte 7600 GT is about $175 and anybody's 7900GTX is well over $400. Not sure how much you'll save, except for the ability to buy a card that Apple doesn't offer.
  • Reply 80 of 112
    cindercinder Posts: 381member
    BTW



    the processors are upgradeable.

    They're in standard ZIF sockets.



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