Buy MacPro now or wait?

G

GregJ

Active member
So I'm just about to buy a MacPro with FCS2 when I read that MacRumors says to hold off buying a MacPro because it's at the end of its cycle. Researching a bit more, I see people expect a new MacPro coming out anywhere from November to January.

So what are you guys doing? Buying now? Or holding off? And why?
 
GregJ said:
So I'm just about to buy a MacPro with FCS2 when I read that MacRumors says to hold off buying a MacPro because it's at the end of its cycle. Researching a bit more, I see people expect a new MacPro coming out anywhere from November to January.

So what are you guys doing? Buying now? Or holding off? And why?
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If you need to have it now then you should just buy it now but if you dont then with any computer purchase you shoudl wait until you need it because things change every day in that market both prices and technology.
 
Got an Octo-Mac back in June. It's been a nonstop powerhouse ever since. I don't see how you could go wrong with getting one now if you absolutely needed it.

However, I would still hold off just a little longer, at least until November. Heck, if Apple just bumps the processor speed a couple hundred megahertz with the new Intel Penryn-model processors, what could it hurt? Plus, who knows if they'll release new graphics card options or not?

Those would be my only reasons to wait.
 
Hi all,

in response to a few hundred hgz bump, really on the same CPU architecture, a few hundred mghz bump, you aint gonna notice the difference. The real difference is what the architecture can do differently. For Example theh difference between the Core duo and the core 2 duo, core 2 duo was approx 40% faster, and 40% more energy effecient. Yet the Mhgz rating was less. My guess is the penryn will be faster, as it's a new architechture. The preview specs that intel has put out show that according to them (pinch of salt taken at the same time) it should be 20% faster. Thats quite a hike if you ask me. Also, after a quick look up on google (so this might not be totally accurate) the woodcrest processors have about 4mb L2 cache, whereas the penryn has 12MB, and i faster frontside bus. What this means is faster ram access (always good with FCP) and also larger amounts of memory nearer the CPU, which also is a very good thing with FCP in my opinion.

Anyway, thats my 2-4c from a computer geek.

Cheers

Mark
 
Unless you absolutely need it - JUST WAIT.

Apple has hardly touched the Mac Pro line for over a year now. Everything is pointing towards November. OSX Leapord is due the end of this month. Not only will Apple move to the newest Intel chips which also support faster bus speeds and have 12MB of on chip memory, but the beat down ancient Nvidia video cards should also be upgraded along with maybe a Blu-Ray burner. So I'm waiting - at least just to have the new OSX. And it seems that this would be the moment for Apple to really upgrade the line. They haven't done much for a long time now with the Mac Pro.
 
Nathan Troutman said:
Unless you absolutely need it - JUST WAIT.

Apple has hardly touched the Mac Pro line for over a year now. Everything is pointing towards November. OSX Leapord is due the end of this month. Not only will Apple move to the newest Intel chips which also support faster bus speeds and have 12MB of on chip memory, but the beat down ancient Nvidia video cards should also be upgraded along with maybe a Blu-Ray burner. So I'm waiting - at least just to have the new OSX. And it seems that this would be the moment for Apple to really upgrade the line. They haven't done much for a long time now with the Mac Pro.
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I don't absolutely need it before November, but I do need it before January, which is when a lot of people seem to expect it. Anyone else have a reasonable guess -- November or January?
 
Well, there's another issue to keep in mind , too...

After some agonizing, I just bought a Mac Pro, against all my general principles of when NOT to buy a computer.

My G5 has been having some problems that were seriously affecting my productivity. I tried limping along for a few weeks, in order to be able to wait for the new generation to come out (or even for discounts on the current generation), but then realized one very important thing:

On top of being new hardware, with potential early adopter issues of that, the new computers will ship with Leopard and likely only run Leopard.

That is, not only would I have to worry about early hardware issues, I would also have to suffer through new OS issues, and likely wait for some of my software to be up and running at all.

Being that productivity NOW and in the next few months are extremely important to me, I decided that buying the proven, and relatively-problem-free current Mac Pro was the best thing.

I like to buy machines ideally about 3 months after they first ship... and to upgrade the OS after a significant time has passed for problem reports to come in, and then only if I really need to upgrade. I wouldn't be comfortable with DEPENDING ON a new Mac introduced, say, October 26, until January or so at the earliest...
 
ullanta said:
...
On top of being new hardware, with potential early adopter issues of that, the new computers will ship with Leopard and likely only run Leopard.

That is, not only would I have to worry about early hardware issues, I would also have to suffer through new OS issues, and likely wait for some of my software to be up and running at all.
Click to expand...

That is an excellent point.
 
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