Help with a Mac purchase
- Thread starter Zachdank
- Start date
mac world san francisco
it's when apple releases their new stuff, and intel has released some new chips that haven't been included in the mac pro yet, so they're expecting to give the mac pro a pretty significant speed bump in january. i don't know how much faster it will be, but if you don't need it now, then i'd say go ahead and wait for the new ones to come out.
just don't let yourself think too much about having the latest & greatest because I guarantee that as soon as you unwrap your new mac, rumors will come out about the new upgrade and new faster chips.
BMFM FILMS
Well-known member
Yes, wait until Mac World, the Mac Pro is a bit outdated for the current pricing that they sell it for.
Predictions are saying an all Octo-Core Lineup, meaning 8 processors standard. Crazy isn't it? Clock Speeds from 2.2 (guess) to 3.2 Ghz (for sure) and a 12-16 mb L2 Cache.
Final Cut Studio can be had for $699 Academically.
Remember to buy hard drives, ram, etc outside of Apple.
Predictions are saying an all Octo-Core Lineup, meaning 8 processors standard. Crazy isn't it? Clock Speeds from 2.2 (guess) to 3.2 Ghz (for sure) and a 12-16 mb L2 Cache.
Final Cut Studio can be had for $699 Academically.
Remember to buy hard drives, ram, etc outside of Apple.
Thanks for the info. What is "Academically"?
BMFM FILMS
Well-known member
College Student something along those lines.
Spartacus
Veteran
Yup,
even when Penryn comes in January to the Mac, Intels even newer chips (Nehalem)will be introduced early in the second half of the year, featuring a new processor design...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz7_3n7xyDg
Can you purchase computers at Mac World? I might wait since i live right next to the Bay.
i don't know if you can purchase them there, but generally when they introduce new computers they're immediately available in apple stores. there's an apple store about... 4 blocks (i think) away from the center where they hold MacWorld so if you're at the keynote and you see Jobs unveil something you like, it's a quick walk to an apple store to plunk down the cash and walk out with it.
BMFM FILMS
Well-known member
Yup, I'm fine with my Quad Mac Pro as well (same as yours).
4 Cores is already enough for me, I can only imagine how crazy 16 would be (crazy multi-tasking).
Steve Laramie
Veteran
do you think the price will go up or down on the new mac pros?
BMFM FILMS
Well-known member
I think it will have the same standard price of $2499, but that's just based on what Apple likes doing currently, which is having one good standard configuration (w/ lots of customization).
If you are in Education (teacher/student), you can get a 200 dollar discount on a Mac Pro, I saved a little bit of money when I purchased mine.
Macrumors has good guide for when to buy. http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/
from what I heard, no new macbook pro, but rumors abound about a possible solid-state macbook. also possible they might make a multi-touch screen like the iphone. the solid state mac COULD be a pro, but with only having a 60 gig drive available, I don't think they would aim it at the pro-level people.
not sure if these are the same product or different products, but could be pretty cool. i need pure horsepower & my powerbook is still adequate so it's not for me, but it would be exciting to play with them when we go to MWSF.
not sure if these are the same product or different products, but could be pretty cool. i need pure horsepower & my powerbook is still adequate so it's not for me, but it would be exciting to play with them when we go to MWSF.
NeverColdCall
Well-known member
I use a MacBook Pro for field work and also have a 24" iMac as my desktop. I've set up distributed processing in Compressor & Qmaster which grids both computers to act as one quad-core. That way I approach the speed of a Mac Pro but can hold off on buying one until the next generation comes out.
Keep in mind that whatever you buy, you'll need some big external drives (except for a Mac Pro, then you buy internal drives, up to 4). Using your boot drive is a big no-no.
Keep in mind that whatever you buy, you'll need some big external drives (except for a Mac Pro, then you buy internal drives, up to 4). Using your boot drive is a big no-no.
Michael Carter
Veteran
Well, there's eBay - to date, I've purchased 2 iBooks, an iMac, 2 Aluminum Powerbooks, 1 TiBook, 3 G4 Desktops and a G5 Dual from eBay, all used, no dogs.
First, figure out what you want at Low End Mac.com
If you're not an experienced eBayer, some things to look for:
100% positive feedback; if it's less than that, read their feedback.
Try to but machines with SOME applecare (warranty) left on 'em. It's just about impossible to return something to a private seller on eBay.
Don't buy a laptop that says "may need a new hard drive" or one with an undersized (or underspeed - 5200 RPM isn't popular for video) drive unless you're into a VERY long and arduous night of "home surgery" (for complete step-by-steps on Powerbook upgrades and repair, visit this site. Not for the faint of heart. Will give you a good idea of swapping things like RAM & keyboards, too.)
Look for original owners with all the boxes, manuals, discs, etc - people that take care of all that stuff tend to be a little more "anal" about their gear. For laptops, look for gear with no scuffs, bruises, scrapes, etc. It should be obvious if someone has taken good care of their gear.
Email the seller with specific questions; a seller that quickly replies seems to give me a better feeling.
There are many dealers on eBay that sell corporate lease-return gear, and every year they have more & more macs. This can be a great deal for desktop machines; I dunno about laptops though. My guess is if you have a company-supplied laptop, you're likely to bang it around more. On the other hand, those guys tend to offer at least a short warranty. Also, those dealers will have thousands of feedback entries, perfect scores are rare for large dealers.
Next, google "used macs"; there are dozens of companies selling used gear with some amount of warranty/guarantee. Will cost more than eBay though.
Hope that helps - Apple gear, in general, is manufactured to higher standards than many PC makers - I've had excellent luck with used Macs.