[I WAS the One]

Ok, I've been here before trying to get an answer about what kind of Mac I need to buy, at first I wasn't open to pay for a professional Machine, because I was so in love with the New iMac that I was even thinking on buying one instead of a Mac Pro. I do Graphic Arts, Audio Production (Not Music just ads and shows) and Video Editing (Not Final Cut just iMovie with a lots of great plug-ins for Educational, Documentaries and web videos (But I have a lot of video files! almost 500 gigs) and all of this stuff I've been doing it on my PowerMac G4 MDD Dual for 5 years. Now everything is slow and anoying. What kind of Mac Pro I need to buy? 2.X or 3.0Ghz? I dream to have the Quad, but I don't have the money so, I will go for any of those, 2.x or 3ghz? help me please.

[MacosNerd]

You're going to be paying a 800 dollar premium for 340MHz doesn't seem to be worthwhile. You can use that money for an upgrade on the GPU or more memory. The same logic applies for the 8-core upgrade option which is a 1500 dollar upgrade from the 2.66

[peeb]

Are you certain an iMac would not suit your needs?

[papworth]

I sit behind a MacPro 3ghz 8GB ram all day, its really quick. I work with most of the adobe print stuff along with lightroom, quark and aperture.
Then the new iMacs came out and I visited the local apple store. I went straight to a fully loaded 24" beast (4GB ram, 500GB hd etc) and restarted. The iMac seemed (according to my swatch) to restart and launch all the adobe software as quickly as my work machine can. I messed about with some large files from my iDisk. Everything running at the same time and no noticable slow down or bouncing balls of death.
Scary quick for the money and size. And it might just get quicker with Leopard.
The iMac didn't have the bajillion fonts loaded and running that I have on the MacPro which might have something to do with the speed difference, but if it was my money and I didn't need two optical drives, RAID and matt screens I would buy an iMac this evening.

[MacosNerd]

While I'm not power user with regards to Photoshop, I do consider myself a medium level an I recently move all of my work off my MacPro and onto my MacBook Pro and found it adequate. Yes the MacPro is faster but I can get most of my work done on my MBP.

I'm selling the MacPro which is why I shifted all of my work off of it.

[I WAS the One]

Originally Posted by peeb 

Are you certain an iMac would not suit your needs?

Well, I want a Mac that last as much as my old PowerMac G4 MDD (almost 5 years! with the help of upgrades and add-ons) I know that I can't open an iMac and start upgrading when that day comes and right know If I buy an iMac it just accept 4 gigs of RAM, What will happen when I need more RAM and I get stock like am right now... Tiger runs great but lil'bit slow, and I know it's a Memory and Processor problem... If I want to upgrade my MDD I will spend almost a grand and I will get just a nice Dual Processor but not enogh memory because it's max out... that's why I need a new Mac. My Freelance jobs are demanding with a lot of deadlines and no much power on my "power" Mac. Right know I'm Working on a 45 mins DIY video for Adicolor Inc. about fauxing walls in Florida at the same time I'm trying to finished two logos for a DJs Crew at Phily and I need to Retouch 40 Pics tonight for a desperate client in Washington and two days a week I record and produce Jingles for three Radio Morining Shows using Protools... that's my little agitated everyday life. I used to work like that a lot faster 2 years ago, today it's taking too long to get the work done. If you think an iMac will work fine with all of this... then I will buy it, but that's why I need to know. I don't want to buy a 2 years of Peace Macintosh, I want to buy one for at least 4 years with the freedom of upgradability and all... for future problems... I'm really confused.

[OreoCookie]

Ever since the PowerMac G5, PowerPC-based Macs haven't really been upgreadable while Intel-based Macs are. You can replace the cpu, the harddrive, connect more storage via FireWire/USB.

However, keep in mind that three years from now, you will probably not get (useful) cpu upgrades for your Mac Pro either. You will be able to upgrade RAM, graphics card and put in more harddrives, too. However, I don't think that the ability to put in a faster graphics card is really a deal-breaker in your line of work. Also, keep in mind that the iMac is about as fast (a little faster actually) than the MacBook Pro.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy a Mac Pro per se, but an iMac is quite a bit cheaper and `fast enough' for most needs. Even if you have to/want to buy a new iMac in three years, it is probably still cheaper than buying a Mac Pro now and upgrade it later.

However, if you go for a Mac Pro, get the `middle model', it has the best bang for the buck. BTW, they are due to be upgraded soon!

[I WAS the One]

so, in your opinion what kind of Mac will fill my needs now that you know them.

This are apps I use everyday:

• Adobe CS3 Design Premium
• Protools w/MBOX via USB
• iLife 08
• iWork 08
• Freeway Pro 4
• Rapidweaver
• Freehand MX

What kind of Mac will handle my needs ? a Mac Pro or an iMac 24"?

[OreoCookie]

Both will handle it, i. e. the iMac as well as the Mac Pro.

[I WAS the One]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Both will handle it, i. e. the iMac as well as the Mac Pro.

That most be perfect! I can use the rest of the budget to max out the iMac and get better results!... I don't know why some people tell me that if buy an iMac I will be like downgrading my system. ? From PowerMac to iMac it's not acceptable, it's more espected from iMac to PowerMac (that's what they said) Today The difference it's not that much, both can handle hard tasks unless you need to do a Pixar Movie. Right?

[CheesePuff]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Both will handle it, i. e. the iMac as well as the Mac Pro.

Heck, I use Photoshop CS3 on my 2.0 GHz Mac mini (granted it has 2 GB RAM and a 200 GB 7200 RPM HDD) and it flies in comparison to my previous top of the line G4 tower. But then I used it side by side with the new 2.4 GHz iMac with only 1 GB RAM and it opened it half the time. Even though on the Mac mini it was a matter of 7 seconds on a cold start.

[cclaud3]

I have the 2.8 imac at work. It's being used as the main production/prepress computer. Today, I upgraded the ram from the stock 1 GB to the OWC 4GB kit. I'm using the next month as a comparison to the past month with 1GB. I was getting a lot of spinning beach balls with all the back and forth between Indesign, Photoshop & Illustrator--but it should decrease with the ram increase. I did, however, already get a few today.

I've been trying to decide between the mac pro and the new imac-- but I guess I'm lucky having the imac at work, at least, to test with. I haven't been able to give a mac pro a good run through yet, so I guess I'll see how I feel in a month (with the 4 GB) to make my final decision. So far, I'm still not sold on the imac as my freelance design/video rig. I feel like the extra core(s) could be worth it for me.

[peeb]

Originally Posted by I WAS the One 

That most be perfect! I can use the rest of the budget to max out the iMac and get better results!... I don't know why some people tell me that if buy an iMac I will be like downgrading my system. ? From PowerMac to iMac it's not acceptable, it's more espected from iMac to PowerMac (that's what they said) Today The difference it's not that much, both can handle hard tasks unless you need to do a Pixar Movie. Right?

Depending on the iMac, you might not get much of an increase if you are only using PPC apps on it, is what I think they might mean.

[I WAS the One]

Originally Posted by cclaud3 

I was getting a lot of spinning beach balls with all the back and forth between Indesign, Photoshop & Illustrator--but it should decrease with the ram increase. I did, however, already get a few today.

OK...People, did you read this? that's what I'm getting right now with my Powermac G4 MDD, a lot's of spinning Beach Balls! so, if an iMac will be the same why are you telling me it will be a perfect solution?? This guy use his iMac for Design only I use my MDD for lot more, I got the money but I don't know what to buy for the first time in my life. I need one that fill my needs, but I don't know which one.

[papworth]

Anyone can get beach balls.
When someone else uses my MacPro and doesn't close large files in PS or illustrator and I come back and try to write an email in Entourage (using rossetta==memory hungry), the machine beach balls for a second while it sorts itself out.
The 24" imac is a beast, but i don't think that even fully loaded with 4GB of RAM that it will have as much oooomph as a MacPro with the same amount of RAM.
There are rumors of new MacPros, if you can wait get one of those. Or get one of the many preloved machine that will surface at that time.

[cclaud3]

I didn't mean to freak you out, I was just trying to be honest about the amount of beach balling (they last anywhere from 3-10 seconds). I am going to go ahead and wait for the new mac pros, which will be used as my freelance design system. I will also be doing some video--I believe the dual processor will really be worth the extra $ for the extra speed.

[I WAS the One]

Originally Posted by cclaud3 

I didn't mean to freak you out, I was just trying to be honest about the amount of beach balling (they last anywhere from 3-10 seconds). I am going to go ahead and wait for the new mac pros, which will be used as my freelance design system. I will also be doing some video--I believe the dual processor will really be worth the extra $ for the extra speed.

I think you are right. Mac Pro seems to be the logic option. People here are saying that a Mac Pro Dual 3.0 doesn't worth the price tag so it will be better going for the 2.6... maybe they are right, I don't know. For me every Mac newer than mine it will be better.

[eggman]

Originally Posted by I WAS the One 

I think you are right. Mac Pro seems to be the logic option. People here are saying that a Mac Pro Dual 3.0 doesn't worth the price tag so it will be better going for the 2.6... maybe they are right, I don't know. For me every Mac newer than mine it will be better.

Well, it's a foregone conclusion that newer machines will be better, even if you buy the top-of-the-line system today. Because there will be a new top-of-the-line system tomorrow.

To make a decision about whether something is worth the price, you need to examine your own resources... and make your own cost/benefit analysis. But looking at the actual data is important, and it seems like the gains from the 3GHz Quad processor is incremental. Or so says MacWorld. And MacUser which concludes:

This is a hugely expensive Mac, but looking at the test results it's difficult to conclude that it offers value for money. If you really must have the fastest Mac around, go for it; otherwise, buy a dual 2.66GHZ Mac Pro, and add more Ram, a better graphics card and faster storage.

I've been waiting on the edge of my seat to see what the next generation of Mac Pros will look like, but if I had to make a purchase today, it'd be a 2.66 dual system... because I can't justify the large cost differential by the relatively modest performance gain. Others who are better funded than I - or who require every teensy bit of performance they can squeeze from their box - will make different choices.

[I WAS the One]

Hello guys... Today I bought an iMac 24" 2.8Ghz... Yeah yeah I know.... but what the heck! I'm flying in this baby, CS3 Suite rocks in here and I love this Machine!