MacPro now, or wait until January for new Macs to show up?

Wave · Post by **Wave** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 6:17 am

Would you guys wait until January to see what Apple cooked up for us, or would you grab the fastest mac pro available now?

Wave

kwiz · Post by **kwiz** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 6:51 am

If Apple does drop new mac pros in January, the prices of the current ones will drop. By how much is the question. If you need to have a new machine now then the answer is obvious, otherwise just wait and see, then maybe you can save a few bucks and get the current version at a discount.

Timeline · Post by **Timeline** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 6:57 am

kwiz wrote:If Apple does drop new mac pros in January, the prices of the current ones will drop. By how much is the question. If you need to have a new machine now then the answer is obvious, otherwise just wait and see, then maybe you can save a few bucks and get the current version at a discount.

...and where did you get this "inside info" that Apple would even consider dropping Mac Pro machines?

emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:29 am

Timeline wrote:
kwiz wrote:If Apple does drop new mac pros in January, the prices of the current ones will drop. By how much is the question. If you need to have a new machine now then the answer is obvious, otherwise just wait and see, then maybe you can save a few bucks and get the current version at a discount.
...and where did you get this "inside info" that Apple would even consider dropping Mac Pro machines?

IMHO kwiz is giving good advice. -- If Apple introduces new models at Macworld in January, the old models will drop in price.

--

taylor12k · Post by **taylor12k** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:30 am

buy what you need now, don't wait for vapourwear or things that may not happen. why buy in january, when you could wait til june and get something better? but, why buy in june, something even better is right around the corner!

what happens if you wait til january and nothing comes? or if something comes but a bit of hardware is tweaked and causes some incompatibilities... anyway, you get the idea...

if you're looking for a new machine now, just buy it now. something better is always right around the corner, no matter when you buy.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:41 am

I will never again buy a first-generation Apple anything, which are historically not good. The MacPros have been beset with heat problems:

http://www.tuaw.com/2006/05/04/macbook- ... -heats-up/

I'm waiting until they get that worked out before I buy one.

Wave · Post by **Wave** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:57 am

taylor12k wrote:buy what you need now, don't wait for vapourwear or things that may not happen. why buy in january, when you could wait til june and get something better? but, why buy in june, something even better is right around the corner!

what happens if you wait til january and nothing comes? or if something comes but a bit of hardware is tweaked and causes some incompatibilities... anyway, you get the idea...

if you're looking for a new machine now, just buy it now. something better is always right around the corner, no matter when you buy.

I know and agree with you 100%. The dilema is do I jump and get the latest and the greatest, or do I grab the quad G5? Or 2x2.7 G5? or the current top of the line MacPro? or, do I wait until January. I agree, there may not be anything new to grab in January

Decissions, decissions, decissions

Are there trully significant performance gains between top of the line G5s and MacPros? The only two VI/Plugs I use are Altiverb which severely overtasks my G4, and the Symphonic Choirs. Rest of the real work is done on GigaStudio machines and real outboard gear.

Wave

rockitcity · Post by **rockitcity** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:07 am

Jim wrote:I will never again buy a first-generation Apple anything, which are historically not good. The MacPros have been beset with heat problems:

http://www.tuaw.com/2006/05/04/macbook- ... -heats-up/

I'm waiting until they get that worked out before I buy one.

...says the man with the Dual Quicksilver G4... Guess it takes a while to get things "worked out", huh?

Bob

Dwetmaster · Post by **Dwetmaster** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:38 am

It all depends on how hurried you are to get a computer. I also agree that something better is always coming. The MacBook Pro 2nd generation were expected since july 2006 and they got out in november. I think the market do that to keep us wanting more. A better machine doesn't take anything off of what you got. If a G3 gets your job done then so be it!!! When you are ready to buy a new computer, just buy it...

grimepoch · Post by **grimepoch** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:53 am

I have a MacBook DuoCore 2 and a MacPro Quad 2.66 and I can honestly say I have had no issues with either and I've had them for 3 months. No heat issues, no fan issues, nothing.

I will agree, first gen has always been bad, but typically, first gen of any product is in the first round of units. They are updated ALL the time. So while the specs remain exactly the same, the product typically isn't. That is why I waited about six months before I bought either.

I will say, this has been the best round of apple transistions I have seen.

Wave · Post by **Wave** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:05 am

grimepoch wrote:I will say, this has been the best round of apple transistions I have seen.

Thank you all.

Grimepoch, I read your comments in the other thread. The performance gains as you indicated are quiet significant. I assume G5 quad/G5 2.7 would significantly lag behind the performance of the new Mac Pros?

Wave

Dave Connor · Post by **Dave Connor** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:15 am

If for example the next generation of Macbook Pro's will allow for more ram, I would say waiting till after the holidays would be a smart idea (not to mention price drop etc.)

I'm thinking of getting one myself and will probably wait (not 6 months but less than 6 weeks.)

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:43 am

rockitcity wrote:
Jim wrote:I will never again buy a first-generation Apple anything, which are historically not good. The MacPros have been beset with heat problems:

http://www.tuaw.com/2006/05/04/macbook- ... -heats-up/

I'm waiting until they get that worked out before I buy one.
...says the man with the Dual Quicksilver G4... Guess it takes a while to get things "worked out", huh?

Bob

Precisely! I'm still waiting for Apple to perfect the G5.

Seriously though, I work on some of my client's G5s (After Effects and Photoshop... not DP), and I haven't been impressed with them enough to buy one for myself, and my G4s are up to the tasks I need to do right now. For work, I need a laptop and a desktop I can more or less synchronize, and Apple weren't able to put a G5 on a laptop.

The speed of the MacPros is impressive. Supposedly, the next gen MPs will have Quad Duo: 8 processors at 3GHz or better. I'm saving up, because I'll likely buy a laptop and desktop together, so I'm looking at an outlay of $12-15K all together, not including software upgrades. Yikes!

Also, since Adobe won't be putting out UB versions of anything until perhaps 2008, there's still no rush for me. I'd rather have something stable that works than the latest and greatest.

emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:54 am

taylor12k wrote: why buy in january, when you could wait til june and get something better? but, why buy in june, something even better is right around the corner!

Apple introduces hardware at specific times of the year.

You always take a gamble when you jump in.

And I do have a brother-in-law who sits there waiting for the perfect mac before he will buy. I keep telling him -- buy something, you are cheating yourself with this endless waiting!

But if it was me, and I needed a new mac in the next couple months (rather than immediately), I would wait to see what Apple unveiled at January MacWorld. And here's what the possible outcomes would be of waiting just a few days:

1. No new macs? Guess I buy that Mac Pro now!

2. New macs? WOW I WANT THAT ONE!

3. New macs? Gee the new features are not really a big of a deal, BUT LOOK THE OLD ONES ARE ON SALE!!!!!

Given how close we are to Macworld, I wouldn't have really lost that much time waiting.

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emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:02 am

Wave wrote:I know and agree with you 100%. The dilema is do I jump and get the latest and the greatest, or do I grab the quad G5? Or 2x2.7 G5? or the current top of the line MacPro? or, do I wait until January. I agree, there may not be anything new to grab in January Decissions, decissions, decissions

The price performance ratio of the G5's just doesn't make sense right now. They are still priced pretty high. I am guessing we will see firesale prices on them if Adobe ever gets of its fat *ss and releases a UB of photoshop etc.

And in addition, the only reason I see to even get a new g5 today is if you:

-- have cards that will only work in a g5
-- have software that will never be updated to UB

because quite frankly, the performance of the core 2 duo MacBooks and Imacs are probably pretty close to the performance of a dual 2ish ghz G5/

I think you get a lot of bang for the buck from either the mac pros or the consumer macs. The G5 machines not so much.

But then again, that may change after MacWorld January. Apple might reduce the price on G5's finally.

So if you can afford to wait, wait! It isn't that far off.

If you business is going to collapse in the next few days because you need a new machine, by all means save your business and buy a new mac RIGHT NOW!!!!!

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GOOD LUCK -- I am so happy you are getting a new machine!