Buying a New Mac Pro, and word on the next step? at DVinfo.net

Gary Siu · December 28th, 2007, 05:43 PM

Looking for some "Leaks" on what/when Apple is releasing the next "16 core" (sarcastic joke) machine? Last time I bought the "latest" Quad core Power Mac G5, (my current machine), two weeks later the Mac Pro came out.

I've just gotten the approval from my work that we can upgrade. I've spec'ed out the 8 core, but then thought, "Maybe there is another upgrade due"? Any rumours, speculations, guesses, or should we just buy now? Same with the Macbook pro.

"Trying to stay ahead of the game"

Cole McDonald · December 28th, 2007, 07:02 PM

the computer industry has about a 6 month turnover, apple tends to bump things every 6 months, and update every 12. The larger updates happen around big apple industry events like macworld and WWDC.

Buy the best you can get now and be happy with it, there'll always be a new machine just around the bend.

Chris Harris · December 29th, 2007, 02:53 AM

I would advise you to hold on until after Macworld in January, where Apple could possibly announce new hardware.

Gary Siu · December 29th, 2007, 03:11 AM

Yes, good advise guys, thanks, but it hurts! haha "It's like your father gives you a brand new Ferrari for your 16th birthday, but your birthday isn't until next month so you don't get the key!"

Mathieu Ghekiere · December 29th, 2007, 08:40 AM

Hi Gary,

Our company is also waiting untill Macworld in January to upgrade to a Mac Pro... so let's hope together that Apple does this ;-)

The Mac Pro hasn't been really upgraded since August 2006, and to many pro's this is a very long time, and many were expecting the upgrade already in november.

Cole McDonald · December 29th, 2007, 09:08 AM

In '94, I paid $600 for a 16Mb chip of RAM for my computer...one week later, they had come down to $300. It's not a new phenomenon, you just have to get used to it when dealing with technology.

Theodore McNeil · December 29th, 2007, 10:53 AM

The Mac Rumors website has a buyers guide section that keeps track of Mac updates and has recommendations on when to buy.

Right now it's recommending DON'T BUY on the Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iPhone and Xserve. http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

Mike Flynn · December 29th, 2007, 08:08 PM

I am in the same boat...the Mac Pro has not been updated for a long time and I am going to wait until the next revision. Like Theodore says, the MacRumors guide is usually a safe bet. My roommate also works for Apple, and is "expecting" the Pro machines to be updated during Macworld.

Sean Seah · December 30th, 2007, 06:41 AM

Good to hear. I'm looking to convert to a Mac Pro too. Decided to wait out for another 2 weeks to see what happens.

Martin Pauly · December 30th, 2007, 07:15 AM

Don't feel bad about waiting a couple of weeks. If you do, go over to macrumors.com and read the posts of those that have been waiting for the update since last September, assuming that it wold happen any day.

Macworld, with the keynote scheduled for January 15th, is the safest bet at this point in time. Since the current models are so old (relatively speaking, compared with Apple laptops and iMacs), unless you need a new MacPro right now, it would be a very good idea to wait two more weeks.

- Martin

Carl Middleton · December 30th, 2007, 10:46 AM

That's rather painful.

I need to design, have built, shipped, and assemble into a workflow with other hardware and another mac by Feb 15th... was planning on buying by Jan 5th.

Ouch!

It sounds like it's worth waiting, but it may put me into a situation. The Feb 15th deadline is a hard deadline. :\

C

Christopher Witz · December 30th, 2007, 11:19 AM

I could be wrong, but I'm under the impression that apple announces consumer products in the winter, and pro in the summer.

Robert Lane · December 31st, 2007, 11:01 AM

Gary,

While rumors abound it's quite possible that the next iteration of the MacPro won't be a quantum leap in performance.

Based on Apple's history of hardware releases - even within the past 6 months - the "new" MacPro will most likely only be a step-up faster than the current versions being offered.

If you currently have a G5 and were to purchase a current Octo-Core MacPro that most certainly *would* be a significant jump in computing power, versatility and capabilities. However if you had a current MacPro and were considering waiting for the "new" version you'll most likely be disappointed that it won't be as great a performance increase as most are hoping.

BUT, having said that, there are enough rumors (and let's be very clear about this: 90% of Apple-based rumors end up being way off the mark) to suggest that the next iteration of MP's *might* include a true 16-core mainboard. Now that would be a significant performance jump compared to the 8-core machine, especially when you consider that Leopard was designed from the ground-up to take advantage of multi-core, multi-threading, multi-pipeline memory allocation much more than Tiger was ever able to do.

My advice: If you need to upgrade now because you want/need the added capabilities of the MacPro that the G5 simply doesn't offer, you'll be more than satisfied with the current 8-core machine (make sure you get a minimum of 4GB of RAM). If you can wait until next month to see if the 16-core rumors have any validity, that would be worth waiting for.

Mathieu Ghekiere · January 2nd, 2008, 07:58 AM

I personally am more waiting for more bang for the buck then at this moment (some rumors say the Mac Pro modells will START at 8 cores, although, like you said, Robert, only rumors...) and especially some more base RAM and maybe lower prices on the cinema monitors too.

Looking forward to the switch!

Robert Lane · January 2nd, 2008, 06:21 PM

As I say, rumors abound - just like the one that Apple will introduce a 40" inch ACD (really?!!), but it wouldn't hurt to wait until later this month to see what exactly lands at our feet. Either way, you'll be very happy with any MacPro vs. a G5 - especially since Leopard will be on-board which will make you really happy when you see how much less time it takes for renders or Compressor encodes.

December 28th, 2007, 05:43 PM	#1
Gary Siu Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, BC Posts: 90	Buying a New Mac Pro, and word on the next step? Looking for some "Leaks" on what/when Apple is releasing the next "16 core" (sarcastic joke) machine? Last time I bought the "latest" Quad core Power Mac G5, (my current machine), two weeks later the Mac Pro came out. I've just gotten the approval from my work that we can upgrade. I've spec'ed out the 8 core, but then thought, "Maybe there is another upgrade due"? Any rumours, speculations, guesses, or should we just buy now? Same with the Macbook pro. "Trying to stay ahead of the game"

December 28th, 2007, 07:02 PM	#2
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	the computer industry has about a 6 month turnover, apple tends to bump things every 6 months, and update every 12. The larger updates happen around big apple industry events like macworld and WWDC. Buy the best you can get now and be happy with it, there'll always be a new machine just around the bend. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

December 29th, 2007, 03:11 AM	#4
Gary Siu Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, BC Posts: 90	`"Like a Ferrari in the garage with no key" Yes, good advise guys, thanks, but it hurts! haha "It's like your father gives you a brand new Ferrari for your 16th birthday, but your birthday isn't until next month so you don't get the key!"

December 29th, 2007, 08:40 AM	#5
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	Hi Gary, Our company is also waiting untill Macworld in January to upgrade to a Mac Pro... so let's hope together that Apple does this ;-) The Mac Pro hasn't been really upgraded since August 2006, and to many pro's this is a very long time, and many were expecting the upgrade already in november. __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

December 29th, 2007, 09:08 AM	#6
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	In '94, I paid $600 for a 16Mb chip of RAM for my computer...one week later, they had come down to $300. It's not a new phenomenon, you just have to get used to it when dealing with technology. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

December 29th, 2007, 02:53 AM	#3
Chris Harris Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Francisco, California Posts: 487	I would advise you to hold on until after Macworld in January, where Apple could possibly announce new hardware.

December 29th, 2007, 10:53 AM	#7
Theodore McNeil Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Centreville, Maryland Posts: 258	The Mac Rumors website has a buyers guide section that keeps track of Mac updates and has recommendations on when to buy. Right now it's recommending DON'T BUY on the Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iPhone and Xserve. http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ __________________ http://twitter.com/tedmcneil

December 29th, 2007, 08:08 PM	#8
Mike Flynn Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Renton, WA Posts: 94	I am in the same boat...the Mac Pro has not been updated for a long time and I am going to wait until the next revision. Like Theodore says, the MacRumors guide is usually a safe bet. My roommate also works for Apple, and is "expecting" the Pro machines to be updated during Macworld.

December 30th, 2007, 06:41 AM	#9
Sean Seah Trustee Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,498	Good to hear. I'm looking to convert to a Mac Pro too. Decided to wait out for another 2 weeks to see what happens.

December 30th, 2007, 07:15 AM	#10
Martin Pauly Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Posts: 563	Don't feel bad about waiting a couple of weeks. If you do, go over to macrumors.com and read the posts of those that have been waiting for the update since last September, assuming that it wold happen any day. Macworld, with the keynote scheduled for January 15th, is the safest bet at this point in time. Since the current models are so old (relatively speaking, compared with Apple laptops and iMacs), unless you need a new MacPro right now, it would be a very good idea to wait two more weeks. - Martin __________________ Martin Pauly

December 30th, 2007, 10:46 AM	#11
Carl Middleton Major Player Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Fernandina Beach, FL Posts: 562	That's rather painful. I need to design, have built, shipped, and assemble into a workflow with other hardware and another mac by Feb 15th... was planning on buying by Jan 5th. Ouch! It sounds like it's worth waiting, but it may put me into a situation. The Feb 15th deadline is a hard deadline. :\ C __________________ Carl Middleton Whizkid Mediaworks

December 30th, 2007, 11:19 AM	#12
Christopher Witz Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 591	I could be wrong, but I'm under the impression that apple announces consumer products in the winter, and pro in the summer.

December 31st, 2007, 11:01 AM	#13
Robert Lane Go Go Godzilla Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ USA Posts: 2,823 Images: 15	Gary, While rumors abound it's quite possible that the next iteration of the MacPro won't be a quantum leap in performance. Based on Apple's history of hardware releases - even within the past 6 months - the "new" MacPro will most likely only be a step-up faster than the current versions being offered. If you currently have a G5 and were to purchase a current Octo-Core MacPro that most certainly would be a significant jump in computing power, versatility and capabilities. However if you had a current MacPro and were considering waiting for the "new" version you'll most likely be disappointed that it won't be as great a performance increase as most are hoping. BUT, having said that, there are enough rumors (and let's be very clear about this: 90% of Apple-based rumors end up being way off the mark) to suggest that the next iteration of MP's might include a true 16-core mainboard. Now that would be a significant performance jump compared to the 8-core machine, especially when you consider that Leopard was designed from the ground-up to take advantage of multi-core, multi-threading, multi-pipeline memory allocation much more than Tiger was ever able to do. My advice: If you need to upgrade now because you want/need the added capabilities of the MacPro that the G5 simply doesn't offer, you'll be more than satisfied with the current 8-core machine (make sure you get a minimum of 4GB of RAM). If you can wait until next month to see if the 16-core rumors have any validity, that would be worth waiting for.

January 2nd, 2008, 07:58 AM	#14
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	I personally am more waiting for more bang for the buck then at this moment (some rumors say the Mac Pro modells will START at 8 cores, although, like you said, Robert, only rumors...) and especially some more base RAM and maybe lower prices on the cinema monitors too. Looking forward to the switch! __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

January 2nd, 2008, 06:21 PM	#15
Robert Lane Go Go Godzilla Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ USA Posts: 2,823 Images: 15	As I say, rumors abound - just like the one that Apple will introduce a 40" inch ACD (really?!!), but it wouldn't hurt to wait until later this month to see what exactly lands at our feet. Either way, you'll be very happy with any MacPro vs. a G5 - especially since Leopard will be on-board which will make you really happy when you see how much less time it takes for renders or Compressor encodes.