I've just read about the new Mac Pro coming out later in the year, does anybody know any more than what's on the Apple website? I was just about to buy a new 27" iMac but am now wondering whether to wait and see. Is the iMac likely to be upgraded as well with this new technology? Also been wondering if it's possible to run two iMacs as dual screen?
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iMac or Mac Pro?
- Thread starter JLD984
- Start date
Dennis422
New Member
If you have money to spend, wait for a Mac Pro.
You do not need two iMacs for dual screen, just buy another monitor and add it to your iMac.
At my full time job I have 22" and 20" dual set-up, but at my home based job I have a single monitor 27" iMac and it is sufficient for my needs. There is plenty of real estate on that monitor.
You do not need two iMacs for dual screen, just buy another monitor and add it to your iMac.
At my full time job I have 22" and 20" dual set-up, but at my home based job I have a single monitor 27" iMac and it is sufficient for my needs. There is plenty of real estate on that monitor.
John Butto
New Member
Heard that Apple will have upgrades in October.
Letterbox Mike
New Member
Unless you're doing a lot of intense video editing, I think the Pro is extreme overkill for this industry. I've got a current generation iMac 27" and it plows through everything I throw at it, including some really really big wrap files. I sprung for the loaded version with the 3.4GHz i7 processor, 680MX graphics card, 1TB Fusion Drive, and I maxed out the RAM at 32GB and I've yet to find something that'll bog it down. I've also got two 24" Dell Ultrasharp displays attached to it (it has two Thunderbolt ports), so it's got plenty of desktop real-estate as well.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
This right here.
One word of warning though. For the most part it is very hard to go back to one screen when you get used to running two. When you run 3 at a time, it's intolerable to go back to one.
Same can do it, but I can't.
MikePro
New Member
Mac Pro, for sure. iMac's are essentially laptops. Still great gear, and handles general sign layout/design just fine, but they get bogged-down quickly when doing high-resolution photoshop work or handling architect's CAD drawings in Illustrator.
i'm kinda kicking myself in the arse for picking up another MacPro this last year... as the new "Tubular"-towers are simply amazing. I think I still may pick a new one up, and try to sell one of my two MacPro's on the cheap (or give to myself as a Xmas bonus, for a new home-design station)
if you plan to upgrade the basic package, I highly recommend getting a Solid-State drive for your OS/apps/current project files. Faster view/open/save times. All other upgrades, I would do myself. Apple upcharges the heck outta RAM/HD's/GraphicsCards/cables/etc. Shop it online, and install yourself. The SSD, on the other-hand, is a PITA to setup yourself if you don' know what ur doin' (mainly thanks to mountain lion OS)
i'm kinda kicking myself in the arse for picking up another MacPro this last year... as the new "Tubular"-towers are simply amazing. I think I still may pick a new one up, and try to sell one of my two MacPro's on the cheap (or give to myself as a Xmas bonus, for a new home-design station)
if you plan to upgrade the basic package, I highly recommend getting a Solid-State drive for your OS/apps/current project files. Faster view/open/save times. All other upgrades, I would do myself. Apple upcharges the heck outta RAM/HD's/GraphicsCards/cables/etc. Shop it online, and install yourself. The SSD, on the other-hand, is a PITA to setup yourself if you don' know what ur doin' (mainly thanks to mountain lion OS)
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
And when running resource heavy digitizing software thru a virtual environment of windows as well.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
If it's struggling enough that you feel the need to get a new computer, I would just eliminate it from design use. If it can handle office related tasks, use it for that if you just want to keep it around til it falls apart. I can't stand it when a computer can't keep up when it comes to doing the creative work. I kept one computer that would literally take 5 minutes to render little 4x4 embroidery designs every time I made an edit, due to it having to render in 3D.
After that, it just did light office work until a component or two were needing to be replaced and then I just tossed it.
Convenient vs. upgradable
After typing a lengthy response to this (on my 27" iMac) , get the Mac Pro. I had a whole list of pros vs. cons for both, but it I think it really comes down to scalability for me. An iMac is great, pretty fast, somewhat upgradable, and looks great. But when in 2 years when you realize you need a Solid State hard drive to keep up with the world around you, you'll be kicking yourself for getting the iMac.
If you have the money get the Mac Pro for sure. Biggest thing for me is to have the ability to upgrade. The Mac Pro comes loaded as is, but it is made to be upgraded to ungodly speeds.
As for the iMac: It is next to impossible to switch out the hard drive on an iMac (need suction cups to take the screen off and then you have to do it in a frickin' clean room so you don't get dust behind the screen.... blah blah blah).
I have a Macbook Pro & an iMac. The iMac is faster on paper with the upgrades I've done, but once I put a Solid State Hard Drive in my Macbook Pro, it is the fastest computer I've ever owned/used. I have 32GB of ram in my iMac vs. 16GB in my MacBook Pro. MacBook Pro blows the iMac out of the water.
When upgrading these days, it comes down to hard drive speed. Regular hard drives are a thing of the past (or should be viewed that way when buying a new computer at least). If you don't have a solid state hard drive or if you can't upgrade to one yourself, then the computer your on is just waiting to die.
- Go Team
After typing a lengthy response to this (on my 27" iMac) , get the Mac Pro. I had a whole list of pros vs. cons for both, but it I think it really comes down to scalability for me. An iMac is great, pretty fast, somewhat upgradable, and looks great. But when in 2 years when you realize you need a Solid State hard drive to keep up with the world around you, you'll be kicking yourself for getting the iMac.
If you have the money get the Mac Pro for sure. Biggest thing for me is to have the ability to upgrade. The Mac Pro comes loaded as is, but it is made to be upgraded to ungodly speeds.
As for the iMac: It is next to impossible to switch out the hard drive on an iMac (need suction cups to take the screen off and then you have to do it in a frickin' clean room so you don't get dust behind the screen.... blah blah blah).
I have a Macbook Pro & an iMac. The iMac is faster on paper with the upgrades I've done, but once I put a Solid State Hard Drive in my Macbook Pro, it is the fastest computer I've ever owned/used. I have 32GB of ram in my iMac vs. 16GB in my MacBook Pro. MacBook Pro blows the iMac out of the water.
When upgrading these days, it comes down to hard drive speed. Regular hard drives are a thing of the past (or should be viewed that way when buying a new computer at least). If you don't have a solid state hard drive or if you can't upgrade to one yourself, then the computer your on is just waiting to die.
- Go Team
The Vector Doctor
Chief Bezier Manipulator
From what I have seen, the new Pro is nowhere near as upgradeable as the current cheesegrater. The OP asked about the new one coming out. It is too small to accept any kind of hard drive. In fact the new pro does not use SSD drives at all but rather flash storage. So although you can probably pay out the nose to have apple include a larger one from the onset... you may not be able to add on. Maybe replace but not add on. I think you will need to have usb or thunderbolt. It does not look like there is any room inside for drives and it does not use standard video cards. The current macpro can accept 4 hard/ssd drives of any kind, the new one cannot. The site talks about expandability through the outside ports but not the inside
From the apple site
"There’s flash storage, and then there’s next-generation PCI Express flash storage. We’re talking storage that’s up to 2.5 times faster than the fastest SATA-based solid-state drive and up to 10 times faster than a 7200-rpm SATA hard drive. Most flash storage systems connect via SATA buses designed for slower spinning hard drives. But we designed the new Mac Pro around new PCI Express-based flash controller technology to deliver the fastest solid-state drives available standard in a desktop computer."
The Vector Doctor
Chief Bezier Manipulator
on close inspection maybe they do have more than one slot for another storage chip. Maybe it is like the memory which has 2 or more slots. But I would imagine this state of the art storage is very expensive. I would think external would be cheaper. But then you can do that with an imac too.
What i don't like about the imac is the screen. If it goes bad, you have to send in the whole computer. Right now i have a desktop and I can replace the monitor in minutes if it goes bad and I am not out of production doing so
I am on the fence too as I plan on upgrading my old desktop
What i don't like about the imac is the screen. If it goes bad, you have to send in the whole computer. Right now i have a desktop and I can replace the monitor in minutes if it goes bad and I am not out of production doing so
I am on the fence too as I plan on upgrading my old desktop