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mac pro or new macbook pro?

killerk

my macbook pro just died today and i am now considering what to buy next. i have been using the last mbp since it first came out in 2006 and recently i felt i need more speed and memory for rendering and photoshop. buying a new macbook pro is nice, because of its portablity, faster speed and 4gb memory. but getting a desktop like mac pro is great too for its super speed and performance.

the 15 "mbp and basic macpro is around the same price.

i have a 3 year ibm t34 thats ok for autcad and "simplier" tasks for meetings with clients etc.

what do you think is good?
i use acad, 3d max, rhino vray, Adobe CS3 alot

any mac pro users out there ?
thanks

 
Jul 24, 08 10:17 am
rehiggins

get the mac pro: eight cores (base model) and up to 32GB RAM…

more cores and more RAM = faster rendering

(video cards are only good for "real time" rendering, like games or viewing models onscreen, or if you're really fancy using Gelato or something similar)

Jul 24, 08 10:54 am  · 
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Living in Gin

I'd get the Mac Pro. As rehiggins mentions, 8 cores vs. 2, and tons of room for future expansion. If you absolutely need something portable, you can always get a basic MacBook later on.

Check out the Buyer's Guide at MacRumors.com.

Jul 24, 08 11:08 am  · 
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garbanzo_esquire

how did your macbook pro die after just two years? i'm thinking of an MBP as well and $2000+ for a laptop that dies in two years doesn't sound good.

Jul 24, 08 11:24 am  · 
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colinrichardson

if you do most of your cpu/memory intensive work in your office space, (seems like price is not so much of an issue) those mac pros are sick. and maybe pick up a simple macbook for portability.

Jul 24, 08 11:26 am  · 
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killerk

well i run big rhino, 3d max, photoshop files on my mbp all the time.
the motherboard overheated twice before and i had to replace them. good that i had warranty.
but mbp dont overheat that easily, i mangaed to do that because i bought mine when it first came out in 2006 and i really pushed it to the extreme. no one else i know had such problem.
it's a great and realiable laptop overall and i love using it. that's why i am still considering a new one, insteading of jumping straight to the desktop.
price is definitely a problem, but i guess its much better than building my own desktop and fixing it all the time. it's just a good investment in long term to have a realiable computer.

Jul 24, 08 11:48 am  · 
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killerk

also i am wondering if everything runs smoothly via vmware fusion.

Jul 24, 08 11:51 am  · 
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MADianito

i use VMware FUSION on my MAC BOOK PRO and everything runs smooth... way better than partners that use parallels.... parallels for me looks as painfull... and WMFusion is really really usefull

Jul 24, 08 1:18 pm  · 
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alucidwake

wait for the quad core notebooks probably coming in the fall. will most likely only be the high end, but only 2 cores v 8 hurts me too. i can settle for 4 with portability

this is assuming you can wait to buy. if you cant wait (need one NOW), dont need portability and need the huge leap in power (if you do TONS of rendering), then i guess the mac pro. i need portability though

Jul 24, 08 11:15 pm  · 
 · 
n_

Sorry to hijack this thread but it's related. Promise.

15" 2.5GHz MacBook Pro vs. 24" 3.06GHz iMac

I'm not a super computer person but it looks like the iMac is a better computer because the numbers are higher. In my rationale, higher numbers = more power. The computer will be used for all the fun design stuff we do (drafting, rendering, adobe products, etc.)

Jul 26, 08 10:17 am  · 
 · 
Living in Gin

Overall the iMac you describe is a better computer than the 15" MacBook Pro, if only for the huge display. You'll have to decide how important it is to have something portable, though.

Jul 26, 08 10:56 am  · 
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cowgill

go mac pro and enjoy the power when you need it. Lord knows you don't (or shouldn't) need that power when meeting with clients and can get by with your current laptop.

Jul 28, 08 5:19 pm  · 
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Antisthenes

i would think about it only if they made a TabletPC

Jul 28, 08 5:42 pm  · 
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Antisthenes

what happens if Steve Jobs kicks the bucket this week?

Jul 29, 08 11:28 am  · 
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