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So here's my latest Apple computer purchase saga. First let me mention that it's all "harryb2448's" fault!!! Just teasing Harry! Actually I'm half serious.
My previous Mac Pro was the original 2006 "Quad-Core" 2.66ghz model. A couple weeks ago a Mac-forums member was asking about Mac Pro's "64-bitness"...and Harry mentioned that all Mac Pro's were 100% 64-bit EXCEPT for the first generation Mac Pro's (1,1 & 2,1 models) which have a 32-bit EFI (which I didn't realize).
I had been considering upgrading my 1st generation Mac Pro with a better video card, and possibly upgrading it with a faster processor...or even upgrading it from a quad-core to an 8 core cpu setup. But after adding up all the costs...it didn't really make a whole lot of sense. Add to that the 32-bit EFI of the original Mac Pro...and that sort of pushed me in the direction of selling my old Mac Pro...and looking for a newer one.
Don't get me wrong...the 2006 quad-core Mac Pro is still a great computer...but I started thinking that being a 2006 model that it was getting a bit "long in the tooth" (losing resale value all the time)...and that the 32-bit EFI detail was sort of making me think that it might be a liability of sorts in the future (being the only Mac Pro model that wasn't 100% 64-bit capable).
I knew someone locally that I could sell it to quickly...and sold my old Mac Pro for $800 bucks. Afterwards I thought that maybe I sold it too quickly (probably could have gotten $200-$300 more on e-Bay)...but it was a VERY easy & quick sale...with no shipping hassles.
I also sort of came to the realization that I wasn't going to get an iPad 2 (I pretty much do everything on my laptop that I would have done on an iPad)...so the $500-$600 I had saved since about May, 2010 could go towards a newer Mac Pro. So now I had about $1400 bucks for a newer used Mac Pro.
For about 2 weeks I searched e-Bay & Craig's List (including cities within about a 100 mile radius of my home). Got very close to purchasing a couple different Mac Pro's...but over-bidding folks on e-Bay & "flakey" Craig's List sellers prevented it. I finally found an "Early 2009 Nehalem" 8-core 2.26ghz Mac Pro in a city about 125 miles away.
The asking price was $2300 (Mac2Sell value is $2450). Maybe some folks remember about a month ago I posted a thread where I had gotten about 20 older APC UPS battery backup units for free on Craig's List:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/lounge/233005-todays-craigs-list-find.html
My maximum budget for a newer Mac Pro was pretty much $1500 cash. After some SERIOUS negotiation with the seller...we finally agreed on $1600 plus one of the large APC Smart UPS2200 units pictured in the thread linked above (worth about $400 on e-Bay).
So I drove the 125 miles (each way) to pick it up...got it home...saw that it was pretty "cruddy" inside with dust/dirt/fuzz..so I decided to completely disassemble it...to clean it up:
Now it's all reassembled & "sparkly" clean! Unfortunately the seller could not find the original "grey OS disks"...but not an uncommon thing. The first upgrade I have planned (once I get some cash saved) is to replace the stock GT 120 video card.
Everything is running great...and speedy.
- Nick
My previous Mac Pro was the original 2006 "Quad-Core" 2.66ghz model. A couple weeks ago a Mac-forums member was asking about Mac Pro's "64-bitness"...and Harry mentioned that all Mac Pro's were 100% 64-bit EXCEPT for the first generation Mac Pro's (1,1 & 2,1 models) which have a 32-bit EFI (which I didn't realize).
I had been considering upgrading my 1st generation Mac Pro with a better video card, and possibly upgrading it with a faster processor...or even upgrading it from a quad-core to an 8 core cpu setup. But after adding up all the costs...it didn't really make a whole lot of sense. Add to that the 32-bit EFI of the original Mac Pro...and that sort of pushed me in the direction of selling my old Mac Pro...and looking for a newer one.
Don't get me wrong...the 2006 quad-core Mac Pro is still a great computer...but I started thinking that being a 2006 model that it was getting a bit "long in the tooth" (losing resale value all the time)...and that the 32-bit EFI detail was sort of making me think that it might be a liability of sorts in the future (being the only Mac Pro model that wasn't 100% 64-bit capable).
I knew someone locally that I could sell it to quickly...and sold my old Mac Pro for $800 bucks. Afterwards I thought that maybe I sold it too quickly (probably could have gotten $200-$300 more on e-Bay)...but it was a VERY easy & quick sale...with no shipping hassles.
I also sort of came to the realization that I wasn't going to get an iPad 2 (I pretty much do everything on my laptop that I would have done on an iPad)...so the $500-$600 I had saved since about May, 2010 could go towards a newer Mac Pro. So now I had about $1400 bucks for a newer used Mac Pro.
For about 2 weeks I searched e-Bay & Craig's List (including cities within about a 100 mile radius of my home). Got very close to purchasing a couple different Mac Pro's...but over-bidding folks on e-Bay & "flakey" Craig's List sellers prevented it. I finally found an "Early 2009 Nehalem" 8-core 2.26ghz Mac Pro in a city about 125 miles away.
The asking price was $2300 (Mac2Sell value is $2450). Maybe some folks remember about a month ago I posted a thread where I had gotten about 20 older APC UPS battery backup units for free on Craig's List:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/lounge/233005-todays-craigs-list-find.html
My maximum budget for a newer Mac Pro was pretty much $1500 cash. After some SERIOUS negotiation with the seller...we finally agreed on $1600 plus one of the large APC Smart UPS2200 units pictured in the thread linked above (worth about $400 on e-Bay).
So I drove the 125 miles (each way) to pick it up...got it home...saw that it was pretty "cruddy" inside with dust/dirt/fuzz..so I decided to completely disassemble it...to clean it up:
Now it's all reassembled & "sparkly" clean! Unfortunately the seller could not find the original "grey OS disks"...but not an uncommon thing. The first upgrade I have planned (once I get some cash saved) is to replace the stock GT 120 video card.
Everything is running great...and speedy.
- Nick