Mac Pro or iMac i7?

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Noob here, please ignore if this is in the wrong area or I've made some social snafu in doing such.

So we're looking to get a new Mac. I've build a lot of PC's and could easily do so again...I just don't want to. My last PC was build right before my first daughter was born, 2002, and frankly its coughing up blood. Unfortunately kids are expensive (who knew?) and as such I'd like for my new Mac to make it at least 5 years.

I do plan on doing a lot of graphic editing, video editing, audio editing, and perhaps playing Diablo III when it comes out.


For the money, its (almost) even money to get an iMac 27" (and upgeade the memory off OWC) or get a Mac Pro (and upgeade the memory off OWC). I've got a monitor that'll work fine if I go Mac Pro. So in my mind, its even money. I do like the idea of being able to upgrade my drives on the fly with the Mac Pro, and the case looks bangin', but whats best? Indecision is a...well you know.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance! :D
 
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There's really not a best... It's up to you and how you'll use it! :) Our iMac i7 machine is lightning fast, rock solid reliable, and is capable of far more than we'll probably ever need for the next year or two until software requirements go up as they always do. My wife runs a photography/video editing company from our home, and I work with it part time as well. It is simply amazing and very fast with all of our work. If you're going to do professional level (SERIOUS HD stuff... or just lots of random heavy tasks) or even if you just want the ability to upgrade as you said, then... the Mac Pro is better for you.

People often ask for advice, but it's impossible for any of us to tell you what's best. But, we can help you decide based on what you want to do, and our experience with these machines! :) I've never owned a Mac Pro, but I can tell you anything you need to know about my personal experiences with my iMac (specs in my sig)

Welcome to the forums! :)
 
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Phacade
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Ironically (or perhaps not), as I'm talking of replacing my tired old dinosaur, my wife has simply had it with her little Dell lappie and is talking of getting a MacBook Air...wow! In one stroke we might both go Mac.

Now if I can only find a way to keep the kids off my new Mac. :p

On a side note, it did occur to me I could get an iMac, use it for a year or two, and then go Mac Pro for myself; giving the iMac for my kids. They're 5 & 7 now, so computer use for them is pretty much limited to whatever they can find on Nickelodeon's site, but in a few years, they'll need a little more than the tired old WinXP box can provide.

My other thought right now is the baseline Mac Pro, the Nehalem processor, still comes with only 1066-speed memory while both the dual Westmore processor and i7 iMac comes with 1333; so waiting a year or two for the baseline Mac Pro to "catch up" may be smart money.

I think I just talked myself into an iMac. :p
 
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Haha, my wife just had to get a Macbook Pro, after she got her hands on my shiny new iMac :p

Our little girl is only 2, so no trouble with that just yet :p

But definitely! Macs are not like Windows PC's in that respect... If you buy an iMac now, rest assured it will be not just "running" when the next versions of OS X and various software for it are released, it will be completely useable. You'll find many people on these boards are using Macbooks and iMacs, Mac Pros, etc. from several years ago that are still entirely useable still today! Even with the latest OS X version in many cases! So by the time you get that Mac Pro, it'll still be useful for your kids ;)

You won't be disappointed in the iMac I am sure! Just... go into it without trying to do it like Windows! :) They are completely different as far as the design/mindset around them. And this community is full of amazing people who really know their stuff, so there is always help with just about anything you could come across! :)

(On a side note: I'm not sure what type of monitor you have, but the display on the iMac 27 is a big plus if you ask me, over getting the Pro and using another monitor! It's higher definition than HD, and it is simply... breathtaking :) The monitor you have could be awesome too, but I just thought I'd throw in my thought on the iMac screen :p )
 
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Go with the Mac Pro.

You have the display and drives, memory and graphics much more easily upgraded.
 

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I'm going to give you a backwards recommendation and say go with a 13 in MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. My reasons are this:

1) Happy wife = Happy house
2) It gives you a chance for some serious hands on with Macs and see if
a) You really want one after all
b) How much horse power you really need (trust us you can't judge this based on your windows experience)
3) You may find that you don't want either the MacPro or iMac though both or wonderful choices. You may find that a 15 in or larger MacBook Pro suits you better (and it can drive the monitor your currently own just like the Mac Pro)
 
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Oh I'm sure the MacBook Air will happen. I know all about the happy wife = a happier me. I, however, can't operate on laptops. Never could, so I'm going desktop. The question for me is iMac or Mac Pro...an arduous to be certain.
 
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Don't forget to check out the referb Macs on apples sight very good deals.
 

RavingMac

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Oh I'm sure the MacBook Air will happen. I know all about the happy wife = a happier me. I, however, can't operate on laptops. Never could, so I'm going desktop. The question for me is iMac or Mac Pro...an arduous to be certain.
Recommendation wasn't so much for you to go laptop rather than desktop as to go wife's MB first for the reasons stated. A month using hers and you will be better situated to answer your own question.
 
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...like I could wrestle a MacBook Air out of her hands long enough for me to to use it. She'd bite me or something!

Wait, girls bite....right? :|
 

RavingMac

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...like I could wrestle a MacBook Air out of her hands long enough for me to to use it. She'd bite me or something!

Wait, girls bite....right? :|
You have a very good point there!
The reason I have a MBP is I started with a MacBook just to see if I would like Macs and ended up having to buy another because my wife took over the MacBook. :)
 
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Well I absoutely need to replace mine, so thats clearly going to happen. Not trying to be selfish, but I replaced her desktop and bought her a lappie in the last few years; overlooking my smoking pile of poo on my desk the whole while. Now if Uncle Sam really likes me, and we're all hoping he will, I'd like to get a his-and-hers Mac package.

Naturally there will then be a flurry of queries here after I get them of getting my data off my old IDE drives on my new shiny Mac, but that'll come later.
 
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And we're all ready for any queries that may arise :p Hopefully Uncle Sam is friendly this year, and you both get your shiny new Macs :D

Side note: We're in Oklahoma now too! How hard did Tulsa get hit by the most recent snow storm?
 
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In a word; hard. The first blitzkrieg of snowpocalypse hit pretty hard, as such we were literally snowed in for about a week last week. It hit again this week, they say with temperatures the lowest in recorded history. Ick! the roads are glossy, snow piled everywhere, and naturally we have perhaps 14 people in the entire state know how to drive in this weather.

It didn't help that the bleeding Windows dinosaur on my desk is now making an annoying whine anytime its turned on.
 
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Sorry to hear it! We're in the OKC area and it got pretty bad here as well, though I don't think quite as bad as you guys! Yeah, with the colder weather I get tempted to drive rather than walk to work. But one day on the roads with idiots in 4x4's flying into ditches and across highways because they think 4x4 means you can do 60 on ice, convinced me to walk between the buildings and forget the car :p

Ah! Sorry your computer is making a whine when it turns on! Has it gotten any slower with the whine? Or is it just getting noisy?
 
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I've actually got cables coming out of my case, sprawling out all over my desk a funky squid with CD-ROMs attached here and there. I've got clothespins holding my RAM in, it smokes, squeals, is slow, slower than a Florida driver in the left lane; and generally has a bad attitude.

I've taken to calling my computer Cthulhu.
 
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Sounds like quite a monster!!!! :p Cthulhu indeed is a fitting name then :D (You read excellent literature!)

That is one pro to the iMac :) All you have to have, is one, single cable. The power cord. Of course if you use a wired keyboard or mouse, or a external drive, etc. it adds to it. But out of the box, working, it has only the power cord. That will be a fun change for you if you end up going iMac!
 
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"...one cable to rule them all!" :Smirk:

**squeals in anticipation**

Granted I probably will get the wired keyboard so I have the numeric keypad; gotta have it for bills and what-not.
 
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haha :)

Sure! They also (well, not Apple, but, other people :p ) make bluetooth numeric keypads that match the wireless keyboard in appearance, and as I recall, can even attack to it. Lots of options if you want to get away from cables, but even with the wired keyboard, two cables are better than Cthulhu, right? :p
 
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Flaming gum disease is better than Cthulhu. :p

How's the cooling on your iMac? Any issues there? I'm probably looking at this from a PC viewpoint, but I've got 5 case fans on Cthulhu right now and it still runs hot, hense the reason for the open case.
 

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