possibly buying a new iMac next month

I'm looking at the 3.33ghz 27in. iMac because for music production, this G4 can't do what I need. I run ableton 7, Reason 4, and would like to run Logic 8, but Logic slows the computer so much that it's useless to try and edit anything in it.

I was chatting with someone named Chris at Apple (online) about the iMac because I didn't know if I wanted a powerbook or iMac. I would like to have a Mac Pro but can't see spending $2,500 for a computer when an iMac or powerbook will meet my needs.

I know the memory upgrade for an iMac is best done away from Apple so they can't rob me on that. I'm intending to run multiple hard disks, and might need a firewire hub for my audio interface and something else that I can't quite remember right now. My current display is 22in so a 27in will be a significant difference.

I also had the idea of buying an Intel Mac Pro off craigslist simply because of the price.

Careful with online purchase. If they don't include the original software discs with it, take a pass.

So, where I'm going with this right now is it's either a new iMac from the online store, or an older Mac Pro Intel probably from Craigslist, and no I won't buy it if it doesn't come with the original disks. I have 10.5 that I installed on my G4.

eisblitz said:

I would like to have a Mac Pro but can't see spending $2,500 for a computer when an iMac or powerbook will meet my needs.

Click to expand...

You mentioned the term "Powerbook" a couple of times in your original post. Are you talking about purchasing a used Powerbook?

The reason why I ask is...if you're considering the purchase of either a new iMac or a new Apple laptop...the term Powerbook has not been used in a new Macintosh laptop since around April, 2006 when the last Powerbook model was discontinued.

If you're considering a new or newer Apple laptop...they're now called MacBooks, MacBook Pros, or MacBook Air.

Just trying to help...or clear up any confusion.

- Nick

p.s. By the way...what are the specs on the used Mac Pro you are considering purchasing from Craig's List?

I'm just seeing them advertised as 2.2something, not anything really exact. I tried talking to a friend about this and he told me the macbooks have the same power as the mac pros but in a smaller package, yet their prices are higher on the towers. He didn't tell me much about the iMac except for lack of expandability, which I think would be the same with the iMac.

I guess I'm looking for something over 2ghz, as in 2.2,2.4,2.6, etc.. My needs are somewhat large with firewire and so I will need a memory upgrade to probably double whatever I get, or triple if it's something with 2GB. I don't see how music production would need the same hardware as rendering animation or large videos, yet the processing power I've heard of people stating leads me to think it does; however from some craigslist's descriptions that I've read, a 2.2ghz mac pro computer with 4GB memory and decent 256mb ati video card "screams". The interface I'm looking at for sound is the RME fireface 800. It will do all of the midi synchronisation and computing for other hardware connected, so the computer doesn't have to do all the work for every midi device connected.

Basically you should narrow down exactly what you want to purchase. You mentioned a Mac Pro, an iMac, and a MacBook. If you mentioned the Mac-Mini...then you pretty much would have covered the entire Apple computer lineup.

You need to decide if you need mobility (laptop) or not (desktop) first...then move on from there.

By the way...I'm not exactly sure what your friend knows about Macintosh computers...but for the most part Mac Pros come with either quad-core or 8-core processors...versus a dual core CPU in a MacBook...so I'm not really sure how your friend says that a MacBook and a Mac Pro are similar in performance.

Plus with a Mac Pro you can install a bunch of internal hard drives, install better video cards, and run up to 8 monitors simultaneously...but if you need mobility...then a Mac Pro would not be a good choice.

It might also be helpful if you gave us an idea of:

- your budget
- if you're interested in new or used only

- Nick

My budget is now $1000 or below, it shrank from the previous $2000

I don't really care if it's new or used, but seeing as my budget is so low, I don't believe that new is an option. I don't need something portable right now because I have a Windows laptop that I can use for the same thing as an Apple - just don't have the power with the laptop, nor the reliability as it's running Windows.

I know that the people at Apple would love to sell me the most expensive computer they make, but I don't see nor believe how I need a quad core computer to run 3 audio applications that are only memory intensive. My laptop really isn't that fast and it runs the programmes fine with 3GHz and 4GB memory ($300 compaq) and that's with Windows. Since I know Mac uses memory more efficiently and effectively doesn't make sense as to why I would need HEAPS of speed for the same thing as I can do now on much less and an inferior OS.