Is the Mac Pro upgradable beyond 3GHz?

I'm considering a 2 GHz Mac Pro and it's nice to know that in a few years I can drop 3 GHz processors into it. Does anyone have any insight as to whether there will be processors beyond 3 GHz supported by the current generation of Mac Pros? Or is the 3 GHz Xeon 5160 part the fastest chip that will ever live in the current Mac Pro?

That depends on whether the chips have been soldered to the board. In a few years, though, it would be rather pointless. It woud be more realistic to get a new system, Xeon's would have a new generation by then, heck, we are getting Core3 by the beginning of next year, and they will be quad core.
The Mac Pro's Xeon CPUs sit in sockets. They are not soldered.
The quad-core chips that are coming (Clovertown) are backward compatible with Woodcrest, like Merom is backward compatible with Yonah. It's not impossible that when those quad-core chips arrive we'll be able to drop them into current Mac Pros without buying new systems.

Similar Messages

Upgrade for the Mac Pro imminent?

I want to buy an 8 core 3Ghz Mac Pro, to replace my trusty (but creaky) G4. I was about to order one, but then I came across loads of rumours flying about the web that Apple is about to release some upgrades to the Mac Pro line, apparently "any day now". Does anyone have any firm info? Am I better off waiting a while before I buy, just in case? And how long is "a while" likely to be, anyway?

So Hatter, if I may ask, what would be your advice? I need to get a new computer pronto: my G4 is getting a little long in the tooth, and I fear it's not long for this world. The Mac Pro's look very attractive, even at their current configuration, and I can afford the top model. Although everyone agrees an update to the range is inevitable, no-one agrees on when it is likely to be. I don't think I can wait a year, not even six months, on the other hand, I'd be foolish to buy one this week if an update comes out next week. Seeing as the top model Mac Pro only came out in April, maybe this will actually be the last to be updated, meaning if I get one now I wouldn't be losing out? If, as you suggest, the big rollout won't be for another year, I might as well get one now...

Is it possible to upgrade the Mac Pro with SCSI/SAS drives?

Hi guys I am considering to move on to a Mac Pro from my old PC.
The Mac Pro enclosure is quite unique in its hard drive holders as no cables are used and all drives are connected with a plugin mechanism.
So I am curious if that will allow me to upgrade to a SCSI/SAS storage system which requires cable connections between drives and the SCSI/SAS card on the PCI-E slot. I dont know if this will be possible with the Mac Pro enclosure.
Has anyone tried to do this？
Btw is there any Ultra320 or SAS(preferably) interface card available for Mac OS X?

The connectors for SATA drives can be used with SAS drives. However, the controller needs to be SAS compatible. I have never installed a SAS drive in the Mac Pro bay to see what happens. If some one has a SAS drive and wants to try this I would be interested in the results.
My guess is that the Mac Pro would not see the drive.
Areca sells the Mac Pro PCIe bootable ARC-1680 SAS controller in several configurations. This controller allows the user to utilize SAS or SATA hard drives connected to the card. The ARC-1680x comes with two external mini SAS connectors that can support eight direct connect hard drives or up to 128 devices (in theory) when used with SAS expanders.
The ARC-1680LP has one internal mini SAS port and one external mini SAS port. I looked at the Mac Pro internal SATA connectors and they can unscrew from the frame but there is only about 1/2" of clearance in that area of the case. In addition, I would want the hot swap bays to still operate and I did not see an easy way to patch into the existing SATA connectors. It would be nice if the Mac Pro factory connectors used snap on SATA connector on the back of the backplane so that users could interface the 4 SATA bays with an internal PCie controller. However, its hard wired in the existing configuration. With the new Mac Pro PCIe RAID 5 card on the market there must be alternative connectors that allow this type of installation to work properly.
Based on the ease at which the Areca SAS controller can be added as an external using the ARC-1680x I went with that option. I am using it with eight direct connect SATA hard drives now. I plan to expand the storage by adding a SAS expander in the form of a hub or an enclosure with SAS capabilities. I have been looking at a 16 bay SAS enclosure but I am not sure how loud it will be
Details on the ARC-1680 can be found here:
http://www.areca.com.tw/products/pcietosas1680series.htm
Its very cool to have SAS or SATA capability along with a bootable card that can support tons of hard drives and RAID levels 0, 1,1E, 3, 5, 6, 10, 30, 50, 60 or JBOD . I booted the Mac Pro with a 2TB Mac OS X 10.4.10 RAID 6 volume and ran Xbench. It shows a 400MB/sec. hard drive setup and raises the overall Xbench score substantially.
While I doubt I will boot the Mac Pro from the RAID 6 volume much, it is very cool that that function is available. This is the only PCIe host adapter I have found with boot capabilities besides Apples new $999 4 port SATA internal card. SAS has lots of expansion capabilities. Users that want pretty much unlimited hard drive connectivity will enjoy the new ARC-1680x.
Have fun!

HT1338 I own the Mac Pro Desktop with the older OS X 10.5.8. Can I upgrade to a newer version?

I own the Mac Pro Desktop with the older OS X 10.5.8. Can I upgrade to a newer version? Will it affect my docs etc currently stored on hard drive's? How much will this cost?

If you have a 2006 or 2007 model you can upgrade it to Lion - 10.7.x. If it's a 2008 or later model you can upgrade to the current version of Mountain Lion. Doing so requires Snow Leopard 10.6.8:
Upgrade Paths to Snow Leopard, Lion, and/or Mountain Lion
You can upgrade to Mountain Lion from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mountain Lion can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99. To access the App Store you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed.
Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard — Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mountain Lion if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s iCloud services; fees and
           terms apply.
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mountain Lion, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service — this includes international calling numbers. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
     Lion System Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
           or Xeon processor
       2. 2GB of memory
       3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
       4. 7GB of available space
       5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
     OS X Mountain Lion — System Requirements
       Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) — Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) —
             Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) — Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table — RoaringApps.
     For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion.
Back up your current system to an external drive or to an available internal drive by making a bootable clone:
Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
1. Open Disk Utility in the Utilities folder.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag
       it to the Destination entry field.
5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to
      the Source entry field.
6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

Please take a look here: a lot of picture's from the Mac Pro and Upgrades.

Just like any other Mac Pro owner, i'am really happy with it!
Please take a look at my site: http://mac.powerbras.nl
This is the first site i have ever made (on a Mac) so i hope you will like it!
Before i had my Mac Pro i would really like too see a little more from the inside. But there where just a few site's with some small pictures. Now i made this site with some high resolution pictures so everyone can see the inside off the Mac Pro and how perfect it is!
Also you can find the Xbench results from my configuration and all the Apple System Profiler specifications
Please take a look, you will like it. Especially when you have no Mac Pro!

Anne,
Great job on the site.
There are a number of third party templates available for iWeb that, with some creativity, can yield a site that looks nothing like the template-based norm. An example of one such site, "The Camera Obscura", a site created in iWeb and hosted on .Mac, demonstrates very well the limitless capabilities of iWeb. Some post-publishing html editing has been done on Obscura, but is easily accomplished with the right tools.
Additional iWeb templates and other tools that support this great application can be found in The iWeb Tool Chest.
Keep up the great work on your site!
Mark

Is it possible to put the new nVidia GTX 480 in the Mac Pro

I'm planning on creating the ultimate gaming machine, but also want the best operating system. So I have decided that my next computer will be the Mac Pro and will have the new nVidia GTX 480 (if it works). The Windows partition would be used for heavy gaming with DX 11 and PhysX technology. While on the OSX partition I could use the greatest operating system, to do general things like Movie Making, Picture Editing, Web Surfing, Emailing etc.
So all in all, is it possible to install a GTX 480 on OSX? I know it'll work with the windows partition, but not sure about OSX. I'm also unsure about the hardware side of things, but that's why I'm asking!
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again,
Mike

If you don't need dual processor, PC with 980X Gulftown makes sense.
Forget over clocking a Mac, but if you need dual processor, the Mac Pro makes sense but expect to pay. Otherwise, take a look at
EVGA Classified SR-2 (Super Record 2) 270-WS-W555-A1
http://www.evga.com/products/prodlist.asp?switch=5
Apple has not had good Nvidia drivers. And right now there are two 6-pin, and you need 6 + 8 and stick with Windows 7 and ability to do SLI. I laugh when people talk about "windoz" (rude) being somehow less or 'inferior' having seen the best - and worst - of both (never got caught up in 95/98/NT/XP so spoiled by only knowing Vista/7). I still think 10.6 hasn't quite caught up to 7 in areas that really matter, like threading, multicore, efficient use of memory.
Forget using more than one, Apple likes graphic cards that are low power, low end, and only supporting one high end card.
The GTX 480 @ $499, and if Apple offered it, it would be $549 or more (Apple 'tax' for smaller market and having to do their own drivers). And it would be much later before optimized drivers (maybe next year this time at best).
While you can go water and add custom fans and cooling, the Mac is much more of a "closed" box in many ways beyond RAM and hard drives and +very limited+ selection of graphics.
That really is my honest assessment.
The place where Mac Pro is easier, you can install 32-64GB RAM without trouble and not have to worry about compatibility or PSU issues. I'm always surprised by all the memory testing and supported and problems PC owners go through (I don't think Cruical Ballistix gets enough credit).
DX11 will still take time. Adobe showed how GPGPU/CUDA could benefit, but Apple and Adobe apps have always tended to favor ATI which is just beginning to get into OpenCL technology ... and the 5000 series may find Nvidia Fermi, while it took longer, runs hot and power requirement, could be better poised down the road too.
A single socket Mac Pro 3.3GHz or even stock (same as 920) will do the job you want.
Apple Mac Pro Specials (refurb dept)
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/mac_pro
Are a good selection and place to shop. My the time Gulftown + GTX480 and all the rest is out and ready could be more than a few months.

On the Mac Pro Desktop can you use a Samsung smart tv as the main and only monitor? Is there any reason one would not do that with a wireless keyboard?

I have not purchased the Mac Pro yet when I do my thought is to use our Samsung 55" Smart tv as the main monitor along with a bluetooth apple keyboard. Any suggestions would be appreciated

A TV set is not a Monitor.
A TV set is intended for displaying moving pictures, and not stable, static pictures, with bright, saturated colors in adjacent areas on the screen without "bleeding", fine lines one pixel wide without vibration, or smooth-edged diagonals in fine text edges.
The 55" width is beyond your ability to see the screen edges when sitting close. If you sit appropriately far away, the text will be too small to read.
The Mac requires that any display respond to a query including display_name and capabilities. Many TV sets have a problem "paying attention" to the computer port and responding when queried, so the screen may often remain dark at startup and after sleep, requiring your intervention to show a picture.

HT1338 can anyone help?? have been trying now for hours to update my ipad v2 to latest software,so i can set up icloud but my itunes on the mac pro keeps showing me the rainbow circle and itunes stops responding when i try to start the update.help?

i've restarted everytihng SO many times, have taken out all other usb connections, apart from the ipad. my itunes on the mac pro is 10.6.3 and there are no latest updates for my mac pro. Got so close with upgrading the ipad software but then got a message saying "couldn't locate the device" so tried the recommended routes but cant even get the update to start now. many thanks, k x

Jailbroke?

2009 Mac Pro upgrade to Yosemite failed

Hi,
Seven days in and my 2009 Mac Pro is still dead. Very frustrated. It had a 4x3TB AppleRAID array in RAID1+0 giving 6TB. I initially did an upgrade to Yosemite and it got stuck at the half-way point after the restart. Yes, I did patiently wait ... but gave up after 12 hours (left it overnight). I assume the upgrade was supposed to finish sooner than that?
Found one stripe in the RAID array was 'degraded' - replaced that disk (seems they had 11000 hours on them) but it was impossible (for me) to see how to get the new disk back into the RAID scheme under Disk Utility (booted up using an upgraded MacBook). Once all the disks were removed from the array, Disk Utility gave no option to create a new RAID scheme, so I downloaded SoftRAID - yay, my RAID array was back (seems Apple gave up on their software RAID in 2009?).
However, still no joy. Created a Yosemite install USB drive - seems to run but then fails at the end ... "couldn't bless installation disk: /Volumes/Image Volume".
Okay, so downloaded the Mavericks installer and created an install USB drive - same as Yosemite ... can't bless the installation disk.
What else can I try? The Yosemite upgrade seems to have well and truly screwed my poor Mac Pro. I'd already successfully upgraded two of our four Macs successfully to Yosemite (one upgrade and one clean install) so thought it was okay.
I might try booting off one of the Macs again, with the Mac Pro in target disk mode, and try to run the installer to install Mavericks or Yosemite onto the Mac Pro's RAID array as an external disk ...
Otherwise ... ?

Booted the Mac Pro from the MacBook Air running Yosemite in target disk mode. Ran the Yosemite installer on the MBA to install on the Mac Pro's SoftRAID array "Hollie" - when the installer tells me it's going to restart I see the final logs written at 04:50 below:
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: @(#)PROGRAM:Install PROJECT:Install-920
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: @(#)PROGRAM:IA PROJECT:InstallAssistant-532
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Hardware: MacPro4,1 @ 2.66 GHz (x 16), 24576 MB RAM
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Running OS Build: Mac OS X 10.10 (14A389)
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: USER=brett
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: LOGNAME=brett
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.AzaK6cdqED/Listeners
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: Apple_PubSub_Socket_Render=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.o7DsCKSkcX/Render
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: HOME=/Users/brett
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: SHELL=/bin/bash
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: __CF_USER_TEXT_ENCODING=0x1F5:0x0:0x0
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: TMPDIR=/var/folders/r9/vckptcb10fxgj44jppfcg04h0000gn/T/
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: XPC_SERVICE_NAME=com.apple.InstallAssistant.Yosemite.158788
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.AzaK6cdqED/Listeners
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: Apple_PubSub_Socket_Render=/private/tmp/com.apple.launchd.o7DsCKSkcX/Render
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: XPC_FLAGS=0x0
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: LOGNAME=brett
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: USER=brett
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: HOME=/Users/brett
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: SHELL=/bin/bash
Nov 1 04:45:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Env: TMPDIR=/var/folders/r9/vckptcb10fxgj44jppfcg04h0000gn/T/
Nov 1 04:45:20 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Using distribution archive from /Users/brett/Desktop/Install OS X Yosemite.app/Contents/SharedSupport/OSInstall.mpkg
Nov 1 04:45:21 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Configuring products from SharedSupport folder
Nov 1 04:45:21 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Install is double-dmg. Not adding chunklist to download list.
Nov 1 04:45:21 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Using product <OSInstallDVDProduct> based on media at /Users/brett/Desktop/Install OS X Yosemite.app/Contents/SharedSupport at distance 5
Nov 1 04:45:21 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Using product <OSInstallESDProduct> based on distribution at /Users/brett/Desktop/Install OS X Yosemite.app/Contents/SharedSupport/OSInstall.mpkg at distance 5
Nov 1 04:45:21 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Checking Software Update catalog URL https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-l ion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog
Nov 1 04:45:21 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: No available package ref for compatibility update. Ignoring.
Nov 1 04:45:21 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: No available package ref for compatibility update. Ignoring.
Nov 1 04:45:23 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Using product <OSSoftwareUpdateCatalogProduct> from product keys (null) at distance 25
Nov 1 04:45:30 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: LSExceptions [0x6300000bee40] unloaded
Nov 1 04:49:16 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: IATool launched
Nov 1 04:49:16 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Connected to IATool 26fa80
Nov 1 04:49:17 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Preventing machine sleep.
Nov 1 04:49:17 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Using product IA_PKSecureNetEnabledProduct <file:///Volumes/Hollie/OS%20X%20Install%20Data/> at distance 5
Nov 1 04:49:17 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistantTool[738]: Using existing boot files dir at /.IABootFiles
Nov 1 04:49:17 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Using mutable product path: /Volumes/Hollie/OS X Install Data
Nov 1 04:49:17 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Using boot files path: /.IABootFiles
Nov 1 04:49:17 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Retrieving 1 packages (0.000 GB)
Nov 1 04:49:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Retrieved package com.apple.pkg.CompatibilityUpdate (http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/14/57/031-11010/vhdn34frx9suyfcrslj0xyx n3t0dafhkn8/OSX_10_10_IncompatibleAppList.pkg)
Nov 1 04:49:19 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Verifying InstallMacOSX.pkg/InstallESD.dmg
Nov 1 04:49:33 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Finished operation queue
Nov 1 04:50:10 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistantTool[738]: Failed to set prev-lang:kbd
Nov 1 04:50:10 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistantTool[738]: hdiejectd already disabled.
Nov 1 04:50:12 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistantTool[738]: Failed to prep /Volumes/OS X Install ESD for brtool
Nov 1 04:50:12 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistantTool[738]: Failed to prep /Volumes/OS X Base System for brtool
Nov 1 04:50:13 192-168-1-11.tpgi.com.au InstallAssistant[721]: Failed to write mutable product url to NVRAM

I am running a MAC PRO 10.6.8 and it has firefox 3.6.1.3 and it shows no updatres available? My MAC Book PRo has updated to 6.0.2. can I manually update my MAC PRO to 6.0.2 or is there a reason the MAC PRO should NOT use 6.0.2?

see question above

I am in my late 60's so I can't imagine all the changes and questions to what to do but... new Macs do not boot from an OS the pre-dates it.
The Mac Pro is 7.5 yrs old , I have the August 2006 1,1 right here right now.
Sounds like we have the same system - Mac Pro 1,1 2.66 dual/dual-core (total of 4-cores) DDR2 FB-DIMMs et c.
These cannot run Mountain Lion 10.8.x
The PowerMac G5 came out in Sept/Oct 2003 and shipping with10.3.0/
I would do a clean install. Than install all apps from scratch.
Upgrade CS5 first ahead of time if you want Migration or Setup Assistant.
Clone your system:
How to Clone a Volume
Using Cloning as a Backup Strategy
See also Erasing a Drive, How and Why to Partition a Drive, RAID.
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/7032/carbon-copy-cloner
Using Cloning as a Backup Strategy
http://macperformanceguide.com/Mac-HowToClone.html
Sorry you felt the need to start a new thread.
No need to single out and title a thread with anyone's name.

Why is the 'mac pro' missing from the mac store?

why is the 'mac pro' missing from the mac store?
I always enjoyed speccing up machines that i will one day upgrade to.

ooh! i am my third mac pro and i love them, in my opinion it is still the best looking case (inside and out) on the market . Fingers crossed they can come up with something better.

Home music recording- is the Mac Pro better for this than an iMac?

I know it seems like a daft question but if you were to recommend a Mac for a DECENT home studio and money were (within reason) nearly no object WHAT Mac would you recommend? I always believed that a good sized desktop would be better than an iMac or a MacBook Pro (which is what I have been using for just a hobby home recording set-up) but is this a myth?
Please advise because the Mac Pro looks SCARY. I mean- the options are vast but what DO I NEED as opposed to want? Thank you kindly for reading.

I guess there is nothing wrong with the set-up except that the MacBook Pro is mine and the musicians need their own as I need mine for work.
Ah, I see. I think an iMac should be sufficient. Just be sure to get more RAM than the stock 1GB. Apple's prices on RAM are pretty severe compared to other vendors, so I'd recommend adding RAM after purchase. If you search the iMac forum for "RAM UK", you should find recommendations on reliable vendors. Don't go with lowest price; there's nothing that can cause you fits with a computer system more than flakey RAM, so you want a vendor with a good reputation for quality. I'd suggest bumping the iMac to the maximum 4GB. As to screen size, I tend to prefer having two screens rather than one big one - you can put palettes on the second monitor - so if it's a choice and desk space is sufficient, consider a 20" iMac and a second 17" or 20" screen to go with it.
If you reckon the interface is enough to do the mic justice and that Logic Express or Pro would do when the musicians know and love Cubase then I am happy to help them learn more Mac-based software and get that instead as it is also cheaper and looks like it would make more sense to ME.
Unless they're wedded to Cubase, I'd think that Logic Express should work quite well. You may all want to take a trip to an Apple reseller and take a look at it.
Unless there is a reason to "upgrade" the interface I guess that is one less item to acquire
An upgrade would seem logical only if the Safire isn't giving the quality you want or there aren't enough inputs.
I'd call your recommendation but I am in the UK and will probably talk to the nice folk at Dolphin Music in Newcastle as that is where I got the interface.
I wasn't sure where you were. If you are located in or near Newcastle-On-Tyne, you can find a list of authorized resellers here, or if you're near Manchester or Sheffield or don't mind taking a paddle down, you can drop by an Apple Store. You can then perhaps preview Logic Express before you decide. You might want to call before you make a special trip just to make sure your dealer can indeed demo LE.
Final recommendation; get really good microphones. Garbage in, garbage out, as they say, and having the right microphone, one that's suited for the instrument that's being recorded, is vital. The Neumann is of course high quality, but if you haven't already purchased, check around. You can find really good mics for less than Neumann charges; unless things have changed, you pay a bit of a premium for their reputation. AKG used to make really good mics, quite well suited for piano and acoustic guitar in particular, and there are no doubt others as well (my knowledge of specific models is rather out of date).
Cheers.
Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer
EDIT: P.S. If you can find Mix Magazine or EQ Magazine, those are pretty good reading. Lots of tips, product reviews, etc. Also, you can read a brief review of Logic Express 8 here:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/reviews/index.cfm?reviewid=2370

Does the Mac Pro v1.1 support SATA II 6Gb/s?

Does the Mac Pro (late_2006) support SATA II 6Gb/s internal hard drives?

Of course not, not in the sense that 6G existed but you still can use any SATA II/III specification drive.
So yes they are supported in that sense.
Only limit is if you use current SSD you still get great IOPS and such just not the sustained writes.
NO Mac Pro actually has an SATA III port. And it is more about features and specs and all drives have to be backward compatible or drive vendors would be foolish and go out of business (not everyone can or wants or needs to upgrade their motherboard).
You can add PCIe SATA 6G such as CalDigit and others.

Is the Mac Pro good for me?

Okay i am currently intrested in a Mac Pro. I am 17 and am switching over from pc to mac. Now i Was wondering is a Mac Pro in the long run a better computer than a Macbook Pro? How long does a Mac Pro last compared to a macbook pro? I know i want to get final cut studio. And run other programs like garage band...btw what type of software package does garage band come in and is it preloaded on a mac? anyone have any good experiences with mac pros that they would like to share? I am looking at a buget of about 3200 ish and i will most likely get a used one from ebay. also what type of monitors can i use on it? only apple ones? I plan on asking a lot of questions on this forum.

the cool guy wrote:
How long does a Mac Pro last compared to a macbook pro?
They will both last indefinitely. My Macs stay in some kind of service for around 7 years each. However, if you are asking which one stays current for longer, with the Mac Pro it's obviously easier to upgrade the RAM, disks, optical drives, and video card with newer ones later. Also, being a desktop, it's going to have better ventilation which can lengthen a computer's life, since heat is the enemy. And a MacBook Pro will likely suffer bumps and vibration when you transport it, while a Mac Pro is almost never moved. On the other hand, my PowerBook is still going strong after almost 5 years.
the cool guy wrote:
now how much does a gig of ddr cost? do i need apple only or can i get it from some where else?
You should buy RAM from somewhere other than Apple, because Apple charges way too much. It does need to have the proper heat sinks on it. My Mac Pro contains RAM from this company and also this company, since I upgraded it twice. Both sets of RAM are still running reliably, and I have also bought drives from both companies.

Why is the Mac Pro considered a business computer

I am finally ready to replace my old G5. However, when I look at the Mac Pros, they seem to be considered a business box. Why?
thanks,
Danuke

The whole point of a MacPro is:
- processor's raw power (more cores) for software that actually uses it;
- GPU power;
- ability to upgrade and expand easily HD/SSD - GPU - RAM and/or other internal hardware;
- reliability under heavy load.
I'm the Chief engineer for a TV station in Oregon - These Mac Pro's get used and used and used. They are not very "green" - the power consumption on them are pretty bad, but they can handle just about anything you can thow at them ... especially when it comes to needing to use your GPU like crazy!! The case is built like a brick and the cooling is awesome.
They are a expensive computer, but they fill a notch that is hard to fill with just any old computer on the market today.
My 2 cents worth,
Bill

Is the Mac Pro upgradable beyond 3GHz?

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