Review Mac Pro vs Windows PC

This is a six line review.
One month into a Mac Pro after 20 years of Microsoft Windows on PCs.
My Mac works for ME not the reverse !!
I worked for my PC and Microsoft as a slave to a poor design and implementation.
The Mac Pro does everything a computer should. This is a superb piece of design and engineering.
A Windows virus that nearly cost me $10,000 was the final straw. And that was despite first class antivirus software.
Well done Apple. You have an absolute convert

My Mac works for ME not the reverse !!
The aggregate cost to mankind for having used Windows PC garbage for as long as it has been in existence is incalculable. The only thing worse than that enormous sum is the even more incalculable amount of productive time lost. Finite human capital, gone forever.
Two decades. What a shame.

Similar Messages

  • Migrating to Mac Pro from Windows intensive GIS modelling only in WinXP..

    Hi all,
    I have some cash for a new workstation and have been pondering moving to a Mac as I am frustrated with Windows for som many reasons. I am a scientist who does a lot of modelling, luckily software such as R is available on Mac so I am happy with that. However, I am stuck with some windows dependency due to ArcGIS which is windows only.
    I have several questions:
    1. I have a couple of existing machines that have cheapo PCI-E Sil3132 RAID cards that run RAID 0 on two 1TB disks as swap. It should be possible to use this in Bootcamp no problems as Windows has drivers for it, but could I access this array through OSX and importantly, through Parallels so I could use the Mac and Windows at the same time?
    2. I have several external arrays that use the ESATA connection from some RAID cards, however, these are all in NTFS format. Can I read/write to these disks in OSX? I am confused by an abundance of posts which say yes, no but yes in Snow Leopard..
    3. Reading people's comments, it is widely accepted to steer clear of the Mac RAID card as it is overpriced. Is it also not compatible with Windows?
    4. Do you guys think it is worth it to move? I could just go down the PC route again and get a similar spec machine as to the Mac Pro, but I can't tell you how much Windows upsets me sometimes.
    Any advice at all is appreciated.
    Thanks,
    A

    Dual boot though makes things more complex and doesn't sound like running Windows programs in a VM is going to help.
    Therefore a lot to convert, consider, and limitations.
    Don't know how well if at all Parallels 6 will work with your arrays.
    Swap. Put your system on an SSD, be sure to have enough RAM, because Mac OS and users avoid swapping and pageouts like the plague.
    A Mac Pro can be a fine Windows only system, suitable almost, and similar to others that use Xeon processor.
    Burn out hits everyone, but maybe if you could get past that and build a new system from ground up that meets your needs and expectations, that would be easier.
    NTFS write ability is not hard to add, but is not native to OS X either.
    Disclaimer: I run my Mac Pro as Windows 99% and have played around with some PC controller cards and Mac controller cards, and there is always trouble with cross platform.
    As for Mac Pro, $4k+ for 3.33GHz 6-core 3 x 8GB RAM buys a lot of hardware, and in PC realm something that can be clocked much higher and more RAM...

  • I have an imac bought late 2013, can i use it as a display for the new mac pro running windows 8 through bootcamp?

    I have an imac bought late 2013, can i use it as a display for the new mac pro running windows 8 through bootcamp?

    No. Target Display mode is only supported when connected to a Mac running 10.6 or later.
    It cannot be used with a PC, bootcamp, gamaing console, cable box, DVR or PowerPC Mac.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3924

  • Is it possible for Mac Pro 724 Windows xp to install?

    Is it possible for Mac Pro 724 Windows xp to install?

    I really don't like any "closed" or sealed technology.
    About half way down the page are bare 2.5" enclosures for $50 range
    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/add-ons-and-hubs/enclosure-kits
    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/on-the-go
    Grief! Yes, that is costly "solution" I looked on Amazon for USB2 for SATA drives and $40.
    For that kind of price, MacGurus specializes in some hot-swap FW/USB/eSATA cases so you can use it with multiple drives (giant floppy).

  • Can the Mac Pro run Window XP (booth camp) and be used as a MAc OS server

    Hi There
    Can the Mac Pro run Window XP (booth camp) and be used as a MAc OS server in the same time?
    I am a small business and I was thinking of using the new mac pro for a new workstation on my studio and to also use it as a server for 5 work others stations. Is that possible? Or I am asking a bit to much work load to do for the Mac Pro?
    Can the Mac Pro can run under Window XP and Autocad and still be accessed by other workstation whilst working on the cad software? Is booth camp will slow the machine like Virtual PC?
    IS the MAc Pro can manage file hosting website with PHP and mySQL capabilites?
    CHARLES
    MAC PRO Mac OS X (10.4.7)

    Great question, but it appears the answer is no (at this time); they promise to work on it immediately. Check this thread at parallels.
    http://forum.parallels.com/thread3659.html
    iMAC G5 20" - 2GB RAM - 150 GB Hard Drive   Mac OS X (10.4.6)   Also MacMini & MacBook Pro Intel Core Duo - OS X & WIN2K

  • Mac Pro - Bootcamp Windows 7 x64 problem. No Drives were found. Please help

    Hi,
    I have recently purchase a Mac Pro and I was trying to install windows 7 with bootcamp which i successfully done it on my imac before but somehow after I partition my HDD in bootcamp, inside winodws 7 install page it saids "No drives were found. Click Load Driver to provide a mass storage driver for installtion"
    I have read some previous post but I didn't really get it how people have solved. I have dismount the other 2 HDD but it doesn't seems to work.
    Can someone please help. Is there a way that I can have my windows 7 into my other HDD instead of the Mac OS drives.

    You read the PDF Guide? You have to use Advanced Options to format the FAT volume (BOOTCAMP) to NTFS.
    And yes, pull other drives.
    Personally, I use a separate hard drive for Windows 7 and just pull the others, boot from Windows DVD and install.
    I assume your recent MacPro 5,1 is Mid 2010. If you want to use more than 4GB RAM you will want 64-bit, and if you have dual processor 8 or 12-cores, you'd need Windows 7 Pro.
    As for where you are now, use Boot CAmp Assistant again to remove the partition on your Mac OS boot drive.
    Backup Mac OS to another drive yet? I use SuperDuper or CCC.
    You can format the intended drive in Disk Utility.
    Use Partition tab, Options and change partition table from GUID to Master Boot Record and format the entire drive as FAT. Or use Boot CAmp Assistant to do so. You'll need to shutdown then, not restart, so you can pull your other drives.
    http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3777

  • My Mac Pro and Windows, a view from a Windows noob

    I have been using Macs for years. Yes I switched back in the XP days, but it has been so long....I forgot, infact I made my mother switch so I could offer her better tech support. Now she does not need tech support.
    Anyway, the point.
    I have a 2008 Octo 2.8 MP with a current ATI 256mb video, 4GB memory, and a bunch of drives in the machine. My wife bought me Flight Simulator X as I was talking about it, and I decided to load it on my Pro.
    I used Boot Camp to partition a drive that was 32 GB (thats all I needed) and took a chance at using XP again.
    Everything went fine until I got to the partition screen on XP, I choose the partition Bootcamp made, and Windows came back with a goofy message about how I needed to do something to the partition, hit enter and do so...ok I did.
    Nothing, same partition layout.
    So I made note of partition sizes, deleted mine, and tried to create a new partition out of the blank space, same message. After trying several times, I decided to try it with Vista Home Premium.
    Same crap, told me how it would not work, etc etc.
    So i decided to use an entire drive, backed it up, ran bootcamp, did the installer, and decided to try Vista. The install went fine.
    My Retaill copy of Leopard did not want to load the drivers I needed, So I used my wifes iMac disc to install drivers for all things Apple on Vista. Fine, but why did it take me 3 hours to get my Bluettoth Mighty Mouse to work, and I still cant get the BT keyboard to work?
    Why does Windows only see 2 of the 4 gb of memory I have?
    Why does Vista seem slow? (even though it boots fast?. I mean it almost seems to ...well lag, seems like alot of OSX, and Linux with Beryl ripping off that does not really seem to work very well with Vista.
    The drivers for this spankly fresh new ATI card had to be downloaded by Vista in order to even see the card, why is this stuff not on Leopard (Apple did not give me the restore discs for the Pro when they exchanged the machine for my faulty Pro)
    Most importantly, why would XP argue with a partition Bootcamp made? Worked fine with my Mothers imac, she reported no issues, why am I the one to get them, how can I make a simple 32gb partition via bootcamp work with XP?

    Lot of questions in there, almost need a list.
    I never use BootCamp, just Disk Utility. Assistant is meant for single drive setup (iMac, MacBook) more than multi-drive system as this. And totally unnecessary or helpful with Vista.
    Vista 32-bit only sees 1.9GB but SP1 or x64 will see more.
    XP CD doesn't know or understand GUID and EFI partition tables.
    Some Leopard DVDs (mostly upgrade based on BootCamp forum) didn't have the /BOOTCAMP directory on them.
    The new Mac Pro is UEFI 2.1 firmware and has 64-bit drivers.
    And always need to get the latest stand-alone drivers from ATI and Nvidia for Windows on Mac Pro.

  • Obsolete new "Mac Pro" vs Windows 6 Core 3930K PC - What should I expect?

    OK, I ordered a pretty fast PC from Amazon, kind of a no-name gaming PC but it had great specs, i7 3930 Six Core at 3.2 ghz.
    Installed a Nvidia GTX 670, did the supported cards text file hack, and Premiere Pro 5.5 on it, along with Quicktime Pro, and fonts I needed. I also installed a nifty program called X-Mouse which allowed me to customize my logitech scrolling mouse to use Premiere Pro as I also using USB Overdrive on my Mac - indispensable software.
    Got a KVM so I could use my 2 large displays currently hooked up to my Mac on the PC without totally disabling my Mac Pro 2008 8 core - it is my workhorse and I use it all the time.
    Finally got the PC somewhat functional on with Premiere Pro and even got it working with projects and media via a fast network connection. It seemed like butter vs my old Mac Pro.  My lack of being a Windows power user I'm sure was responsible for my ultimate failure at getting my Windows system, but there could be hardware issues with this particular PC as well. Ultimately it was a total pain to share projects and media that resided on my Mac. Using Premiere Pro on the PC was identical in many ways to the Mac, just faster.
    However the PC started going downhill pretty much as I got it working. It wouldn't properly reboot, always spinning in the 'Shutting Down' screen. I had to hard restart it all the time.
    Then things started to go south, probably due to system corruption from having to hard reset it. I installed a fresh OS on the other internal drive in hopes it would fix the problems, a whole new set of software to get Premiere Pro working well. Again, shutdown hangs, without any diagnostics other than windows coming up at the hard restart saying there was a problem with the previous shutdown, and wiping out a lot of stuff each time. Then in hopes of curing the ills, a reformat of the drives, reinstallation of Windows 7 Pro, and then the ability to actually install the OS. 2 reformatted drives that cannot b installed with OS. Epic failure. The replacement is on the way.
    But this being said, the amount of time in order to make this environment 'cross platform' as well as the indiocyncracies of Windows (to me, I'm not bashing Windows - it seems to be a fine OS!)  makes me rethinking the PC for Premiere Pro switch.
    I realize the current Mac Pros are basically obsolete, however, MY Mac Pro really is, it's from 2008 and not the fastest model from that era (2.8ghz 8 core, non threading Xeon.)
    Investigating "new" Mac Pros, I can get a 6 Core 3.3 ghz threading Mac Pro plus 32GB of RAM for about $3,500. I can get a 12 Core 3.09 ghz for $6,700 and a refurb 2.93ghz with 32GB for about $5,700. The Windows PC with everything I need is in the $4K range. I don't need any new peripherals to make it a direct replacement for my current Mac Pro, all PCI, peripherals will just work. I'm familiar with the OS, and all my apps and plugins will work, no KVM necessary, no cross platform issues. Just not as cost effective as the PC and perhaps slower.
    However...
    Disregarding the cost, my time is valuable and I probably spend a good 3 solid days getting something non functional to work. There will be continual inefficiencies because I'm not a Windows shop, and I don't foresee this.
    Will any 'new' Mac Pro, regardless of the cost, get me to the speed using Premiere Pro of this 6 core 3.2ghz i7 3930K? If I get the answer that the Mac 12 core will get me there, it may be a viable option. If the 6 core will get me 80% there, it might be the 'best buy' option.
    Thanks for any advice, really!
    -Keith

    Thanks Eric and Harm for the helpful answers. I was hoping that Windows 7 had evolved to the point where knowning and using some of the troubleshooting techniques that Harm mentioned would not have to be necessary. I do have the ability / skill, etc, but not necessarily the desire to troubleshoot, but was kind of hoping that I wouldn't need to get to this level on such a simple installation, really it was just CS 5.5 and Video drivers. It is very possible the KVM was blocking on the USB request. This occasionally will happen with a hung device on Mac OS X and firewire, but usually it times out after a while. However there have been those odd times where I needed to unplug everything and even do a NVRAM reset on the Mac to get it back. This is pretty rare though. I even have my Mac set to 'verbose mode' which leaves the unix console up on boot and shutdown so I can track offending things like this. Maybe there is a Windows equivalent to this, which would have been helpful. Knowing that there might be some request that wasn't returning, I left Windows in this state for hours, it never got back. I had no choice but to hard restart it. I didn't examine logs and such, though I could have. I just want it to work or to fail gracefully, and not fail in such a way that makes it unusable and unrecoverable without in depth troubleshooting. I also have to use the KVM, without it I can't possibly use the system. So if the KVM makes the PC hang, then I can't use the PC. It doesn't make my Mac hang.
    I am also quite positive that ADK's systems would have been a lot more robust and their emergency DVD's would have actually been able to help me as well as their expert tech support. I also appreciate that though Eric and ADK are a business, that the advice you have provided to me is just helpful and agnostic. This goes a long way to pushing my next PC purchase in the ADK direction!
    Getting back to my original question, which was not one of troubleshooting Windows PC's though that advice is helpful...
    Seems like a 12-Core Mac would allow me to edit well. I can edit right now with my 2008 Mac Pro 8 Core with 24GB RAM and 240GB SSD and Quadro 4000 and numerous internal and external RAIDs, but just scrubbing AVCHD I see all 8 processors go to nearly 100 % utilization and it's laggy. Not the best editing experience. If I have a few AVCHDs overlaid, which I do, it's almost unusable. As the Premiere Pro project gets bigger and more complex, it seems that everything gets slower. I have no scientific basis for this but I think it's true. It doesn't have to be just the sequence I'm working on, it seems to be even navigating simple sequences will be laggier if in a larger complex Premiere Pro project file.
    On the Windows PC i7, for the few hours it was functioning, I was able to scrub AVCHD 1080P footage over a gigabit ethernet like butter.  I was pleased with this. It was a very simple 1 track sequence, however. I didn't have a chance to try it with more complex projects before it was unusable.
    Would I get smooth performance from a Mac Pro 6 Core, which is $2,500 less than the 12 core? From the basic Mac benchmarking I see, I see a 'rating' of 14000 for the Mac Pro 6 Core, and around 9000 for my current Mac Pro 8 core. This is about 50% more. I don't think 50% is going to get me to 'butter.'
    Thanks again for all the helpful advice, Harm and Eric.
    -Keith

  • Boot camp, MAC pro and windows XP

    Hi,
    I am leading a programmers team, what we want is the faster machines to improve performance. Currently investigating an HP machine with windows XP 64 on it. But that doesn't work for us as most of hour programming tools do not work under XP 64. We cannot install 32 bit Windows because of the 2 Quad cores in the machines (according to IT).
    Solution could be MAC pro, same specs (2 quad cores and 4 GB internal memory ) but with Boot Camp I can install XP 32. Or am I wrong? Or will MAC pro with XP 32 do not give an performance increase we can expect with 8 core?
    Robert

    Hi Robert,
    for the IT guys: XP Prfessional does support up to 2 processors with multiple cores each.
    XP Home does only support one processor with multiple cores.
    The main problem with Mac Pro and 32-bit Windows XP or Vista (and possibly with the HP machine, too) is, that because the expansion slots are reserving quite some parts of RAM for their own Range of Adresses (even if no expansion card is in them) from the 4GB of RAM you will only get about 2GB for XP Pro 32-bit to see and use.
    Only chance to use the full amount of RAM is 64-bit Windows and then Vista is the one to use, because Apple does not provide any drivers for XP-64 bit.
    Regards
    Stefan

  • Mac Pro Running Windows XP in Bootcamp with AIM 6.5 Can't Connect to iChat

    I'm running Windows XP on my Mac Pro under Bootcamp. The Windows firewall is turned off (I'm running McAfee, and using it's firewall).
    I am trying to talk to a friend who is using iChat on a Mac - I am using AIM 6.5 on my Mac running Windows. The connection fails as soon as iChat attempts to answer.
    Mac OS 10.4.10
    Bootcamp 1.4 (beta)
    Windows XP
    McAfee 7.2
    iChat 3.1.8
    Airport Express
    I have set up McAfee to allow TCP and UDP connections over ports 2869 (TCP) and 1900 (UDP).
    I have also disabled McAfee, and tried to use the Windows firewall settings discussed frequently in this forum (with appropriate exceptions). This also fails.
    I have also tried to doing this under my Mac OS X bootup running PARALLELS. This worked once, but I have not been able to repeat it (McAfee was running when it worked).
    iChat works great on my Mac under OS X. This is only a problem in Windows XP under Bootcamp.
    I cannot connect to appleu3test01 either (under Bootcamp with XP). I can connect to appleu3test01 no problem running iChat on my Mac.
    Might this be a Bootcamp related problem? Can anyone else test this for me (i.e. can someone try to use AIM 6.5 from Windows XP under Bootcamp)???
    Thanks!

    Hi Ralph,
    {quote}If the Firewall was On I would ask if you had set it up as an Exception
    http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/page12.html#_Service{quote}
    Yes, this is what I meant by,
    {quote}I have also disabled McAfee, and tried to use the Windows firewall settings discussed frequently in this forum (with appropriate exceptions). This also fails.{quote}
    I've noticed that you've posted solutions frequently in this forum. I read your posts, and visited your website. Its great information ... thanks for posting it! However, it didn't help me to resolve this particular problem.
    You asked,
    {quote}The question now becomes have you allowed it through McAfee ?{quote}
    I tried resolving the problem with McAfee "ON" and "OFF". When it was "OFF" I Set the Windows firewall up per your instructions. Unfortunately, it didn't help. And yes, this includes setting up the "exceptions."
    I don't think the problem is with McAfee.
    You stated,
    {quote}Having said that and seeing you have tried combos around this issue I would have to point out the AIM site says AIM 6.5 will only Video with other AIM applications. It has been reported here though that it does work with iChat{quote}
    Yes, I have read that AIM 6.5 will communicate with iChat on several forums. Lots of people appear to have this working. I wish to use iChat on my Mac to communicate with friends running Windows XP (or Vista) using AIM 6.5. I like iChat.
    Finally, you asked,
    {quote}Next I would have to ask if the modem or router is allowing the AIM application ?{quote}
    This is a very good question. I have not been able to test this. I couldn't find an AIM "test" address to use (like Apple's appleu3test01). Any suggestions?
    Thanks for your help Ralph. This configuration is a little bit unusual, but it should work. I think the problem might be with the AIM configuration as you've suggested. I will continue to troubleshoot and report any findings here.

  • Need advice about Mac Pro and Windows networking

    I currently have 2 machines at work: One HP Windows PC (high configuration) and a PowerMac G5 2GHz dual. I'm basically close to purchasing a new Mac Pro to replace both machines but need some advice. I do the majority of design work on the Mac. However I need the Windows PC to also do some design work but mainly use it to connect into the windows network at work. Basically I need to be able to access the network drives (which are set up with Novell Netware, with IPX turned off), Novell GroupWise email system and connect to the internet through the LAN. Can I do this with a Mac Pro, with either Bootcamp or Parallels? Is there any sacrifice in terms of performance in using Bootcamp or Parallels? The end result I want is similar to what I am doing at the moment - at the moment I use a PC to network and the Mac to design, side by side with each other. What I want is to do this from one machine, not two. (I also need the PC side of things as I need to use some software that isn't available on the Mac, eg. bespoke databases that run on PC). Is it easy to network under Bootcamp/Parallels? What pitfalls are there that I need to be aware of?

    When your running Windows via bootcamp, you are essentially Running windows on a PC architecture. You will have all the same capabilities that you have now.
    When you use Parallels to run Windows, you are running Windows as a virtual machine running within the confines of the Mac OS. The advantage is that you can run multiple OS's at the same time, and easily share files and data between them. The disadvantage is that the OS running within Parallels has a slightly performance hit, meaning you are not running as fast as the bootcamp version, but the performance hit is very slight. The only place that Parallels is lacking at the moment is in support of 3D or accelerated graphics. That is Parallels currently cannot make use of a graphics card 3D capabilities or advance GPU options. Parallels has stated their intent is to provide better graphic card support in the near future.
    With all this in mind, I don;t see any reason why you cannot use Parallels for your Windows networking needs, and the Mac for your design needs, all at the same time. You will need of course to ensure you have enough RAM to support both OS's if you intend to run them at the same time.
    Tom N.

  • Cannot get audio working on Mac Pro in Windows XP

    Hey all, I've got a Mac Pro (late 2006, 3GHz), and I'm running Windows XP. Trying to get audio working, installed BootCamp using the Leopard Install DVD, but no dice. No sound at all, not audio devices showing up in Device Manager/Control Panel, you know the usual places.
    Ive retried the installer, when it gets to SigmaTel audio drivers it says "An Instance of this installer is already running". I'm assuming that's a bad thing but I don't know how to fix it....

    I may have a solution for you.
    Install *[_THIS WINDOWS UPDATE_|http://files.filefront.com/kb835221exe/;9494950;/fileinfo.html]* while in windows.
    Once you have installed the above update then repair your bootcamp driver by inserting the Leopard disk and choosing repair. This will repair the drivers. Once this is done, you audio should work.
    Axel F.

  • HT1899 i can install mac pro retina  windows 8

    i can install mac pro retina for windows 8

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    Boot Camp isn't compatible with Windows 8 at the moment, but if you have OS X Mountain Lion, Apple should release an update soon with Windows 8 support.
    If you want to use Windows 8 now, you can install Parallels, VMware Fusion or VirtualBox and install Windows 8 on a virtual machine. Another option is to install Windows 7 on Boot Camp if you want.
    If you need help installing Windows, follow the steps > http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_10.7.pdf

  • Networking Mac Pro with Windows 7

    I have been trying to network my PC that has windows 7 home edition on it with my Mac Pro snow leopard. The mac can not see the windows machine, and the windows machine can not access the mac. They are on the same network (apple extreme wireless router.) Before I got the windows machine, I had a dell with windows XP on it and it worked fine, but as soon as I got this new windows machine with windows 7, it does not work. Has anyone run into this problem? anyone know of a fix?
    Thanks

    well...i have the same problem.
    since my mac (running snow leopard) isn't able to see the windows 7 pc neither, i'm only able to connect to my pc thru "go" -> "connect to network" and then entering smb://"ip-adress" . not very elegant but at least it works....
    any better solutions??
    thanks!!

  • Booting Mac Pro in Windows from SAS drive - has anyone else done this?

    I'm trying to boot both Windows (Vista 64bit) and Mac OS X.5 from an internal SAS drive (I don't need RAID). I've done some research and discovered that the following options won't work:
    Apple RAID card: (bootable, supports SAS, but no support for Windows)
    CalDigit RAID card: (bootable in Mac and Windows, but no SAS support)
    HighPoint RAID/SAS card: (not bootable in Mac Pro)
    At present I've installed an Atto 308H SAS controller, but can't get it to boot.
    Has anyone else successfully used the Atto card (or anything else)? If so, how did you do it?
    Bryce.

    Further to the above: I have now managed to install and boot Vista64 from the SAS drive.
    For those interested, I booted into OS X (on a SATA drive) and installed the drivers for the Atto card, then flashed the card with the latest firmware (as at 13/9/08). After rebooting, I could see the SAS drive in either Mac or Windows - although I still couldn't boot from it, or install an OS to it.
    I used the Atto "MakeDisk" utility to create a Windows driver folder on a USB Flash drive.
    Then I attempted to install Vista (loading drivers from USB as approprate), but it wouldn't install to the SAS drive becuase it was a "GPT Style partition".
    I rebooted into WinXP and used DiskPart (from the command prompt) to change the SAS drive from a GPT to an MBR disk.
    After this I could install Vista sucessfully (still had to load drivers from the USB).
    I've now created a second MBR partition on the SAS drive, and tomorrow I'm going to install the BootCamp drivers in Windows and then see if I can install OS X.5 on that partion.
    I'm pretty happy, as even if I have to run OS X from a SATA drive, I've got what I wanted - a quiet, good-looking and realatively cheap high-end dual-boot PhotoShop machine (I use PhotoShop on Windows).

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