Which Is Best . . Mac or PC ??

I am considering purchasing Adobe Production Premium CS6 and considering a new computer at the same time. Which platform would be best with this product bearing in mind that I have equal experience with both Mac and PC platforms and have previously used Avid and FCP but have zero experience with Premier Pro or After Effects and a little experience with Photoshop on both Mac and PC.
Thanks to all who respond.

I do not know how old you are but there was this show back in the 90's called "Home Improvement". The main character, played by Tim Allen, kept trying to boost all his tools and would say: "More power!"
Well, that's the part I like about a PC. You can always add more power and reach stratospheric levels if you want. Today's top of the line Mac Pros still sell with a Radeon 5770 or a Radeon 5870 video card. Those are two year old models. Whatever gain you get from having two Xeon processors, you lose by having such low level cards. The best CPUs you can get in a Mac Pro are Xeon X5670. My i7-3930K running at 4.3 GHz and last year's GTX580 would probably give it a run for its money... and it doesn't cost nearly as much.
If you want to look at lower price range, you've got the iMac. The top of the range model sells with a very good video card (Radeon HD6970), but not as good as an NVidia GTX580, and comes with I5 cpu. Which one? Apple can't even be bothered to tell you. But wait, it can be upgraded to a fantastic quad core i7. Which one? There are an awful lot of i7 processors. Again, Apple will gladly take your money but can't be bothered to tell you what you are getting... at least not in the store section of their web site.
Do the smaller but more expensive MacBook Pro appeal to you? Again, you are left in the dark about what CPU you get. But don't worry, it's a quad core i7. Doesn't that make you feel better? As for the video card, the best you can get is a Radeon HD6770.
Quad cores i7 CPUs range from the i7-960 and i7-2600 to the i7-3770K.
Please, do not mistake me. I sound very harsh but I am not saying that Apple computers are bad machines. They are great computers. But for the money? A PC beats a Mac any day. And not only that, they can be upgraded: more power! Apple thinks people are still fine buying spending between $3,000 and $5,000 on a Mac Pro equipped with a two year old video card.
To the Mac folks, I am sorry if I upset you. But I am a PC through and through. I have built every single one of my machines for nearly 20 years now. And I wouldn't want anything else but my own machines built to my own specs.

Similar Messages

I have to run Windows for work, which is best Parallels, Fusion, or Boot Camp? I won't need to share anything with the Mac Side.

I have to run Windows for work, yuk! Which is best Parallels, Fusion, or Boot Camp? I will not need to share anything with my Mac side as I will just be running one program to chat on the web and send Emails.

Parallels, Fusion and VirtualBox are all virtualization applications, they 'virtualize' (create) a Windows environment on your Macs OSX operating system.
Boot Camp makes a compatible partition on your hard drive so you may install windows on it directly.

Which is Better Mac or Windows?

Which is Better Mac or Windows?
I got told that Windows is better than Mac.
I need to know:
1. How long an iMac lasts and how long a Windows computer last till they die and not work. (Prediction will do)
2. Why lots of people hate Mac and say that Mac's are crap.
3. Is a iMac worth the cost?
4. Is an iMac harder to use than a Windows computer?
Thank You
From Apple is The Best!!!!!!!

The case of Apple v. Windows is a subjective argument. Both systems have their merits, both have some aspects that some users don't like. Much depends on what you actually want to use them for.
Here is some reading material for you!
A Customer Experience Index report from Forrester Research came to the conclusion after studying almost 4,600 computer users' experiences from 2008 and asking them to score the ease of use of their computers, how enjoyable the experience is and whether or not the systems fulfill their owners' needs.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/04/17/apple_trumps_windows_pc_makers_in_ customer_experience_study.html
PC World (December 2010) has also found Apple products and after-sales service the most reliable:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/211074/the_tech_brands_you_can_trust.html
Switching from Windows to Mac:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2514?viewlocale=en_US
and
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2518?viewlocale=en_US

What's the best Mac Pro config for Fireworks?

What's the best Mac config for Fireworks?
I can pretty much get whatever Mac I want at work... My boss is sick and tired of watching Fireworks crash all the time... I figure a hefty processor and lots of RAM and maybe a SSD will help…
I should get a Mac Pro right? Which processor?
• Two 2.40GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon processors (12 cores)
• Two 2.66GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon processor (12 cores)
• Two 3.06GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon (12 cores)
Should I get 24GB RAM?? Or is that overkill?
I'll get a 2TB serial hard drive…
I should get a 512 GB solid state drive offered by Apple right?
Or is it possible to get a larger better 3rd party SSD?
And then maybe two 21" Displays… Two 27s seems a little much… or does it?
Thanks in advance.

Oh and what about video cards? Or is Apple's default ok? (I'm not doing hard core PhotoShop retouching or anything).

I want to clean my mac. what is best mac keeper or mac booster or is there any recommended by Apple?

I want to clean my mac. what is best mac keeper or mac booster or is there any recommended by Apple?

Neither. I would stay away from any such software. Apple does not make recommendations for any software except their own.
Kappy's Personal Suggestions About Mac Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utility is: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption. Drive Genius provides additional tools not found in Disk Warrior for defragmentation of older drives, disk repair, disk scans, formatting, partitioning, disk copy, and benchmarking.
Four outstanding sources of information on Mac maintenance are:
1. OS X Maintenance - MacAttorney.
2. Mac maintenance Quick Assist
3. Maintaining Mac OS X
4. Mac Maintenance Guide
Periodic Maintenance
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) See Mac OS X- About background maintenance tasks. If you are running Leopard or later these tasks are run automatically, so there is no need to use any third-party software to force running these tasks.
If you are using a pre-Leopard version of OS X, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced after Tiger. (These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion and should not be installed.)
Defragmentation
OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive except when trying to install Boot Camp on a fragmented drive. Malware Protection
As for malware protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. Starting with Lion, Apple has included built-in malware protection that is automatically updated as necessary. To assure proper protection, update your system software when Apple releases new OS X updates for your computer.
Helpful Links Regarding Malware Protection:
1. Mac Malware Guide.
2. Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware
3. Macintosh Virus Guide
For general anti-virus protection I recommend only using ClamXav, but it is not necessary if you are keeping your computer's operating system software up to date. You should avoid any other third-party software advertised as providing anti-malware/virus protection. They are not required and could cause the performance of your computer to drop.
Cache Clearing
I recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX 2.4.3, Mountain Lion Cache Cleaner 7.0.9, Maintenance 1.6.8, or Cocktail 5.1.1 that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc. Corrupted cache files can cause slowness, kernel panics, and other issues. Although this is not a frequent nor a recurring problem, when it does happen there are tools such as those above to fix the problem.
If you are using Snow Leopard or earlier, then for emergency cleaning install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. (AppleJack works with Snow Leopard or earlier.)
Installing System Updates or Upgrades
Repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand.
Update your backups in case an update goes bad.
Backup and Restore
Having a backup and restore strategy is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your computer. Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. You can never have too many backups. Don't rely on just one. Make several using different backup utilities. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
     1. Carbon Copy Cloner
     2. Get Backup
     3. Deja Vu
     4. SuperDuper!
     5. Synk Pro
     6. Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance and backup and restore.
Always have a current backup before performing any system updates or upgrades.
Final Suggestions
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity or 20 GBs, whichever is greater, as free space. Avoid installing utilities that rely on Haxies, SIMBL, or that alter the OS appearance, add features you will rarely if ever need, etc. The more extras you install the greater the probability of having problems. If you install software be sure you know how to uninstall it. Avoid installing multiple new software at the same time. Install one at a time and use it for a while to be sure it's compatible.
Additional reading may be found in:
1. Mac OS X speed FAQ
2. Speeding up Macs
3. Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
4. Essential Mac Maintenance: Get set up
5. Essential Mac Maintenance: Rev up your routines
6. Five Mac maintenance myths
7. How to Speed up Macs
8. Myths of required versus not required maintenance for Mac OS X
Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.
Most if not all maintenance is for troubleshooting problems. If your computer is running OK, then there isn't really a thing you need to do except repair the hard drive and permissions before installing any new system updates.

Best Mac OS X Cleaning/Optimization Software?

Hello All,
I would like to know which is the very best Mac OS X system optimization/cleaning programme available - preferably one that detects and fixes any errors and faults within the system and apps. I got an e-mail about a product called 'Spring Cleaning 10" for Macs which claims to keep ones Mac in tip top shape - has anyone used this and is it any good? There are so many products out there that claim to to be the best that I am at a loss as to which ones are any good!
Suave!

Unfortunately such tools have just as great a likelihood of requiring a backup to recover from errors they make as not. Cache cleaning is one example. We get so many people come into these boards whose applications no longer launch, or unexpectedly quit. What is the cause? LaunchServices cache files have gone south. And guess what sent them there? Tools such as Onyx, Macaroni, Applejack.
The Mac OS does all the cache cleaning I have ever done on this computer.
I am sure that some people have over-zealously applied some of these tools unwisely, but most of the references I have seen to cache cleaning and deletion on these forums in the past year or so have been as solution recommendations (which sometimes work) to people who already have existing computer problems rather than being caused by them toying with their computers. Again, my main reason for mentioning Onyx was not for its prophylactic "maintenance" capabilities but as a tool for dealing with specific issues that already exist. I use it, rarely, but only in response to specific issues.
Disk Warrior while it is great, will not fix a dying hard drive.
Agreed, but I think a dying hard drive is a very different issue from the "maintenance" about which the OP was asking. A dying hard drive is when anybody will need a backup (though I once made it through a dying hard drive case without using my backups or special tools, but that's another story).
Free backup solutions exist.
Software, yes, but the reality of the situation is many people do not consider another $100 for a backup drive to be part of a computer purchase.
Suffice it to say, priority should be placed on backing up before any "maintenance" tools are used.
Uh, again, didn't I say, "Your first priority"???
Since failure of drives can happen at anytime without any warning, due to mechanical issues which no maintenance tool can fix, backing up is still a priority. It should be a part of one's regular routine, and as such is more routine than general maintenance. Maintenance implies a routine practice. Thus backup is maintenance in an indirect way. It is maintenance of your data's integrity.
I think we will have to agree to disagree on the definition of maintenance. For me, maintenance is upkeep of the existing drive, equivalent to changing the oil in my car. I consider a backup like having my second car in case my first car fails, whether it be by an accident or aging. So, I make sure my second car is in good running condition before I start doing any major work on my first car in case something goes wrong during repairs, just the way you might want to back up before you run a tool on a hard drive. I do happen to have a second car; many people don't and then get stuck when the first fails. However, if you maintain your only car you are less likely to need that second car (that's why I now own two 28 year old cars ). Yes, eventually you will need it, but that will be either due to an accident (= sudden hard drive failure or serious directory crash) or due to the car just wearing out (= hard drive failing after many years of service as they all do). Some people buy new computers before the drives wear out (I think of all the good 250MB drives I have in a box upstairs) so in that case they are simply gambling on their current drive being in good shape mechanically and if they can at least maintain file/directory integrity on the drive they can run reduced risk of eventually needing that backup.

Which models of Mac will I need?

I normally run chrome with 10 or more tabs + iTunes in the background playing music(just ALAC from the library not streaming) + photoshop in the background idling(just open and put it there) while sometimes edit image (minor edit like resize the image and canvas size). I will also stop the music in iTunes then open a movie/video that's 1920x1080 Hi10p/HEVC BD FLAC.
PS: I am not much of a gamer. While I may bootcamp just to play a few Japanese Visual Novel games that's available only in PC. Other than that, I seldom/almost no play games.
So which models of Macs do you guys think will suit my usage? Or are there any PCs out there that suit my needs too?

Appears the site Hosts have moved your thread into the iMac (Intel) discussions area
so as to keep it in-line with a more recent hardware and software technology. Another
option, sort of hinted at by where this discussion is now located, is the iMac series...
All of these (as new recent models) will run the most current OS X system, 10.10.
If you were interested in one kind of model build version over another, then there
are a few other choices. Some like the portability of the MacBook Pro or Air models.
Others may like the idea you could use most displays, keyboard & mouse, etc when
considering the Mac Mini, as it ships with none. An iMac ships with the built-in display,
a keyboard, and mouse. When ordering online from the Apple Store, you could choose
to also include a different mouse model, keyboard version, or touchpad; in addition to
the choice of processor and other factors, across two iMac 21.5 + 27-inch models...
(Then, there's the top-end model that would certainly not be within my budget: iMac 5K.)
There occasionally are recent models that are slightly discounted, fully guaranteed as
new, and qualify for the optional AppleCare extended plan, in Apple's refurbished site.
You have no options in the build, each one that may be listed is just that. Some have
more or less RAM, a variety of other specification, and may or may not ship with the
same software of the specific build-run they had when each was available in retail...
•Apple Store (US) online refurbished & clearance site:
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals
So it may be possible to get a last-years model that could have Mavericks 10.9 in it.
That model would be able to get Yosemite from the Mac App Store online, an upgrade.
It is possible to have an older system (in a partition or external separate drive) and a
newer one, and run the computer alternately from one or the other. Or revert to older.
A fair plan would be to budget for an externally enclosed hard disk drive with faster
7200-RPM drive inside, and USB3.0 porting; this could be used to backup and also
be able to support a bootable copy or clone of your system. This would be in addition
to an external drive or device that would be used with Time Machine for backups...
These should be self-powered so they do not rely on the computer port for power,
and be of suitable size capacity for some serious storage; or be good for partitions
so more than one duty can be served by the device. A 2 or 3 TB may be OK.
The site macsales.com (aka: OWC) has some good examples of this kind of gear.
For wireless and wired backups one could opt for an Apple Time Capsule, that is an
AirPort Extreme base station with internal storage; this works well for Time Machine.
The other backup drive device is an externally enclosed hard disk drive with fast HDD.
This is what can be used if set up, to truly have a copy of your computer via clone or
bootable clone. It could run the computer should the main internal drive fail, too.
Since OS X likes plenty of resources made available for its use, to make an affordable
investment in the device at a level you can justify and plan on using for a few years, is
about the best one can do. A top-end machine, not within most student budgets, is a
nice idea but not necessarily the affordable device to begin with. However to a good
extent, to get a reasonably good configuration of fast hard drive (spin rate, if not SSD)
and memory RAM, and processor with good spec graphics, can look more costly than
a generic PC that was not designed for use with OS X.
http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/mac-mini?product=MGEN2LL/A&step=config
The mid-level Mini has a few options. More RAM is only available as CTO or custom
order, or may be found in a retail Apple Store if they chose to stock them. 16GB is
quite a bit. An option for a 7200-RPM HDD is not listed in the online config page in
the Store, but that would be a fair one. The Fusion drive is some kind of hybrid that
would be fairly quick, though it uses a partial SSD and HDD together. A 1-TB hybrid
may be more like a 750GB HDD with a 250GB SSD working together, and seen in
the system as one unit. Some user errors or processes in utility can change this so
these Fusion units may appear broken or as two parts. It is one unit. Some of these
Mini models could use more than one HDD or one SSD and one HDD.
They had a server model which shipped with two 1-TB HDD (5400-RPM) and initially
only 4GB RAM, user upgradable to 16GB. Some users found these were slower than
expected and the Late 2012 Mini quad-core server cost nearly $1,000. Upgrades to
such a unit (no longer sold regularly at Apple) invite the faster spin rate HDDs, and
the RAM upgrade. A company in NY by name of B&H photovideo shows one of these
in their computer sales page, for about $849. and the inventory is new, not refurb.
However the graphics shares standard system RAM, and is slower than IRIS graphics
(which also appears to share standard system RAM with graphics.)
I have not looked closely at the newest Mini in the $699 price-point, but the Iris Graphics
may be a good move, if the computer also has at least 8GB RAM, and a 7200-RPM HDD.
OR an SSD. The solid-state product is rather costly, & third-party versions are not going
to be covered by the AppleCare and unless an Apple authorized service provider does an
upgrade and does not void the warranty, that is a loss of value to upgrade that way. You
could pay plenty extra for a small capacity SSD, to get some speed, but they fill quickly.
An external that could run at 7200-RPM via USB3.0 or Thunderbolt, could support an OS X
system running from that external location. That is an option, so the original HDD need not
be replaced straight-away. The stock 500GB HDD is usually a 5400-RPM model and that
would be the bottleneck or choke-point of the hardware. Even with a fair amount of RAM.
So the specifications on these have to be seriously considered and more information obtained.
Another source of comparison specifications, is a download database from http://mactracker.ca
in addition to the extensive site from http://everymac.com. If you were to consider older hardware
to have a lower cost option, the only advantage would be the cost and loss factor. Not as much
out there, and less loss if it turned up missing or damaged by accident. Oh if you have renter
or household insurance, see about accidental and water damage insurance as part of general
policy. This in addition to theft and personal articles coverage, that includes theft. These items
are not part of the AppleCare extended protection. All the numbers & specs change when one
considers a comparison between a portable and a desktop computer.
Sorry for all this writing, I had a few other web pages open and did some reading, but did not
see as that helps; you'd have to be looking ahead and hope for the best. Also plan otherwise.
To have a good backup method and a a duplicate method, so your works-in-progress aren't
lost if or when something should happen, is worth the cost for reputable quality & fair price.
Hopefully someone can give you better advice in the questions concerning configuration of product
and the kinds of options you may need to plan for at some point. If I were going to return to school
and wanted to keep a low budget while still using a Mac, I'd consider some pre-owned models at
low enough price (with viable known-good source) for something I could replace the HDD or add
RAM, and know it is essentially a disposable item. If you are taking science, math or design courses
the kind of computer would vary. Same thing if you were to expect image or video graphic editing &
building layers of changes that eat up resources. And I'd want to have a spare computer. If portable
I'd try & take the ugly used one out and let it be seen while any nice costly one would be in hiding.
Hopefully you can check into the options, and not just with a retail Apple Store. If available, ask
some of the same questions and compare answers from independent authorized Apple retail
shops whose business is also repair & service. Some of the older personnel have experience of
a level not found in the regular Apple Store, if they are real Apple Specialists.
Sorry for the long post, and I can't say this answers all that much!

Best Mac Video Converter ?

Hi All.
What is the best MAC video converter. I want to save my homemade DVD which is currently on DVD disc's and save it to hard drive.
Also what format should I save on my hard drive.
Regards

Handbrake?
http://handbrake.fr/
I think MPEG-4 would be best.

What is the best Mac for gaming?

Ok so as the title says, I was wondering what is the best Mac for gaming, I would like to play at least some old games which I have laying around the house when I'm at the airport or whatever. I read that macs are not that good at gaming but they do work at some degree :P
Also I was wondering, me and my friend were arguing why is a Mac not considered a PC. I my arguments where that a PC means it has all that nasty, heavy, big hardware, with all the cards and stuff and that a mac just has the slick monitor with some stuff in it :P and a keyboard/mouse. His arguments were that even if macs only have the stuff mentioned above, it should still be considered a PC since it is afterall a Personal Computer.
Thanks a lot and hopefully you'll settle my argument and aswear my question.

Best computer for gaming is always the one with the highest specs. But generally speaking, a base macbook does ok. The major piece you need to increase FPS on a mac is a video card though, so generally the Pros or iMacs will be a better choice.
Your friend is right, PC = Personal Computer. Mac's run the exact same hardware as a PC, just run different OS's. But its a term that got misplaced with windows in the flame wars of every forum post. P.S. Mac pros are a tower with no screen, just like the traditional windows ones.

What is the best mac pro combination considering price

what is the best mac pro combination specs considering price

Huge downloads of e-mails is a function of your internet provider. Most give you asynchronous communication, which means the sending of information back to them is slower than the receipt of information from them. Thus simultaneous two-way communication will in fact slow you down even more.
Presentations can be a function of the display technology used. Old VGA display based projections can be slow and cumbersome. Newer ones with HDMI, DVI and Mini-Displayport are far better and require less conversion.
What kind of workbooks?
Different programs have different requirements. Again, you have not distinguished if you are interested in buying a desktop, or a notebook computer.
Desktop = Mac Pro or iMac or Mac Mini (Mac Mini can be functionally as portable as a notebook, except it does not have battery for being powered on when off the mains).
Notebook = MacBook Air or MacBook Pro

Best Mac Pro Configuration for LR?

For various reasons I'm planning on migrating from my home desktop pc ( 4 year old core2 2.4 ghz xp pro sp 3 32bit accessing 2.93 out of 4 gb ram) to a new or (lightly used recent) Mac Pro desktop. The Mac Pro is available in a lot of different configurations and I would appreciate advice on how many cores and how much ram I actually need to comfortably run LR3x and its eventual upgrades (within reason) and PS3 for now and later probably whatever is current. I'm a reasonably advanced amateur photographer; I shoot what interests me and now use LR for 90-95% of my post processing of my raw Leica and Canon image files. I do use some add-ons (SilverEfex Pro2 and such).
I understand from reading some articles that too much muscle in the Mac Pro can actually slow down LR, so if this is true I'd like to stay svelte; also economic issues are somewhat a concern.
I have already considered a laptop or an iMac and decided the Mac Pro is what I want. The question is just 'what will work best for me'?
Thanks in advance, and if you need more information just let me know.
--Bob
p.s. Is the Search Function disabled in this Forum? I couldn't get it to work.

thewhitedog wrote:
@ Bob: I think you may be have acquired some misinformation somewhere. There is no such thing as "too much muscle" in a Mac Pro in relationship to Lightroom - or any other program. OS X allocates resources to applications as they need them. Unused resources remain idle or are utilized by other applications.
Adobe posts the minimum system requirements for their applications, but these should just be taken as a starting point. In my opinion you should buy the best Mac Pro your budget can handle - and maybe a little bit more. The computer is an investment, after all, not a luxury. That said, what you need to run Lightroom efficiently and what Jay needs to do video editing are not necessarily the same. For video rendering more cores are better. For Lightroom the question of the number of CPU cores is less critical. Whereas, CPU speed is more relevant. For both, the amount of RAM can make a big difference.
I recommend as a starting point, at least a quad-core Mac Pro with 4GB of RAM. That would do if you were looking at an iMac as well.
I can understand, though, how looking at the current line-up of Mac Pros can be confusing. The older Nehalem powered Mac Pros look faster for less money, but this is now old technology. The new Intel Westmere CPUs offer significant improvements in performance. Unfortunately, they are also much more expensive than any previous Mac CPU upgrade. But if you want to "future proof" your new Mac, one with a Westmere CPU is the better way to go. The 8 core model Jay went with seems to be the best value, with two quad-core 2.4GHz Westmere CPUs. However, for just $200 more you can get the 6 core 3.33GHz Westmere CPU. For the purposes of Lightroom, the faster CPUs in the 6 core model will make more of a difference than the two extra cores in the 8 core version. And the 6 core version will handle just about any multi-tasking job you throw at it; that it, using Lightroom in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop, for example.
To confuse the issue a bit more, however, if using Lightroom is your primary concern, a Mac Pro may be overkill. The new iMacs, which came out since you started this thread, are excellent machines. You could get a lot more for your money with a 27" iMac, BTO with a quad-core 3.3GHz Intel Sandy Bridge CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 2TB hard drive for roughly $1,000 less than the Mac Pros you're looking at. Along with a capable computer you get a beautiful 27" screen on the iMac. I'm not sure why you think you need the Mac Pro. The iMac can now take up to 16GB of RAM. If you were to get one with 8GB factory installed by Apple - as a BTO option - there would still be two empty RAM slots available for a future upgrade. You could add an SSD to the iMac and still pay less than you would for the Mac Pro.
And the new iMacs have a Thunderbolt port; in fact, the 27" models have two Thunderbolt ports. These offer much better throughput and greater flexibility than any previous I/O connection. With an appropriate adaptor you can use almost any external device, including eSATA, FireWire 400 and 800, USB 1, 2 and 3 and even Ethernet and an external monitor. Of course the iMac still has a Firewire 800 port and four USB 2 ports, and an SDXC memory card slot. For what it may be worth, I suggest you give the iMac another look. Your budget will thank you.
TheWhiteDog,
Kinda, Sorta, Maybe... :-) The cost differential between the 8 and 6 cores is $200 when comparing new to new. I picked up the 8 Core Westmere 2.4 for under $3000 because it comes up on the Refurbished side... So now we're talking $700 difference. the difference in price can be used for memory (I got 4GB for $50 at OtherWorldCmputing's "Garage Sale), a drive.. any number of things. Since Apple treat refurbs as new for warranty purposes (including AppleCare), I didn't see any reason not to go with the refurbished model..
I agree a higher clock speed is better, but as you said, I also do video so more cores helps (amazingly helps).. Yes, for LR 6 3.33 cores may outperform 8 2.4s, but the 8 core machine flies with LR.
As for iMacs vs. Mac Pro.. the biggest difference is that you find with any desk top vs. a "fixed" machine like the iMac. The upgrade as far a internal (and external) drives on a Mac Pro is so much better as well as to upgrade video if I want to in the future as well. As for Thunderbolt, clearly a lot of potential, but it is a daisy chain design and the slowest device in the chain can slow down everything if not done right. There's also not a lot out there for Thunderbolt yet.. and I'm not 100% sure that there won't be an PCI card for Mac Pros for Thunderbolt (although it could be a system board feature only).
At under $3000 with 6GB of memory and a 1TB 7200 drive, combined with growrh potential and the Mac Pro I think has a longer shelf life vs. the iMac. Without those Thunderbolt adapters in the market place, you're stuck with FW800, which is a lot slower than even eSATA for external drives. Since most all the LR recommendations are to split the catalog away from the cache and away from the images themselves, it's a trickier and more costly venture on the iMac.. The 27" screen in nice, but I'm not a big fan of glossy screens. I don't think any of those allow you a matte finish option like on the Macbook Pro.
Bottom line Bob is there are different choices for different budgets... Heck I went with a 17" Macbook Pro for a long time, using an inexpensive Expresscard 34 to hook up external eSATA drives and a second 24" Dell monitor.. Great combo and I always had the portability aspect of the 17" for client work, being tethered, etc..
Jay

Whats the best mac to run logic 8 ?

in your own opinion, what do you think is the best mac to run logic 8 full version

It really depends on what you're planning on recording.
If you intend to build a fully featured facility, with lots of VIs with large sample libraries, big sessions, and need to accommodate external hardware such as UA cards or similar, you'll want a Mac Pro because of its expandability.
If you're recording live shows, obviously you'll need a Mac Book Pro, which you already seem to have.
If you're a singer/songwriter primarily going to record a few audio tracks and a few internal instruments, an iMac could work for you just fine, as long as you buy an external firewire drive.
Tell us more about your plans and you'll get more specific advice.

CBR vs VBR which is best

I realize there have been alot of postings (mainly mine) on this subject but........
Which is best and under what circumstances would you use these. I have been reading about this and it still is'nt clear. I have vers. 2 on my desktop and 2.1 on my laptop. All answers I have suggested that CBR is best, but is this all the time?
Jeff
G4 DP 1 GIG G4 laptop 1.25, MBP 2.0 1 GIG Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Jeff:
My two cents . . .
I'm using Compressor 2.0. With the standard VBR presets I use to get some pixelation in particular in transitions. That's solved using same preset changing just to CBR setting.
My projects uses to be short and then a bigger m2v ile size is not a problem for me.
Someone using 2.1 could tell us if the VBR problems have been solved.
Hope it helps !
Alberto

Is there a website or PDF somewhere which discusses best practices for producing a children's picture book? I am mostly interested in requirements for good image format, resolution, etc.

Is there a website or PDF somewhere which discusses best practices for producing a children's picture book? I am mostly interested in requirements for good image format, resolution, etc.

There may be a few links in Apple Support, regarding articles about how to use iBooks Author
and iBooks Store, etc; these would be separated into two general categories by device used.
Since there is an iOS and an OS X version of each, you may have to look to see what Apple
Support says about the one you are interested in; and how far their database goes toward an
answer to your question. Otherwise, a general search engine approach may be necessary.
Not sure if anything along the lines of what you seek would be available in an App.
References to iBooks Author and iBooks Store, etc appear within these two categories in Support:
For Mac OS X:
http://www.apple.com/support/mac-apps/
For iOS:
http://www.apple.com/support/ios/
Appears a community host moved your earlier post into one of the iBooks Author or Store sections
after I'd replied to what otherwise may be a similar post. Not sure if the links to the Discussions area
of iBooks you are interested in, have similar questions or answers by others who'd visited previously.
Is there a website or PDF somewhere which discusses best practices for producing a children's picture book? I am mostly interested in requirements for good image format, resolution, etc.
In my reply to your earlier thread, prior to it being moved, those links to sections of iBooks Author, etc
are posted. You can also find them from the main Apple Support Communities page.
Sorry to not be of much help in this matter.
Good luck & happy computing!

The Best Mac For Gaming

Hi Everyone. I'm sure this topic has come quite a bit, so I'll try to make as short to the point as I can.
Basically, I have a 2008 black MacBook, and I have recently have gotten into computer gaming. It turns out that my graphic card is horrible for gaming, and I cannot upgrade it.
Of course, I still want to stick with Macs, so I'm thinking about getting an entire new Mac, and I have a few specific questions.
Is it better to get a new Mac, or is there some way to upgrade my current Mac that I do not know about?
If I must get a new one, out of all the Macs, which one is the best for gaming (except the Mac Pro cause that is to expensive)?
Is there speculation of any new Macs coming out in the near future? Basically, should I wait to get a new one?
Currently, I'm thinking about getting the 13' MacBook Pro sometime in the next month or so before the student discount goes out.
Thank you in advance for all your help. I really do appreciate it.

Lamb,
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Currently the best Mac with the exception of the Mac Pro is the i7 iMac. It offers the most processing power and most powerful GPU. That would probably be your best bet as your current machine with the exception of maxing out the RAM and installing a different HD is about all you can do. The i7 iMac once configured is also not upgradeable with the exception of the RAM. If you want upgradeability and power the Mac Pro is the only Mac alternative.
BTW per the Terms of Use in these forums we cannot speculate on new Apple products or their decisions on current products. You can find the TofU directly to your right.
While the 13" MBP is a fine machine it's not really considered the best alternative for gaming, if you want a MBP rather than an iMac then your best bet is probably a i5 15" MBP.
Regards,
Roger

The best Mac laptop to use Final Cut Pro 4???

I don't know much about Macs and I know even less about Mac laptops! Someone told me that the macbook (Intel based??) would be the best mac laptop to use with Final Cut Pro 4. Could someone tell me if this IS my best option or if I should be looking for a powerbook? What specs do I need to be looking for? I know that I need a G4 or higher, but the memory, speed, etc... I'm clueless about...

Get a MacBookPro 17" and upgrade to FCP5.1
You need the 17" to get the firewire 800 port - necessary if you want to edit anything more than DV or HDV.
The upgrade from FCP4 to FCP5.1 is very inexpensive now (offer expires in mid December) and you would be very foolish to not do it.
good luck.
x
yes, this should have been posted in the FCP forum, but why clutter up two forums ...

Which Is Best . . Mac or PC ??

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