I want to get a dual quad core Mac Pro - I am a student - where is the best price to get one?

[Deja Q]

And can I offer a trade-in of my existing PC, as I can install my retail Vista or XP license on it for boot camp? (I have a little debt right now, but don't want to wait to get a decent Mac Pro...)

Thanks much!!

[cbayer]

1. I could be wrong, but I think everyone who sells macs has to sell them for the same price.

I know that the apple site has had student discounts in the past. Did you check there?

[Deja Q]

2. Yes - and maczone's standard price was $200 less than Apple's price for the same unit...

After the student discount was reflected on Apple's site. :(



Edited: Clarity

[Stinky The Clown]

3. You're not going to save a lot anywhere.

I shopped around and wound up just ordering it from the Apple Store online.

I was able to get several discount, but each one was only a hundred bux or two. No giant savings.

If you want to save money, consider this:

A Mac Pro is a BIG HONKING SPEED DEMON.

Workstation territory.

Nobody buys these to surf the net. They get bought for a purpose. What's yours? (That was a rhetorical question - I don't need to know.)

What processor speed do you *want* and then what processor speed do you actually need? There might be a few backs to save there. I have 2.8 and it is plenty fast. The next step up was a big bite out of my wallet.

Now ... you know you want to add memory to yours.

Now ....you know you want a couple of terabyte drives.

What kind of video?

How handy are you?

I saved a LOT of money by getting my tower with the smallest drive and the tiniest memory available and then loaded it with aftermarket stuff from one of the Mac-centric web sites. I bought 4x4GB memory cards and two 1TB drives and slapped them in myself. Could not have been easier. That saved me more than all the Mac discounts combined. I got the second tier video. The rest was pretty much the base line stuff.

And buy your monitor(s) elsewhere, too. I have a pair of 24" Samsungs that are pretty nice that cost less than one 30" Mac cinema.

And then consider software. THAT is where the education discounts are pretty substantial. Sparkly just bought Adobe CS4 for her Mac for ..... lemme ask her ....... yeah ...... $350 for s single seat. That's a 50% discount off the $700 retail. She also got a three seat license for iWork for $99 on her ed discount.

By the way .... if you **wanna** tell us why you want a Mac Pro .... I'd love to know. :)

[Deja Q]

4. Okey dokey

Graphic and web design.

Large images (8.5x11" minimum; often 13x19 or even higher)
Web design
Likely Flash development
Some .net programming (Windows side)
Maybe some 3D rendering (Truespace and Bryce 6.1 -- Windows side)

The 'windows side' would likely be a VirtualBox or VMWare session... I loathe dualbooting...

I also prefer the Soyo Topaz S monitor (revision "D", not "E") -- true 8-bit panel M-PVA... not TN garbage like the Samsung lot...

[Stinky The Clown]

6. I have Parallels and Fusion on two different machines

There is (to me at least) a very noticeable speed difference between Boot Camp and a VM with some programs.

I use CAD. I use a Mac program, mostly. But I have to share my work with others, and they're usually on a PC running AutoCAD or Microstation or Revitt or some such. When I convert, I always check the result on their program before it dispatching it off to the ethers. I usually do this in the VM (which is always on anyhow cuz my stupid-assed Blackberry won't sync to a Mac so I hafta use Outlook). For most files, although it is slow, I can tolerate cuz I only check, I don't manipulate. But for really big files, I need to go over to Boot Camp. In Boot Camp, the CAD programs operate (it seems to me) twice as fast as in the VM.

[Deja Q]

7. Here's a question re: RAM and HD upgrades

Can the CPU be replaced as well?

I've a spare Q9650 and a lot of 2GB RAM modules... and a Velociraptor HD.

Which Mac did you get, and will it facilitate a CPU replacement as well?

Thanks much!!

[struggle4progress]

9. Are the CPUs on the Mac Pro upgradable? How are they mounted?

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_pro/faq/mac-pro-how-to-upgrade-processors.html

[Deja Q]

12. I was more interested in the iMacs (I discovered they use mobile processors), but:

Thanks for the link. I liked seeing the pic. It appears each processor has 12 phase power regulation for each CPU. (Even Asus's dual Xeon mobo isn't as slick, using 6 per CPU if I recall rightly. The more the merrier; topping out between 8 and 12. The 16 phase power regulation in my P5Q mobo is considered overkill, even for quad core processors. But the higher the level means the easier it is to overlock as well. :evilgrin: Pity Macs can't overclock... )

Maybe a Mac Pro is overkill, but I'd rather have too much power than too little. I learned the hardware not to underestimate...

[Stinky The Clown]

10. A Mac Pro has two quad core processors ..........

One processor won't help you.

Also, the hardware and OS are pretty tightly integrated, so I have NO CLUE what might happen if one dinkers around with the processor. Plus they're buried under boards and such as I recall.

You can put four hard drives in it, easy, and they do not have to match.

Memory adds have to follow set procedures and have to be 'matched', but it is all very routine and a user upgade anyone facile under the hood can do.

I don't think I'd screw around with the processors.

[struggle4progress]

11. They currently come in quad or dual-quad versions. For the 2009 model, the CPU

slides on a tray like the memory: this is somewhat different than the earlier models and clearly suggests the CPUs might be upgradable

Apple Mac Pro (2009)
Rich Brown, CNET.com
20 March 2009 05:24 PM
http://m.zdnet.com.au/339295571-1.htm

[Deja Q]

13. I dig the memory chassis design... aluminum shielding is a big plus...

I'm liking Apple more and more, I must say...

Also hearing they write the drivers for the nVidia and ATi subsystems is also a big plus.

[struggle4progress]

5. Concur. Memory and HDs are vety easy to add

[Deja Q]

8. How about the CPU? (Please see #7 for more)

Thx!! :)

[Pierre.Suave]

14. www.macconnection.com

cheaper upfront price, and you also save on Sales tax.

Plus, they are a really good company.


www.macconnection.com

[Deja Q]

15. Thank you much!

I still have time to return the new iMac to BB -- they have some sweet deals there...

I am impressed with the Mac Pro design... they really are NOT just "the same PC parts in a shiny case" as I'd thought... some similarities, but the shielding is a definite plus...

The higher end iMacs are nice and solid pieces of kit as well. I don't think the 24" models use those awful TN panels (easily M-PVA if not S-IPS, I'm researching and hoping for the latter as S-IPS is the best quality... On dpreview.com, someone said they use H-IPS (which supersedes even S-IPS)).

[Pierre.Suave]

16. I dont know what they use, but...

I have the Macbook Pro and the 24 inch Apple Display (I think it is the same display) and it is AWESOME.