Welcome to Thunderdome

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 1:23 pm**

The Mac Pro, a cylindrical tower that gives it a radically different look than previous Apple desktops, is aimed squarely at the high-end of the market, with a $3,000 price tag.

What do you get for 3 grand?

Apple is highlighting the computer’s power as its main selling point, promoting how it could be useful for professional or semi-professional music producers, videographers and photographers in presentations about the computer. The new Mac Pro has a 3.7 Ghz quad-core Intel Xeon E5 processor, 12 GB of RAM, two FirePro D500 graphics processing units and 256 GB of flash storage.

Sounds like a PC I could build a few years ago for half the price.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 3:19 pm**

Malcolm wrote:Sounds like a PC I could build a few years ago for half the price.

Heh, yeah, exactly right. I've had that computer under my desk for a couple years now.

Apple is really aiming at the stupid, image-conscious market.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 6:31 pm**

I don't see you building that system for half that price even now, let alone 3 years ago.

I don't like Apple either, but come on. . . let not just make stuff up!

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 7:25 pm**

I am typing this on a system with a

3.4 GHz Intel i7 8 core processor
16 GB fast ram
A video card with 1GB Ram

This system is 2 years old, and I spent less than $1500 for it, and instead of flash storage I am running 2 HDs in Raid 0. I doubt a typical MAC user could tell the difference between that $3k apple system and my 2 year old homebrew system that I could build for close to $1k, now.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 8:26 pm**

Cakedaddy wrote:I don't see you building that system for half that price even now, let alone 3 years ago.

I don't like Apple either, but come on. . . let not just make stuff up!

Who the fuck uses a desktop computer that still uses a fucking Mac? Outside of some fringe graphics idiots, that is. They had a valid argument fifteen years ago, but not anymore.

If you want a desktop, it means you have serious number crunching to do. I have never, ever in the entirety of my programming career, either academic or professional, been directed to use a Mac to do "real computing." The most I've ever been asked to do on one was modest website work.

Here.

Alienware Aurora desktop. Dual vid card option. It's about $3K. They are insanely overpriced status symbols of a machine so I'm guessing that means I can get the individual parts and piece together a box of equivalent power myself for 50-67% of that cost.

Edited By Malcolm on 1387416412

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 8:29 pm**

That CPU seems to be $300 by my googling.
I cannot find those video cards. Whenever I google for them the V7900 comes up. If those are the same, they appear to be $600 each.
The RAM is ECC RAM, so it's going to be pricier.
The SSD is $120

Throw in mobo, case, etc.... and that's what $1800?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 8:31 pm**

Macs have always been good for video/sound/art work. If that's what I did, I'd want a Mac to do it on.

And if we are building good desktops for half the price, I would agree. But none of those Dells had the same guts the Macs do.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 8:35 pm**

But none of those Dells had the same guts the Macs do.

You're right. I can replace my own hardware when it dies in a Dell.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 9:21 pm**

You are right. You can build a pc with the same specs as the macs for half the price given all of the points you brought to the argument.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 9:28 pm**

TheCatt wrote:That CPU seems to be $300 by my googling.
I cannot find those video cards. Whenever I google for them the V7900 comes up. If those are the same, they appear to be $600 each.
The RAM is ECC RAM, so it's going to be pricier.
The SSD is $120

Throw in mobo, case, etc.... and that's what $1800?

Where are you getting a Xeon E5 3.7 for $300?

And ya, my googling said the D500 is for the Mac only but has the same GPU/Specs as other V7900ish cards. People are saying $600-1200 each for the low to high end cards. I think they were saying the D500=$600 cards. D700 or D900 equivalents were pushing the $1200 each range.

When I googled, the CPU was coming in $1500+, then the dual GPU brought me to the conclusion that Malcom and Gordon were basing their claims on feelings instead of facts. If you can get the CPU for $300, then it becomes possible to build one for about 80% of their asking price. But not for half the price 3 years ago. . . Especially when you couldn't get hardware that performed this well back then.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 9:39 pm**

The closest CPU I could find was This one the Intel E5-1660.

This states lower 1620, which appears to be about $350.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 9:42 pm**

Macs have always been good for video/sound/art work. If that's what I did, I'd want a Mac to do it on.

That's old school thinking and no longer true.

The only reason it ever was true is because Apple was developing their stuff for that niche market.

However, it has completely changed. Any art program that was Apple exclusive is now on a PC. When the Surface hit, Gabriel over at Penny-Arcade was using one exclusively and loving it.

For video, Mac have NEVER been top dog. AVID is top dog. End of story.

I don't know about music apps, but I can't imagine apps being made there that aren't also on PCs.

And again, PCs being more powerful, cheaper, more accessible, having more options, etc.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:27 pm**

I'm not in that world, but I had been under the impression that photo/video/art programs were written for the Mac first and then PC. So the Mac always had the best/latest/most solid versions.

I googled that CPU as well, and do see it for $300, but only at places I've never heard of. When I searched, I searched my normal vendors (Newegg, etc). I'm seeing the $300 at SuperBiiz.com and MercadoMagico, but I don't think I would shop there. I don't think getting them out of the back of some guy's van counts.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:30 pm**

GORDON wrote:I am typing this on a system with a

3.4 GHz Intel i7 8 core processor
16 GB fast ram
A video card with 1GB Ram

This system is 2 years old, and I spent less than $1500 for it, and instead of flash storage I am running 2 HDs in Raid 0. I doubt a typical MAC user could tell the difference between that $3k apple system and my 2 year old homebrew system that I could build for close to $1k, now.

I bet those macs render videos WAY faster than your rig does. They would notice that.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:56 pm**

I bet the apple logo features prominently on the case, so all the purchaser's friends notice it. That's a $1500 premium that only has any worth to idiots.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:57 pm**

I bet those macs render videos WAY faster than your rig does. They would notice that.

When I was at the TV station, the only Mac in the building belonged to the graphic artist. All the video editing was done on AVIDs. BIG ass systems designed specifically for video editing.

The graphic artist was pretty insane too. Really had no idea how to work a computer. Standard stuff for Mac users. Knew how to use her programs and that was pretty much it.

She used to call for help so much my wife actually went off on her one night. Told her to learn how to do her job and stop bugging me all the time. She thought people were hacking her system to fuck with her. Seriously. She was eventually fired when she put Sharon Stone's vagina on air.

Edited By Leisher on 1387429136

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:58 pm**

Was she the one who put Sharon Stone's snatch on the 6 o'clock news?

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:59 pm**

I bet those macs render videos WAY faster than your rig does. They would notice that.

Another $500 or so would take care of that, I bet.

Posted: **Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:59 pm**

Hehe, I just modified my post, and then saw your question.

She was the one responsible for that.

Posted: **Thu Dec 19, 2013 12:01 am**

Well that's good enough for me. mac users are really smart.

Also, I never heard anyone got caught and punished. The FCC never found out?

Edited By GORDON on 1387429338