Nick Bell <me@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Does anyone know whether a new Mac Pro is due soon?
About November is the likely timeframe for a Mac Pro update, given
Intel's plans for the next generation of Xeon processors.
> I'm thinking of buying a single processor quad core one. Slightly
obsessed
> with the idea really.
>
> I want it because:
>
> - it looks great
> - it runs Leopard
> - it's upgradeable
> - I presume it'll run Parallels/XP and Leopard apps without beachballing
> all the time like my MacBook C2D 2GHz/2GB. I'm not into video editing
etc.
For running a virtual machine, you really benefit from having as much
memory as possible. Upgrading to 4 GB (or 3 GB if you have the late 2006
or mid 2007 model) could make a huge difference. Reducing the memory
allocated to the virtual machine could also help (but might be a problem
for Windows applications).
My MacBook Pro has 2 GB and I'm aware that running VMware Fusion
(running Windows XP, allocated 512 MB RAM) with my normal batch of Mac
OS X applications open will require a fair amount of swapping to disk. I
can avoid this by quitting several Mac OS X applications before starting
the virtual machine. I'm not using it often enough to be too concerned,
but I'm intending to upgrade to 4 GB RAM at some point.
The other factor against a laptop is its hard drive (2.5") which has low
capacity and is quite a lot slower than a desktop model with a larger
capacity 3.5" drive (even at the same rotation speed). Anything disk
intensive will be quite a lot slower. Even an iMac would be a big
improvement.
> - it's quiet (apparently)
>
> I was thinking of getting an iMac but, having had bad experiences with
> laptops, and considering than an iMac is a sort of
> laptop-guts-in-a-case-built-all-a-bit-close-to-electrical-spatial-and-
> thermal-tolerances, I think I'd just worry too much if I bought one. And
> the 24" one hums loudly.
I can vouch for the current Mac Pro being a lot quieter than an early
PowerMac G5 (with both not doing much).
I'm not aware of my flatmate's 24" iMac being particularly noisy (it is
almost silent compared to a PowerMac G4 or G5).
> Um so what do people think of Mac Pros, is a new one due soon (esp. a
> sort of Midi-Mac-Pro - which would prolly suit my needs fine)
There are constant wishes from people for a Mac Midi, but Apple haven't
shown any sign of paying attention, so don't hold your breath.
I would also like to see something expandable which is about half of a
Mac Pro in all aspects. My PowerMac G4 may need a replacement at some
stage, and a Mac Pro is serious overkill. I want expansion, not high end
performance.
--
David Empson
dempson@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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