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  3. Which Used Mac Best?

  • Which Used Mac Best?

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    Hey Guys,

      My earlier model MacBookPro is on the blink yet again, making recording near impossible.  So it's time to turn elsewhere.  I'm trying to figure which is the more prudent move-- I can buy from a local guy a fifteen month old MacPro.  It's a Duo Core w/ 2 500 GB drives, a 1 TB drive, 4GB RAM (can hold 16 GB RAM) 2 Super Drives for about $1900.  Looking on the websites, the used Quad Cores go for about 600 bucks more.  I'd rather go the first route and save the money, but not if the Duo Core is still likely to get overloaded, like the MacBookPro inevitably does.  Either way, I'm hesitant to buy a new eight core MacPro as they're really pricey and from what I hear the new MacPro may be a transitional model, and it might make sense to wait.

      Any suggestions as to what makes most sense?  Buying the Duo Core for $1900 or looking for a quad core, and spending about 600 more?  I use OSX 10.6, Logic 8, w/ an Ensemble Interface and 2 Glyph External Hard Drives.  Usually use about 24 tracks of VSL.

      Thanks for advice!                     Best,      Tom  

      
  • D
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    Hello.

    I sure can't say what's best, but I'll tell you what I'm using, and it works well for VSL with VE3 and VI instrument setups.

    Mac Pro Xeon 2.66 with 12 gigs memory, 4 internal hard drives, each about 500 gigs.  I just use this single computer, and VE3 does well with it, in addition to many VI and other sounds loaded.

    I'm not a 'state of the art' kind of computer person (though I'd like to afford to be!), but this is a real nice machine for me.  I'm using mainly Logic 8, and sometimes Pro Tools 8.

    BTW, I thought you could have up to 32 gigs of memory using 2 gig memory cards in the Mac Pro.  Isn't that right?

    You are sure getting a lot of drive space with that computer you're looking at.

    Best regards.

    Dennis
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    @dayadon said:

    I sure can't say what's best, but I'll tell you what I'm using, and it works well for VSL with VE3 and VI instrument setups.

    Mac Pro Xeon 2.66 with 12 gigs memory, 4 internal hard drives, each about 500 gigs.  I just use this single computer, and VE3 does well with it, in addition to many VI and other sounds loaded.

    Thanks for the info, Dennis.  Can I ask how old your MacPro is?  It sounds very similar to the one I'm considering.  I'm certainly not a state of the art guy either and will be happy if I can just get going again with a relatively trouble free system.

    Cheers,  Tom
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    @dayadon said:

    BTW, I thought you could have up to 32 gigs of memory using 2 gig memory cards in the Mac Pro.  Isn't that right?

    If the Mac is the 2x 2.66 dual core xeon 2006 model it will only take 16GB Dennis. I have that model Tom, and running OS10.4.11 can get a lot more than 24 VIs, up to 55 before the CPU starts saying enough is enough. That sounds not too bad a price taking into account the extra RAM and HDs. Can't comment on how it's likely to perform with 10.6 though.

    Colin
  • T
    T

    Thanks, Dennis and Colin.  Sounds like the 2.66 will be a good fit for the time being.  I can't see why 10.6 would be a problem.  And 54 Vis?  Great!  My ever-ailing MacBookPro flips out well before half that.  Once I buy the 2.66, I guess I could use the MacBookPro w/ Ens3 (or Pro as they now call it) to run some of my software, if that's needed.  So I think it's time to scrape the pennies off my bureau and buy the thing!

    Cheers,    Tom