JHAG Posted October 28, 2009 Share #1 Posted October 28, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm on the market to change my iMac early 2008. My main problem today with the iMac 4gb 3.06 Ghz is after working on some DNG files, it becomes quite sluggish. Firstly, I thought of the new iMac 27" Quad (november 2009). Then I went back to some benchmarks with MacPro vs. iMac. Even though the performance boost is clearly there with the MacPro, papers I've read say the difference for Aperture or CS4 users are not that glaring. Any thought here from savvy users ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 28, 2009 Posted October 28, 2009 Hi JHAG, Take a look here iMac vs. MacPro. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
adan Posted October 28, 2009 Share #2 Posted October 28, 2009 Need to know more about your operating environment. I just got a dual-core iMac 27" 3.06. It seemed to be dragging in PSCS4 and other software - until I turned off my AirPort link. Now it screams. It seems Apple's Airport implementation sucks up a lot of processing power (some users on the Mac forums say they see 104% of CPU usage going to AirPort at times under Snow Leopard). Like you, I checked some of the benchmarks and decided the Pro (as currently available) just didn't justify the extra expense. Plus the iMac is a heck of lot easier to lug in to the Apple Store for service than the Pro tower, if needed Of course, Apple will likely upgrade the Pros soon, to something like 3-4 Ghz, 8-core. I've gone both the tower and the selfcontained iMac routes, and decided that whatever I buy is good for 3-4 years max. New connectivity options (Serial, SCSI, USB1, USB2, Wireless, Bluetooth, FW400, FW800...), new storage options (floppy, Zip, CD, DVD, 4Gb HD, 250Gb HD, 640Gb HD, 1Tb, 2Tb), new OS, new screen technologies are alway coming along, so even a massively powerful CPU machine will need other upgrades over time, and will eventually be orphaned. So one might just as well buy the cheapest price-per-performance Mac one can find at the moment. By the time the CPU is antique, so is everything else. My Mac Tower G3 was twice the price of even today's iMacs (in today's crummy dollar) - but didn't last much longer in terms of functionality. 27" iMac 2-core, $1700. 30" Apple monitor by itself, $1800. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHAG Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted October 28, 2009 Andy, Thanks for that comprehensive reply. I never used Air Port, being wary of too many WiFi sources in an office environment (see the recent french report about the subject). So it's Gigabit Ethernet only. I'm with you regarding the upgrades and Moore's law. Till today, it was my policy : never spend too much on a machine, thus choosing the top notch iMac (around 2000 euros), and changing it every 2 years. Just wondering if a MP could do really better for photo work. Yours, Johan F. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
archi4 Posted October 28, 2009 Share #4 Posted October 28, 2009 The Mac Pro does have the advantage that you are free to choose a non glossy monitor (Eizo for example). Maurice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHAG Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share #5 Posted October 28, 2009 You can fit an Eizo with the current iMac. And the new 27" can even be couple with a higher resolution 30" Eizo screen. It could be a nice solution, less expansive than the MacPro too. My main concern regarding MP vs. iMac is speed, because after a session in C1 or Lightroom, the iMac slows noticeably, and I have to Onyx+PRAM the system to restore its usual snappiness. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eoin Posted October 28, 2009 Share #6 Posted October 28, 2009 I'm in the same boat, thinking about replacing my aging G5 PPC. Things that strike me are, 1 reports of a 2 new MBP in the 10.6.2 SL seeded to developers. 2 Apple VP says no more new hardware 'till after Christmas 3 Price of Mac pro @ 8 core 2.26 and the cost of increasing processing power, perhaps the base model processor speed will be increased soon. 4 Aperture X release due late Nov/Dec and supposed to be more core aware than 2.1.4 5 Graphics, I plan on replacing the standard card with GTX 285 which has 2 DVI ports. But 24 in displays are mini DVI. No card supports 2x mini DVI and Aperture never liked 2 cards. 6. iMac i7 seems like a good option for the moment and use my old 23 Cinema Display. I have a couple of iMacs in work and while nice, I hate the glossy screen.... Decisions will have to wait 'till Aperture X ships and we see if there is an improvement and what horsepower it needs. C1 v 5 is looking nice at the moment Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHAG Posted October 28, 2009 Author Share #7 Posted October 28, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Apart graphics, the good idea with the MP is to match it with a Raptor 10000 rpm for system and apps (which obviously is impossible with an iMac). As for new products, I guess Apple will come up with two MBP and two MP in january, plus the iTab or whatever the name. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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