Mac Pro vs my old Windows computer

[Sheiky]

or, he could buy an external hard drive and just hook it up to the firewire.

That's a good point. Firewire, USB3 or Thunderbolt would give good results.

So you are losing speed any time you put the files off of the main drive to a second drive, whether a hdd drive would make up the lost speed or not i do not know.

Having your operating system, programs and photos all on the same hard drive would probably be even slower than using an external drive with your photos in combination with a fast primary SSD. You don't have to put all the files from camera to SSD to external hard drive. If you keep the Operatng system, programs and RAW-cache on the SSD and the files on the external drive you're probably good. Obviously if you're using the laptop daily for your photographs, this process might bug you in the long run.

The Macbook will have much better performance than the Dell, if your Dell is like mine always bogged down with adware, malware and viruses.

i am using the dell to type this, and from my personal exerience of these two i would choose the mac book pro over the dell.

Can I ask you this: what type of person are you? Are you the type that buys equipment and uses it as it is delivered. Or are you a person that likes to tweak the equipment for better performance? As I said before, annoying Dell apps and viruses tell more about a user than about a system. If you know how to "clean up" a factory laptop like Dell you chances are small that you experience the problems you're talking about. But if you don't or simply don't want to, you just have to face them(the Apps). The point of these factory system builds like Dell or HP is that they need to make commercial for their own good and invent all different types of Apps that keep you using the Apps with their name.
I don't mind to clean up my system and tweak it where I can(I build my own system so I don't have these annoying Apps anyway). Better yet I kind of like it to be in control for once If you don't want to bother and all the rumors about Macs(no viruses, no speed loss over time, no maintenance) are true, then you're in the right spot with a Mac.

[HDNitehawk]

Having your operating system, programs and photos all on the same hard drive would probably be even slower than using an external drive with your photos in combination with a fast primary SSD. You don't have to put all the files from camera to SSD to external hard drive. If you keep the Operatng system, programs and RAW-cache on the SSD and the files on the external drive you're probably good. Obviously if you're using the laptop daily for your photographs, this process might bug you in the long run.


Can I ask you this: what type of person are you?

It is faster to keep the Raw files on the hard drive and storage on the other drives. Really where a slow down is noticable on the external or other drives is in load up time of the thumbs. Once I have a folder open I really never find myself thinking either the Mac Pro or the Mac Book Pro is to slow.

I got a good laugh out of the video by the way.

I have been the type of person that for 20 or so years has been cleaning up his friends and families computers once they get full of bugs or need updates. I have been tweaking and playing with them for as long as they have been making computers. Im the guy who in the mid 90's set on the phone with HP for 8 hours trying to install a modem, which in the end took 3 days to install and get it right. Im the guy who has owned several Dells, and the last one my laptop I have now, I had to send it back because they got it wrong. I spent two hours talking to someone on the other side of the earth in India to return it to a Dell center 12 miles from the house. Then when I get it back four weeks later, (a brand new laptop by the way) they had scared the casing. When I talked to the guy in India for another 2 hours, I finally ended the conversation with a few choice words we shouldn't post here and told him to send me a complete new one, they did. Three times in the last 3 year the IT guys have had to wipe the Dell, and I have a disdain for IT guys, each time I have to straighten the machine back out once they finish with it. If you need a windows machine, build it custom never buy off the shelf.

At this point in my life, I am the type of person that just wants to buy something and it works. After I went and bought an Apple computer, Apple router, Apple Television, Iphone and Ipad, brought them home and plugged them in and ....they just worked. I didn't even have to talk to the guy in India. It felt good.

But I will say this, I have two IMac's and the Mac Pro in the house. I loaded bootcamp on all three machines and they are the best Window's machines I have ever bought off the shelf. I use them for gaming, even though I am an old man by gaming standards I still play Lineage 2 occasionally. Honestly I think it was easier loading Windows with Bootcamp on an apple machine than it is loading Windows on a PC. Apple gives you all your drivers.

Edit: thinking about it a bit more, buying a Mac and using it as a Windows machine might be a very good idea. I haven't found any hidden Mac programs or bull on Bootcamp. Unlike buying a Dell or HP.

[Sheiky]

Haha your story sounds strangely familiar I am that guy right now.
Last week my sister came by our house with her new laptop. An HP super 17" laptop(don't know what type). She wanted me to install Microsoft Office. I pushed the power on button and to be fair, this has been the longest start-up time I've experienced in a long time. It had HP Apps for pretty much any stupid thing you can imagine. HP USB-port program(to make it faster?...why? did they make it slower?...), HP CD-Burner(W7 has it build-in), some sort of HP App store etc etc. Well you get my drift, like 10 of those useless programs that are installed to make it easier on you and make your laptop faster. Without my sisters knowledge I removed all those things from the start-up and it booted like a new laptop should be doing. It took me like half an hour and now it runs very smooth and I'm confident that it will do that for a long time.
Now that 17" laptop had quite the specs and cost about a 1000 dollars I believe. If you'd buy a Mac that was comparable spec'ed I'm sure you would pay much more for it. And it runs just as smooth. And no a Mac will not process your photos any betterIt's just that you need to know the process to make it run smooth and then you're done. It's very easy.
I build a desktop for my 80-year old grandpa last year and that's still running smooth. He had some small issues, but that's mostly his own fault. Pressing wrong buttons or deleting short-cuts. Searching for menu-bars that are hidden and that sort of things.

If you need a windows machine, build it custom never buy off the shelf.

Definitely. I've build my own desktop and keep upgrading it from time to time. It keeps my system running fast and I get to be very flexible in what I can do with it. In the desktop segment there is no doubt that you can get more for less in building your own system.
Just an idea. You could also buy a Dell/HP thing. Download and burn the W7 from the Microsoft site. Clear your hard drives. Install W7 with the registration code on the laptop and you're off for a totally clean start.

At this point in my life, I am the type of person that just wants to buy something and it works. After I went and bought an Apple computer, Apple router, Apple Television, Iphone and Ipad, brought them home and plugged them in and ....they just worked. I didn't even have to talk to the guy in India. It felt good.

I hear you. It's nice if different product easily cooperate.
It's also interesting to see how you Americans are completely influenced by all the Apple gear. The competition looks to be better spread out here in the Netherlands.

Edit: thinking about it a bit more, buying a Mac and using it as a Windows machine might be a very good idea. I haven't found any hidden Mac programs or bull on Bootcamp. Unlike buying a Dell or HP.

If you care about a clean look(all), that doesn't sound so bad. It does sound like an expensive go around though

even though I am an old man by gaming standards I still play Lineage 2 occasionally

Wow you made me feel 15 years older in an instant. I still like to play Command and Conquer Generals from time to time Very occasionally to be fair, I hardly game at all.

[Daniel Browning]

I got a good laugh out of the video by the way.

You'll like this one then:

[Jarhead5811]

I wanted a media center/home server, so, I built a AMD six core system with 16GB of ram, 120GB SSD and twin 2TB HD mirrored, running Win7 Ultimate, about a year ago. It's the best Windows machine I've ever owned and yet it's still flakey enough at times that I hate I didn't get a Mac. Unless something amazing happens I will not have another Windows machine. All Apple from here on out.

[bigblue1ca]

I have been the type of person that for 20 or so years has been cleaning up his friends and families computers once they get full of bugs or need updates. I have been tweaking and playing with them for as long as they have been making computers.

Haha your story sounds strangely familiar I am that guy right now.

I see a correlation here, computers and cameras. I'm in the same boat with helping friends etc. I got my first PC in 90, built my next one, and then switched over to buying Dell's, both towers and laptops and knock on wood I've never had any problems. Granted, I do my best to wipe them systems clean when I get them so they don't have any apps I don't want, etc.

[Sheiky]

I wanted a media center/home server, so, I built a AMD six core system with 16GB of ram, 120GB SSD and twin 2TB HD mirrored, running Win7 Ultimate, about a year ago. It's the best Windows machine I've ever owned and yet it's still flakey enough at times that I hate I didn't get a Mac. Unless something amazing happens I will not have another Windows machine. All Apple from here on out.

Do you base that on personal problem-free experiences with Apple or just blaming your own system?

I see a correlation here, computers and cameras. I'm in the same boat with helping friends etc. I got my first PC in 90, built my next one, and then switched over to buying Dell's, both towers and laptops and knock on wood I've never had any problems. Granted, I do my best to wipe them systems clean when I get them so they don't have any apps I don't want, etc.

That's the way to go. These days you can also buy lose components and let a store assemble it for you. Name it a personalized "Dell". You can get the best out of both worlds if you don't like to install the system yourself.

[HDNitehawk]

Wow you made me feel 15 years older in an instant. I still like to play Command and Conquer Generals from time to time Very occasionally to be fair, I hardly game at all.

I am 51, the average age of gamers is increasing every year. I don't play as much as I used to. For a time I actually made money playing on line, 8 or 9 years ago I made a fair wage selling ingame assets on ebay. But as all good things go, companies in Asia moved in to the busness and there are kids making a few dollars a day now doing the same thing.

I play games less and less now, maybe if they come up with a simulated online multi player version of a wildlife hunting game where you are using a camera instead of a gun I might play more. I wonder what a ingame simulated 800mm F4 would sell for on ebay

[DavidEccleston]

maybe if they come up with a simulated online multi player version of a wildlife hunting game where you are using a camera instead of a gun I might play more. I wonder what a ingame simulated 800mm F4 would sell for on ebay

If you can accept single player, Sony has you covered. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_(video_game). The catch is that all your gear will be Sony Alpha related. Sony also has you covered if you wanted to take photos of cars, in Gran Turismo 5.

[HDNitehawk]

@David; Surely there is a cheat or a hack to bring in Canon gear.