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Buy a Mac Pro right away or wait for a revision?


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Buy a Mac Pro right away or wait for a revision?
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Universe Man
New Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
 
2006-07-25, 08:52

First, please clear something up for me. What does "revision" mean? Does it only refer to a change in the specs, like a speed bump? Or can it refer to something more minor, like when Apple fixed the whining in the MBPs? If that's not a "revision", how do you refer to it?

I'm asking because I want to buy a Mac Pro as soon as possible, but what if there are issues early on? If it has some funny noise or heat problem, I want to wait for those problems to get ironed out. But assuming that happens, how will I ever know if the model that I buy from Apple is the most recent "revision" (or whatever you want to call it)? Serial numbers? But obviously I won't know the serial number until after I buy it.

So what are you guys planning on doing? Buying one immediately, or waiting? If you're waiting, for how long? How will you know when to buy? Thanks.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2006-07-25, 09:03

I'd say generally, within the first month, if there is a widespread problem, you'll hear about it pretty quickly. Additionally, if there is a widespread problem(like the white spots on the 1st rev. 15" aluminum powerbooks) You'll also hear pretty quickly once Apple gets fixed models out.

Apple doesn't like to give much press to their fuck-ups, and they are unlikely to be the best source for monitoring the resolution of a manufacturing quirk, but Apple has a rabid fanbase that not only sniffs around where they shouldn't, but provides all the details to anyone who cares.

That being said, I think, if there is any critical/widespread problem with the Mac Pros that people start talking about, Apple will have it fixed within a month or two of the problem surfacing(within a month or two of release). The best way you can know is by following the Apple news sites, blogs, and user reports.

When I bought my 1st. rev 15" aluminum book, I had read all about the white spot problem, and in some ways I took a little risk from buying it when I did. I purchased it specifically after I read an article that users were starting to get fixed models, where the display's back felt stronger and more solid. Sure enough, when I got mine, that was the first thing I checked, and it was strong and solid and completely perfect.

Otherwise, if you don't have the ability/patience to wait, and you do end up dancing with Apple over a manufacturing issue, by all means, take action and help other users know what's going on as best as you can.
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datapusher
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2006-07-25, 09:30

a revision is a basically an update to an existing machine wheither it be a faster processor, new casing, etc.

from my experience, Apple hasn't had many problems with it's Desktops. I haven't heard any complaints from rev a. intel iMac users. usually the laptops are the ones you should wait until rev. b because usually they get case and heating issues taken care of.

if you need a Mac Pro, i would get one whenever it may come out, but if you don't then you should see what may come up down the pipeline.
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JayReding
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Minneapolis, MN
 
2006-07-25, 09:34

The general rule has been to wait a while so that the kinks get worked out, but now that the Mac Pros are using mostly Intel technology, that may be less true than it was during the PowerPC era.

My guess is that if you really need the next pro-level Mac, buy it and if there are any major malfunctions AppleCare should cover them. If you can afford to wait a few weeks for the first reviews just in case, that will make sure that if there are any annoyances Apple has time to do a stealth update.
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ZachPruckowski
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2006-07-25, 10:27

If there are Rev A issuesm they'll show up in your model under warranty. And you're like 98% likely to be problem-free in the worst case.

But buy when you need a computer. If you can wait until Rev B, it'll use 1-2 quad core processors. But the upcoming Mac Pros will still be damn fast.
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macleod
Now in lower-case™!
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
 
2006-07-25, 10:47

Rev B with 1 or 2 quad cores is a while away though right? Is it possible that it will occur early 2007 or are we talking more mid to late 2007?
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ZachPruckowski
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2006-07-25, 12:34

Quad core chips - two Woodies sandwitched together comes in Nov/Dec. It'd be a lot - probably half again the cost of the current Woodcrest lineup - so two of them would be limited to the high end. But it'd allow any 1-socket Mac Pros to go quad
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macleod
Now in lower-case™!
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
 
2006-07-25, 12:41

So really you only need to wait if you want to get the low end and want quad? Sorry I am kind of confused by the explanation. Are you saying that the chip is going to be ridiculously expensive? Also would this allow for Dual Quad Core Mac Pros by 2007?
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2006-07-25, 19:19

This is ridiculous. The Mac Pro isn't even out yet, and we're telling him to wait for Rev. B? If we were concerned of defects, that'd be one thing, but we're concened about the specs being improved? If you're decide to wait for better specs when a computer is just announced, when are you going to buy a computer? It's one thing to wait when an update is due, but suggesting he should waiting before it even comes out? Wha? He'd be waiting forever.

Buy it when you need it. Period.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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initialsBB
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Paris, France
 
2006-07-26, 03:39

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roboman
This is ridiculous. The Mac Pro isn't even out yet, and we're telling him to wait for Rev. B?
Buy it when you need it. Period.
yeah... the rev a mac pro is already going to blow the top g5 of the moment IMHO, so why wait ???
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bmdbaseball
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
 
2006-07-31, 10:02

Wait for the chip revison with a 8 core woodcrest coming out at the end of the year you might get a better deal for the price. Also Covertown is coming out and it will have a 4 core chip. Both of these chips are multi-processor capable so u could buy a 8 or 16 core computer.
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