So I Am Moving To The World Of Mac...

[TheArk]

This is not a PC vs Mac thread, so please do not make this into one.

I have been using PCs (well Windows Based Computers) for music production for quite some time, and I must say it ISN'T as bad as what most Mac Users say it is, but I agree on one thing, all those unnecessary technical problems really does destroy one's creative process.

I am saving money for a mac, however, I do not know which model.
Laptops are DEFINITELY a no. To me they are overpriced (But way worth it and powerful as can be) but I just have horrible experiences with laptops.

I have narrowed it down to two models.

The IMAC:
21.5-inch: 2.5GHz

• 2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• 4GB (two 2GB) memory
• 500GB hard drive1
• AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512MB

• $1,199.00

And The new mac mini:

2.3GHz : 500GB

• 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
• 2GB memory
• 500GB hard drive1
• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• OS X Lion

• $599.00

I am leaning toward the mac mini for couple of reasons.
Size: I am not looking for a portable solution, but I am actually trying to downgrade the studio so I am forced to use what I have to make music then constantly buying stuff.
Phobia Of All In One Computers: I honestly do not like the thought of having the monitor and tower all in one model. Maybe it is just me, but I can picture TONS of scenarios that would piss me off such as monitor dying and the whole computer being void yada yada yada.

I am leaning toward the IMAC for these reasons:
Better specs than the mac mini.
A beautiful ass display (it is amazing)
Pricing. The pricing is amazing. With the mac mini, yes it cheaper, but by the time you buy all the accessories you are WELL spending over a grand.

As for my recording process, I usually use vsts, i do not record live audio or live musical in my productions (well not yet at least). I use Pro Tools 9 like the bible, i refuse to use anything else. I usually use all Pro Tools stock stuff as well as my own which would be Batter 3, Alicia's Keys, East West Gold Symphonic Orchestra, and Waves Renaissance Bundle.
So with the specs of the two models which would you prefer?
Is the ram good or should i damage my wallet even more ($200-$300 RAM upgrade? YIKES)
The craziest thing i can see myself ever using is Omnisphere, some Imperfect Sample vst, and Waves SSL plugins.
So what would you do in my situation? Please only respond to this thread if you have or owned a MAC product before. Once again, no PC Vs MAC, responses. Thanks guys, help me out here lol

[CalvP]

A quad core with 4gb of ram would be my minimum recommendation for using EWQL & omnisphere.

I realise the mac mini looks the more enticing offer (it is 50% less $), but i would always advise you look further ahead, at least a few years. Do that & i can see you having a real problem, especially considering you're already working with intensive romplers.

Don't rule out looking for second hand or refurbished macs either

[TheArk]

Originally Posted by CalvP

A quad core with 4gb of ram would be my minimum recommendation for using EWQL & omnisphere.

I realise the mac mini looks the more enticing offer (it is 50% less $), but i would always advise you look further ahead, at least a few years. Do that & i can see you having a real problem, especially considering you're already working with intensive romplers.

Don't rule out looking for second hand or refurbished macs either

I get you lol
Price is not an issue this time around, It is worth saving for a quality machine anyway lol
Your probably right.
I was comparing the mac mini and the Imac and customized the mini of their website to have the same specs as the imac (meaning four gigs of ram, the magic mouse, wireless keyboard, optical drive, 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
The mini came up to $916.00
While The Imac is 1,199.
The only the the mac mini cannot have is the quad core and the display.

[clonewar]

Between those two I would go with the iMac.. It's much more powerful with the quad core i5 and dedicated graphics card. Not sure what your budget is, but if you can afford it the i7 3.4 ghz iMac is a beast.

Also, I wouldn't rule out the Macbook Pros without checking them out first, the new ones are amazing.

[TheArk]

Originally Posted by clonewar

Between those two I would go with the iMac.. It's much more powerful with the quad core i5 and dedicated graphics card. Not sure what your budget is, but if you can afford it the i7 3.4 ghz iMac is a beast.

Also, I wouldn't rule out the Macbook Pros without checking them out first, the new ones are amazing.

I would be quite hesitant dropping such money on a laptop. The only benefit i see is portability. I would be terrified to take it anywhere but it is a beast system and I am looking into it lol

The macbook pro with the same specs as the imac would be $1,249.00. And that is just to upgrade to the 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm.

[John_Seward]

I wouldn't buy any of them. 4gb ram? You gotta have at least 8gb. I would save up for a Mac Pro.

[zoff]

I just bout a 2.3 GHz i7 quad-core MacBook Pro with 8 gigs of RAM, and this thing blows away my previous Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro. Pro Tools performance is amazing with the quad-core.
My advice is go with a quad-core i7 Mac and don't buy the RAM from Apple.

OWC is a good place to get RAM:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/

[dino321]

Originally Posted by John_Seward

I wouldn't buy any of them. 4gb ram? You gotta have at least 8gb. I would save up for a Mac Pro.

For EWQL... absolutely!

[Tui]

Buying any new Mac is a bit of a gamble atm. You might want to consider downgrading to Snow Leopard (if that's even possible) because of all the incompatibilities with Lion.

[TheArk]

Originally Posted by zoff

I just bout a 2.3 GHz i7 quad-core MacBook Pro with 8 gigs of RAM, and this thing blows away my previous Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro. Pro Tools performance is amazing with the quad-core.
My advice is go with a quad-core i7 Mac and don't buy the RAM from Apple.

OWC is a good place to get RAM:
Apple Mac Memory Upgrade Options: Easy Buying Guide, Free Install Videos. Memory backed by Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty.

perfect! i will upgrade it to 16 gb of ram as soon as i get a mac!

[drBill]

Dual matching screens is a nod to the mac mini.

But with either, RAM issues come into play. Not sure how much the newer versions of either will hold. Definitely look into that.

My choice is always a mac pro tower for a variety of reasons. Good luck with your search.

[TheArk]

A mac pro tower is simply way to much money for a computer.
Its either mac mini, imac, or mac book pro


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[Benedict]

iMac with extra cover (which u can get later)

[daez]

I would say make sure whatever model you choose has thunderbolt. Imacs are nice but all the heat of the components and screen being packed so tight is unnerving to me. I have a macbook pro and love it. It runs quiet gets a bit hot but at least the components and screen are separate. Funny thing is I use a pc for my music running protools and maschine mostly because I dont want to cook my mac...

[TheArk]

Originally Posted by daez

I would say make sure whatever model you choose has thunderbolt. Imacs are nice but all the heat of the components and screen being packed so tight is unnerving to me. I have a macbook pro and love it. It runs quiet gets a bit hot but at least the components and screen are separate. Funny thing is I use a pc for my music running protools and maschine mostly because I dont want to cook my mac...

That kind of defeats the purpose of why to get a mac in my case lol
If the imac is unnerving to you i can only imagine the mini lol

[clonewar]

Originally Posted by TheArk

I would be quite hesitant dropping such money on a laptop. The only benefit i see is portability. I would be terrified to take it anywhere but it is a beast system and I am looking into it lol

The macbook pro with the same specs as the imac would be $1,249.00. And that is just to upgrade to the 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm.

If you don't want/need the portability of a laptop then the iMac definitely gets you more bang for the buck.

[TimS]

Just so you know, the Mini is available in a quad core with two internal hard drives (server version). It's not as powerful as the iMac and doesn't have the dedicated graphics card, but it's smaller, quieter, and eliminates your concerns about an all-in-one unit.

[zoff]

Originally Posted by TimS

Just so you know, the Mini is available in a quad core with two internal hard drives (server version). It's not as powerful as the iMac and doesn't have the dedicated graphics card, but it's smaller, quieter, and eliminates your concerns about an all-in-one unit.

BTW you can also have 2 hard drives in a MacBook Pro. I have an HD and an SSD. Using the HD for Snow Leopard and Pro Tools and the (very fast) SSD for audio files and to boot into Lion.

[PRODIJ]

The Imac easy desition!!

[TheArk]

So its either the mac book pro or imac. I guess it all boils down to is which one has a better life span and heating issues if either unit has onr


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[drBill]

Originally Posted by TheArk

So its either the mac book pro or imac. I guess it all boils down to is which one has a better life span and heating issues if either unit has onr


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I think you should look at the length of time you plan on having the puter and amortize your decision. I've had almost ALL my mac towers (10+) last 5-8 years under HEAVY - daily abuse. All my mac mini's and imac's (5+) have died within 2-3 years of LIGHT (office) use. Some significantly shorter.

The long term COST of the mac towers has been better than my iMac's or mac mini's....

Just sayin'...

[TheArk]

Originally Posted by drBill

I think you should look at the length of time you plan on having the puter and amortize your decision. I've had almost ALL my mac towers (10+) last 5-8 years under HEAVY - daily abuse. All my mac mini's and imac's (5+) have died within 2-3 years of LIGHT (office) use. Some significantly shorter.

The long term COST of the mac towers has been better than my iMac's or mac mini's....

Just sayin'...

Damn it. -_-
its just that the price range of a mac pro is WAY out of my reach. Shit i am barely grasping an imac or macbook pro lol


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[tuRnitUpsuM]

Mac Mini Server

2Ghz quad-core mobile chip
16 GB Ram (2 slots equal 2 > 8 GB sticks) its a MBP platform
2 HDD bays (potential when budget allows to run 2 SSDs)
Separate monitor allowing you to buy new as they become available - higher res etc (unlike iMac)
runs OS X Lion or Lion server

your welcome

[couch11]

Originally Posted by drBill

All my mac mini's and imac's (5+) have died within 2-3 years of LIGHT (office) use. Some significantly shorter.

The long term COST of the mac towers has been better than my iMac's or mac mini's....

Just sayin'...

Can't say that I have seen that with the iMacs. So far they have held up quite well over the years(except for that run of G5 iMacs that had the bad capacitors problem).

[drBill]

Originally Posted by couch11

Can't say that I have seen that with the iMacs. So far they have held up quite well over the years(except for that run of G5 iMacs that had the bad capacitors problem).

Just sharing my personal experiences. I run my studio computers HARD. 7 days a week. I love my macs as much as any apple fanatic, but I just can't see trusting my job to an imac or mac mini or laptop. It's my source of food and shelter. I keep the office mini on full tilt time machine backup. Heat is the long term enemy of computers.

Many who may not push their stuff as hard or long as I do seem to be very happy with both the imac and mini. I'm not sure how long they have been rocking them though.

My $.02.

Cheers,

bp

[tuRnitUpsuM]

Originally Posted by drBill

Just sharing my personal experiences. I run my studio computers HARD. 7 days a week. I love my macs as much as any apple fanatic, but I just can't see trusting my job to an imac or mac mini or laptop. It's my source of food and shelter. I keep the office mini on full tilt time machine backup. Heat is the long term enemy of computers.

Many who may not push their stuff as hard or long as I do seem to be very happy with both the imac and mini. I'm not sure how long they have been rocking them though.

My $.02.

Cheers,

bp

The Minis with Sandy Bridge will run a lot cooler than a desktop quad like the iMac. Much, much cooler. With the addition of 2 SSDs... even more so. (omitting the heat generated by the mechanical drives).

Mac Mini Server and the 11.6" MB air are the gems in the Mac lineup. (just my opinion - and i am no Apple loyalist - so very far from). But they did a nice job on those 2. Nothing on the market like them (Samsungs series 9 11"'er just may prove me wrong though).

If one can write off the Mac Pros as an expense, sure go that route. But no where near the bang for buck like the Mini Server.

[Masaaki]

Originally Posted by TheArk

I have been using PCs (well Windows Based Computers) for music production for quite some time, and I must say it ISN'T as bad as what most Mac Users say it is, but I agree on one thing, all those unnecessary technical problems really does destroy one's creative process.

To me, thinking/dreaming about Mac mini versus iMac is also one of the unnecessary technical problems.

[TheArk]

Originally Posted by tuRnitUpsuM

The Minis with Sandy Bridge will run a lot cooler than a desktop quad like the iMac. Much, much cooler. With the addition of 2 SSDs... even more so. (omitting the heat generated by the mechanical drives).

Mac Mini Server and the 11.6" MB air are the gems in the Mac lineup. (just my opinion - and i am no Apple loyalist - so very far from). But they did a nice job on those 2. Nothing on the market like them (Samsungs series 9 11"'er just may prove me wrong though).

If one can write off the Mac Pros as an expense, sure go that route. But no where near the bang for buck like the Mini Server.

Okay you just mind ****ed me lol
Mac Mini Server?
I like that its quad core i7 But whats with the name server attached?


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[Mr Darcy]

It comes with OSX Lion Server and is designed to be set up as a small server (i.e. two 7200rpm HDDs in standard configuration), but there's nothing stopping it from being used as a music machine. I was planning to get a Macbook Pro, but I'm now going to go with the Mini Server - essentially the same specs as the base 15" model, but for half the price and an extra hard drive? Sign me up!

The only drawback is that it ships with Lion and - according to reports - can't be rolled back to Snow Leopard, so I'll need to install Windows 7 to use Pro Tools in the meantime, but honestly that doesn't really bother me.

[TheArk]

Originally Posted by Mr Darcy

It comes with OSX Lion Server and is designed to be set up as a small server (i.e. two 7200rpm HDDs in standard configuration), but there's nothing stopping it from being used as a music machine. I was planning to get a Macbook Pro, but I'm now going to go with the Mini Server - essentially the same specs as the base 15" model, but for half the price and an extra hard drive? Sign me up!

The only drawback is that it ships with Lion and - according to reports - can't be rolled back to Snow Leopard, so I'll need to install Windows 7 to use Pro Tools in the meantime, but honestly that doesn't really bother me.

You can't downgrade to snow leopard? I seen people online who have successfully done so lol


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