What computer/OS are you using?

[Bella]

(Moved from PYD, since I apparently can't read thread titles anymore)

DEAR MAC PEOPLE (Kriz), what do you think of this computer?

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apple/MP10S333M32C/

Still mulling over getting a used Mac Pro but I'm not really sure where to start.

However I'm pretty sure I'd favor fewer cores with more processor speed over more cores and less speed since I'm less interested in parallel processing than I am in sheer power.

[Nichi]

More cores with less power is better than less cores with more power, though; for instance, a quad-core 2Ghz is better than a dual-core 1.5Ghz (As you have a combined total of 8Ghz on the quad vs. 3Ghz on the dual) :\

[Bella]

for instance, a quad-core 2Ghz is better than a dual-core 1.5Ghz (As you have a combined total of 8Ghz on the quad vs. 3Ghz on the dual) :\

According to the websites I've read, it's a lot more complicated that than; a quad-core, 2Ghz processor doesn't give you 4 x 2Ghz (8Ghz) processing speed. As well, apparently having a massive number of cores is really only advantageous if you're using software written for [hexa/octo/deca]-processor systems, or doing work that's easily split up among multiple processors (3D rendering and video encoding came up as good examples)

[Nichi]

Ahh. TBH, I never knew; that's just how I always assumed it worked -w-;;;

[Krizonar]

Kriz, if i remember right, you were interested in buying it, but at this point any and all takers are welcome

I was interested in knowing about it out of curiosity, but not exactly buying it, sorry!

DEAR MAC PEOPLE (Kriz), what do you think of this computer?

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apple/MP10S333M32C/
I'm pretty sure I'd favor fewer cores with more processor speed over more cores and less speed

Very fast computer and wow, lots of RAM! Also, the 5770 is surprisingly powerful, so that should be just fine, don't sweat it. I had one in mine for some time and had 0 issues. It plays Tomb Raider and Starcraft II on high at 1200P, for example, which are both pretty demanding.
Portal 1 and 2 play at max, including that statistic because I know you'll like to know that. It's also dead quiet, as in, even during games it is inaudible. You know I'm picky about sound!

As well, a trustworthy site is a plus, I buy all my stuff on OWC, they are basically Mac newegg.
Note that they have hyper-threading so that's a 12 core, but yes, 3.33 Ghz is a fast speed and most applications, like games, are still only designed for 2-4 cores, so yes, fast 2-4 cores are better than slow 6-24 cores in scenarios like that, making this fast 3.33 12 core a good choice as opposed to a 2.8 24 core.

[Nichi]

(Useless knowledge that Bella will approve of: Hyper-threading was invented by DEC -w-)

[Chocofreak13]

@kriz: to be fair, i was about to post that it was gone anyway. after biting her in the ass one too many times Claire gave up on the damn thing and demanded a refund from the goodwill where she got it.

[Bella]

Thanks Kriz! I know I can always count on you for advice on all things Apple.

In your opinion, what's the ... lifespan for a computer that age? That is to say, how much longer could I expect to use it before stuff started needing replacement? What sort of maintenance/upkeep do they generally need? Are there any parts that tend to go out before others? I really like the specs but I'm a little jittery about paying so much for a machine that's already 4 years old.

[stewartsage]

Finally got a couple TU60 DECassette manuals so I can better understand the mess that is CAPS-8.  One of these days I'm going to jury rig a dedicated virtual system so I can run it like a legit PDP-8 setup for, among other things, remote accessing.

[Krizonar]

Thanks Kriz! I know I can always count on you for advice on all things Apple.

In your opinion, what's the ... lifespan for a computer that age? That is to say, how much longer could I expect to use it before stuff started needing replacement? What sort of maintenance/upkeep do they generally need? Are there any parts that tend to go out before others?

Why thank you, that's awesome to say!

Seeing as that computer scores higher on benchmarks than a brand new iMac it's so overpowered, I estimate you'll have it for a least 6 years without it seeming slow. The video card could possibly need upgraded before that amount of time, but you can already buy Mac 7950s or Mac 680 GTXs that'll do about anything.

Yes, these take almost any PC graphics cards too without issue. Just throwing that out there. Go stick a 290X in it if you want.

Maintenance is simple, I take the side panel off and dust the inside areas two times per year with cloth and compressed air. Parts that go out... well, I've never heard of parts in them really failing. These are supremely constructed. Never heard of people having one go out, just people upgrading to a new one. I will say that it's probably the HDD that's going to go first, as those tend to fail first in computers in general. Mine doesn't have an HDD nor do I personally know any that have failed, but that's a general rule of computers, so I assume it would apply here.

[Bella]

Hmm, that's all really good to know. Hard drive failures don't scare me as much as they should, maybe it's because I'm pretty good at keeping backups. I just figure that's the cost of doing business with HDDs.

I'm also pleased to hear I have options when it comes to graphics cards!

Ran it past some friends in the CS department, they're all PC fans though so they think I'm crazy for wanting to spend a ton on an old(er) Mac.

They didn't have much love for Xeons either ("it's a server CPU!") and said I'd be better off with an i5, which I'm calling bullshit on. Then again I wouldn't settle for anything less than an i7 (if i were going that route) so maybe I'm just biased?

[Nichi]

i7 is sexy beast, yes. 2k has a 2nd generation i7 -w-
(Although, Xeon is badass. I mean, it's name sounds similar to the Republic of Zeon, from Gundam -w-)

[Krizonar]

They didn't have much love for Xeons either ("it's a server CPU!") and said I'd be better off with an i5, which I'm calling bullshit on.

A Xeon is basically an i7 with some extra options and stability. The Xeon within that Mac Pro is from the 36xx family.
"Gulftown or Westmere-EP, a six-core 32 nm Westmere-based processor, is the basis for the Xeon 36xx and 56xx series and the Core i7-980X."

As I stated higher, that Xeon CPU has more overall power than that of a brand new top of the line i7 iMac.

i5s don't even have hyper-threading, so it does seem like they were just biased.

[winduko]

I am going to use Linux for the first time.

[Chocofreak13]

which distro?


later on in the month, i'm going to buy some replacement parts for one of the flatscreen monitors Claire has lying around. she only needs some capacitors for one of them, and it means that i could set up Tereby on my desk and start using her as a regular computer. she's running windows XP, so i could get a lot of shit done that way. :0