MAC PRO , how long would it be “semi-up-to-date”

[Zane Barker]

[dave morgan] “how much time about do you think you would get out of that machine? 6 years? “

NOBODY can really say.
NOBODY knows what the demands of software will be in the next few years, and whether or not todays machines will be up to the challenge.
NOBODY knows what YOUR needs will be down the road.
NOBODY can give you a guarantee that the machine will not breakdown and die once the warranty is over, and the cost of repair may easily be far more then the machine is worth.

Computers should NEVER be considered a LONG TERM investment. My personal thought is plan on getting a new computer every 3 years, get Apple Care on it and when the Apple Care is up it is time to get a new one. Not only because the computer is no longer covered by a warranty, but because by then there is going to be something 10x faster and better, the speed difference alone could easily make you much more productive.

And I see no reason to max out the ram to 32 GB, there are only a couple of applications that can use more then a fraction of that.

Don’t let technology get in the way of your creativity!

[Jeff Carpenter]

First, I agree with Zane. Buy something that’s good for 3 years, then sell it and back a little money towards your next system.

Second, you have to look at WHAT you’re using the computer for. As Zane said, it’s unlikely you’re doing anything that can even make use of 32 GB of RAM. Also, what is the extra processor speed and video card going to get you in terms of time saved? If you’re working with programs that will only run the base system at 80%, upgrading to the faster chip is the same as BURNING MONEY. You’re paying for something you don’t need.

So context is everything. It’s impossible to say what system is ‘best’ without knowing the jobs it will be doing.

(All that being said, IF you’re really trying to max it all out, it would be silly to spend $9,100 buying RAM at Apple when you can get the same thing at crucial.com for $3,840.)