My next rig - MacPro or iMac?

[AllGold]

OK, here's the math. A Mac Pro gives you more than double the amount of CPU power over an iMac (not to mention the extra RAM and hard drive capacity).

So take two 24" iMacs at $1999 and one Mac Pro at $2499.

= $2500 for the Mac Pro

= $4000 for the 2 iMacs
- $600 x 2 = -$1200 because you get 24" monitors with the iMacs

= $2800 for the iMac guts vs. $2500 for the Mac Pro OR...

= $4000 for the iMacs vs. $3700 for the Mac Pro plus two 24" monitors

For refurbs, the difference gets closer because you're getting two discounts on the two iMacs but you still haven't made up for the extra capabilities of the Mac Pro.

In the interest of full disclosure I must admit my bias. I did not buy my Mac Pro. It was a replacement from Apple for a faulty refurb G5 dual 2.0. However, I did pay $1999 for the G5 refurb and since it was such a POS for so long I also paid $2499 for a new G5 dual 2.3 before they replaced the refurb. I then sold the 2.3.

If it weren't for Apple giving me a Mac Pro as a replacement, I would probably still be using the G5 2.3. I probably would also be lamenting the cost of a Mac Pro. But after using the Mac Pro I would never go back.