04-08-2009, 11:31 PM
Well, for me the need was based on storage and RAM. My Quad 2.66 MacPro has 24GB of RAM and 4.6 TB of storage (1TB x 2, 2TB x 1 640GB x 1). I keep backups of all my computers (4 laptops and a G3 iMac) on it, as well as rips of all of my DVDs and all of my CDs, all photos back to 1995, and images of all the software I have bought. I actually need the storage and having Parallels run XP, Vista, and Server 2008 (for testing), often all at once, I need as much RAM as possible. I know that no iMac, or any other Mac (excluding MacPros), can store that much internally or keep that much RAM.
If it was just on processing speed, I may think different, but to be supporting clients who use said OSs, I need them running when they call so I can assist them (often times I have to train them in use of a new program).
As far as watching progress bars, yes, it is faster, and I can handle more tasks, but the real reason I bought this machine is more headroom for storage/RAM. I could not care less if an iMac is faster or not if I cannot add more RAM or add more storage (I know that you can upgrade the HD, but AFAIK, you void your warranty and you only have one HD). iMacs are great as clients or part of a network but the MacPro is a different beast and not a valid comparison.
If it was just on processing speed, I may think different, but to be supporting clients who use said OSs, I need them running when they call so I can assist them (often times I have to train them in use of a new program).
As far as watching progress bars, yes, it is faster, and I can handle more tasks, but the real reason I bought this machine is more headroom for storage/RAM. I could not care less if an iMac is faster or not if I cannot add more RAM or add more storage (I know that you can upgrade the HD, but AFAIK, you void your warranty and you only have one HD). iMacs are great as clients or part of a network but the MacPro is a different beast and not a valid comparison.