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If you are a professional video editor, animator, or recording engineer, you can probably make good use of a Mac Pro. Time is money, especially in these professions. A faster computer can help the professional meet their deadlines. A software engineer or middle manager does not need a Mac Pro. Even many video editors and recording engineers can do just fine on a top-of-the-line iMac. If you are an audio-visual professional working with the new 4K video format, the new Mac Pro is essential.
There is one advantage to buying a Mac Pro, even if you aren’t an audio visual professional. You can keep the machine for a long time. With great power comes longevity. Mac Pros can be upgraded for several years. Mine is already 4 years old, and I expect to keep using it, with the latest OS, for at least another 3 years. Let’s face it — getting a new computer is a pain. Migrating everything to a new computer isn’t fun. For those who want to buy a top-of-the-line computer and keep it for years, the Mac Pro could prove to be a good deal. You also have the advantage of lightning-fast performance. That said, for every day use, there isn’t much difference in performance between a Mac Pro and a Mac Mini. The Mac Pro is only slightly faster at booting up, opening apps, etc. When it comes to the heavy lifting — rendering video, applying complicated audio effects, or even compiling millions of lines of code, the Mac Pro will triumph over all other Mac models. The vast majority of users, however, will do just fine with an iMac, MacBook Air, or even a Mac Mini. A Mac Pro won’t send email or play Netflix faster than any other model.
The new Mac Pro is not only a bold new design, but features state-of-the-art technology. It will be the platform of choice for 4K video editing. The new machine will be available for purchase later this year. No one knows for certain how much it will cost. I expect it to be inline with the current price of the Mac Pro. Even though it is two-to-ten times faster and better than its predecessor, computer technology becomes faster and less expensive over time.
I personally would never buy another Mac Pro. It’s a great machine. In fact, it’s too great. It is far more machine than I need. People moving from a PC to the Mac need to understand that OS X is much more efficient. You can’t compare the two machines, even if they both have the same Intel processors and the same amount of RAM. There’s a reason why it’s called a Mac Pro — it is for professional video editors, recording engineers and animators. If you use a Mac for work and write code or work on office documents, you don’t need a Mac Pro!