Congrats! I too have a new 'puter. I'm sitting here opening things and getting a buzz out of how quick they open...

Nice one, dotdude!

So do I.
http://h20435.www2.hp.com/
Just kidding.

U haz a way over-priced puter.

Is it hiding behind the Mac box?

The Tower: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2596196073_a10bf26d2e.jpg

Keyboard has plastic keys poke through piece of metal - underside of keyboard is plastic: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/2597027494_4b7b646de9.jpg

Mouse has two buttons - one left side near bottom and one right side near bottom. There's also a button on top like a nipple - hmmmmmmm. You can set the functions of the buttons. I still have to read up on them.

Mouse bottom: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3287/2596196263_4f6af940ee.jpg
Mouse top: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/2596196353_48bf05829a_o.jpg

'Congrats' says my MacBook Pro.

MG, doesn't get it. Once you go Mac, you never go back.

Specs?

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro3,1
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 2.8 GHz
Number Of Processors: 2
Total Number Of Cores: 8
L2 Cache (per processor): 12 MB
Memory: 6 GB
Bus Speed: 1.6 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MP31.006C.B05
SMC Version: 1.25f4


OK, I figured out the nipple thingy is a small ball that controls the scrolling up/down/left/right. Learning overload here . . .

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

That's a sweet machine - I can even forgive that it looks like a giant cheese grater out of the box.

Macs are good for helping you do stuff. If you want a computer that's your partner and helps you work at your optimum - get a Mac. If you want to play games - get an Xbox 360.

Mac smack.... an operating system is supposed to last 12 - 16 weeks before reinstalling.

Nah. I realize that each has their purpose.

But dag: An XBOX is just a comptuer with games on it!

I'm learning Leopard now. Snow Leopard comes out next year.

Previously there was Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther and Tiger.

The felines keep getting faster . . .

<rant>

MacFail.

I really dislike the fact that Mac is attemping to sell their computers on the premise that their machines are better then PCs, all their ads are geared towards that end.

Its not the fact that most computer users are not computer literate enough to be able to operate their systems! Oh no! They are just bad machines in general! Here is something that will hold you hand and limit your options so you can't do anything! Let us take that extra button off! There do you feel more comfortable now?

If Macs were so infallible there wouldn't be dozens of websites geared towards solving Mac problems.

Oh but Farhad! Mac is not evil! Really? Is that why all their software is closed? All their operations are vertically operated and priced at twice the prices so you can have a pretty design piece?

Computers are much better because they offer you options and they are not pretentious. The most pretentious people I ever met were Mac people! Look at me! Am thinking different! I have an iphone, ipod, use itunes and a mac! Am sooo different! Am really an individual now! Am part of the Mac community. I can't wait for them to put out ilife... oh shit I think they have something called that already.

Cultists all of you. Worshiping at the feet of Steve Jobs. I remember reading an article that postulated that web 2.0 thinking of the masses or mass marketing is not effective as single core design ideas, and the exmaple they used was Steve Jobs and his vision for Apple. Oh no fucking shit! Someone who has the right idea and the proper vision to execute it! OF COURSE its better! People are stupid, they don't know they need something until you give it to them. Steve Jobs is a master at this, people salivate at owning a iphone even though its contractually tied but holy fucking shit! I can swipe my fingers and I can dial the wrong person! I can't text but I fucking love it!

Steve Jobs came to Apple and said I want a people computer that is easy to use, I applaud him on that. I applaud his constant vision of delivering a beautiful design.

But lord, why are people who use Apple products so higher then thou. The propaganda of Apple is just astounding. You notice how no credible business uses Macs for their business solutions! Because it cannot do bespoke business software because the design is closed, its a closed playground, you will never have opensource coming out with Apple on it. Its a gated computing experience.

<rant />

Actually I was hoping to get another year out of my Power Mac G5. It was a machine that came out before the Intel chip Macs were introduced. Right up until its death a few weeks ago, I was continuing to update software on the machine. The machine became slower and slower – particularly with the later versions of Firefox 2. At the Mac user meetings we were told to hold off on upgrading to Leopard because new drivers were not available yet for some printers and scanners.

Then I added Adobe Air in order to use Twhirl. All the Twitter twits were raving about it. My first stab at using it was a warning. The software was unresponsive after trying a few features. Later on I tried to use it again. A newer version was available. Well on this occasion the screen froze when I explored features.

After forcing a Shut Down and trying to Start, the machine would act like it would do something, but then it would stop. The fan just whirred. My Apple dealer friend walked me through some steps. He even told me to threaten the machine out loud. Nothing worked. I finally had one instance in getting the machine to Start. Immediately I clicked on Repair Disk Permissions with the Disk Utility. The next day it did Start one more time. But after Shut Down, I couldn’t get it going again.

I brought it to my Apple Dealer. Again he told me threaten the machine out loud as I drove to his house. He kept it overnight. After trying some more tricks, he told me that it would be a guessing game – similar to a car repair guessing game eliminating possibilities as to what is wrong. He advised me that labor and parts would be expensive.

Anyway, I got four years use out of it. In the meantime, I decided I would go all out on a high-end machine. When I worked in design related jobs, I used Macs. So I’m very comfortable using one. I was hooked early. I used to play on my uncle’s Lisa.

I have had occasions when I was forced to use the other machines, but I’ve found navigation much clunkier. This is only my third day using this machine. I’m in Mac Heaven now. Now I’m zipping all over the desktop, browser windows, etc.

For the record I do not own an iPod. I do not own an iPhone. I’m not particularly happy about the expense at this time and having to purchase all new versions of software.

OK, I'm gonna go play with my Flip cam.

i never understood the Mac vs. PC slogan. a PC is a personal computer, which is exactly what the Mac is aiming to be. it wants to be your PC. how PC became a catch-all term for IBMs, Dells, and pretty much any non-Mackintosh-based computer is beyond me, but it is probably the single greatest marketing scam to be spawned from a collective acronym ignorance and transformed into a major selling point. buy a mac! it's not a pc!


oh and btw i fell for it.

>> ^Farhad2000:
<rant>
MacFail.
I really dislike the fact that Mac is attemping to sell their computers on the premise that their machines are better then PCs, all their ads are geared towards that end.

they are prettier, funkier, and you seem cooler with one if you don't talk about it, or, bitch about it....chicks dig macs-if somebody gave farhad one, he'd use it...

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Some good points raised Farhad - but you shouldn't confuse the over-hyping Mac cult with the actual machines and software. Forget all the crappy commercials. If you judge that way, you are guilty of surface viewing and the same vapidity as the marketing spinners.

Macs are good because UI nerds are valued at Apple. The people who work at Apple to develop Mac software are passionate, anal-retentive geniuses herded by a megalomaniac.

I love Linux and OSS too. I wish Apple was Linux- I'd feel much better about my purchases, but so far democracy hasn't produced a better experience for the desktop user. (witness the Gnome KDE war - gaaah!) I'm still hopeful.

What exactly do you need that much power for, anyway?

Wait, WHAT THE FUCK? They want FIVE HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS FOR TWO EXTRA FUCKING GIGABYTES OF 800 MHz RAM!?!?! That shit is like, $25 fucking dollars a damn stick!

Let's break it down:
Two Xeon CPUS: $579 ea. ($1,158)
ATI 2600 XT: $66
2 GB 800Mhz RAM: $50
320GB HDD: $84
Optical drive: $35

(That's assuming a stock system from them with an additional CPU)
That's a total of $1,393. Add a MoBo with 8 memory slots that will accommodate two CPUs (~$250), a case (~$100) and let's say a 750w PSU for $140.

Grand total? $1,883. Could be higer depending on the MoBo. I've never priced a dual-socket board before.
The exact specs from Mac? $2,799.

Yup. You read that right. About one thousand extra dollars for an image of an apple with a bite taken out slapped on the case.

Can someone please justify that for me? I mean, I know you need to make a profit and all, but a $1,000 mark-up?

Also, why the hell would you want a measly 256MB gfx card when you're running two quad-core CPUs? (Not saying You did that, dotdue, it's just what their minimum setting is)

>> ^dotdude:
Now I’m zipping all over the desktop, browser windows, etc

I wouldn't brag about zipping over the desktop or browser windows. I can show you an IBM PS/1 I had that does the same thing.

"Macs are good because UI nerds are valued at Apple. The people who work at Apple to develop Mac software are passionate, anal-retentive geniuses herded by a megalomaniac."

What does it matter what the people that develop them are like? How does that make a Mac good? The people at Intel could all be a bunch of assholes that yell at their mothers, but they still make a good CPU...

My concern is what I am able to do when I sit down at a keyboard. I have used some non-Mac computers, but I prefer working with a Mac interface. Several of the pre-press production jobs I’ve had involved my working on a Mac all day long, so I really appreciate the advances that have come along since. Perhaps when I’ve adjusted to this new operating system I can tout the new features I really like.

In purchasing a new machine I opted to go all out to keep open the possibilities of what I plan to do with it. The dealer, that helped me purchase this machine, helps set up graphic designers all over town. I trust his expertise in helping me choose a machine. He’s had Macs since the very beginning and has helped users solve technical issues for years now. I have the means now; so it’s about the timing. As for the specs, I was merely replying to DFT’s question. I’ll let you and the others argue the hardware.

I has an (new to me) old computer!
I had a used 400mhz G3 iMac, now a used 733mhz G4 tower. WhooHoo!
I shoved the hard drive and 1gb ram from the iMac into it and viola`!
No loss of operating system, applications or data!
I did replace the video card ($10 + Airport card I didn't want)
I turned away the CinemaDisplay!
(Incompatable with everything BUT that particular old videocard.)
It's like Naomi Campbell. It's beautiful, but you don't want it in your house.
I have a 20" widescreen Magnavox monitor/DVD player/HDTV.
I'll upgrade THAT to a 42" eventually.

Congrats on your NEW new Mac!
(Beautiful screen, and no HDMI or S video **INPUTS**?!?)
((Yes, there are USB Video input solutions, but it's a workaround
for a deficient design.))