Just wanted to throw a note out there about the new Mac Pro that was just released this morning.  What a dream machine this could be!

[url]http://www.apple.com/macpro/[/url]

Those are some crazy specs!

[quote author=J Mattson link=topic=2223.msg11662#msg11662 date=1200215032]
I just wish Steve Jobs would make OS X available to everyone.  Things like the iPrograms are awesome and have no equal on windows. 
[/quote]
With this, I totally agree.  I would buy OSX in a heartbeat.  I'd love to become a Mac-head, but I won't do it knowing that I have to stay on the Apple hardware train.  Less tinkering, by design when you buy their hardware.  Yep.  But $4$, it's very expensive.

The other thing that ";homebrew"; PCs let you do is something you don't get the option for on any pre-built, and that is to put in your own cooling system.  I had a dull-roar cessna type Dell.  My build-out is now so quiet that I've been asked a few times if it is indeed on.  Silent, no.  But I'd bet you the dB meter that mine's much quieter than that Mac.

Imagine if Microsoft required that you buy hardware from them... 

All this talk of building a PC has sparked my creative side.  I know how to put together the components, but I'm clueless on what one would buy.  The idea of purchasing/creating a machine for home and then using the Mactop as a portable base of operations is something I would like to consider.

Supposed I wanted to put together a machine to handle VDL 2.5, Garritan CMB Library and full marching band scores, including winds, battery and percussion, without hiccuping.  Any ideas of what that would cost?

Here's a good setup for music creation

cpu: Intel Q6600 quad core cpu - $275
mainboard: LGA 775 mainboard - $80
ram: 4 GB DDR2 - $100
hard drive: Raptor 74 GB 10k rpm drive for OS and Samples - $150 // 500 GB for storage - $100
graphics: nVidia 8600 GTS (assuming you want to play some current generation games) - $120
sound: M-Audio Audiophile - $110
DVD-RW: $30
Nice Antec Case + power supply: $130

Total: $1,095 + tax from newegg.com
You could easily knock off $200 by going with a cheaper graphics card, a single hard drive, and still have a [i]very[/i] fast system.

Building it is pretty straight forward- it's just a lot of stuff to plug in.  There isn't much configuration needed with modern mainboards.

Thanks Jesse, this is something I've been considering and something I will elaborate on via a separate thread a little later today. 

Check this out-

http://www.apple.com/macbookair/

The computer itself kinda sucks in regards to RAM and storage, but the idea is brilliant.  I'd love to be able to wirelessly transfer session files back and forth from my desktop and laptop.  Or just install programs on one computer using the other's drive, just because I can.

The name is kinda lame though.  Where do they go from there?  The MacBook Particle?

I thought the brilliant part was that it's a full keyboard and offers a 64GB SSD.  Small, but pretty cool.  Definitely not a DAW, but a fancy product. 

Hey all,

I wanted to report in that I'd finally taken the plunge.  I bought a pro-level Mac; specifically a MacBook Pro that ran me a good deal of $.  What I found might make you interested, since I got a better deal by buying more than I needed.

Specifically, if you intend on buying a machine that retails over $2500, it is a better deal to become a ";Select"; developer, and use their hardware discount.  It costs $500, but you get 20% off your entire order.  It's a great deal.

Even better, if you're a college student (must be 18), you can get a better discount than any bookstore...  probably.  It's the same 20% off the entire order, and a student dev membership is only $99.

It basically got me my sales tax back, and that's not a small amount, but I also now have access to all of their beta releases.  Take a look at this option if you're thinking high end.  It may very well save you money, even if you never use it.  Good luck, and read the details!

Hey congrats on the buy!  Which model did you end up going with?  Really good machines especially if you want to be portable as well.  Let us know how the setup is working out for you.

I got the MBP 2.5 / 17"; Hi-rez glossy/LED backlight, 7200 rpm.  I'll let you know, but I'm sure it'll be a workhorse.

I'm also hoping that with this dev kit, I can turn my homebrew into a mac, too, since it comes with a license!

I did the student dev thing several years ago to buy a dual-G4 and a 20"; Apple display (back when they cost waaaay too much.) It was a good deal because I broke even when I sold the system.  Apple stores often have display models for sale, but you have to call around.  I saved $500 on an iMac this way, and again broke even when I sold it later on.  This is a good way to keep your system current without losing your investment.