Is Mac Pro really worth it for Autocad or WHAT??

[ray_j_louviere]

I don't know anything about a Mac Pro but I see that there are a bunch of people that are using it to run the AutoCad program. I am looking to buy a new laptop and i need to know is it really worth it to run that program. I will say this, I live on my computer that i have now and it is really a peice of poo. So I am in need of a new one and I'm trying to figure out what I should do. So if I would get a Mac Pro it wouldn't be just to run the program but to do everything on it. As long as i can type a document and search the web then thats fine with me. Other that those 2 things all there is left for me to run is the AutoCad program, which is like 820mb. So can yall experts please help me?

[AJLynn]

Quick answer:

 

No.

 

Autocad doesn't have nearly the requirements of Max. You can use alomst any computer you want. Be advised that if you get a Mac you need to also have some sort of option to run Windows - either Bootcamp or something like VMWare, both of which require you to get your own copy of Windows.

[ray_j_louviere]

Well i already have a windowx xp professional that hasn't been opened yet. So since i have that would it be ok if i get a mac. I mean can i get one and use autocad on it or will it not work?

[AJLynn]

Of course it will work.

[Antisthenes]

most mac pro i have set up with bootcamp run better than their PC equivalents. (makes me wonder what racket gates and jobs may have worked out)

 

go for it, just you will always miss the backspace key and maybe be annoyed by the way you need to right click. Other wise everything works better than fine by my experience.

 

of course you could always run OsX on your PC too, as some i know do.

[jackb602]

A Mac Pro is a workstation, and a MacBook Pro is a laptop. Both of these can easily run Autocad even in emulation. I rely on Autocad running on Parallels for all of my construction documents, as well as processing DWG files I receive from clients. Do you want to work primarily in OS X or Windows?

[STRAT]

i agree with Jonas. my pc software runs better on a mac pro than a pc. also, strangely, i find my pc versions of things like photoshop, cinema4d etc run better in windows mode on a mac rather than in mac mode on a mac.

 

if you're investing all that money you might also want to spend an extra 100 bucks or so on a 64 bit OS too, so your ram usage can bump up.

[ray_j_louviere]

Ok i didn't mean a mac pro, i meant tghe macbook pro. Thgat is what i want. I don't really use anything on the windows except like word, excel, powerpoint, and the internet. other than that i don't realy need anything else off of windows. Oh yea i can't forget my Itunes. OK i have no idea what u are talking about when u say OsX. I don't have a clue what that is. SO i keep seeing people are saying something about bootcamp, parrelle, and some kinda x something program. What is this needed for? I do have Win XP Home Edition on disk form windows, do i need that?

[STRAT]

a mac and a pc are 2 different things to use. similar, but different. OsX is the mac's equivalent of WindowsXP. Again, different than Windows. if you want to use windows software (like autocad) on a mac you must install an interface program on the mac that allows it to read windows software. bootcamp and parralles do this for you. it's advisable you or your collegues have a bit of technical experience if you are to set this up.

 

if all you want is autocad use then i'd suggest a pc based note book. much cheaper and easier for you to figure out. getting a mac wont give you any advantage.

 

what exactly do you want to run?

[AJLynn]

I think you should go to a Mac Store and have one of their training people explain the basics - e.g., that OSX is Apple's operating system, and how Parallels/VMWare/Bootcamp work. If you really only care about Autocad and Microsoft Office, you can get Office for OSX and run Autocad in Parallels or VMWare and it will be fine. Make sure to get 4GB of RAM (because when you run emulation you split the RAM between OSX and Windows, so you need more than what you think you need), but check the price of RAM on Crucial.com before buying it direct from Apple because usually a full 4GB from Crucial is a lot less expensive than an upgrade from Apple.

 

WRT Windows running better on a Mac - this is because Apple uses higher end parts than almost any PC manufacturer. E.g., they were including SATA DVD drives and attaching the wifi hardware to PCIE standard before anybody else, they're often the first to adopt a new generation of Intel CPU or chipset, etc. It all adds up to a small overall improvement.

[ray_j_louviere]

Ok, so what is better, a harddrive that has 250 gb at 5400 rpm, a 300gb at 4000rpm, or a 200gb at 7200rpm

[Antisthenes]

yes i meant mac book pro.

 

you don't know what OsX is, isn't it what you use every day using a mac as a mac?

 

another piece of advise i have is to use ProgeCad Smart, a free open source autocad clone made by the intellicad's open design alliance. (they make autodesk upset because they offer a product that can do the same but for free, kind of like Blender is to MAX, but more exactly the same)

 

and yes just like STRAT said get XP 64bit. so you can use 4 gigs of ram and have those BIG max scenes/or renders open/run with out having to page to hard drive. not your xp home, toss that even into the disposal recprical

 

also i havealso see programs, the exact same ones(adobe), run better on a MAC under XP than on a MAC under native OsX.

 

 

200gb 7200rpm (biggest Cache)

[AJLynn]

Define "better". The tradeoff is size vs. speed. (Speed comes also with a bit more noise and power consumption.) I'd personally go for the 250.

[STRAT]

you still havent said what you really want it for. full 3d modelling and rendering or simple acad modelling with some ms office thrown in?

 

if it's the latter then dont waste your money on a new computer that'll cost a lot more than a pc and give you headache because it's a mac and you dont know what one is.

[BillyElNino]

If I wanted a new computer to run AutoCAD and the Office suite I wouldn't begin my search in the Apple store. They're not cheap either. If you partitioned the thing it sounds like you'd never boot up the Mac half anyway.

 

They look good though and they (almost) make the user look good too!

[AJLynn]

Mine makes me look good. But that's not hard.

[STRAT]

it's the mac. chicks dig the mac.

[Antisthenes]

how come all my chick friends are asking me what PC to buy then?

 

what i tell them is to get the 300$ gateway tabletPC

[ray_j_louviere]

I am looking for both, for 3d modelling and for all the other things.

[Antisthenes]

I am looking for both, for 3d modelling and for all the other things.

 

have you thought about a tabletPC? http://www.tabletpc2.com/Compare.htm

 

i favor them because i feel there is no more organic way to input, the newer ones have multi-touch now too.

[STRAT]

I am looking for both, for 3d modelling and for all the other things.

 

ah. well imho you cant beat a macpro. more costly, but well worth the investment.

 

i installed 2 separate hard drives in mine, so there's windows on one and osx on the other, with no need for bootcamp or parallels or anything. 2 separate operating systems that run completely independant. all i need to do is press the ALT button on boot up to choose which system i want to work in

 

i've got a 64 bit operating system for both windows and mac, with 12 gig of ram (there's a cheap apple ram thread here somewhere). it renders like a dream in whatever mode (generally windows in better though). i use mainly cinema4d and vray.

 

so go make that investment

[ray_j_louviere]

So, are u saying that I should get a Mac pro or the Macbook Pro. I'm really looking for a laptop. So is it really worth it??

[STRAT]

well a fast lap top will never even come close to a fast desk top, so for my number 1 work station i'd never consider a lap top personally, but if you want a lap top then i cant help sorry. i dont know anything about laptops; never use them.

[AJLynn]

"Is it worth it" isn't a straightforward question. If the question is just "Is it worth it for running Autocad?" the answer is of course no, and this discussion has gone on way too long.

 

If you do want a Mac, and are deciding between a Macbook and a Macbook Pro, the answer is yes.

 

If you do 3d rendering in something like 3DSMax, the answer is yes. With the caveat that because these things are thin, they don't vent heat as well as some larger ones, so a laptop stand with a USB powered fan is nice when rendering.