REVIEW: New Mac Pro

ByMike Moffit

For a long time, Don and I had an agreement when it comes to new Apple products: He gets all the new mobile products, and I get any new desktop workstations to try out and use. This agreement went well for both of us for the first 15 years of Small Dog’s life, but in 2010, Apple didn’t have any regular updates to the Mac Pro lineup. I was fine with it, as my old Mac Pro tower had plenty of life in it, but was definitely envious every time Don received a new MacBook while I plodded away with my old system.

Finally, in the summer of 2013, Apple announced the new Mac Pro! Unfortunately, I had to wait until October before I could order one. Then, when I could finally get one on order, they were on heavy allocation at our distributors, so I had to wait while we filled all of our customer orders first (of course)! Finally this month, nearly six months later, my shiny new Mac Pro has arrived!

I decided that I wanted to try to take advantage of all the new machine had to offer, so I purchased a couple of 1080p television monitors and mounted them to the wall behind my desk. Prices have come down on these monitors so much, so it was worth the investment to have some extra screen options.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I would use these displays for, but figured they would be good for having a sporting event on, and I could load on some tickers for various business processes on them as well. Currently, I have settled on Google Analytics for our website, a stock ticker, and my weekly calendar. Do you have any other suggestions for what I could put on these? Email me!

I opted for the base model Mac Pro, but got the 512GB of PCIe flash storage because trying to compress all my files into 256GB just didn’t seem possible.

We have one used 30-inch display in-stock — if you are interested in sporting a similar configuration to me, here is a special deal for you! Note: There’s only 1 available!

It includes:

  • Mac Pro 3.7GHz Quad-core 12GB/512GB/D300 CTO
  • Apple 30” cinema display (used)
  • Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI Adapter
  • 2 x Hammerhead Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Cable – 6ft
  • 2 x ViewSonic VX2252mh-LED 22in Widescreen HDMI Monitor
  • 2 x Chief FTR-V Tilting VESA Wall Mount
  • Seagate Backup Plus Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive – 1TB Black
  • Kensington SlimBlade USB Trackball
  • Microsoft 4000 Egro Keyboard
  • AppleCare extended warranty on the Mac Pro (Note that you can’t add coverage to a used monitor)

All of this for just $4,799! Purchase Hapy’s special bundle here!

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    Their precision has also led me to turn off my iTunes EQ entirely, I don’t think I’ll ever use it again. Lastly, because they’re so precise, I’m finding that they’re incredibly great for gaming, as they convey the virtual world your mind is struggling to become a part of so well. Sounds like rifle shots are far different than grenades, or a peaceful flowing waterfall, which other speakers can’t put such a space between.

    The packaging is pretty basic, but does the job. I like the minimal, wasteless packaging. M-Audio was also good enough to include rubber pads to adhere to the bottom of them, so they don’t slide on my glass desk. The enclosures are a soft black, with pretty solid mesh protection over the cones. On the front of the left speaker are two jacks, one for aux-in and one for headphones. This way I can conveniently connect a laptop or iPad to them when I want to switch computers. Of course, they’re classy enough to include a blue LED on the volume knob, so they’re a perfect match for my monitor, keyboard and mouse!

    I give these a huge thumbs up.

    $149.99. For more information, “click here”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/73166 to check them out!

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