It has been awhile since my last post. I’ve probably violated one of the golden rules of blogging by being absent from the blogosphere for so long. Rather than get into all the details of why, which I have started, stopped, and deleted half-written posts of over the past few months, I thought I would “catch up” with my posts with something easy. The software company that creates the tools I use to develop and maintain my website, Elegant Themes, is holding one of their popular Black Friday sales.
It was a Black Friday sale that actually got me to buy a lifetime subscription to using Divi as my WordPress theme. I used it to redesign my entire website a couple years back. While the details of this sale are forthcoming, they are using a useful marketing tool to generate buzz about it, one that hits close to home for me. They are giving away a 2019 Mac Pro!
Apple announced this new design this year after some long-awaited anticipation from the pro (and Mac addicted alike) community. It is something I have had my eye on for quite some time due to my aging 2008 MacPro that is getting increasingly difficult to keep up to date with the latest operating systems. With some community enthusiast hacks, I have at least been able to update it with High Sierra to keep support going with Lightroom and Photoshop. Whether I try to update further remains open.
That is pretty darn amazing for a computer that is 11 years old and still going relatively strong with MacGyver’d solutions. In fact, I am typing this post on it. I still use it as my primary processing computer for all of my photography. It isn’t a Ferrari when it comes to dealing with files reaching over 2 GB, but day to day – it is still fine. If that isn’t a testament to durability – and whatever the opposite of “planned obsolescence” is, I don’t know what is.
The biggest drawback I am facing at the moment is being able to process 4K video files from my drone, K-2SO. My (also 11 yr old) Apple Cinema Display isn’t 4K, nor will this old beast handle the files. It’s kind of funny though – as I can process them on my phone and my iPad! How times have changed!
Anyway, the heartbreak of Apple’s announcement was in the price (surprise, surprise). Entry level investment starts at $5,000 – without any new display. That is quite a difference from the entry point of MacPros 11 years ago. Then again, I haven’t been in the market for a new computer for awhile. I fully understand that I may not be the target market for this type of machine anymore. However, the investment is high enough to cause me to look for other potential options, such as a Mac Mini, a used 2010/12 vintage MacPro, or something else.
What does any of this have to do with what I started rambling about with themes and WordPress? Well, just so happens as part of Elegant Theme’s Divi Black Friday Sale – they are giving away a new MacPro! You can enter the giveaway in multiple ways, and writing a blog post gets you 10 extra entries. So if you have made it reading this far, yeah – the post is a little self-serving and coerced by the slick ET marketing engine. 🙂
Of course, nothing is preventing you from writing you own post about it and getting your own entries. At least give me some credit for letting you know about it. If you should win, I can only ask you lend me some processing time on occasion.
Good luck with winning the Pro Mark. I have no doubt you would do some very cool things with it that I would thoroughly enjoy seeing so my hopes for you to win are totally selfish of course.
Having an 11 year old computer is saying something. The best I’ve managed is 9 years. Though I’ve now reached a stage where my desktop PC (a year old now) only gets used for work these days and all my personal stuff could easily be done on a phone. Sadly phones don’t have such great lifespans even though the good ones cost as much as a decent PC 🙂
My daughter, who does a lot of film work, recently bought herself a very powerful, custom made computer (which cost a fraction of the price you quoted for the “cheese grater”). It was a real buzz to see the look on her face when she rendered one of her movies in mere minutes rather than the many hours it took on her previous machine. I am sure you will have a similar experience when you win the Mac Pro Mark, so good luck mate.
Yes, I am disappointed in the escalating costs of phones. For sure they are mini-computers, but the expense is getting significant. At least Apple keeps supporting them with updates for at least 4 generations plus.
I have heard of many people building their own for much cheaper. Not sure that is in the cards for me though.
I’ve used a 2012/2013 13″ Mac PowerBook (Intel i5 (2 core) CPU & 4GB mem) for the last several years. It was especially useful while we were traveling and it’s been a good dependable laptop, still is. But now that we’re not traveling I wanted something more powerful and with a larger screen. I ended up purchasing one of the new Apple Mac Mini’s with a 3.2Ghz Intel i7 (6 core) CPU and 16GM mem and an internal SSD. It also has the latest fast thunderbolt and USB C ports for external storage. I also purchased a 27″ third party 4K monitor. I’m pleased with this setup. The only weak point, especially for video, would be that it uses a built-in Intel GPU but I’ve seen external GPU’s now starting in the $500 range. For me personally, this was the best budget bang-for-the-buck, especially since I really don’t need a “professional” workstation setup. I’m also too old with too many years in the ‘Apple Camp’ to switch to Windoze now. 🙂
I love that drone photo of the autumn colors, Mark. And it’s wonderful to read a post from you again! I hope you have a great weekend. Stay warm!
That’s interesting Earl. I was wondering about the internal graphics. Is it just slow for video? What about otherwise?
I believe its limitations would come when dealing with applications which require moving mega graphic bits such as video editing and gaming but I’m not certain how slow it would be, Mark. I don’t have an external GPU and I have no issue with editing large photo files or viewing 4K videos or youtube videos. I’ve only tried a little light video editing with Apple’s Movie app and was able to do so.
Good to know someone personally with experience with the Mini. It is definitely on my short list of possibilities. I did play with the configuration tool and even the Mini starts to get expensive when you start loading it up with RAM. Since I have 28 GB now, I figured I would want at least that much with whatever I upgrade to. Then I would have to look for monitors I suppose. I just hate ditching this Apple Cinema display though, maybe I could configure it as a second, even if it is the old DVI config for interface.
For what it’s worth, I’ve read the RAM on the new Mini is user-upgradable as there is panel access on the bottom. So it might be cheaper to find quality non-Apple RAM. Just a thought.
My computer is pretty old as well but still does the trick too. A Windows machine. I have an old laptop as well but thinking about replacing it with a Surface Pro or Surface Book. I haven’t entered the mobile cloud based photo world yet and don’t exactly know how it all works but the idea of being away and being able to rate, keyword etc and then merge what I’ve done with my home based big catalog is appealing. Though I love using my desktop and don’t think anything mobile will ever replace it for serious final edits.
I am much the same way, preferring to work at a larger monitor.
And calibrated.
I hope you’ll win! I’d take a free one, but I’m typing this on a 2017 mac book pro and it is junk. It really is. It is my third mac. The first one was wonderful and just wore out. The second met with an accident, which propelled me into the store for this one. I would never have bought it if I’d known how poorly it would perform. The keyboard is very poor~at any given time several letters don’t work. It is so bad that I invested in a separate keyboard that more closely matches their keyboards of old. If you want to upload images from a flash drive, you have to buy a separate cable adaptor thingy. I think they are addressing some of these things with the new one, but as you said, at staggering cost. And to add insult to injury, they treat me like a cranky old lady who doesn’t know what she’s talking about when I go into the store! I mean, I kind of am. But I look to them to be able to explain what is going on and make it right, considering how much this thing cost. They only get testy with me and insist the product is perfect. I cannot honestly say I’d ever buy another apple product. My other complaints are with Safari so that doesn’t really apply. I plan to struggle on with this piece of garbage for awhile and then I don’t know~switch to another brand and learn to use microsoft???
All that said, it is good to see you here again. I’ve been wondering how you are.
Oh no! That’s horrible Melissa – sorry to read that. I do indeed wonder if they are losing their edge because they have grown so big, and so “diversified.” My Mac’s are perhaps from the golden years which is why they have lasted so long. I have read about some of the keyboard issues – and that they were fixed in recent models. No excuse for not fixing the old ones though! Anyway, sorry to touch a nerve, I know all too well Apple is not perfect. A minor point compared to a laptop going bad – but I had bought one of the original Apple Pencils a couple years ago. I used it a little, it sat around for perhaps the last 6 months. I went to try to charge it again and it was dead. Long story short – they basically told me it was out of warranty and I would have to buy a new one. A $100 pencil that is basically a paperweight now. Quite disappointing for tech that is only a couple years old and as simple as a “pencil.”