I kinda see what you guys are saying…………

[mostapha]

Ubuntu bugs me a bit just because I don't like its package manager and it installs a lot of extra garbage I don't want or need. And both Unity and Gnome are annoying………then again, I'm quickly becoming one of those dwm assholes. I'd never use it for audio tasks, but for most of the rest of my life, it's awesome………and audio stuff doesn't run on Linux anyway, so it's a moot point.

I'll look into Proxmox. Xen is the one I've read the most about, and it's probably going to win. Well, I guess technically EXSi is the one I've read the most about, but I don't feel like going that route.

I still haven't bought it just because it seems like a waste of a computer……but I can't scale it back and accomplish what I'd want.

[mostapha]

So……apparently the only difference b/t the build I was considering and a similar hackintosh build is that the slightly more expensive motherboard adds 2 thunderbolt ports and it needs a video card…which opens the option for up to 3 monitors and adds about $250 to the cost. It also has more internal SATA.

I'm totally doing this over Christmas. It's going to be a beast……

[lucidstrings]

That i7 3770k is a monster CPU sadly the ones I have built are only for a training room and am far to cheap to jump igo one for home use especially since usually when I build a new desktop I go all out so looking at the i7 3960x married to 64gb of ram which is inline with how I normally build my personal systems...

Spends lots up front and save on not worrying about an upgrade for atleast 5 years. Only downside is I'm now on year 5 and have no issues with what I do.


I recommended doing it based on the hackintosh specs because hackintosh systems run suprisingly well.

I ran on one of my laptops for a bit only issue I had was with my keyboard not wanting to be recognized but was not an issue.. I'm sure if I would of tried could of fixed it but DIdnt try since was just a straight install nothing customized on the install like its recommended.

[mostapha]

I think at this point I just need to decide whether or not I want to try to get the hacked OS X running on top of a bare metal hypervisor……becuase that kind of decides K vs ~K processors for me. Then again, I might just keep using normal VMs.

I'm slightly worried about getting PT to run on it.

Heh……this thing has ridiculously snowballed. It started with "I don't want to have to think about backups and don't mind running sshd, I think I'll get a Raspberry Pi and set up an rsync server."

Then it ballooned to "Man…PC hardware is cheap…what happens if I just build a real computer for it and also use it as a dev box."

Then…"Man…this is really cheap…how much does it cost for ridiculous overkill?"

Then…"man…bare metal virtualization is still a bit wonky with OS X…I wonder if a hackintosh is affordable?"

yeah…they are.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80 92.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($83.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP5 TH ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GT 640 2GB Video Card ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 400W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($45.98 @ Outlet PC)
Other: Mercury Accelsior 120GB (PCIe SSD) ($320.00)
Other: LG E2242 ($0.00)
Other: LG E4442 ($130.00)
Other: Mercury Electra 6G (240GB) (Recording & Samples) ($230.00)
Other: Mercury Electra 6G (240GB) (Media) ($230.00)
Other: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 ($0.00)
Other: G-Tech G-Drive 2TB (backup) (eSATA) ($0.00)
Other: G-Tech G-Drive 2TB (redundant Backup) (USB3) ($0.00)
Other: TP-Link PCI Express Wifi Adapter ($40.00)
Total: $1866.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-05 17:49 EST-0500)

And that's with a PCIe-based boot drive (750MB/s) and a dedicated SSD for Recording/Samples that's separate from the SSD dedicated to normal storage. Oh, and another monitor.

The Apple user in me, as well as the kid who's been goofing off with computers and trying to make them fast since I was like 14, just can't believe a computer like this is under 2k.

[JonathanBlake]

Now THAT is a machine, and that is a steal.

[mostapha]

The thing that's holding me back from just ordering it is that I just plain don't need it. My MBP is running just fine. And, when it eventually dies I'll get another laptop.

I can live without a desktop. I can't live without a laptop.

Ugh………decisions. I'm not actually complaining, but having disposable money is almost more of a PITA than saving for things.

One thing this thought experiment (and potential buy) has proven: I don't think I'll ever buy an Apple computer that's not a Laptop……iMacs and Minis really seem like crap compared to what you can build for less money. But, when it comes to laptops, I still feel like Apple hardware is worth something.

And I do think it's amazing how your life can change your habits so much. I spent the last decade convinced I'd never own another desktop because I don't game. All that's changed is that I moved in with my girlfriend. We don't have cable, so I find no need to be able to do my computing on the couch. And I don't mind sitting around at home so much, so my "studio" doesn't have to fit in the trunk of my car. Then I got a desk. And I got a matte display that's easier to look at than my glare-covered MBP screen.

I'm going to do some experiments with dropbox to see if I can actually deal with changing my folder structure around to keep computers in sync……if I can…this is mighty temping……especially since we're talking about the next place we live having a room I can dedicate to music………

[JonathanBlake]

I can't live without a laptop.
Ugh………decisions.
But, when it comes to laptops, I still feel like Apple hardware is worth something.

Check out the latest ASUS Zenbook - a worthy opponent.

[mostapha]

That ux21a seems like an okay computer except that it drops thunderbolt and only saves $100 compared to the base macbook air unless you buy from ebay……at which point it saves like $200.

Some of the zenbook line take RAM upgrades, but Crucial doesn't have one for the ux21a, which leads me to believe that it uses soldered ram just like the Air.

It looks like a cheap copy that's not actually cheap to me.

Thanks for the suggestion (honestly). I do look at the PC market (quickly) every now and then just to see what's out there……I never find anything that's actually what I want.

My thought process for buying a laptop is much simpler than my thought process for (maybe) buying my first desktop in a decade:

1. Does Apple make a 12"(ish) quad-core with upgradeable ram and at least 1 commodity SSD, preferably 2?
2. Screw it, I'll get another 13" MB or MBP.

When it happens will probably depend on how well this computer is holding up when the new ones come out, since I forgot to buy Apple Care before my warranty expired.

[lucidstrings]

I have a ux31a touch on back order can't wait to give it a go.... Hopefully can mess with it prior to having to passing it on to the field. Usually IMO an ssd will compensate for ram... With that said they have a 15.6 with upgrade able ram and touch but couldn't talk the guy here at work it's for into gettig it since he wants 13.3 plus the ux31 is a beast in a tiny frame hopefully touch adds more to it. The tagchi I think aka the one with a swivel screen looks killer but no release until January from any of my suppliers....


Come on go for the i7-3960x fuck the 3770 peanuts compared to the monster the 3960 is

[mostapha]

13.3" is the largest laptop screen I'd ever buy. I'd get around 12" if I could. Anything bigger isn't a laptop anymore, IMHO.

And SSDs do NOT compensate for RAM. You need both.