mac processor advice
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  1. #1
    Tech Convert TheRealCasewag's Avatar
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    Default mac processor advice

    Hey, all
    I'm extremely anxious to get a mac dedicated for dj use.

    I know most people aren't using machines with Core Duos anymore...but I know a guy who is willing to sell me his old macbook pro for pretty cheap. It's a few years old, but in excellent shape...here are the specs:
    2.0GHz Core Duo
    Mac OS X 10.4, Tiger
    320G HD
    2G Ram

    Is it worth buying this just to be used with Traktor Pro? Or should I drop the extra money to go with a newer Core 2 Duo machine? Can i still rock a long ass set with these specs and use hella effects & 4 decks? Assuming that I "streamline" this machine just for dj use as recommended by mikecharles @ DJTT...

    Thanks for advice, Mac users!
    Last edited by TheRealCasewag; 08-23-2009 at 11:09 AM.

  2. #2

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    if the price is good, i'd go for it.

    i'm running 2.4ghz/2gb ram with no hiccups/crashes while running multiple DAWs (Traktor + Ableton + Nicecast - could even add Logic to the mix). not sure what difference the 400mhz will make, but i can imagine it's not much.

    if you bought a new one it would probably be a unibody, and i haven't heard great things about them (not enough ports, if the screen cracks you have to replace the entire machine, etc).

    good luck!
    soundcloud.com/hpntk / soundcloud.com/freakstep
    freakstep.com / thefreakbeat.com
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    Quote Originally Posted by JesterNZDJ
    My solution: Pay some one to whack them so you don't have any competition

  3. #3
    Tech Convert TheRealCasewag's Avatar
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    yeah i've heard of macbook users doing great with djing on 2.0Ghz processors, but theyre all using core TWO duos...

  4. #4

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    it's just a name, honestly. they repackage it and sell it as a much better processor with a heftier price tag.

    Quote Originally Posted by http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/8263
    The chips are built using the same production process and fit in the same sockets as Core Duo chips. ... you won't see many spec changes: Both chips have the same frontside bus speed of 667MHz, but Core 2 Duo is now available at somewhat faster clock speeds (as I write this, 2.67GHz chips are available) ... The Core 2 also has the same L2 cache that the Core has. However, there are architecture changes to the silicon that give the Core 2 more sophisticated processing abilities.
    so yeah. if you want the "more sophisticated" processing abilities.. :P

    edit:

    also from that link:

    "Performance is still very good with Core, so don't feel like you're getting second-class goods if you buy a Core Duo notebook"
    soundcloud.com/hpntk / soundcloud.com/freakstep
    freakstep.com / thefreakbeat.com
    me on beatport / me on djtunes
    Quote Originally Posted by JesterNZDJ
    My solution: Pay some one to whack them so you don't have any competition

  5. #5
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    afaik the original core duo only went to 2.33 ghz .. so you might be running a core 2 duo and not a core duo (talk about confusing names). aside from the processor differences, todays macbooks (unibody or not) also run with a much much faster embedded graphic card. they also have a bit more L2 cache. i havent been following things in the entire cpu area enough to really tell the performance difference.

    but this is technology from 3 years ago. so not ancient, but i would expect a very nice deal on this if i were to buy it. upping the memory to 4GB might also give the system a nice boost.
    Traktor Pro 2.5.0, Mixxx 1.9.1, Massive, Ableton Live 8
    MBP 15" 8GB RAM OS 10.7.4, Audio Kontrol 1, Audio 2 DJ, Sennheiser HD-25 II
    DJTT VCI-100SE Arcade, Akai LDP8, M-Audio Pro Keystation 88, Novation Launchpad, iTM DJ
    ifnotwhynot.me | soundcloud.com | fairtilizer.com | digitaldj planet | digitaldj music

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by lsmith View Post
    afaik the original core duo only went to 2.33 ghz .. so you might be running a core 2 duo and not a core duo
    i am running a 2 duo
    soundcloud.com/hpntk / soundcloud.com/freakstep
    freakstep.com / thefreakbeat.com
    me on beatport / me on djtunes
    Quote Originally Posted by JesterNZDJ
    My solution: Pay some one to whack them so you don't have any competition

  7. #7
    DJTT Dominator JesC's Avatar
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    dont trip, get the mac, its a core duo you can only go up to 3 gb (2 gb + 1 gb stick) Man, Im still trying to get my hands on a old school 17" Powerbook 1.67 ghz G4, those things are a work horse, but are hard to come by.
    Controllerist: Think different | SoundCloud | MixCloud | Twitter |

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by djhipnotikk View Post
    it's just a name, honestly. they repackage it and sell it as a much better processor with a heftier price tag.
    well that was the case with the original core 2 duo, but the current models do have more L2 cache, they also use energy etc .. but yeah .. its not too big a deal and so i after some more reading, it does seem like the biggest difference will be on the graphic card, but that shouldnt matter unless you are VJing.
    Traktor Pro 2.5.0, Mixxx 1.9.1, Massive, Ableton Live 8
    MBP 15" 8GB RAM OS 10.7.4, Audio Kontrol 1, Audio 2 DJ, Sennheiser HD-25 II
    DJTT VCI-100SE Arcade, Akai LDP8, M-Audio Pro Keystation 88, Novation Launchpad, iTM DJ
    ifnotwhynot.me | soundcloud.com | fairtilizer.com | digitaldj planet | digitaldj music

  9. #9
    Tech Wizard metaverse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JesC View Post
    dont trip, get the mac, its a core duo you can only go up to 3 gb (2 gb + 1 gb stick) Man, Im still trying to get my hands on a old school 17" Powerbook 1.67 ghz G4, those things are a work horse, but are hard to come by.
    What would be the main use for one of these ?? Are you trying to get your hands on one of those just because they'd be cheap since they're older or something ?? I dont fully understand the logic behind this other than the big screen
    All we ever have is now ...

  10. #10

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    Its a subtle point that only a gear head would really care about, but, core 2 duo's are internally 64-bit, and have some problems that core 2 had with cache invalidation fixed and that's a good thing because it was causing some "wastage" on the front-side bus in particular.

    Check out the store, you can score an aluminum macbook 13" for 899$:

    http://store.apple.com/us/browse/hom...ac?mco=MTE3NjY

    ...and you can even get the brandy-new gen with SD-slot for 1299$.

    To me, bus speed seems to have been the amazing factor over my mac experience. I had a PB17 with 100MHz and it was cool for somethings, doggy for video/sound/photoshop. Next was macbook (core solo), macbook (core duo) and now a MBP17 2.4. There was a HUGE jump going from PB17->Macbook(solo) that was astounding...and then another pretty damned big jump from the Macbook(duo) to this awesome MBP17. I bought the MBP model that is immediately pre-unibody, with 4Gig for 1800$ off the refurb store, and man, that's pretty damned elite.

    I am a programmer, a power user, and a total idiot all in one, and so I have a lot of programs running...and never any troubles...its amazing, suspicious, and I'm waiting for the hammer to fall, but it hasn't.

    I heartily recommend the refurb machines all the way.

    G.

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