2017 iMac Pro will be ready to buy 12/14/17

[Mike Quill]

Hey Jeff,

Thanks so much sharing your thoughts on the new iMac. I was thinking about going with the: 10-core, 128GB, Vega 64, 2TB SSD configuration, but have a couple of questions:

1. Given the link above that indicates we will in fact be able to upgrade RAM at a later time, would I be better off starting out with 64GB and saving a couple grand? I will need the ability to first and foremost edit 6k/8k footage in Premiere, and then occasionally color grade in Davinci and do motion graphics work in After Effects.

2. Can you clarify what the "commercial use restrictions" are when purchasing this machine with an EDU discount? Is there some kind of "lock" on the hardware or something? Thought that just applied to software...

Thanks much,
Mike

 

[Misha Engel]

Hey Jeff,

Thanks so much sharing your thoughts on the new iMac. I was thinking about going with the: 10-core, 128GB, Vega 64, 2TB SSD configuration, but have a couple of questions:

1. Given the link above that indicates we will in fact be able to upgrade RAM at a later time, would I be better off starting out with 64GB and saving a couple grand? I will need the ability to first and foremost edit 6k/8k footage in Premiere, and then occasionally color grade in Davinci and do motion graphics work in After Effects.

2. Can you clarify what the "commercial use restrictions" are when purchasing this machine with an EDU discount? Is there some kind of "lock" on the hardware or something? Thought that just applied to software...

Thanks much,
Mike

AE needs around 3 GB/Thread + the usual 16GB for letting your computer run smooth, so when you're heavy on AE 64GB is a minimum

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Hey Jeff,

Thanks so much sharing your thoughts on the new iMac. I was thinking about going with the: 10-core, 128GB, Vega 64, 2TB SSD configuration, but have a couple of questions:

1. Given the link above that indicates we will in fact be able to upgrade RAM at a later time, would I be better off starting out with 64GB and saving a couple grand? I will need the ability to first and foremost edit 6k/8k footage in Premiere, and then occasionally color grade in Davinci and do motion graphics work in After Effects.

You won’t save any money by getting 64GB now and moving to 128GB later. You can’t just add another 64GB when the time comes, and you wouldn’t want to anyway. Modules need to be matched exactly, especially so with ECC Reg modules. But more to the fact that there are 4 DIMM sockets in the iMac Pro and all 4 will come populated with 16GB modules if you order the 64GB option. 2 years from now when the price on these modules has fallen 25% and you can pick up 128GB from a vendor like OWC or NewEgg for about $2000 and then go through the brain damage of taking the system 80% apart to install them... Will you think you have saved money or time vs. just having the memory in there and able to be used from the start? You’re buying a 10 core machine... To parallel what Misha said, you’re going to want that much anyway. 64GB would be the bare minimum and quite honestly I’ve had 128GB in all my systems with 8 or more cores for the past couple years. 64GB on 8-cores is fine most of the time, but can get a bit dicey on AE or in Resolve with 6K~8K footage. It’s not enough in Fusion or Nuke or others. For certain workflows RAM is not as important, but for what we in this community do it really is. Go with the 128... you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t.

2. Can you clarify what the "commercial use restrictions" are when purchasing this machine with an EDU discount? Is there some kind of "lock" on the hardware or something? Thought that just applied to software...

No locks of any sort. There is just an EULA where you agree to not use the computer for commercial purposes. And even that is vaguely worded. For an individual you qualify for the EDU discount if you have a student in your household that would use the computer (college or college-bound high school if you want to be technically accurate to the EULA). Typically you can also get the same discount as a business customer. Most Apple Stores, or at least those with significant sales, will have a business sales person to talk to. Qualifications differ from one location and sales manager to the next. I think it has to do with the area and sales volume. I used to buy more, but the last couple years I tend to buy 3 or 4 Apple computers per year. I get my 10% discount on the system and anything else I purchase with it. Apple BSRs only work with people in their sales area so you can’t call around to various stores trying to score the best deal or do the “hey so and so referred me over to you, even though you’re two states away and I have my own Apple Store down the street...”. You being in NYC, I’d have no idea how they would handle business sales. But I’d say it’s worth checking into.