My Mac is Fast Enough

Apple, like all computer companies, gets much of its sales from repeat purchasers. Whether individuals or businesses, users renew their computers every few years to replace aging models and keep up with current innovations. As a professional, I have specific needs: I need one Mac that can do pretty much everything, and I need a second Mac for testing, and to be able to run an unmodified version of Mac OS X at times. (But those needs are limited; I don’t use any professional software that would tax any current Mac.) My current setup is a Mac Pro (purchased in September 2006) and a MacBook Air (purchased early 2008). In most cases in the past, this has been about the time that I would replace my main computer (the Mac Pro). But for the first time in the dozen years that I have been a freelancer, my current computer is fast enough, and I have no need to replace it.

Here’s an interesting thing to consider: this is the first time I have been able to use a computer for more than two years. I would usually “hand down” my main computer to my wife or son after two years, when buying a new one, using it if needed as a backup when my new main Mac had problems. Computer speed was playing catch-up for a long time, which meant that after two years, running the latest software was a problem; even for software like word processors. But, for the first time, the computer I use is fast enough. Not only does all software I use run fine, but Mac OS X is as fast as could be. And not only is this Mac fast enough, but there is enough hard disk space (I have four hard disks, with plenty of empty space), I don’t need to change any networking interfaces, and my video card is fast enough (I don’t play games; but if I did, I could change the video card). What could I add to it? Perhaps a Blu-Ray drive, which would be simple (the Mac Pro has two optical drive bays; both are used, but I could replace my SuperDrive). But anything else I need plugs into the Mac pro via USB or FireWire.

So we’ve finally reached the point where computers are fast enough, and people don’t need to upgrade to catch up to their software. With four cores in the Mac Pro, and two in the MacBook Air, I don’t have any situations where I even use all the processor power I have. The only time I see all my processors being used on the Mac Pro is when I convert a lot of music files. I download live concerts in FLAC format, and convert them to AAC using XLD, a free music file conversion tool. Its most recent version has multi-threading, and I choose to use four threads at a time. This is the first time I’ve seen any program that can peak my four cores; even iTunes, when converting files or ripping CDs, only really uses one core at a time.
What this actually means is that developers have not kept up with – or have not need to keep up with – current processors. Remembering that mine is two years old, if only one program I use really takes advantage of all those cores, what I have has been overkill for two years. (It’s possible that high-end audio and video-editing software uses the processors more efficiently; I don’t do that kind of work.) When will developers be able to take advantage of what’s under the hood? Not any time soon, apparently. Some time ago, I read an article (I wish I had bookmarked it) that claimed that only a handful of developers really know how to code for multi-core processors. If an operating system’s kernel can’t exploit the multiple cores efficiently, then there’s very little advantage to even having them. We’ve gotten to the point where computers sold are too fast; you can see this in the lack of attention paid in computer ads to processor speed. If you remember even five years ago, processor speed was the main argument for new computers; not any more.

One possible consideration for buying a new Mac will be when my three-year AppleCare contract runs out. Since I use my computer for my professional activities, I can’t be without a working computer, and I need to have a service contract. Living in a rural area, only AppleCare can help me: the nearest Mac repair center is a 2-3 hour drive. (Fortunately, AppleCare includes on-site repairs; a technician replaced my motherboard after about a year, when the front USB plugs stopped working. He drove the 3 hours to come here and do it in my home.) In addition, accounting rules here in France make me amortize my computer over a three-year period. Not that accounting would make me buy a new computer, but financially it makes sense to buy one every three years.

With this in mind, I’m looking forward to seeing what Apple has for us in about 10-11 months. Will there be a mid-sized tower computer? I don’t know if I need to buy a full-sized tower, though if it means the computer will last for three years, it might be a good deal compared to an all-in-one such as an iMac. In addition, I have a big external monitor, so I don’t need one in an iMac.

Not only do I not need a new Mac right now, but I don’t even have the desire to buy one. As a tech-fan, I like getting new computers, but with no real need apparent, there’s nothing to tempt me. When Apple upgraded the Mac Pro line, they added some more cores, but nothing else of importance.

So, thanks, Apple. You’ve given me a reliable, powerful computer that has already lasted longer than I expected, and should easily see me through another year. This is good for me, but not so good for you. The longer computers last, the fewer people replace their existing Macs. We’ve always known that Macs last longer than PCs, but now we don’t even need to replace them to keep up with computing needs. And, with the economy the way it is, I don’t mind putting off a purchase of a new computer (even if it is a business expense).

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