recommended Mac Pro resellers

About 20 miles north of the middle of no where... north central Arkansas... about 45 minutes from any population and about 2 hours from an Apple store.

Most of my shopping is done via the internet.

Thanks for feedback.

Unfortunately, I had already checked OWC.

They currently have no 2010 8 core Mac PROs in stock.

The three resellers listed above all some available.

I'm just not certain if any of them are decent to work with.

Correction... they have no 2010 8 core Mac Pro's with Westmere processors.

hatter, or The hatter (not sure of typical usage)

Thanks for comments.

I understand some but not all.

If you are willing, perhaps more about my objective would help provide more insight...

I have had an iMac7,1 (2.8 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo) for some time. I've upgraded to OS 10.6.8. I'm semi-retired but still consulting. Have recently developed more problems with accessing business client's internet sites. Their sites were built with various Microsoft tools. Have tried all web browsers Snow Leopard can run and Microsoft lists as compatible with systems I'm trying to access. Unfortunately none of these solutions are fully functional. Expect waiting for Microsoft (or others) to fix compatibility problems will be fruitless.

Based on discussions with several others, it seems a dual boot Mac may offer a solution to these and other issues. I'm thinking of setting up dual boot operating systems including Snow Leopard (for continued use of existing 32 bit software) and a newer OS (Mountain Lion or Mavericks) to use newer and more compatible applications/browsers when needed. (Other people are accessing same client systems with their more current Macs... this kind of dual boot setup should allow me to do the same, without giving up or being forced to replace a variety of software that works fine for me.)

Choosing the right/best hardware solution, system configuration and software to accomplish this will be a bit of a stretch for me. (While I consider myself at least some what computer savvy, I have not done any of this before.)

Based on advise from friends and research to date, I think I may want a Mac PRO with mid 2010 Westmere processor(s).

Focus to-date has been on an 8 core, dual processor configuration but I'm open to considering other options.

I am not certain about single vs. dual processors.

While I don't expect to need a lot of processing power/speed, I would like to aim for 8-10 years of use from what I buy next.

I use iWork and OpenOffice for business applications. I have a library of digital photos and use Photoshop Elements for editing. I also have a digital music library and use iTunes for storage and playback. I'm also beginning to try my hand at limited video editing/creation.

ALL data files are stored on a Synology, network attached RAID server.

I'm anticipating setting up a new Mac with two hard drives. One drive for Snow Leopard OS and all 32 bit software, and one drive for more current OS and all 64 bit software. All data will continue to be stored on my RAID NAS.

If I can understand and purchase an appropriate configuration for my needs, I may be able to avoid the challenge (and potential pitfalls) of trying to customize a system myself.

Any other thoughts/suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks for your insights. They are much appreciated.

I'm reasonably well aligned with your comments about windows. However, over the years I've become much more negative about microsoft and would prefer to not use any of their products, if possible. OpenOffice has met my needs for business apps for several years. (I don't do any thing very involved with spreadsheets so it meets my needs in this area.)

We have used Quicken for many years but recently I've become more disenchanted with some of their business decisions as well. I think we have managed to migrate off of Quicken by using a combination of Ace Money (for check book register management) and our bank's online system for (electronic bill paying and reports). I'm cautiously optimistic this approach may prove satisfactory and allow us to avoid the periodic upgrade demands from Intuit (as well as avoid some other limitations I've encountered with Quicken).

We do have a windows 7 laptop and can use this when I feel a need to use anything from microsoft. I'm hoping this will allow me to keep my Mac "pure".

I have also been enamored of the higher speed 6 core Mac alternatives. Although, some friends claim a dual processor setup might pay dividends for data transfer... and be especially useful should I ever want to use software that is really designed to take advantage of multiple processors. This is actually my biggest quandary... faster single (6 core) processor vs. a bit slower dual (8 core) processor. I think I understand that a single processor would be easier for me to upgrade and customize but, I'm not sure how much of this I'm likely to ever undertake. I'm also a bit uncertain whether or how much I might ever use software built to take advantage of multiple processors. (So, I'm a bit stuck... and trying to think through which option might make the most sense for me. Perhaps I'll find something in one of the locations you've suggested looking. Or, you may have already provided what I need, once I think about it more and let it sink in.)

I appreciate your recommendations for places to hang out and topics to look for... I will follow this advice. Although I feel some motivation to make a decision soon... to overcome access/compatibility issues when accessing my client's sites. (My wife uses our windows 7 laptop so it's not always convenient for me to make use of this solution. A more complete solution is needed for my own purposes.)

Thanks again.

The more I reflect on it, I'm quite intrigued about running Mavericks (with Snow Leopard in a Virtual Machine)... and using a fast Solid State drive. This seems to have multiple advantages.

Any thoughts on how best to segregate 32/64 bit software and data files if doing this?

I will be looking through other support forums and discussing this with others as well. If all else can be worked out, I think I like this idea.

I wound up ordering a refurbished, current 4 core Mac PRO. The price was nice, it should definitely give me greater useful life. Expect I'll keep the old iMac for a while until I grow into the new Mac and get comfortable with it. Will consider running Snow Leopard in VM down the road. If I can find suitable 64 bit replacements for the things I want, this may not be necessary. At least I'll have the time to figure it out. Thanks for all the advice/insights.