ITS is responsible for evaluating and making recommendations to the campus community regarding computer hardware purchases.
For the last several years, we have kept a close eye on the Apple Computer ‘tower’ systems. The introduction of the Mac Pro in 2006 signified a major shift in the target market for Apple’s tower model. The Mac Pro is promoted as a "workstation" class machine. It is very high-end and robust, with far more computing power than most faculty and staff machines require. It is also expensive - $2,149 without a monitor compared to the standard all-in-one Apple iMac, Apple’s desktop computer, which has a 20" LCD display built-in – at $1,239.
For these reasons, the Mac Pro is being removed from the ITS GetIT catalog for new purchases. New Mac Pros can still be purchased as a custom purchase if a department requests it. Please contact Irene Scott, iscott@ithaca.edu or 4-1467 for more details.
If you currently have an Apple tower, it will be replaced during Technology Renewal with a Mac Pro; however, we encourage you to consider switching to the iMac. If you have never seen an iMac, stop by the Educational Purchase Program display in the ITS Main Office, 102 Muller Center.
