Mac Pro Question?

[MattDougherty]

Heyo,

In the process of updating my home rig...coming from a Macbook 4,1 so I know either way I go will be a nice upgrade. I was wondering if anyone on here has any experience or advice regarding which Mac Pro to take. I'm considering the following:

Early 2008 2.8GHz 8-Core with 4GB RAM (3,1) for about $1000.

Early 2009 2.26GHz 8-Core with 16GB RAM (4,1) for about $1,600.

I'm leaning towards the newer one BUT am quite conflicted b/c all the research I've done and opinions I've found are quite divided as far as what matters more, RAM, clock speed, cores, future upgradability, etc... If the practical difference between the two is negligible I'm inclined to go with the cheaper model, but since this will also be my only computer (my personal computer), I don't want something that's going to have a hard time staying current with my iPhone, new OS's, etc....I'm torn! Any insight greatly appreciated!!!

-Matt