Apple Tells Reseller New Mac Pro Is Arriving in Spring 2013

MagnumOP said:

Rack mountable would be awesome.

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+1. I could picture an entire line of Mac Pro components: modular 2u racks hooked up via Thunderbolt, with the main CPU "Mac Pro" having just enough space for an SSD pair. The main unit would be packaged in vertical rack-adapter "stand" or with detachable ears.

I can only dream...

Lesser Evets said:

I'd guess the "smaller/thinner" rumors are probably true. It HAS to have USB3/SATA3/TB/etc, or it is a huge joke.

More interesting, now, is what kind of chips and what is the outlook for future processor upgrades. I have the suspicion this rung of processors might quickly (within a year) be superseded by something much better, but we'll have to wait and see.



I think it is more likely for a WWDC release, but perhaps not--due to the EU problem. It could be out before June.

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Unless Apple wants it to be obsolete the second after it's released, we won't see it til June.

Mmmm.

The top-end iMac is such a powerful machine that the new Mac Pro has to be something *really* special to compete.

Here's my suggestion:

Top end:
Motherboard - Quad processor Supermicro board - something like this

- Quad Xeons
- Up to 1TB of RAM
- 32 x RAM slots
- Dual onboard 10GB-T ethernet
- 8x SAS2 (6gb/s) ports (compatible with SATA3 drives)
- the usual assortment of SATA3, USB3 ports

Case:
- 6x 3.5'' HDD slots
- 6x 2.5" HDD slots

Low end: Half the specs of above but still with all the HDD slots.

Only problem with the above board is relatively few card slots, and no on-board thunderbolt. So Apple might go with a slightly different board with more slots & provide Thunderbolt via an Intel add-on card.

Rampage Dev said:

For people who can not read the Thunderbolt standard from Intel:

You need a IGPU for Thunderbolt pass though and Intel has made it clear if this is not done then thunderbolt will not be permitted on that system. Thus the new Mac Pro will not have Thunderbolt. Intel has expressed no willingness to change this.

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There's no reason not to have integrated graphics on a Mac Pro.

It's cheap. If you need graphics power and use a discrete card instead, it cost you almost nothing.

It works. There are plenty of Mac Pro's (not all, but plenty) where people need the raw CPU power and don't care about graphics performance at all, and the integrated graphics does the job for them. And there are some people that need even more CPU power and they buy high-end graphics cards to do their calculations, not for graphics - again, integrated graphics runs your monitors just fine.

So, summing up what's being asked for in this thread:
- New design badly needed.
- No changes to design, existing design is perfect.
- Smaller, thinner.
- Same size, it's a workstation that needs to be big.

Problem is, there are at least 2 distinct groups clamouring for a new MP, people who need a big, expandable workstation; and others (largely gamers) who just want a relatively compact tower where at least the GPU, if not the storage, is upgradable. I can't imagine Apple will release a mini-tower and a new tower, so most likely we'll just see a redesigned, possibly marginally smaller tower enclosure.

bbeagle said:

The earth revolves around the sun differently in Ireland?

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Well they do spend 90% of their time in the pub. The Irish never have been very accurate with things. Even in the UK and Ireland spring starts 21st March.

So it'll be released just after WDC in a silent update to the website.

I'd be disappointed if it had less than three internal drive bays. If they have 1-2, and tell you to rely on Thunderbolt, it would be disappointing since Thunderbolt peripherals are scarce and pricey.

My MacPro 1,1 is now sleeping in a corner. I purchased a 2012 Mac Mini with an SSD, and have 4 external 3TB drives in NewerTech enclosures (USB3). Yes, I gave up a separate video card and internal expansion, but it's running iPhoto, Aperture and iMovie very well, reads the photo and video files from one of the USB3 drives incredibly fast and meets all my needs. For the cost, I figured I can always upgrade it in 2 years and it would still be less than the MacPro. The MacPro was large and put off a great deal of heat. Besides, I needed to make a move, so I punted on the new MacPro. Perhaps I'll go back one day, but my set-up is working fine right now.

I am looking forward to seeing the new MacPro and I hope it's all we dream it will be ... powerful and expandable.

kjs862 said:

I really wish apple would make something like the iMac but without the screen.

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Introducing the new Mac Pro:

Hopefully with a new Thunderbolt Display with matte option (even if more expensive) to avid glare, reflections, headaches and sore eyes. It is a serious health and productivity issue!

RedTomato said:

- Up to 1TB of RAM

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If Apple released one of those, I'd max that out in the BTO store, just to see the price. I've never seen that many zeroes.

How we know this isn't a slight design change to meet the EU regulations the current one fails?

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I'm more inclined to believe that it will be the same Mac Pro, with hand guards installed on the internal fans for EU customers.

Apple has shamefully let the machine languish for SO long now (for no valid reason) that it is just much easier (and safer) to remain pessimistic.

G4DP said:

Well they do spend 90% of their time in the pub. The Irish never have been very accurate with things. Even in the UK and Ireland spring starts 21st March.

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Not always, for some here it's as Feb-Apr, so that the solstices are mid-winter and mid-summer. If "Spring" was quoted from Apple, I've no doubt it's the US Spring; if that was from the French reseller, then whenever French Spring begins.

I'm a bit dubious about the rumour, Sales/Retail were always the last to know about upcoming models - for good reason. They're paid to hype/sell products, not keep them secret. If Apple is 'doubling down' on secrecy, they would never leak this info to a reseller.

I would normally welcome a refresh of the Mac Pro just to silence the vocal minority who want one. I am afraid that it will only be replaced by different complaints. "It's not as serviceable! Where's e disc drive?! It's not enough of an upgrade!"

Cougarcat said:

As I see it, there are two possibilities if this rumor is true:

1. Haswell Mac Pro released at WWDC
2. Compliance update in March/April, full redesign with Haswell in the fall (Cook did say they had something planned for the end of this year.)

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Does Intel even have a timetable for Haswell Xeons yet? I doubt we'll see those processors before 2015.

Hopefully with numeric keyboard with USB 3 hub.

!! Great Job

MacRumorUser said:

Guessed as much. We have had no lay offs from the factory / assembly in Cork where most of the macpros in Europe are assembled, so it seemed logical that Apple would have a new macpro to replace the one they have to stop selling, otherwise their would have been job lay-offs.

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I have a Mac Pro 2009 Nehalem 2.93 GHz x 2, 2.6 TB in 3 drives, 12 GB RAM. At the two-year mark I plopped in a Radeon 5870 Mac Version to replace the stock 4870.

The system was assembled and given a 1-week QA burn-in in Cork before being delivered to me in Jerusalem. Has run without a hitch since then. Great machine, and great job by you lads in Cork!

For the love of everyone out there waiting for a Mac Pro refresh(I know there's a lot on here). I hope it's true!

kjs862 said:

I really wish apple would make something like the iMac but without the screen.

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you mean a large rectangular piece of aluminium on a stand or just an open front so that you can get to the components?

TimUSCA said:

What exactly do you have in mind? That would be the Mac mini, frankly.

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No.

Mini has a notebook processor, iMac has a desktop processor. Mini has integrated graphics. iMac has discrete graphics.

That's a pretty significant difference.

What most of us want is a mac pro that provides expandability options, but doesn't necessarily have the expensive Xeon processors and ECC memory.

Maybe just a scaled down version of the current mac pro.

How much will be the base model Mac Pro?

Will it come with software bundles, such as "Final Cut trial version"?

Buckeyestar said:

I would normally welcome a refresh of the Mac Pro just to silence the vocal minority who want one. I am afraid that it will only be replaced by different complaints. "It's not as serviceable! Where's e disc drive?! It's not enough of an upgrade!"

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I seriously doubt they will get rid of the disc drive. The people here who want a MP appear to be a minority but MacRumors is not a utopia and people do not always find their way online to express their needs and wants. What you see here is in no way shape or form indicative of the entire public. As such, while the number of people who need/want a MP may be less than those who want/need an iMac, there is clearly still a market for the machine.

The MP, if released without an optical and no longer user serviceable as all other models have been, will be a giant over-priced flop; if that were to happen. At that point I would simply buy an iMac and save a penny or 10.

mouser45 said:

With the current trends of things here's what to expect:

1. 30% thinner design

2. non-upgradable parts

3. 40% less packaging (for the environment, man)



Missing anything?

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Did you mention it'll be thinner? And lighter?

Oh I almost forgot, it'll also be thinner.

macrumoruser said:

i suspect instead of the late march announcment of ipads - since they seem to be moved to fall, we will get a mighty march where apple will be big on mac.

Previews of 10.9

new mac pro announcement.

Iworks revamped radically

new final cut x.5 / xi

new aperture

new logic pro

all the apple software is in need of major updates. If apple can storm us with a strong message this march it would certainly fill the void of ipads with something we are all in need of far more than another new idevice.

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+1

Cougarcat said:

The Mac mini has no PCI slots.

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Neither does the iMac.

maflynn said:

Will it be a complete refresh or just a new chipset? Only time will tell.

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Tim Cook is quoted as saying "we are working on something really great" for pro users. It doesn't take a whole lot of work to pop in a new chipset. Also that would hardly be really great, and you can't fool pro users like consumer users. Huge shark jump if it were just a new chip set so I'm betting the entire pot on something completely new... new case, new guts. It will be as innovative and fresh as the Mac G3 blue and white. A pro Mac for the 21st century.