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Will Apple announce a new Mac Pro on Monday?


  • Total voters
    200
  • Poll closed .

Nightarchaon

macrumors 65816
Sep 1, 2010
1,393
30
I think the problem is poor sales of the Mac Pro in the first place. It obviously wasn't even worth updating in 2012 or continuing European sales. It's just insignificant from a profit perspective, so they have to try something new or can it.

Lol, CAN it.... :D
 

scottsjack

macrumors 68000
Aug 25, 2010
1,906
311
Arizona
Ha Ha. Everybody is right!

A new computer with "Pro" in its name was revealed but it is no more a professional machine than a 13in retina MacBook Pro. Like Yogurt said, "It's all about the marketing".

Frankly I am glad it's over.
 

Tutor

macrumors 65816

Chris,

Now I can build the ultimate 2013 hackintosh, but I can't decide between the unified body approach or the modular 6. Which do you prefer?

P.S. Op, Please reopen the poll - I'd like to vote "No" again because nostalgia doesn't intrigue me and primitives such as cubes, cylinders, and spheres {I hope I'm not giving anyone ideas to make the 2014 Mac Pro look like the early 2000 iMacs} are usually just the basic building blocks for something more organic, and not a cage to stifle user upgrades.
 

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deconstruct60

macrumors G5
Mar 10, 2009
12,219
3,821
So if 4 TB ports is a bonehead design... how about 6? :)

I think this discussion has been overtaken by events.

NeXT/Apple both trotted out a Cube that didn't make it long term.

Proprietary GPU daughtercards.... yeah sure have to go to TB ports but I highly doubt few if any other system vendors are going to go this route. 10 SATA lanes all completely unused here bypassed to make the PCI-e lane consumption even higher with 3 controllers.....

There are no GPU cards with outside edges here. It does demostrate that more TB controller do cause a raise in embedded GPUs. Apple is just saying that is the only choice.

If priced in the traditional Mac Pro zone this may not fly. This set-up isn't likely going to be very cost effective for folks who have 2-3 Display Port monitors and probably as many 2.5" and 3.5" drives.
 

GermanyChris

macrumors 601
Jul 3, 2011
4,185
5
Here
Chris,

Now I can build the ultimate 2013 hackintosh, but I can't decide between the unified body approach or the modular 6. Which do you prefer?

P.S. Op, Please reopen the poll - I'd like to vote "No" again because nostalgia doesn't intrigue me and primitives such as cubes, cylinders, and spheres {I hope I'm not giving anyone ideas to make the 2014 Mac Pro look like the early 2000 iMacs} are usually just the basic building blocks for something more organic, and not a cage to stifle user upgrades.

I much prefer the unified. It's origins in Clermont, KY make it far superior to than the modular of Milwaukee, WI
 

OS X Dude

macrumors 65816
Jun 30, 2007
1,128
611
UK
Well, I was wrong about Logic X - but then this was only officially a 'sneak-peak' at the Pro. I reckon Logic X will be unveiled at the Pro's official unveiling, since it's now arguably taken the place of 'most anticipated pro product from Apple'.
 

theluggage

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2011
7,475
7,313
NeXT/Apple both trotted out a Cube that didn't make it long term.

Not necessarily because they didn't have PCIe (or ISA/NuBus) slots.

The NeXT Cube cost $6500 (in 1988) and came with a Magneto-optical drive instead of a hard drive as standard. The software-only x86 version of NeXTStep failed to take off, either. The Mac Cube suffered manufacturing defects and was also eye-wateringly expensive for what it was. Neither had anything comparable to Thunderbolt for external expansion (the Mac Cube came closest with FireWire).

We don't know what R2D2 is going to cost - my guess is that it will be a big number that rules out the 'something a bit better than a Mini' customer base, but good value for Xeon + 2 x workstation GPUs (like the original Mac Pro was when it launched).

This set-up isn't likely going to be very cost effective for folks who have 2-3 Display Port monitors and probably as many 2.5" and 3.5" drives.

Why? 3 ports to run the monitors, 1 port to run a 4xHD enclosure, 2 spare (plus USB 3) for portable drives... and that's without daisy-chaining anything.

You could sit R2D2 and the drive array on a trolley that took up less space than the current Pro.
 

deconstruct60

macrumors G5
Mar 10, 2009
12,219
3,821
Not necessarily because they didn't have PCIe (or ISA/NuBus) slots.

Has very little to do with presence, or not, of PCIe/AGP/PCI/NuBUS/etc. and far more about getting so caught up in make a super, duper forward looking box that jump significantly past where most targeted users are in adoption.

By the way, the Cube's motherboard didn't have multiple NUBUS slots on it because the motherboard itself was a Nubus card.

http://simson.net/ref/NeXT/byte_article_page_3.htm

The Mac Cube dies even more quickly because it was even more of a "statement" box than actually trying to solve user problems/needs. Expansion wouldn't have saved the Mac Cube.
[ to a much lessor extent the tossing of the Luxo Jr. iMac design. ]



Why? 3 ports to run the monitors, 1 port to run a 4xHD enclosure, 2 spare (plus USB 3) for portable drives... and that's without daisy-chaining anything.

Because the enclosure is probably $350-400 (presuming it isn't a chain dead-ender. so additional DisplayPort infrastructure inside of box that doesn't do any DP otherwise. ). Throw in the cable and it is even more likely around $400.

If the new Mac is priced similar to the old Mac Pro then at a higher price point. It is only if Apple shifts the new one down around $300-400 that it is not more money for the equivalent system.

Sure could cut costs if that drive box is a dead-ender. But if vast majority of TB products sold are dead enders..... Long term prospective for TB are pretty dismal. Condition users so that they buy increasing larger numbers of those kind of TB devices and this "slap some more controller in and soak up PCI-e lanes" approach goes into a positive feedback loop. That is going to cause problems because the competing alternatives do not have such loops.

Those solutions aren't tossing the integrated functionality of the chipset away. As the chipsets incorporate more functionality that loop to tend throw even more away just to rebuy it again and put it in an external box.
 

theluggage

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2011
7,475
7,313
If the new Mac is priced similar to the old Mac Pro then at a higher price point. It is only if Apple shifts the new one down around $300-400 that it is not more money for the equivalent system.

If it really comes with 'dual workstation-class GPUs as standard' then I would very strongly suspect that it is going to be considerably cheaper than a classic Mac Pro with comparable GPUs.
 

spunkgarLEWII

macrumors regular
Jun 1, 2013
100
0
Now that the New Mac Pro has been announced as a preview, what is the use for this thread? Its obvious the Yes's have WON and the NO's have lost.. I think its time to close this thread down..

Here's to the iCan!
 
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