Intel Chip Delays Suggest No New Mac Pro Until at Least Early 2012

[hayesk]

It's hard to believe they won't update the Mac Pro with Thunderbolt (at least) before then. It would seem to be the one Mac model where it's most needed; for graphics/video professionals with high storage/bandwidth requirements.

Can you imagine the whining if Apple did that?

"That's it - a measily Thunderbolt port!"

And then there'd be the whining when Apple updates it in a few months with new CPUs. "How dare they? The just updated the Mac Pros! I thought I'd have the newest one for longer than that!"

----------

Apple's back burner. While it's true that this delay is Intel's fault, I think it's pretty clear that Apple isn't very interested in the Mac Pro market anymore. They've essentially killed or "consumerized" all of their other professional-oriented stuff.

You have a very narrow opinion on what a professional is.

 

[oiuh151]

Apple's back burner. While it's true that this delay is Intel's fault, I think it's pretty clear that Apple isn't very interested in the Mac Pro market anymore. They've essentially killed or "consumerized" all of their other professional-oriented stuff.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/13681836/

Keep dreaming

Keep dreaming? If AMD's 7000 series is out before Intel's new CPU's then it will be incredibly likely that Apple will use the 7000 series as they will continue to update their other machines to the 7000 series later in the year.

 

[scottwaugh]

Ridiculous how bad they need to update their Pro's!!

How long am I supposed to wait for a decent lineup at apple prices before I just say ****** it and switch to PC.

Seems like they are ditching us Pro's and becoming an appliance company

Like other's have pointed out, this is Intel's delay not Apple's. However, I wouldn't be betting on another rev of the Mac Pro after this next one.

All that said the direction of the company from a hardware and definitely software direction changed dramatically after the iPhone. They changed with a definitive focus towards consumer's (and it was a good choice business wise).

Here's their Pro website, their focus on Professionals leading people into Macs died quite a while ago:

http://www.apple.com/pro/

 

[anubis]

Apple needs to ditch the Xeon. Updates from Intel on these processors are becoming fewer and farther between. I would LOVE it if Apple instead just offered the higher end Core i7's in a Mac Pro form factor. It may share similar processors as the iMac but would distinguish itself by offering higher-end graphics cards, expandability, etc. The price would go down and updates would come more frequently. Apple could still offer a Xeon-based Mac Pro (maybe a "Mac Pro Server"?) for those who absolutely must have Xeon, but then everyone else wouldn't have to wait 2 years for an update.

 

[Kissaragi]

Just some new graphics cards would be nice in the mean time. Maybe a GHZ bump too, the price of the Xeons must have dropped since launch surely?

 

[osx11]

Why do people get so upset when they hear a mac pro delay?

These machines use state of the art processors that are difficult to find in any other consumer products. Hence, these computers are extremely fast and do not require a refresh every six months.

What's the complaining? Is it not fast enough?

Apple's mainstream products focus on usability and aesthetics, which is why they get updated so often. The Mac Pro is a processing machine - nothing else. It provides superb processing power using chips that are neither mainstream nor updated very often.

Deal with it.

 

[mwayne85]

As others have already mentioned, it's not Apple's fault that the Xeons are not available yet. I understand people's frustrations, but the negative comments towards Apple are pretty unnecessary.

 

[dagamer34]

Apple needs to ditch the Xeon. Updates from Intel on these processors are becoming fewer and farther between. I would LOVE it if Apple instead just offered the higher end Core i7's in a Mac Pro form factor. It may share similar processors as the iMac but would distinguish itself by offering higher-end graphics cards, expandability, etc. The price would go down and updates would come more frequently. Apple could still offer a Xeon-based Mac Pro (maybe a "Mac Pro Server"?) for those who absolutely must have Xeon, but then everyone else wouldn't have to wait 2 years for an update.

Mac Pros use server CPUs because they have the most cores, which video editing takes advantage of almost perfectly. Apple's not going to step down from offering a 12-core max option to an 8-core one just because of a delay from Intel.

 

[longofest]

You have a very narrow opinion on what a professional is.

Final Cut Server: Discontinued without a replacement.
Shake: Discontinued without a replacement.
Final Cut Pro X: I'm not even going to start...
XServe: Discontinued without a REAL replacement (no, a Mac Mini or Mac Pro does not count as a server).
Mac OS X Server: Apple has never truly invested in it

To add to that, Apple is doing everything it can to piss off Adobe. Now, before people blast me for that one, let me say that much of Apple's sparing with Adobe is legitimate, but it still behoves Apple to be on good terms with Adobe if they want to cater to a professional audience.

Apple's MacBook Pro is an excellent mobile workstation for professionals... I will give that. However I'm not sure that's enough to say that Apple actually cares about the professional market, as plenty of consumers buy MacBook Pros.

 

[ericmooreart]

Certainly the Mac Pro sells less units than the others, but I can't imagine they did Final Cut Pro X with the expectation that movie editors would use iMacs..

iMacs are pretty fast. Fast enough for FCPX. Unfortunately movie editors don't use FCPX

 

[robvas]

Are there going to be new Xeons with Ivy Bridge? They reported yesterday that Ivy Bridge chips were in production and would be out Q4 2011

Maybe they'll skip this revision of Sandy Bridge?

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Apple needs to ditch the Xeon. Updates from Intel on these processors are becoming fewer and farther between. I would LOVE it if Apple instead just offered the higher end Core i7's in a Mac Pro form factor. It may share similar processors as the iMac but would distinguish itself by offering higher-end graphics cards, expandability, etc. The price would go down and updates would come more frequently. Apple could still offer a Xeon-based Mac Pro (maybe a "Mac Pro Server"?) for those who absolutely must have Xeon, but then everyone else wouldn't have to wait 2 years for an update.

You can't run dual Core i7's!

 

[longofest]

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/13681836/

Keep dreaming? If AMD's 7000 series is out before Intel's new CPU's then it will be incredibly likely that Apple will use the 7000 series as they will continue to update their other machines to the 7000 series later in the year.

Never said that Apple would discontinue the Mac Pro... just that it is hardly their focus. And yes, I still think it's incredibly, incredibly, incredibly unlikely (like .01% chance) Apple will switch to AMD for CPUs in the current environment.

EDIT: nevermind... you're talking about GPUs, not CPUs. I'm an idiot

 

[macchiato2009]

"we have proof that these part numbers are the new MP with thunderbolt"...

"finally, these were Mac Mini"


ok guys

just check your sources


like you announced iPhone 5 from cap screens from retailers...

 

[oiuh151]

Never said that Apple would discontinue the Mac Pro... just that it is hardly their focus. And yes, I still think it's incredibly, incredibly, incredibly unlikely (like .01% chance) Apple will switch to AMD for CPUs in the current environment.

AMD's CPU's? AMD's 7000 series is their GPU series. I never said anything about Apple switching to AMD CPU's.

 

[314631]

This is bad news for the computer industry. Really bad news.

 

[longofest]

AMD's CPU's? AMD's 7000 series is their GPU series. I never said anything about Apple switching to AMD CPU's.

haha on me. Yeah... Radeon HD 7000 series. Nevermind everything I said regarding AMD.

 

[Jack40]

At least Apple can put Thunderbolt port on actually mac Pro!
It seems that the important thing for Apple is only a computer aesthetically pleasing and not performance that
ensures that the Thunderbolt connection that would benefit a lots professional users.
Who knows! At this point it is better Linux or Windows!

 

[O and A]

Can't you read? Apple (and every other company) is waiting on Intel.

Whineboys are worse than Fanboys...

Sorry but every other company is not waiting on intel.

Apple hasn't released an updated mac pro in 15 months. No other PC manufacturer has done this.

 

[chrmjenkins]

The positive side of this is it gives Jonny Ives more time to redesign the MacPro.

Doesn't need it. Case designers look to it as the pinnacle of case design. I've spoke with the head case designer behind Corsair's cases (and they make beautiful aluminum cases) and he speaks very highly of the chassis that Apple uses for the Mac Pro and comments on how its not economical to do a design like that unless you are going to make high volume like Apple does.

 

[Eidorian]

The positive side of this is it gives Jonny Ives more time to redesign the MacPro.

It is fine as it is. I have yet to find another Micro ATX system on the Xeon DP platform.

 

[*LTD*]

Apple's back burner. While it's true that this delay is Intel's fault, I think it's pretty clear that Apple isn't very interested in the Mac Pro market anymore. They've essentially killed or "consumerized" all of their other professional-oriented stuff.

The Prosumer is the new Pro. That is the direction the market is headed. The "pure" Pro segment is as niche as it ever was and is shrinking. More consumers are able to do Pro-level or near Pro-level tasks easier than ever before. That's what Apple is doing: putting more power into the hands of Joe Average and making its use much simpler, and in some cases, automated.

Besides, the current Mac Pros are plenty powerful. The platform is very well-designed and built to last as a long-term investment.

 

[blumpkin]

Good, more time for Apple to work on a redesign iPhone 5.

Oh man this made me LOL.

 

[alent1234]

Sorry but every other company is not waiting on intel.

Apple hasn't released an updated mac pro in 15 months. No other PC manufacturer has done this.

please show us a new dell workstation with these new unlreleased xeon CPU's

my company just bought a HP server with last year's CPU's because Intel hasn't updated their product line up

 

[steveOooo]

Like other's have pointed out, this is Intel's delay not Apple's. However, I wouldn't be betting on another rev of the Mac Pro after this next one.

All that said the direction of the company from a hardware and definitely software direction changed dramatically after the iPhone. They changed with a definitive focus towards consumer's (and it was a good choice business wise).

Here's their Pro website, their focus on Professionals leading people into Macs died quite a while ago:

http://www.apple.com/pro/

Lol looks like the world ended in April 2009 for the pro dept!!!

Hopefully they'll do what Sony / Panasonic do and have two sep departments one pro/broadcast one consumer

 

[shompa]

Apple is all about the mass consumer market these days.

Since Apple and Intel's exclusive CPU deal have ended, Apple should do a FU to Intel. If intel can't deliver Xeon CPUs, put in dual 16 core AMD CPUs.

That would teach Intel a lesson and Apple would have pro products out.

Or Apple spends 4-6 billion and buys AMD. Give AMD their CPU expertise + move manufacturing from the incompetent Global foundries to 28nm TSMC 3D gate design. I know. It won't happen. Apple just care about Android.

Apple also needs to resurrect Xserve/Xraid/Xsan.
Its embarrassing that Apple spends upwards a billion on HP/Microsoft/NetApp stuff.

In a dreamworld: Apple buya Adobe. Optimize it to PPC/ARM with NEON Simd and Apple visual processor.
Apple releases dual quod core ARM 2.5ghz with 64bit.
Non optimized apps would take a performance hit. Optimized apps would have same/better performance then X86. The different would be price. 50 dollar for dual quod core instead of Intels insane 2K with motherboard.

A macpro under 500 dollar.

Cant wait for Nvidias 16 core ARMs next year. If they manage to get a good interconnect between processors we could see some insane systems. Remember that a 2.5ghz quod core ARM draws about 2 Watt. 6Watt full load.
With the same power envelope like X86, they can put 20+ quod cores per Intel.