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Report: Mac Pro To See Redesign
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I've been thinking about and complaining about headless macs for quite a while now, and I've come to the following conclusions:
The premium "mac-tax" i'm willing to pay is about 10-15%. A 20" ACD was $700 when I bought my 20" dell for $395, easy decision. But what I want is a "normal" computer. The equivalent of a mid-high end peecee, single dual/quad processor, 4 memory slots, room for 2-6 HDDs, a few PCIe slots, and the regular connections. Such a Dell would cost around $1500 with high end Conroe, 7600 video, 2 gigs of ram and a 500G HDD. Therefore, tack on a 15% mac tax for OS X and a pretty case, and I'll pay $1725 for it. More than that and I'll use uglier alternatives that do the same job.
It'll suit my needs well, be 85% as fast (or closer, depending on the clock speed) as the mac pro for nearly everything, and will last me nearly as long because I can put in 8 gigs of ram, 2 or more HDDs, a new video card when the original gets dated etc. It will also retire in 7-8 years to make a nice server or similar, which no iMac etc will ever make.
The problem isn't that the 'mac tax' is too high, it's that Apple is correctly pricing the wrong products for most users. The mini isn't expensive for what it is (a very specialized laptop motherboard and processor crammed into a fancy little case with laptop HDD etc), it's expensive for what it does. Apple could make a larger mini with off-the-shelf desktop parts that would outperform the mini for somewhat less, attracting tons of regular computer users who would prefer OS X if not for the high price of the hardware. The mac pro is an even better deal, almost no "mac tax" at all, but unfortunately it's a full blown workstation that's overkill even for some full-time professionals. Apple should make such a high-end option, but a version 90% as capable at 2/3 the cost would surely attract more home users as well as more professionals.
But reality being what it is, I do not see a new desktop model, not even a cheaper, desktop component based mini. What might be possible is a less expensive Mac Pro. A small drop in quad prices when octos are released would be great, but even better would be a 2-tiered mac pro, resembling the structure of G4 and early G5 powermacs. This would necessitate a new motherboard though, which I don't think Apple would do without giving it a new name and enclosure.
Final thought: Perhaps the Mac Pro was just a temporary solution for Apple. They knew CS3 would take a while, and that intel would offer better alternatives to double-price lava-hot ram in the future, so they reused the case and made only 1 tier with some basic processor/graphics alternatives. When CS3 is universal and the creative world stirs from its transition-induced slumber, they'll release a more broad line of Mac Pros, making darn sure they capture every graphics shop, ad agency, photographer, video editor, print house, audio editor and independent artist out there. New case? maybe, but it won't (shouldn't) be smaller or lighter. Options? 2-3 tiers, dual and quad core conroes and xeons, dual processors or single configurations for xeons, regular or buffered ram, more graphics card options, all in the same large quiet attractive case with 4 drive sleds, 2 optical bays etc.
The premium "mac-tax" i'm willing to pay is about 10-15%. A 20" ACD was $700 when I bought my 20" dell for $395, easy decision. But what I want is a "normal" computer. The equivalent of a mid-high end peecee, single dual/quad processor, 4 memory slots, room for 2-6 HDDs, a few PCIe slots, and the regular connections. Such a Dell would cost around $1500 with high end Conroe, 7600 video, 2 gigs of ram and a 500G HDD. Therefore, tack on a 15% mac tax for OS X and a pretty case, and I'll pay $1725 for it. More than that and I'll use uglier alternatives that do the same job.
It'll suit my needs well, be 85% as fast (or closer, depending on the clock speed) as the mac pro for nearly everything, and will last me nearly as long because I can put in 8 gigs of ram, 2 or more HDDs, a new video card when the original gets dated etc. It will also retire in 7-8 years to make a nice server or similar, which no iMac etc will ever make.
The problem isn't that the 'mac tax' is too high, it's that Apple is correctly pricing the wrong products for most users. The mini isn't expensive for what it is (a very specialized laptop motherboard and processor crammed into a fancy little case with laptop HDD etc), it's expensive for what it does. Apple could make a larger mini with off-the-shelf desktop parts that would outperform the mini for somewhat less, attracting tons of regular computer users who would prefer OS X if not for the high price of the hardware. The mac pro is an even better deal, almost no "mac tax" at all, but unfortunately it's a full blown workstation that's overkill even for some full-time professionals. Apple should make such a high-end option, but a version 90% as capable at 2/3 the cost would surely attract more home users as well as more professionals.
But reality being what it is, I do not see a new desktop model, not even a cheaper, desktop component based mini. What might be possible is a less expensive Mac Pro. A small drop in quad prices when octos are released would be great, but even better would be a 2-tiered mac pro, resembling the structure of G4 and early G5 powermacs. This would necessitate a new motherboard though, which I don't think Apple would do without giving it a new name and enclosure.
Final thought: Perhaps the Mac Pro was just a temporary solution for Apple. They knew CS3 would take a while, and that intel would offer better alternatives to double-price lava-hot ram in the future, so they reused the case and made only 1 tier with some basic processor/graphics alternatives. When CS3 is universal and the creative world stirs from its transition-induced slumber, they'll release a more broad line of Mac Pros, making darn sure they capture every graphics shop, ad agency, photographer, video editor, print house, audio editor and independent artist out there. New case? maybe, but it won't (shouldn't) be smaller or lighter. Options? 2-3 tiers, dual and quad core conroes and xeons, dual processors or single configurations for xeons, regular or buffered ram, more graphics card options, all in the same large quiet attractive case with 4 drive sleds, 2 optical bays etc.
I also agree. The whole "Mac tax thing" also assumes equivalent hardware. When there is no equivalent hardware, the tax skyrockets. Let's say I want a 2.66ghz machine with 2gb of RAM with a pair of extra slots to expand to 4gb, twin full size optical drives, a 250 GB hard drive with another bay for a backup, and a higher end 512mb video card. Actually that is the machine I want actually. For $1950 I can get that exact machine from Gateway and that includes things such as a 22" display, 2.1 speaker system, digital TV tuner card, and card reader. To get that level of specifications from Apple I need a Mac Pro which comes in at a whopping $3100 plus another $550 for the things I said above. Yes, I know it has dual CPUs and I can have to 16GB of memory, but I'm just a prosumer with higher end single threaded apps, I'm not running logic or final cut. That second CPU and 12gb of that memory is surplus to my needs. I'm not too thrilled about the latency of the FB-DIMMs on graphics intensive single threaded apps either. 30-40% I'm willing to live with, but at close to 100% any sane person has to ask themselves if Mac OS X is worth the price. Then again I could help Apple out and buy an iMac and not do the things I want to do.
Exactly.
The thing I don't understand, is why the die-hard devoted attack someone anytime they dare to imply that Apple has left a big hole in their product line.
They really need to offer more options. You can't fit everyone into 3 boxes. You need some different boxes for different people.
You can't say that all potential Mac customers are one of 3 types of users. There are at least 4 different types, and likely many more.
Maybe the iPhone is a subtle taste of what the new macs will look like. With...dare I say, Chrome Bezel and black rubberized plastic!!
Maybe the iPhone is a subtle taste of what the new macs will look like. With...dare I say, Chrome Bezel and black rubberized plastic!!
Yea, maybe they'll be touch sensitive and everything.
I'll only have to touch the case to turn it on or off. And, if I touch the case near the CD-ROM drive, the drawer will open or eject a disk.
And, if I touch the Apple Logo, the system will purr.
Now, the only problem is the darn cat. Every time he brushes past the computer, the CD tray will eject, the monitor will flash on an off as the computer is cycling power, and the darn purring will just top it all off.
Oh well, at least I'd have something new to complain about
Give me a Mac Pro that has this configuration:
8 core Clovertown Xeon
Blue-Ray Drive
ATI Radeon X2800 XT or nVidea GeForce 8800GTX
Updated Displays
Then I would buy
8 core Clovertown Xeon
Blue-Ray Drive
ATI Radeon X2800 XT or nVidea GeForce 8800GTX
Updated Displays
Then I would buy
Top Venting
True enough, but aesthetically, it would be a nice change not to have the cheese grater so prominent. Since hot air does rise, this would be the most efficient solution. The vent wouldn't have to take up all of the surface area on top, allowing some room for things.... Jonathan Ive has no doubt come up with a brilliant solution, as we shall soon find out...
True enough, but aesthetically, it would be a nice change not to have the cheese grater so prominent. Since hot air does rise, this would be the most efficient solution. The vent wouldn't have to take up all of the surface area on top, allowing some room for things.... Jonathan Ive has no doubt come up with a brilliant solution, as we shall soon find out...
This is exaclty the price and features I'm hoping Apple releases with a new Pro machine. I bought an iMac G5 and I really wanted the Pro but didn't have the budget. Having the iMac has cost me a bit to add extra peripherals (external HDD and DVD-RW) which would have been cheaper, easier, less power consuming, less noisy to use had I just had a tower in the first place. Dual ethernet and upgradable video card are definately needed.
The current 4 core (two dualies) is too much for my needs and bumps up the price considerably. They need a smaller, pro-type machine for power-users as a go-between of the iMac and Pro. I could see a lot of corporate users for these computers too. Also nice to be able to use your own monitor.
mid level mac pro
too bad you're not a student or you could almost have your wish with the following Mac Pro. About $100 more for a little better system than you requested.
$2,030.00
Specifications
Two 2.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
1GB (2 x 512MB)
250GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB (single-link DVI/dual-link DVI)
One 16x SuperDrive
Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse - U.S. English
Mac OS X - U.S. English
too bad you're not a student or you could almost have your wish with the following Mac Pro. About $100 more for a little better system than you requested.
$2,030.00
Specifications
Two 2.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
1GB (2 x 512MB)
250GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB (single-link DVI/dual-link DVI)
One 16x SuperDrive
Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse - U.S. English
Mac OS X - U.S. English
Mac Pro Rackmount?
Hey there, what is the website of the company you're talking about?
Thanks...
Hey there, what is the website of the company you're talking about?
Thanks...
Free advise to Apple
Free advise to Apple
Make an external expansion box with a similar cosmetic style as the Mac Pro and have a power supply, cool rails and such with the following key features:
PCI expansion slots (PCI interface to MP) (4-6)
HD bbays (4)
Optical bays (2)
Cooling unit option
Ethernet, USB, firewire hubs
Analog video/audio I/O and capture option
Wireless option
UPS option
BTO revenue!
Rocketman
Free advise to Apple
Make an external expansion box with a similar cosmetic style as the Mac Pro and have a power supply, cool rails and such with the following key features:
PCI expansion slots (PCI interface to MP) (4-6)
HD bbays (4)
Optical bays (2)
Cooling unit option
Ethernet, USB, firewire hubs
Analog video/audio I/O and capture option
Wireless option
UPS option
BTO revenue!
Rocketman
When there is an update, there is one small thing I'd like to see (besides the Core 2/ 975x model). I would would like to see them update to the see them update from the rapidly aging Pioneer DVR-109 to a new 18 or 20x SATA model as the superdrive. They have two additional SATA ports, so why not get rid of the ancient PATA technology and use them?