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POLL: Mac Pro Penryn to all be 8-Cores?

What will the Mac Pro lineup be at MacWorld?

  • All 8-core lineup for sure

    Votes: 36 33.0%

  • All Harpertown, but some single processors with an open processor slot

    Votes: 7 6.4%

  • All Harpertown, but only a single processor in the base and low-end models

    Votes: 8 7.3%

  • Low end models will bump up in speed, but retain dual-core processors.

    Votes: 31 28.4%

  • There won't be a new Mac Pro by MacWorld. We are going to keep waiting.

    Votes: 27 24.8%
  • Total voters
    109
netdog

netdog

macrumors 603
Original poster
Feb 6, 2006
5,760
38
London
While they can use the bus speed to differentiate (some 1333 and some 1600 - crippling one of the most significant bottlenecks using today's software), if they go all 8-core at MacWorld, there won't really be much between the various offerings. The current 8-core is nearly £1000 ($2000) more than the 2.66 4-core at the moment, and offers some users a compelling reason to choose the high-end model. If all models are 8-core, including a 2.83 at $2499, while the choice of that processor can be justified (same cost as current dual-2.66), it seems somewhat unlikely that Apple will gut the cash cow of the lineup to sell more base models. Further, do they really need to keep selling workstations for so much less than the competition now that Apple is regaining market share?

What do you expect to see at MacWorld? We have a lot of people here counting on an all 8-core lineup based on Multi's math, but he has not turned out to be the great prognosticator we had thought. Are you?
 
I would like to see all dual cpus but a mixture of 4 and 8 core, mainly to allow the MP to have a lower starting price point (need the flexibility the MP offers in HDD, expansion etc terms but don't necessarily need the high end CPU power). However I believe Apple has lost interest in its power/business/science users and therefore am not building my hopes up for anything at MSFW re MP or indeed XServe. The lack of development of the XServe is particulary bizzarre considering some of the very high profile switchers to it when it was originally introduced as a G5 machine. Due to upgrade in early new year and something will need to happen at MSFW or will be going to HP or Dell for the goods.
 
Getting bad vibes.

I'm getting bad vibes about this MW. We would have heard some serious rumours about the Mac Pro by now. All members here know what should be in the updated machine, and that it is long overdue a significant update, however with recent news, I am beginning to wonder whether or not it will happen at MWSF.

We have had more rumors about the Ultra-useless laptop, and now with iTunes definately having Movie downloads, time is running out for a mention of the MacPro during SJ's Keynote. Although the option of a silent update is still their I can't see such a significant change in hardware going with only a silent update whilst the store is down.

I'm going to place my neck on the chopping board and say they'll wait till WWDC. Hopefully announcing Nehalem systems available 4 weeks after announcement. I hope i'm wrong though.
 
As long as WWDC is in June and I can get a Nehalem Mac Pro before August, I'm perfectly fine with waiting seven more months. Tanj, I've waited eleven years for my professional Mac, I can make it that much longer.
 
Tallest Skil said:
and I can get a Nehalem Mac Pro before August
Click to expand...

I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.
Nehalem has an expected launch date of Q4/2008.
Yes, rumor has it that it could launch before then.
AMD's Barcelona forced an early launch of Penryn.
I don't think AMD has anything to force an early launch of Nehalem.
 
There HAS to be some kind of speed bump and price change on the pros in Jan if nothing else :confused:
 
Unfortunately even the latest platforms don't really add all that much performance over what you can buy now. Maybe a little lower power requirements which is always nice, but not much else.

They are really at a cross roads with the platform. A bunch of folks would like to see it support better graphics for high end gaming, even though Apple has no interest in this area.

Has Leopard improved the situation with the quad core chips? I know a bunch of software still didn't take advantage of it, partly because of Tiger. Since its a Pro platform, most business users don't follow the upgrade cycle like on the consumer side.

I've been holding out, mainly because of the artificially high price for quad core and the very little return on it for what I do. If AMD ever steps up and starts to compete against the quad core chips, we'll see the prices come more in line with everything else.
 
First of all there is no reason to think that Apple will not update the Mac Pro at macworld. So we haven't heard any rumours based on sources inside Apple, one of the most secrative companies out there? It's not like the MP is a product that is going to be seen around the Apple campus, if it has the same case how would anyone even know?

On the subject of it not being an all 8 core range: The only choices they would have here is to offer a single processor with the option to buy another, which I never see happening, or to use the dual core wolfdale xeons. These run at 3.33GHz 1333MHz FSB for the same price as a quad 3GHz and 3.4GHz 1600MHz FSB which costs the same as a 3.16GHz quad. This rules them out as options in my mind. Then we have the keeping of current processors, yeah don't see that one happening.

As for the cash cow of the current 8 core. Well by my reckoning Apple is making around $500 regardless of which BTO processor option the customer chooses, 4x2GHz, 4x3GHz or 8x3GHz. Now I would think they get the 2.66GHz processors cheaper than $690 a piece, but they probably don't sell enough volume to be getting any serious discount on any of the others. So you see it won't matter what options they have if they price them to make similar profit from any upgrade the customer chooses.

There will also surely be faster Harpertown processors at both FSBs before Nehalem debuts, allowing Apple to milk another option.
 
I voted for the middle option, but I'm priming myself to be disappointed with MWSF and have to wait a few more months. Sigh ... :(
 
There won't be a new Mac Pro by MacWorld. We are going to keep waiting.
Click to expand...


That was my vote.

However, I won't keep waiting after Apple disappoints us at MacWorld. I will give up and build a Hack.

Wouldn't surprise me if Apple discontinued it, since they are clearly more concerned about gadgets, movie rentals, and filing patents for even more DRM/anti-piracy crap.
 
Wild-Bill said:
That was my vote.

However, I won't keep waiting after Apple disappoints us at MacWorld. I will give up and build a Hack.

Wouldn't surprise me if Apple discontinued it, since they are clearly more concerned about gadgets, movie rentals, and filing patents for even more DRM/anti-piracy crap.
Click to expand...

If they don't update the Mac Pro but update the MBP or iMac with Penryn... :mad::mad::mad::mad:
 
It's bad enough I started thinking about getting a Mac Pro back in June, then Apple pushed Leopard back, and I didn't want a new machine without it (actually I was still saving up at the time, so I couldn't have bought it anyway), then October came, and I was all ready to buy, but then came "Wait for MWSF, it'll be upgraded!"

Well I'm waiting, but this is it - if there's no mention of "new Mac Pros available today (or within the week)" or no updates on the website, I'm buying one - I've GOT to get the hell away from Windows, I'm just sick of it....

-Bryan
 
Single processor MacPros seem kinda pointless don't you think? Maybe for a mid-range tower that some people seem to want.
 
Tallest Skil said:
As long as WWDC is in June and I can get a Nehalem Mac Pro before August, I'm perfectly fine with waiting seven more months. Tanj, I've waited eleven years for my professional Mac, I can make it that much longer.
Click to expand...

irishgrizzly said:
With no new rumors of a new pro, WWDC is looking like a more realistic bet.
Click to expand...

The MacRumors buyer's guide has over 5 years worth of data on the PowerMac/MacPro line that says the average time between updates is 210 days. It's at 271 now. Do you really think Apple will let it get up to 460+ days without an update? No way they wait until WWDC. Plus, when is any piece of technology ready when a timeline is projected over a year in advance? It seems highly unlikely Nehalem will even be available in 2008.
 
zdobson said:
The MacRumors buyer's guide has over 5 years worth of data on the PowerMac/MacPro line that says the average time between updates is 210 days. It's at 271 now. Do you really think Apple will let it get up to 460+ days without an update?
Click to expand...

It is actually 511 days.
The Mac Pro was released 511 days ago.

Clovertown was added 271 days ago. Everything else remained the same.
I've always been angry with MacRumor's decision to turn the clock back to zero with the Clovertown addition.
 
Topper said:
It is actually 511 days.
The Mac Pro was released 511 days ago.

Clovertown was added 271 days ago. Everything else remained the same.
I've always been angry with MacRumor's decision to turn the clock back to zero with the Clovertown addition.
Click to expand...

Yeh but the shell doens't make alot of odd's to most people.

Lets face it if apple announced it would be adding all new graphics cards and all penryn lines at world BUT keeping the box Im sure not many people would be disappointed with that? It's hardly ugly.
 
Wild-Bill said:
Wouldn't surprise me if Apple discontinued it, since they are clearly more concerned about gadgets, movie rentals, and filing patents for even more DRM/anti-piracy crap.
Click to expand...

He he, if they did that, the crazy scramble for the last few MP's would sure be something to see:D
 
I'm scared...really, really scared that they won't update at MacWorld. I've needed a new computer for a while now (currently using a Pentium 4 windows machine). And, I frankly can't wait much longer--either Mac Releases a new machine or I may have to buy a windows machine (gasp!) again.
 
I'm still hoping they retain some 4-core, low-end model. I doubt it, but I really can't justify getting an 8-core Mac when I'd be happy with 2 cores and a few desktop niceties. If they update the MBP, that might become a more reasonable option even though I swore my next computer would be a desktop.
 
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