8800GT - Response from Steve Jobs

[MovieCutter]

No you shouldn't. Especially if the only upgrade path is to spend $3000 anew one year later.

A year later, how much productivity do you gain? I haven't heard ANYONE say they can't play games or use Motion or any other GPU intensive apps with their x1900. Does that card suddenly stop working now that the 8800 is out? Seriously. Everything was FINE and DANDY until the 8800 came out, now all of a sudden the Mac Pros from last year can't DO anything.

 

[benpatient]

Everything was FINE and DANDY until the 8800 came out, now all of a sudden the Mac Pros from last year can't DO anything.

Seriously? People started complaining about the 1900 being junk over a year ago. People started asking where the 8800 upgrade option was nearly that long ago.

Mac Pro buyers have been settling for the 1900, not embracing it, basically since it was released. Everyone presumed that they would just be able to upgrade to a better GPU in the near future. That ended up being false, and then even when they finally DO get an upgrade, it won't work with the existing systems.

 

[Cowinacape]

A year later, how much productivity do you gain? I haven't heard ANYONE say they can't play games or use Motion or any other GPU intensive apps with their x1900. Does that card suddenly stop working now that the 8800 is out? Seriously. Everything was FINE and DANDY until the 8800 came out, now all of a sudden the Mac Pros from last year can't DO anything.

Are you a paid fanboi? Because I am really starting to wonder, I have looked through two threads so far today, and you have been in both acting like a tool, and trying to incite arguments with anyone who speaks against the mighty Jobs or Apple. I am beginning to think your turtle neck is a little tight, and slowing the flow of blood to you brain.

 

[MovieCutter]

Are you a paid fanboi? Because I am really starting to wonder, I have looked through two threads so far today, and you have been in both acting like a tool, and trying to incite arguments with anyone who speaks against the mighty Jobs or Apple. I am beginning to think your turtle neck is a little tight, and slowing the flow of blood to you brain.

You guys are all just being so overdramatic. Like it's the end of the world or something. This is the 21st century. Apple will get your 8800 to work with your Mac Pro. Just be patient and breathe a little before getting all steamed over something so meaningless.

 

[Blogger]

You guys are all just being so overdramatic. Like it's the end of the world or something. This is the 21st century. Apple will get your 8800 to work with your Mac Pro. Just be patient and breathe a little before getting all steamed over something so meaningless.

Yes, too much emotion here.

 

[timb]

You guys are all just being so overdramatic. Like it's the end of the world or something. This is the 21st century. Apple will get your 8800 to work with your Mac Pro. Just be patient and breathe a little before getting all steamed over something so meaningless.

It's not meaningless. Apple is rutting us around here; we're right to be upset and want answers.

We understand it's an issue that doesn't affect you, that's fine, we get it.

 

[macuserx86]

I admit, waiting is no fun (I'll be waiting for my new Mac Pro until Feb. 13) but there is a point where "Steve's" email is right: the problem will be addressed.
The 8800GT for Mac has only been out for a few weeks anyway. Besides, if my GeForce FX Go5200 with 64mb of VRAM can run Aperture, your X1900XT can hang in there a little longer

Chill out guys, has Apple ever truly let you down?

 

[Macinposh]

Chill out guys, has Apple ever truly let you down?

Well,let´s see?

8800 issue? Not known yet.
MP BT/Airport issue? Yes.
Airport Extreme+USB Disks? Definately Yes.
Faulty ACD replacements? Yes.


So,I think that Apple has a good capability to "truly let us down".
Especially in the last year or two,the trend has become more apparent.

 

[Snowshiro]

A few comments:

Anyone who thinks that Mac Pro owners only started asking Apple to upgrade the 1900XT when the 8800GT became available has obviously never visited the official Apple support forums. It's probably the single most most common theme there.

If you think this is a tantrum or an overreaction because it's "just a graphics card" you're also completely missing the point, and either didn't read, or didn't understand my original email to Jobs. This is about delivering on promises. As I pointed out, the Mac Pro is both a professional workstation AND the only upgradeable/expandable machine that Apple offer.

I'm not concerned about amateur hobbyists who sit at home worrying about their framerate in World of Warcraft (although they have just as much right as anyone to expect a better card). I'm more concerned about having a responsibility for speccing entire studios full of hardware for use by a large number of dedicated professionals who rely on them for productivity. Anyone who works in post-production, design or other creative industries will know exactly what I mean. When you're talking about $5,000 for a specced-up machine, and then multiply that the number of units ordered every year, we're getting into tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. To suddenly have your upgrade path cut off at the neck, makes corporate IT planning nearly impossible, and completely destroys the trust in the supplier to be able to deliver in the future.

If Apple ever want to seriously succeed in business (which seems less and less likely with every passing year) or break out from the creative industries, it's exactly this kind of crappy service that is stopping them.

 

[barefeats]

I just posted some Core Image and 3D accelerated Game benchmark results for the Radeon HD 2600 XT running on both old and new Mac Pro against the GeForce 7300 GT and Radeon X1900 XT:
http://www.barefeats.com/harper2.html

Our GeForce 8800 GT is not due to arrive until March. We'll add those numbers at that time.

 

[pprior]

A year later, how much productivity do you gain? I haven't heard ANYONE say they can't play games or use Motion or any other GPU intensive apps with their x1900. Does that card suddenly stop working now that the 8800 is out? Seriously. Everything was FINE and DANDY until the 8800 came out, now all of a sudden the Mac Pros from last year can't DO anything.

Things were not fine and dandy. I already had to get one replacement for the 1900 as it overheated (not with clogged fins either, mind you).

Aperture (my main app) still is GPU limited and when I bought my mac pro a year ago the x1900 was outdated THEN, but was the best I could get.

I'm not whining just because, I'm unhappy because my upgradeable machine was purposefully rendered crippled at this point by apple making the 8800 not compatible with my machine. If I had known this would be their behavior, I would not have purchased a Mac machine to begin with. I was willing to put up with the x1900 for the time, knowing that I could upgrade when new video cards came out. Well, guess what..... I can't.

 

[ungraphic]

TOTAL ****ING ********!!!!

God, I am so ****ing pissed! I specifically got the 7300 GT because I knew that it would be 'good enough' for me for some time now and I didnt want the ATI because, even back then, it wasnt that great, and given that, its a friggin' ripoff.

Now Jobs releases a new video card that DOESNT work with my mac pro?! WTF??!?!

I though Apple computers were all about media, and graphics and **** like that!

 

[eRondeau]

I think somebody's got an anger management problem...

 

[contoursvt]

As he should. Too many people are treating this too lightly as though its ok. Its not ok. Its not even near to being ok. Heck when the 8800GT option became available, if they couldnt make the 1 version handle both Mac Pros, they should have released an 'upgrade' version for the old Mac Pro and one for the new.

Possibly many that are upset have had PC machines in the past and are not used to forced obsolescence.

I think somebody's got an anger management problem...

 

[pprior]

As he should. Too many people are treating this too lightly as though its ok. Its not ok. Its not even near to being ok. Heck when the 8800GT option became available, if they couldnt make the 1 version handle both Mac Pros, they should have released an 'upgrade' version for the old Mac Pro and one for the new.

Possibly many that are upset have had PC machines in the past and are not used to forced obsolescence.

Well that's certainly my case. I'm a new mac user (about a year now) and I don't mean this question disrespectfully, but to all those sticking up for Apple on this - is this really they way they do business? Are you really serious that a year after buying a $4000 machine I'm expected to buy a whole new computer just to upgrade the graphics??

 

[GoCubsGo]

People are saying the response doesn't sound like Steve. What would Steve sound like? But I get the point and my point is the response does not fit the overal nature of responses that would come from any self-respecting company. I believe the OP is simply doing the a-typical "I know something you all don't know" BS. Good for him, I like enterprising people.

 

[contoursvt]

The thing thats most sad is that people running the 'hacked' OSX86 actually have and can run the 8800GT and get support for it in OSX, yet legit older Mac Pros (which are actually not old anyway) are suffering - or potentially will be suffering.

TOTAL ****ING ********!!!!

God, I am so ****ing pissed! I specifically got the 7300 GT because I knew that it would be 'good enough' for me for some time now and I didnt want the ATI because, even back then, it wasnt that great, and given that, its a friggin' ripoff.

Now Jobs releases a new video card that DOESNT work with my mac pro?! WTF??!?!

I though Apple computers were all about media, and graphics and **** like that!

 

[ungraphic]

In Steve Jobs' keynote speech back in the day when apple made a deal with microsoft to ship all new macintoshes with Internet Explorer, the entire crowd booed. Obviously, the most hardcore fanboys attend macworld. However, immediately after that announcement, steve jobs said this:

Steve Jobs Said: But because we believe in choice........

Let me just say something: Steve Jobs, you are a LIAR.

Apple has *never* been 100% choice, not even close. Never with ipods and itunes. Never with itunes downloaded music. Barely with components for any mac. And now this. When I heard him say that, I laughed out loud.

This embarrassing flop better be fixed by apple, *real soon* otherwise he's going to have a lot of **** coming at him from his customers.

 

[cal6n]

*snip*

This embarrassing flop better be fixed by apple, *real soon* otherwise he's going to have a lot of **** coming at him from his customers.

That's how it should be but it's unlikely to happen, unfortunately. Ironically an Apple keynote now bears an uncanny resemblance to the original 1984 superbowl ad, with Apple drones staring goggle-eyed and open-mouthed at their lord and master with the big screen.

What we need is someone to make a mash-up of the original advert and have the girl burst into a macworld keynote and throw an Nvidia 8800GT instead of a hammer!

 

[OneArmedScissor]

all i can say to those who get distraught with those who are angry with apple over the issue with the new mac pro's and or ACD's, is that there is definite relevance to their complaints. The Mac Pro is a PRO machine, thus PROS use them and PROS have deadlines most of the time. PROS make their income with help of that GPU in that box called a Mac Pro. So those like myself who consider themselves PROS have a purposeful problem with this issue. Although, i purchased the 5600, i completely have sympathy for those in the Apple GPU crisis of 2008.

 

[Everythingisnt]

When I first heard that the 8800GT was being released for the MacPro, I was mildly disappointed that it wasn't the GTX Ultra, but still *quite* glad for the upgrade. However, when I realized that it was only for the new macpros, I was quite annoyed.

I agree that it's high time for the x1900 to be updated. While so far its performance has been adequate (barely) for my needs (FCS2, Aperture, Maya, AND a whole lot of gaming via bootcamp), I am quite disappointed that the 8800GT is so far unavailable. When I first got my MacPro (about 6 months ago), I was willing to put up with what many others had described as an unsatisfactory card until a new one was released. Even though I haven't actually had any serious problems with it though, I am still frustrated with how events have turned out, as the x1900 is by now out of date compared to newer cards like the 8800GT.

At least Apple is working on it..

 

[antzona]

When I first heard that the 8800GT was being released for the MacPro, I was mildly disappointed that it wasn't the GTX Ultra, but still *quite* glad for the upgrade. However, when I realized that it was only for the new macpros, I was quite annoyed.

I agree that it's high time for the x1900 to be updated. While so far its performance has been adequate (barely) for my needs (FCS2, Aperture, Maya, AND a whole lot of gaming via bootcamp), I am quite disappointed that the 8800GT is so far unavailable. When I first got my MacPro (about 6 months ago), I was willing to put up with what many others had described as an unsatisfactory card until a new one was released. Even though I haven't actually had any serious problems with it though, I am still frustrated with how events have turned out, as the x1900 is by now out of date compared to newer cards like the 8800GT.

At least Apple is working on it..

Apple isn't working on it. I spoke with Nate Doss, an executive in customer relations. He said he was told by engineers they have no plans to make the 8800GT compatible with older Mac Pros. Call him at 1-916-399-7032 and ask him yourself.

 

[Everythingisnt]

Apple isn't working on it. I spoke with Nate Doss, an executive in customer relations. He said he was told by engineers they have no plans to make the 8800GT compatible with older Mac Pros. Call him at 1-916-399-7032 and ask him yourself.

Oh. Well, to say the least, I'm a whole lot more frustrated now.

 

[antzona]

Oh. Well, to say the least, I'm a whole lot more frustrated now.

Then it would be a good idea to give him a call and let him know. I am not going to rest until I have this card in my machine.

 

[ungraphic]

That's how it should be but it's unlikely to happen, unfortunately. Ironically an Apple keynote now bears an uncanny resemblance to the original 1984 superbowl ad, with Apple drones staring goggle-eyed and open-mouthed at their lord and master with the big screen.

What we need is someone to make a mash-up of the original advert and have the girl burst into a macworld keynote and throw an Nvidia 8800GT instead of a hammer!

Ive been saying that ever since ipods became a cult like status symbol. Its funny, because around the same time, their slogan 'Think Different' quickly became an oxymoron.