Apple Announces New Mac Pros With Up to 12 Cores, SSD Options

[-hh]

August is next week, my friend.

True, but when Apple makes "In Month X" announcements, it classically happens closer to the last day of the month, not the first day (or even first Tuesday).

As such, if it was really going to be next week, then they could have easily announced "On Tuesday, August 3rd...".

We've waited this long, what's another week to save up?

The money/value question really is a different issue.

My point here is about consumer expectations: if it isn't going to be available for just one more week, then why not simply delay the announcement for said week so that they can then say "Immediately Available"?

Ditto if it is only 2 weeks more, or 3 weeks, etc.

I personally suspect that this vague 'August' release date is because Apple still has more inventory on hand than they want and as such, the actual August release date is going to depend on how many sales of the current model they get to clean things out.

The traditional safety valve for Apple for inventory control is to shift the existing model's units over to the Apple Store Refurb Department so as to discount-without-discounting them to clear the inventory. Currently, there's zero Mac Pro's listed in the Refurb Store .. I just might keep an eye on that to see how it changes within the next week or so.

In the meantime, there's also likely to be some consumers who will wait another week (until 2 Aug) and then with the knowledge in hand of all of Apple's policies, to order a 'new' Mac Pro with the intention of potentially returning it within 30 days (and paying the stocking fee) so as to get the new model, or to get bumped up from a base model to something better for free.


-hh

 

[apolloa]

Any particular reason why you chose the enormous full-tower model 7500 with 7 card slots and up to 7 drive bays and 12 RAM slots? That's a bit like comparing an SUV (the Mac Pro) with a Petebilt truck (the T7500).

Try the T3500 instead. I did that last year and I can't imagine that prices have changed to the Mac's advantage.

It came out to 33,016 SEK for the Mac Pro and 22,836 SEK for the T3500.

Or, in dollars:
Mac Pro = $3997
T3500 = $2764

Because the T3500 does not support 2 processors, only one, and I was comparing 12 core machines.:

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&oc=MLB1048_64bit&s=biz

 

[rtdunham]

What would you use those connections for?

LaCie's got a USB 3.0 rugged hard drive, for example. I'm sure there are/quickly will be USB 3.0 HDs oriented more to the desktop, too.

 

[relimw]

Apple has released their own battery charger. lol Am I the only one that cares!?

Yup, battery chargers are a dime a dozen, not going to spend money just to have an on a battery charger....

 

[you39]

I own a PowerMac G5 Dual Core 2.0 at home and use a PowerMac G5 Dual Processor 1.8 at work. Don't tell me about "people who use them"....


And are you guys saying that if you had a 1993 Chevrolet Corvette that you would be completely happy if GM never changed the exterior???
Are you guys saying that if you bought a house that was built in 1969 and had all the original cabinets and fixtures from that time period in the kitchen that you would update your kitchen to look like... 1969???

Changing the exterior gets the blood pumping again, gets people excited about a product. Does any other manufacturer of products keep the exact same design of something forever? NO! Hell, Apple used to bring out a redesigned G4 almost every year back in the day.

The current case is a mammoth beast. It doesn't have to be in today's age of technical advances.

Someone here has put it nicely in another thread, calling the current design the Leica of computers. Have a look at current Leica models, some of them are virtually unchanged since the 1950s (not technically of course) and still quite similar to the first Leica which is nearing it's 100th anniversary.
The current case design is a wonderful and timeless piece of artwork, as are the early Leicas, and as far as I'm concerned I wouldn't mind Apple using the same case for the next 60 years to come. I hope they start with more than 3GB memory by then though...

 

[Eidorian]

Making the switch to Windows 7 is going to be easy.

Holy crap you got a Core i7 970 into that thing?

 

[KnightWRX]

While I think these need more ram slots, it's hard to fault Apple for not having 40 to 80 of them. Like you'd really spend the cost of a house on ram anyway if it were a possibility.

Uh ? We did for some Linux boxes :

# dmidecode -t memory | grep Size | uniq -c
32 Size: 4096 MB
# head -1 /proc/meminfo
MemTotal: 132100100 kB

Yes, that is 128 GB of RAM.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

Please give it up!!! Does the Xeon say i7 on it? Well does it? NO. Can you add ECC support to an i7? NO. So you PAY for that.

Nope. You pay for it - keeping Apple's price premium in exisitence. Instead of voting with your wallet, you are lead around by the nose by Steve Jobs.

If the Xeon name brand and ECC is worth a $1600 price premium to you, then I have a bridge to sell you. Don't worry. It says Xeon on the side, so will be worth whatever price I ask.

Do you pay the same money for a Xeon in a PC as you do a Mac? Yes.

Nope. PC users can pay for the base mac pro processors starting at $300 for a 2.66 3500 series Xeon.

Apple isn't pricing anyone out, you just think that. We all know the iMac is better value then the base core Mac Pro, you buy a base Pro for the expansion or ECC, that's it. Your argument is totally flawed.

Only a fool would think the base Mac Pro is worth the money. I guess you think it is worth the money...

 

[Anuba]

to all the people whining about the case design:

if you really need a mac pro, if you're that kind of a user, the last thing you'd be complaining about is the case design. who the hell cares, anyway?

for the heavy video lifting I do and the photo work I do and the audio work I do, I can think of other things to complain about, but I could care less about the case. it's functional, easy-to-access and proven.

WHAT YOU CREATE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

Right, so... creative professionals in the graphics and video business don't (or at least shouldn't) care about aesthetics. That's a new one.

If Apple didn't care about case design, why didn't they just stick it in a beige box? Why, because they wanted it to be goooooooorgeous of course... and it was. But that was 7 years ago. People who convince themselves that the case design is "timeless" need a reality check. It's not timeless. It's 7 years old and it looks 7 years old. I don't care if Apple moved ***** around on the inside, the exterior is still 7 years old. The company that once refreshed the exterior designs on a yearly basis (blue G3, graphite G4, white G4 etc) is now attempting to set a new world record in non-design. Why?

 

[skyline r34]

Do you guys think that ATi 5870 will fit and work on a 08 Mac Pro because I want to use the 27" LED without adapters, but I heard rumours that Nvidia might be coming out with a 480 GTX Mac Edition, which is better?

 

[Mousse]

No, but 24 might be

I was hoping for 80-cores.

Kidding of course. So how long before all this Mac Pro goodness trickles down to machines mere mortals can afford? Good to know that Apple hasn't abandoned Mac development...yet.

 

[Iphtashu Fitz]

And are you guys saying that if you had a 1993 Chevrolet Corvette that you would be completely happy if GM never changed the exterior???
Are you guys saying that if you bought a house that was built in 1969 and had all the original cabinets and fixtures from that time period in the kitchen that you would update your kitchen to look like... 1969???

There's a huge difference between a computer workstation that you tuck away hidden under your desk and a car or a house. Personally I don't care if every computer was just a solid black box. In fact I've seen some very lame designs from companies like Dell. I've got an older Optiplex of theirs sitting on the floor of my office that I use as a linux test system. In order to plug something into its USB port I have to practically lie down on the floor since it's located only 5 inches or so from the floor and angled down under a folding piece of plastic. So why mess with a design that's reasonable and functionally sound, especially when the vast majority of users are business users who couldn't care less about the look.

 

[milo]

But, considering that a) there are virtually no peripherals out that support USB3 and even more so the new FireWire...

At newegg they list 27 external drives with USB3. That's plenty enough for it to be useful. Firewire 1600/3200 seems like more of a stretch, but at these prices would it be so crazy for apple to be a bit ahead of the curve?

You really are all just idiots. You keep banning on like it's some exclusive thing to Apple, yet fail to see a Xeon is in a PC workstation the same as a Mac. Yet when it comes to PC's apparently you can only buy the i7?

So now the name calling starts, nice.

Yes, we actually do understand that you can buy a quad xeon PC. But most people don't because on the PC side, i7s with the same performance are available at a much lower price. Not even an option on the mac side, so the only comparison we can make to a PC i7 tower is the quad xeon MP. Don't be mad at us, be mad at apple for not giving that choice.

You totally fail to understand the Mac Pro's market. You all think the CPU price difference between Core i series and Xeons is some how Apples fault.

No, I completely understand the price difference. What I think is that Apple is foolish for using the pricier xeon (and matching parts) when they could sell a machine with an i7 that would offer the same or better performance at a lower price.

And yes, I totally understand the mac pro market since I use one daily and have used the equivalent high end mac for more than a decade. Mac pro users are running apps and need a certain amount of performance, ram, and expandability. You have failed to make a case how an i7 machine would fail to provide those, or otherwise fail to meet the needs of Mac Pro Users.

So here's your chance to end this discussion once and for all.

I run an app on a quad xeon tower, and I run the same app on an i7 tower. How specifically does the quad xeon tower do a better job of running the app than the i7? A job needs to be done, both machines do the job. Specifically, what advantage does the xeon provide? Conversely, if apple released a quad machine with i7 and the same specs otherwise (ram slots, bays, ports, etc), how would that be worse for the end user than the xeon they are shipping now?

I'm eager to hear your explanation.

 

[Full of Win]

No case redesign, no eSATA, no case redesign and no case redesign. Geez, the case is 7 YEARS OLD. When it first shipped, the monitor options were the white/color plastic and Steve Jobs was slightly obese.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

Holy crap you got a Core i7 970 into that thing?

The 980x added another $200, but instead of getting that I added a souped up 1.5 GB nVidia card (CUDA!!!!) and a blu-ray burner. Still under $2000.

If you go with a company like cyberpowerpc, you can get the 970x overclocked up to 30%. That is FAST. At that rate, it competes with apple's 8 core 2.93 machine at half the cost.

I'll stick with Apple for my laptops. From now on when I have work to do, it will be on windows.


oh and one more thing: my girlfriend's bright pink Sony Vaio even has eSata on it. Mac Pro? nope.

 

[madmax_2069]

All the most talented people I know use the best system they can manage to get because it increases their productivity. When people are waiting for your work, you want to work as efficiently as possible.

Only amateurs don't worry about productivity.

Just because someone does not NEED (or can not afford) the latest and greatest does not makes someone a amateur.

 

[Eidorian]

The 980x added another $200, but instead of getting that I added a souped up 1.5 GB nVidia card (CUDA!!!!) and a blu-ray burner. Still under $2000.

If you go with a company like cyberpowerpc, you can get the 970x overclocked up to 30%. That is FAST. At that rate, it competes with apple's 8 core 2.93 machine at half the cost.

That's a good deal on the Core i7 970. I've seen reviews where the $100-200 difference between the Core i970 and 980X still pushes enthusiasts to the Core i7 980X. The $500 rebate makes the Core i7 970 viable and the video card sweetens it.

I'll stick with Apple for my laptops. From now on when I have work to do, it will be on windows.

That is also what I eventually decided. I'm still on my Late 2007 Core 2 Macbook. Keep pushing out dull updates Apple.

oh and one more thing: my girlfriend's bright pink Sony Vaio even has eSata on it. Mac Pro? nope.

I was at Costco and noticed eSATA and Blu-ray even on the entry $699 Sony notebook. It also came with a 2-year warranty.

 

[nep61]

You would think that us as apple fans would learn by now. Everytime there is an update to any of their products tons of people whine because apple didn't include brand new tech in them. But yet we still buy them. We should know by now apple won't add a new tech until it is fully matured and is standard in every pc, phone, etc. And even then they won't bend (bluray anyone?) so I dunno why it's so surprising that they didn't include USB3.0 and fw1600. It's rare to even find a hard drive or something that supports it. If it does it's much more expensive then the avg usb2.0 HD.

So true ! And that, my friends, is why Apple beat Wall Street estimates by 78% this last quarter... oh, and with a little help from something called an iPad and this new fangled "4" thing.... I think it was a portable telephone of some kind...
They're not a stupid company... release a product that includes parts that are just short of leading edge technology, and charge a premium to customers who are hell bent on having anything "APPLE"

USB3.0 and FW1600 will be released and available everywhere soon.... and 12-24 months later Apple will include it in an new iMac first, then 6 months after that it'll show up in MB & MBP updates... That's the way the ball bounces in Macintosh land !!

 

[hbj]

Just because someone does not NEED (or can not afford) the latest and greatest does not makes someone a amateur.

No argument there.

 

[ArcaneDevice]

The current case design is a wonderful and timeless piece of artwork, as are the early Leicas, and as far as I'm concerned I wouldn't mind Apple using the same case for the next 60 years to come. I hope they start with more than 3GB memory by then though...

What utter crap.

Comparing a camera whose sole function is to take photographs, to a machine which is designed to multifunction and accommodate a variety of use platforms is asinine. Especially since Leica also make a contemporary design specifically aimed at high-end Nikon, Canon, etc. multi-use cameras. which looks exactly like a standard DSLR.

Not only that, when you buy a Leica, you buy their glass (which is worth more than the body) and their specific engineering. That's why the exterior is not relevant to the quality of the image or the purpose. If Apple made the processors and the rest of the hardware there might be a point in there, but they don't. It's off-the-shelf stuff.

If you want the design of the Pro to stay exactly the same because it's so perfect, then why not dial it back to the first iteration which had one USB port on the front and two on the back, one optical drive, two drive racks and heatsink the size of a toaster.

 

[franswa za]

Exciting!

But institutional rules at my university restrict computer buys to <$5000, so no 12-core for me. Damn. I should never have waited.

you'll probably get an educational discount?!

 

[REM314]

Please give it up!!! Does the Xeon say i7 on it? Well does it? NO. Can you add ECC support to an i7? NO. So you PAY for that. Do you pay the same money for a Xeon in a PC as you do a Mac? Yes.
Apple isn't pricing anyone out, you just think that. We all know the iMac is better value then the base core Mac Pro, you buy a base Pro for the expansion or ECC, that's it. Your argument is totally flawed.

So I could pop the Xeon into my PC for the same price and there would still be a $1000 difference.

 

[KnightWRX]

Just because someone does not NEED (or can not afford) the latest and greatest does not makes someone a amateur.

Actually, I've seen quite the contrary. The real pros don't need the latest and greatest, it's usually the amateurs that fork over wads of cash in order to make themselves look better.

It's not just a computer thing. Look at the total noobs that can barely run a mile at 3 mph without getting worn out, yet they're wearing top of the line running apparel with 300$ shoes. All the while, the lone runner with 10$ jogging pants and a Wal-mart t-shirt and 20$ shoes on the other side of the road is on his 10th mile that morning and he's keeping a 6.5 mph pace.

 

[White Dragon]

Any word on Eyefinity support with the new Mac Pros?

 

[Eric S.]

I can't believe I waited for this...... $5k and

NO SATA3
NO USB 3.0
NO NVidia Cards for 3D work

Bend over and get hosed on the pricing.

I work in 3D and was hoping that the new MacPros would be something worth waiting for. If this is Steveo's version of "Amazing" I'm pretty darn disappointed. Win7 is looking better and better.

What can I say? It still didn't knock the iPhone off the front page of Apple's website.

As long as Apple continues to focus on consumer electronics its Mac products will suffer, no matter how many times Steve says "not to worry."