Yes, Apple give us a decent Mac Pro update at a significant price increase; nothing more. Good business sense from Apple, but for those who can't work with glossy screens & need discrete graphics, there's no choice but to pay the extra. FWIW, I think they could have included better graphics than the ATI 2600 in the standard model.
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Apple Announces Penryn Mac Pros and Xserve
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Yes, Apple give us a decent Mac Pro update at a significant price increase; nothing more. Good business sense from Apple, but for those who can't work with glossy screens & need discrete graphics, there's no choice but to pay the extra. FWIW, I think they could have included better graphics than the ATI 2600 in the standard model.
Regarding the gfx options...
Regarding the graphics options - the ones that are available exist to fulfill sub-niches of the Mac Pro market. They are - basic display (2600XT), huge numbers of displays (like stock traders - 4x 2600XT), artists who need professional rendering power (Quadro), and Mac gamers (8800GT).
Here's my concern - the 2600XT is last-gen since ATI came out/is coming out with their HD 3000 series cards. Apple should have waited/ announced for a later shipping date so that they could put a higher-power-yet-same-price HD 3000 series card in there. Also, if you're going to get a Mac Pro, you obviously have a good deal of money on you so it would make more sense to wait/announce for a later shipping date the 9800GX2 that has been previewed at various PC hardware sites - although, Mac games generally do not require hardware of that high caliber so you don't need a more powerful card and it might be easier to develop drivers for it (their thinking, in which case it might make sense to out-source driver development for the mac to nVidia and have them develop Mac drivers for cards like the 9800GX2).
Regarding the graphics options - the ones that are available exist to fulfill sub-niches of the Mac Pro market. They are - basic display (2600XT), huge numbers of displays (like stock traders - 4x 2600XT), artists who need professional rendering power (Quadro), and Mac gamers (8800GT).
Here's my concern - the 2600XT is last-gen since ATI came out/is coming out with their HD 3000 series cards. Apple should have waited/ announced for a later shipping date so that they could put a higher-power-yet-same-price HD 3000 series card in there. Also, if you're going to get a Mac Pro, you obviously have a good deal of money on you so it would make more sense to wait/announce for a later shipping date the 9800GX2 that has been previewed at various PC hardware sites - although, Mac games generally do not require hardware of that high caliber so you don't need a more powerful card and it might be easier to develop drivers for it (their thinking, in which case it might make sense to out-source driver development for the mac to nVidia and have them develop Mac drivers for cards like the 9800GX2).
For those who were confused:
Penryn is just the name of the current family of 45-nm CPU's
Penryn -> Mobile CPU's
Wolfdale -> Dual Core Desktop CPU's
Yorkfield -> Quad Core Desktop CPU's
Harpertown -> Quad Core Server CPU's
It's actually a tad more complex than that, but that's the gist of it
On a personal note, if I wanted to build a dedicated gaming machine, I'd build an equivalent PC for a lot cheaper for it, though if Intel Skulltrail lives up to its potential, I might shell out the money for it
Penryn is just the name of the current family of 45-nm CPU's
Penryn -> Mobile CPU's
Wolfdale -> Dual Core Desktop CPU's
Yorkfield -> Quad Core Desktop CPU's
Harpertown -> Quad Core Server CPU's
It's actually a tad more complex than that, but that's the gist of it
On a personal note, if I wanted to build a dedicated gaming machine, I'd build an equivalent PC for a lot cheaper for it, though if Intel Skulltrail lives up to its potential, I might shell out the money for it
swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
I feel completely disconnected from Apple's Mac Pro line now. When I was younger I would get giddy if the Power Mac was upped to a 50 mhz faster G3 or G4 processor, and Apple would have a "bake-off" to show the Power Mac besting a PC. I have no concept now of how fast a Mac Pro is, or how much faster the new Mac Pro is. All the Macs are fast. It's a completely different landscape. Apple's consumer line is so utterly competent, that I have the feeling the Mac Pro truly is for those in professions that require raw power.
That was because the PowerPC systemboards were likely unique and custom to the PowerMac line and since Apple started with single CPU installations, they likely just shipped single-CPU models with that board to save costs. Could you even buy a second PowerPC CPU from Apple as a separate item? If you couldn't, then Apple would have seen no need to ship a dual-CPU capable systemboard since with a single CPU since you could not add a second CPU via Apple.
I agree it's a bit silly they didn't have the 3850 at least considering they were released only 2 weeks after the 8800GT.
However, I have a feeling that it might have been OEM contracts an the fact that the 3850/3870 are technically competitors to the 8800GT. Price wise, they're very close at OEM levels too.
Also, the 9800GX2 might have issues running with Mac's cause basically it uses built-in SLI connections, and we all know that doesn't play too well with Mac's
So when do we get a reasonably priced tower from Apple? I'm sorry, but nearly $3,000 for a tower is a bit much for most people. I need towers too, not iMacs. Why not keep a quad in there for a little cheaper?
I don't understand the price complaints at the moment. Here the MacPro have gone down in price. I think its just the bad dollar exchange rate that makes it price jump in the states.
I find the MacPro to be pretty up to date and rock solid. With a BlueRay announcement next week (thats a wish) this seems to turn out great.
I find the MacPro to be pretty up to date and rock solid. With a BlueRay announcement next week (thats a wish) this seems to turn out great.
This leaves room for the media Center Home Server for the keynote as the answer for MS Home server.
The multi touch keyboard is just a rumor at this point. Maybe we'll see it on a laptop, but I don't think anyone seriously expects to see a keyboard version available any time soon.
Do you really think 6 internal drives is realistic? Aside from space issues, that many drives generates a LOT of heat. Back when I had a G4, I put 3 or 4 drives in it, and it ended up having lots of problems, likely heat releated.
Are there other towers that hold 6 internal drives? Are any of them the size of the mac pro?
well i'm glad this happened today, so more new stuff next week.
i'm sure there will be lots of people happy b/c of this.
is there another video card option?
i'm sure there will be lots of people happy b/c of this.
is there another video card option?
Single user environments are not going to see a benefit from SAS. Certainly not at the price/performance. We have $50,000 Eqallogic SANs that still use off the shelf 7200rpm SATA drives, for hundreds of users concurrently. They can sustain 3000mbit all day.
If you want Blueray just buy one and put it in.
The Chassis has room for a second optical drive Just buy one and put it in.
First moan
No Bluray
The Chassis has room for a second optical drive Just buy one and put it in.
You're 'leaving' Apple now? Sounds like you were never with them.
Better go check out your local pc store for some hot new cases!
I don't understand the price complaints at the moment. Here the MacPro have gone down in price. I think its just the bad dollar exchange rate that makes it price jump in the states.
I find the MacPro to be pretty up to date and rock solid. With a BlueRay announcement next week (thats a wish) this seems to turn out great.
Here's the complaint- a lot of us need towers and don't understand why Apple couldn't keep a quad around for a lower price. Almost $3,000 is lot to pay for even many pros.
You couldn't read the thread or check the apple store?
They DO sell a quad, exact same price as before: $2299.
Maybe you'd be better off spending more time reading and less time posting the same (misinformed) complaint repeatedly.
Pros and Cons - As I see it....
Pros:
- OctoCore for 3 of 4 models
- 1.5 GB Video Card (FINALLY!)
- 2 GB RAM standard
- BlueTooth standard (FINALLY!)
Cons:
- PRICE PRICE, PRICE (about $200-$500 more than should have been)
- AirPort not standard
- No Blu-Ray (as of yet, I know MacWorld is still a week away but still...)
- No design modifications
- Standard ATIs... just me but I much prefer NVIDIAs in my PowerMacs.
- Did I mention the price thing at all?
So really I guess it wasn't a bad update, but that price point is a total killer.
And the lack of standard AirPort blows my mind completely. Standard BT is a feature that SHOULD HAVE been in there 3 years ago, but it is gladly here now.
Pros:
- OctoCore for 3 of 4 models
- 1.5 GB Video Card (FINALLY!)
- 2 GB RAM standard
- BlueTooth standard (FINALLY!)
Cons:
- PRICE PRICE, PRICE (about $200-$500 more than should have been)
- AirPort not standard
- No Blu-Ray (as of yet, I know MacWorld is still a week away but still...)
- No design modifications
- Standard ATIs... just me but I much prefer NVIDIAs in my PowerMacs.
- Did I mention the price thing at all?
So really I guess it wasn't a bad update, but that price point is a total killer.
And the lack of standard AirPort blows my mind completely. Standard BT is a feature that SHOULD HAVE been in there 3 years ago, but it is gladly here now.
Same numbers.
This is from Google's cache of http://www.apple.com/displays/specs.html as retrieved on Jan 3, 2008 15:11:59 GMT.
20-inch Apple Cinema Display
M9177LL/A
23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display
M9178LL/A
30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display
M9179LL/A
You'd think so looking in from the outside without any real understanding of tower users
