Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'You Will See Us Do More in the Pro Area'

[Nunyabinez]

Here is my problem. The secrecy under Jobs was cool, because at the end there was a "TADA" that blew us away. Knowing too much spoiled the big surprise.

Under Tim Cook there is still the secrecy but at the end there is "WTF?"

Tim, there is no need for secrecy if you can't give us the big payoff.

Either give us something amazing like Jobs did, or cut with the crap and publish a roadmap like Intel does.

 

[macTW]

I'm uncomfortable with how comfortable he is with seemingly lying.

I'm uncomfortable with how comfortable you are at assuming he's lying so quickly to fit your personal agenda.

 

[9081094]

Funny, as none of the creative pros I know of would touch Linux or Windows with a bargepole. That's because most creative pros just sit down do their work with a familiar OS and solid hardware/support, rather than whine on message boards. Fancy that.

Sure, you can point to data-intensive computing applications and week-long rendering processes. But those people never used Apple products for the grunt of the hardware work anyway, only for the front-end stuff.

Yes, a new Mac Pro would be jolly nice and an update is well, well overdue. But to say that most people have already jumped ship just simply isn't true.

Well, I know lots of video professionals and photographers, animators and graphic designers who jumped ship last year. Since creative cloud from Adobe is for Mac or Windows and it doesn't matter because you rent subscription based, you don't lose your software what makes jumping ship a lot easier. Also HP was very aggressive targeting us and together with Adobe offered very tempting solutions. HP also updates their workstations on a yearly bases and reduce the price of older workstations. Apple used to be a synonym for creative professionals. That image is fading by the day. Every time Tim Cook is saying it's in the pipeline, competitors are delivering real solutions. And yes, I'm about jumping ship too. 2017 will be the year, so yes Apple show me... because it's never been so tempting as of now to say goodbye.

 

[abhibeckert]

Basically guys, there's no need to worry.

Yes a few products are pretty long overdue a spec bump, and the platter drives have long overstayed their welcome, but Apple are in a significantly stronger position now than they were in 2011 — and I don't just mean financially.

A new Mac Pro every year since 2011 would have paled in comparison to their current achievements with in-house chips and so many other things. It's not to say they couldn't have done both, of course! But it's sometimes good to take a step back and see the larger picture.

Rest assured, the new Mac Pro/Mac Mini will come; hopefully along with a more consistent silent hardware upgrade cycle!

I'm not looking for "spec bumps", I want hardware that is actually usable at all, not just now but also for the future.

There just aren't enough PCI lanes available on any desktop Mac currently for sale. The Mac Pro thunderbolt ports provide 24 PCIe 2.0 lanes for 12GB/s and the iMac is pathetic at 8 lanes and 4GB/s. Neither one provides enough for basic use cases like plugging in high resolution displays and some fast external storage.

The MacBook Pro is a little better – the 15" model provides 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes over thunderbolt (for 16GB/s total) – but that's still not great and it locks you into a low power CPU/GPU with a modest cooling system. That Mac just can't deliver the kind of sustained performance I need, and it doesn't have enough RAM ports.

I can get by now with low res external displays and slow external storage, but it's frustrating and should have been fixed years ago.

 

[manu chao]

Here is my problem. The secrecy under Jobs was cool, because at the end there was a "TADA" that blew us away. Knowing too much spoiled the big surprise.

Under Tim Cook there is still the secrecy but at the end there is "WTF?"

Tim, there is no need for secrecy if you can't give us the big payoff.

Either give us something amazing like Jobs did, or cut with the crap and publish a roadmap like Intel does.

What in the Jobs era blew us away in regard to the Mac Pro?

 

[Ted13]

"The Pro area is going to be very, very great. That I can promise you. Believe me."
Give me a Mac Mini that can drive my 4K TV smoothly and I'll throw my money to you, Tim.

As well as a 5K external monitor - simultaneously

 

[Apple 26.2]

I'm on deck for a Mini... guess we'll see if the wait was worth.

 

[nt5672]

We now know one of the big differences between Jobs and Cook is that Jobs didn't talk about, just did it, Cook just likes to hear himself talk, but never gets around to doing it.

 

[aaronhead14]

This is actually really comforting for us Mac Pro users to hear. Reeeeaaaaly hoping for a Mac Pro update this year!

 

[PortableLover]

If Apple can update their iPhone every year, why can't they update their Mac Pro. Was the Mac Pro not once a flagship for their Pro Customers?

 

[Ted13]

What in the Jobs era blew us away in regard to the Mac Pro?

The cheese grater MacPro - like the 2009 release which I am still using to this day (though stuck on El Capitan)

 

[Nunyabinez]

What in the Jobs era blew us away in regard to the Mac Pro?

Where did I specify the Mac Pro?

 

[Carlanga]

"pro" nowadays instead of pro

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

Seems possible now, doesn't it? It supports ECC and with the lower TDP they could fit dual CPUs in the current design. And dual Vega-based GPUs.

Don't even need ECC for creatives. That's a science and server thing. We just want great performance at a competitive price.

 

[sammazookie]

Just an alternative fact.

 

[uwdude]

He probably quietly muttered "iPad" before he said "Pro area"

That's what I was going to say, in other words expect more iPad Pros and a new iPhone Pro. With maybe some services on those aimed towards business.

 

[beentie]

"The Pro area is going to be very, very great. That I can promise you. Believe me."
Give me a Mac Mini that can drive my 4K TV smoothly and I'll throw my money to you, Tim.

Sounds like promise to make America great again...

 

[masterhiggins]

An iMac is NOT Pro.

 

[Since1987]

Not comforted in the least. Cook and Ive have shown repeatedly that their idea of "Pro" and what actual Professional users NEED are not even in the same universe. Don't tease us... DO IT !!!
Even a "preview" would calm the waters... that's what they did with the MacPro in 2013 way before it was released. It was needed then to appease pro users, it's needed even more now. Many are already gone. Many more will be gone by the time he actually announces... uh, whatever it is he's almost talking about.
Apple has BILLIONS in the bank, talk is cheap... yet they refuse to even utter the words "Mac Pro". Not convinced.

 

[xalea]

Need less "we will" and more "available now."

 

[theheadguy]

I love how you blame Tim. Even under Jobs the Desktop was rarely updated.

LOL!! Remember the below quote from the year 2014? According to you, Tim's got like, what, one year left, if that? All the magic must be coming at once! Get ready, Jared! You must be super excited!

Couldn't agree with you more! Forstall was Jobs' successor and Cook took first chance to can him. Forstall should be running Apple, not Cook. Cook has no vision. He's just a business guy like Ballmer. Maybe after this fiasco and mockery, Apple's board will come to its senses and fire that old fool. For two years Cook has sat on Apple's TV project that Jobs said he "cracked" and have been polishing those small screen phones while Android has been growing like weed. Apple has truly lost its way and Tim Cook is to blame.

Something tells me the shareholders will disagree with you. Besides, Jobs specifically told Cook to never question "what would Jobs do?" Let the man stand on his own two feet for at least five years and then if Apple has nothing to show for themselves then go buy some stock and vote him down. Until then, let the man do his job.

 

[0997853]

Replace "we're sorry" with "The pro area is very important to us", or just think they're sorry for neglecting the Pro line.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

If you're gone from the mac, why are you posting here?

To tell everyone that he is done with the Mac to all those that are interested in the Mac.

 

[nt5672]

Another problem with Cook's Apple is that he thinks a pro workstation has to have the splash and fashion impact that an iPhone or Beats headset has. For gods sake, Cook, today it is just a workstation, it is a commodity. Don't worry about the color, don't worry about it being a few ounces heavier, don't worry about it having some visible screws or several different ports. Just release the damn thing and get back to your all-important fashion devices and your interviews with fake news media.

 

[skitidetdu]

The mac pro today is a joke, although the design is cool...