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Apple Developing Narrower, Rackmountable Mac Pro Prototypes?
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Yah I agree. I think there needs to be a factor between the iMac and MacPro.
I want the power of the top of the line iMac but in a small form factor with upgradable slots for video, memory, etc.
I think the next Mac Pro refresh will be a huge milestone. Not only will it be the first case redesign in nearly a decade and add all the latest tech (USB3, sata III, thunderbolt, etc) but I believe Apple will take this opportunity to finally revise the pricing structure. Over the past few years, Apple has been making a clear shift towards the consumer market. Part of that is arguably negative ("dumbing things down") but the positive is more reasonable prices. The Mac Pro is the only computer left that hasn't been revised. My hope is that Apple will create a few models of the new Mac Pro, at least one of which is an affordable mid-range consumer tower starting under the the $2,000 mark.
Unfortunately, they will probably wait to use the new performance desktop/server sandy bridge CPUs which Intel won't have ready until Q4 2011 (or later). If that's true then we won't see these new beauties until 1H 2012.
Unfortunately, they will probably wait to use the new performance desktop/server sandy bridge CPUs which Intel won't have ready until Q4 2011 (or later). If that's true then we won't see these new beauties until 1H 2012.
Go back and read my post please...thoroughly.
I am referring to the wider market. Sure, you manage 600+ Mac workstations. But on the grand scale of things, thats not worth anything to Apple.
Put it this way:
Why spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on redevelopment for an audience of, lets say 50,000 customers when you can spend the same amount on an audience of 1million+ customers. See my point? The server market for Apple is clearly not worth it. Yes, it sucks big time for people like yourself who rely on it, but at the end of the day Apple will focus on products that bring in cash, not products that break even at best.
I think the next Mac Pro refresh will be a huge milestone. Not only will it be the first case redesign in nearly a decade and add all the latest tech (USB3, sata III, thunderbolt, etc) but I believe Apple will take this opportunity to finally revise the pricing structure. Over the past few years, Apple has been making a clear shift towards the consumer market. Part of that is arguably negative ("dumbing things down") but the positive is more reasonable prices. The Mac Pro is the only computer left that hasn't been revised. My hope is that Apple will create a few models of the new Mac Pro, at least one of which is an affordable mid-range consumer tower starting under the the $2,000 mark.
Unfortunately, they will probably wait to use the new performance desktop/server sandy bridge CPUs which Intel won't have ready until Q4 2011 (or later). If that's true then we won't see these new beauties until 1H 2012.
If anything the pro will increase in price as its very much close to the price of the 27" iMac, which is hampering its sales. Also, don't hold your breath for USB3 - as far as Apple's concerned, USB3 is a dead technology.
I think the next Mac Pro refresh will be a huge milestone. Not only will it be the first case redesign in nearly a decade and add all the latest tech (USB3, sata III, thunderbolt, etc) but I believe Apple will take this opportunity to finally revise the pricing structure. Over the past few years, Apple has been making a clear shift towards the consumer market. Part of that is arguably negative ("dumbing things down") but the positive is more reasonable prices. The Mac Pro is the only computer left that hasn't been revised. My hope is that Apple will create a few models of the new Mac Pro, at least one of which is an affordable mid-range consumer tower starting under the the $2,000 mark.
Unfortunately, they will probably wait to use the new performance desktop/server sandy bridge CPUs which Intel won't have ready until Q4 2011 (or later). If that's true then we won't see these new beauties until 1H 2012.
Basically, what many of us have been asking / begging Apple to do; release an iMac w/o the display and with removable hard drives.
I think the next Mac Pro refresh will be a huge milestone. Not only will it be the first case redesign in nearly a decade and add all the latest tech (USB3, sata III, thunderbolt, etc) but I believe Apple will take this opportunity to finally revise the pricing structure. Over the past few years, Apple has been making a clear shift towards the consumer market. Part of that is arguably negative ("dumbing things down") but the positive is more reasonable prices. The Mac Pro is the only computer left that hasn't been revised. My hope is that Apple will create a few models of the new Mac Pro, at least one of which is an affordable mid-range consumer tower starting under the the $2,000 mark.
Unfortunately, they will probably wait to use the new performance desktop/server sandy bridge CPUs which Intel won't have ready until Q4 2011 (or later). If that's true then we won't see these new beauties until 1H 2012.
Yah especially with Final Cut X, you are going to see a mid size professional type of machine...they really need to work on the price structure...most of us can't blow 5-6K on a machine
I find the whole 'dumbing' down thing hilarious. Everyone that says that is scared of losing their elitism...I hear it from even the people in my post house because they are afraid of losing their jobs or their billable hours to an average joe that might just have talent but can't afford a DS.
I sent S.Jobs an email about that years ago and told him they really needed a mid level machine that was an iMac but upgradable and without the monitor. I think a lot of us have been waiting on this machine.
The current case size is perfect imo. I know Apple likes their products to be as small and quiet as possible but you have to wonder if heat will be an issue with two six core processors in such a small case.
Last I heard, Apple was simply waiting for Intel to support it natively. Intel is going to support USB3 in it's next generation chipsets, and they've made it clear that they don't see USB3 as a direct competitor to Thunderbolt.
It would be nice. As I'm forced to use a Mac Pro with no redundancy at work to run some Mac specific software. At least my rack is wide enough, I slide in thru the side and on a shelf.
A 3U-4U Mac Pro with optional redundant PSU and hardware RAID5 would be great. We would certainly buy one at work.
A 3U-4U Mac Pro with optional redundant PSU and hardware RAID5 would be great. We would certainly buy one at work.
does it look a bit unstable being so narrow?
Other than that, I imagine with all the minimisation that Apple has done with imacs, mini's etc it should be possible to keep the expandability in a smaller footprint.
Not so sure about having lots of external drives, instead of internal ones. For one, they are always more expensive, for two they probably eat more juice and they always have a power brick dangling off them.
Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge allow smaller case designs and are much more power efficient than previous processor generations. So smaller cases are not a real problem.
They don't have to be deep:
There is nothing about rack-mounting that REQUIRES a deep computer, it's just a common compromise to make up for the lack of height.