Apple Discontinued More Than Just the Mac Pro This Month

[amazingrando]

The Mac Studio 512GB is interesting. Used they were like $8-$12k and in very high demand for AI work. Now there are almost none used for sale. I saw one that was $25k. Apple could have doubled the price, which would have more than compensated for the memory cost increase, but they didn't.

My theory is that Apple is redirecting that RAM to M5 Mac Studios, which may go up to 768GB of RAM to compete with Nvidia's systems. Apple is way behind on AI, but with everyone buying up Mac Minis for OpenClaw and AI developers using Mac Studios with tons of RAM for large models locally, Apple has realized that they have one of the best platforms for AI development. Even a 256GB version is double what any DGX Spark or AMD Ryzen AI system can support. I expect Apple to reveal a bunch of new Apple Intelligence (based on Gemini) products soon, and with it the new M5 Mac Studio and Mac Mini for AI developers.

 

[Black_Mage]

Now they’d be stuck as to why it’s called a Mac Pro mini when no other Mac Pro exists

You mean the same way there's a Mac Mini but no Mac?

 

[-BigMac-]

Here’s another Apple product that needs discontinuing…

yea he’s Cooked

 

[kalsta]

RAM and storage options are always evolving. The real news here is that Apple just killed the two most ‘Pro’ products they ever offered — both Mac and monitor. The move away from niche professional products to popular consumer ones isn’t anything new — we’ve been talking about that for decades. But Apple has always bounced back at some point — until now, when they have made it clear they’re done with the Mac Pro. I do find that sad.

 

[Regulus67]

This is what I don't understand. All those new Neo owners who switched from Windows would have bought Mac Pros eventually but now they are stuck with their Neos.

I am inclined to agree with you, some possibly would.

The first mac I purchased (brand new) was an Apple iMac "Core i5" 1.6 21.5" (Late 2015). The cheapest I could get in a local shop. To see if macOS was ok, and what software Apple had to offer.
Didn't use it much, and passed it on to a friend for free. But I liked macOS, so the Mac Pro 3,1 was my next step up. Man was that great, with the 30" Apple Cinema Display!

I very much prefer macOS to Windows. Even Sequoia is ok, but the older versions are more to my taste.

 

[Koziakauzu]

< "The future is bright" )




...the shilling is embarassing

 

[mikeeeeeeee]

an aside, I think the word optics replacing appearance is a debasement of language. but then again 512 GB of memory, to what purpose, unless you can't determine a method of sequentially processing data in smaller segments

The whole point of 512GB integrated RAM is for processing AI in the box. Nothing else needs that kind of horsepower.

 

[mikehalloran]

The whole point of 512GB integrated RAM is for processing AI in the box. Nothing else needs that kind of horsepower.

Exactly.

 

[vantelimus]

RAM and storage options are always evolving. The real news here is that Apple just killed the two most ‘Pro’ products they ever offered — both Mac and monitor. The move away from niche professional products to popular consumer ones isn’t anything new — we’ve been talking about that for decades. But Apple has always bounced back at some point — until now, when they have made it clear they’re done with the Mac Pro. I do find that sad.

Apple has not moved away from professional products. The Mac Studio Ultra is by no means a popular consumer product. It is both a professional video workstation and an AI engineer workstation. Only the form factor has changed since no one using an Apple ecosystem really needs PCIe.

It may appear that Apple is moving away from the niche video production market if you measure that by the discontinuation of their 32" monitor or the Mac Pro. However, today you can buy a 32" LG monitor with a screen as good as the old Apple monitor for ⅓ the price that Apple was charging. Apple ditched the high-end monitor because it cannot compete and maintain margins in that peripheral market niche. As for the Mac Pro, they are no longer necessary for high-end for video production. The GPU performance of Apple's high-end Studios obviate the need for codec acceleration hardware. Thunderbolt is now the industry-standard I/O transport replacing the need for PCIe.