Out of interest, what did you need upgraded? I think the only thing non upgradable in a 2013 is the graphics cards, though there was a hack to be able to bypass them and use external graphics over thunderbolt 2.
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Apple Mulling Preview of New Modular Mac Pro at WWDC in June
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Out of interest, what did you need upgraded? I think the only thing non upgradable in a 2013 is the graphics cards, though there was a hack to be able to bypass them and use external graphics over thunderbolt 2.
I honestly wonder if most of the potential market for a high-end Mac Pro have already switched to Windows or Linux
I think you’re right, a good chunk of it has. But it’s not necessarily a permanent state; if Apple gives them the machine they want, and works with developers to optimize relevant apps for MacOS, some will return.
Between current users who are using the 2013 or older MP, returning users they succeed in winning back, users who outgrow MBP, Mac mini and iMac/iMac Pro (or using iMac Pro temporarily while waiting for the 2019 Mac Pro)—and then of course new demand going forward from all those categories—Apple thinks there’s enough of a market to give it a go.
I’m sure they’ve also spoken to their larger customers to get their input and gauge demand. There will most likely be an initial spike due to pent up demand, then a lower baseline with a tougher hill to climb as they try to dig out from having shot themselves in the foot so many years ago. Releasing an excellent pro monitor will help some with this process.
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Which is why no one has been able to produce a TB card for cheese grater Mac Pros ... how?
I've already detailed exactly how Apple is generating the charge to shift it into Services, so its not an "accusation": it is reading exactly what Apple themselves wrote and understanding the implications. It isn't illegal because its been disclosed. Ditto for how R&D folds into overhead rates which similarly get charged back as well.
Bye.
TB3 PCI cards already exist, and they work* in the 4,1 / 5,1 cheesegraters (latest TB3 controllers don't require a special TB-aware motherboard, the way earlier versions did).
By "work" you have to boot into Windows to warm them up, before rebooting into macOS, but that's because macOS has inferior software support for the full range of what TB can do.
Your question has the seeds of its own answer. You want a ho-hum product. And the last time Apple introduced a ho-hum product was... never. Apple does not introduce products that are not designed to draw oohs and aahs.
The last time Apple tried to introduce a product into the Mac Pro space, they tried very hard to be anything BUT ho-hum, and ended up with... a donut. It's really, really hard to design a product in this space that isn't boring, but isn't a toroidal miss.
I think there is core of final cut loyalists and brand enthusiasts.
Ah, you're right: I used a very lazy (and incorrect) method.
The correct approach is (Original Price)*(1-(annual rate of change))^(years)
Which here is (478)*(1-.24)^13
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Thanks for that clarification. Looks like my comment was valid for just the initial TB1 & TB2 generations, after which I pretty much stopped bothering to look.
And a boot-into-Win-warmup klunge is an interesting footnote, particularly as how Apple has tried to be a TB promoter, but it would appear that their own (dare I say) self-loathing of the cheesegrater never made that into an OEM supported solution for their customer base.
Just YA example of how small "attention to detail" elements could have made such a big difference in supporting this customer segment - - it was the lack of a redesigned fan guard for the cheesegrater which took it off the EU market.
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I didn't personally need an upgrade during the timeframe in which I owned one. However, it's nice to have the option.
As for external GPUs, Apple doesn't support them on the Mac Pro. Only on computers with Thunderbolt 3. There are hacks though, but your eGPU would be an expensive doorstop if the hack stopped working. Also, the bandwidth on TB2 isn't as good as TB3.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208544
Sorry, but that makes absolutely no logical and/or commercial sense. The market doesn't want or need an art piece for a Mac Pro. The market has been demanding a Mac OS driven powerhouse to do heavy computational lifting.
Design a "nice" case with modular capabilities for users to be able to replace/upgrade off-the-shelf RAM, SSDs, GPUs (Nvidia AND AMD!), generous standard I/O options to include a headphone jack. Use this as an opportunity for the rebirth of the Mac Pro line and recapture the goodwill of creatives and computing scientists/researchers. Then, make nice design tweaks while NOT taking away from functionality with each annual iteration.
This isn't rocket science! All the parts, chipsets, motherboards, RAM, SSDs, GPUs, etc. are readily available from 3rd-Party manufacturers. This is what Apple has done for decades and it's resulted in stellar profits.
They can also provide a scaled down version as the *new* Mac Mini for those that want Mac OS at a more approachable price point. Think of schools, uni students, etc that might want to create but can't afford a $3000 rig. This is where you can get people building great AR, VR, AI, ML systems and other "things" yet to be imagined. Remember Steve talking about "The intersection of technology and liberal arts."?
Building overheated trashcans for the sake of design kudos and personal hubris leads to dead ends and lost profit. Of which they've already admitted to as a major technological and commercial mistake. “I think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner, if you will,” attributed to an Apple Executive back in 2017.
Apple has lost its way!
You are right, FCP loyalists and Apple enthusiasts are still a market that may buy a new Mac Pro, but I think that many of them would be content with an iMac (Pro).
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To add to my previous posts, I think that many people who say they are 'waiting for the Mac Pro' won't end up buy it. We know very little about this new Mac Pro, what is will be and how expensive it will be. Also we need to remember that it was conceived after Apple have started the iMac Pro, so I think it will be more high end that it would have been just a replacement for the current 2013 Mac Pro.
For many people who are waiting to buy it:
- It will be too expensive and they will buy an iMac Pro. We could see a $5,000 starting price, (without a screen) and many models $10,000+
- It will be not upgradable enough (like the '13 model) and they will switch to Window or Linux. This group would include high end video/film users.
I'm mulling over if the MP is not released in June but in 2020 my only choice is PC.
I've already moved a couple work stations over to PC's in 2013 because of the huge disappointment and this will be the final nail.Not a fanboy but have been buying MP's since Quadra950.
This is Apple we are talking about here. They cannot not try to redesign the Mac Pro. It is their nature.
Great points and well written. I really miss the days of Apple Computer.
Yes, Apple has lost it's way because Tim Cook is more interested in politics.
Apple better get price point, practicality and user-configurable/upgradability right on this or they lose most of the pro market for a very long time I suspect.
Apples Pro apps aren't that much better than alternatives such that people are prepared to pay $6K more for the hardware than Linux/Win10. Pro's will increasingly move to linux/Win10 if Apple doesn't kick some arse here, **** the "can't innovate" angle just prioritise those three things and then let Jonny Ives have some fun second.
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That's the most ******** response to the trend of Apple towards the luxe goods market and mobile computing devices I've ever read. You poor butt-hurt throw backs really struggle with anything outside your self image don't you.
Apples Pro apps aren't that much better than alternatives such that people are prepared to pay $6K more for the hardware than Linux/Win10. Pro's will increasingly move to linux/Win10 if Apple doesn't kick some arse here, **** the "can't innovate" angle just prioritise those three things and then let Jonny Ives have some fun second.
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Yes, Apple has lost it's way because Tim Cook is more interested in politics.
That's the most ******** response to the trend of Apple towards the luxe goods market and mobile computing devices I've ever read. You poor butt-hurt throw backs really struggle with anything outside your self image don't you.
"throw backs" Lol Give me a break Mr. Clueless. .........I think you need to work on your grammar skills then go back to your safe space. Lol
What ever it is it's too little to late, even Greyscale Gorilla moved on to PC... On a professional level unfortunately Mac is just not an option any more. I bought an iMac Pro but was fairly disappointed, and shocked by the price. I think by the time this thing comes out we'll have switched most of my company over to PC. Apple just does not want pro's and I need to have a working environment that makes money, I don't care what brand my phone is, as long as it works with a very fast 3d rendering maschine. I bought the first Apple in 1993, and I think I am seeing that earl going to an end.
Apple obviously does want pros, or they wouldn’t be putting this much time and effort into making sure the new Mac Pro is optimized for those workloads (and workflows). But many in your position haven’t been able to wait, or have moved their rendering to the cloud.
Every person/business needs to make the decision that works best for them, whether that’s Windows, Mac or Linux, or local compute vs. cloud. For organizations of any size, often the answer is often “all of the above”, in some proportion.
Apple should have refreshed the Mac Pro long ago, and they’ve surely lost users and market share directly attributable to its poor product management. Some of those users will never be back. But if Apple delivers on the Mac Pro, they’ll have a shot at turning things around.
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