Apple Offers Minor Processor Bump to Mac Pro Line, No Thunderbolt

[Jmx]

This update is an insult

I have the MP 1.1 and have been waiting for what i thought should be an obvious update with the latest E5's and also the option to use nVidia cards for 3D GPU rendering and thunderbolt for external storage.

I'm stunned and feel this "so called" update is an insult to anyone wanting to buy a new OS X workstation.
I'm so disappointed i feel i will go back to what i thought i never would again... a PC with Windows.
I even feel so pissed right now I've even lost interest in getting a new iMac and Mac Mini just to make a statement.

I was ready to invest in a new beefy Mac Pro, new Mac mini, new iMac as well as buying several new computers for work.... now I'm not sure anymore.
The past years I've written several letters to Apple (and even Steve Jobs) explaining how Apple needed to keep up with new hardware and to give the users the option to change graphic cards when needed if they should invest in a Mac Pro. A client doesn't care what brand your computer is... time is money and rendering 3D takes time.

The world keep spinning faster and having competitive hardware for demanding work is more important than ever how can anyone feel that buying a "new" Mac Pro with 2 - 2,5 year old CPU/GPU's and still without the chance of using a nVidia/CUDA card for rendering is even an option?
I love OS X but everything has a limit... i now consider PC's with Windows just to get the hardware needed.

Seriously how hard can it be to just update a computer with the latest available hardware?
How much i dislike windows and PC's it now actually feels like it's the better choice. I can choose the latest hardware and use the latest software on it that can benefit from CUDA rendering and such.

Can we do anything at this point beside "no" buying the "updated" Mac Pro?
Petition? Everyone write Apple (Tim Cook) threatening to ban Apple unless they meet users expectations?
I know it sounds childish... but what can we do?

I need Pro hardware now and are done waiting.
I'm not prepared to do the Hackintosh route either, I don't have the time needed to research, build and maintain such a system, i just need a system that runs and doesn't risk stop working after an OS update.

I actually thought Apple would pull through on this one and I'm just so pissed right now i had to write some of it off.

I really hope someone from Apple reads these threads. =

 

[dave-k]

I'm out

I can understand the argument that the Mac Pro is a niche product. So, perhaps there is a business argument to drop the line and move on.

However, I was in the market for a new Mac Pro ... and now I'm not. What's more, this decision has wider implications for my other other hardware purchases.

In my view, there was an argument for Apple to retain a position in the workstation market. Certainly it could have afforded to do so. It hasn't and, in my opinion, the Apple brand is the poorer.

I'm out.

 

[milo]

Anyone with an older MacPro will love the 3.33 hex version with an SSD.

SSDs are approaching 600 meg/sec transfers these days, you really think people are going to love putting that in a machine that has only SATA II and bottlenecks it to 300? Idiotic.

what are our options ?

For anyone who actually needs the power of MP (or what MP should have), the options are Windows or hackintosh.

 

[entatlrg]

Be sure and email your concerns to Apple too!

Wow, this thread grew fast, almost every post mentions a valid concern for a Pro User.

It's great to vent and chat here, but I hope everyone ALSO emails Apple. Sure, maybe there's a 2% chance of them listening, but writing about it here is 0%.

My Engineers have already fired off well written notes to Apple's Mac Pro feedback department. http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html

To read their concerns and everyone's concerns here how can Apple fall so short on the Mac Pro? Low volume maybe, but Apple charges a premium mark up as it is, and the things required to make the Pro a "Pro" don't require Engineering Teams to accomplish.

Plus the Pro Market since Apple began has been the tremendous PR for the company over the years.

Apple didn't get money out of my pocket today, but they sure could have.

 

[iBug2]

The newest tech in these machines came out February 2011, so they could have updated to this very lineup over a year ago. They didn't.

Now Intel finally does have some new tech that's a real improvement over the previous generation. Newer CPUs including some up to 8 cores per chip, SATA III, TB, usb 3 (and even some of those were available a year ago). That's all available today, that's all the stuff people thought was holding up a MP update.

And now they finally update and it doesn't include any of it. Apple has had Intel as an excuse in the past. But Intel finally got new chips out the door, that excuse doesn't fly any more.

Sandy Bridge Xeons did come out last month, not in Feb 2011. Apple never ever upgrades their computers because intel released 100mhz faster CPU of the same generation. And I'm not talking about the last generation Mac Pro's. Mac Pro's weren't selling that well 3 years ago either. It has nothing to do with Apple's upgrade cycle. It's very simple. Less expensive Macs are enough for the most, so they are not buying Mac Pro's. And their numbers are constantly increasing.

You can check the "We want a new Mac Pro" facebook page and it only has 17k likes. That's your number.

 

[irishgrizzly]

The message is pretty clear, this will be the last Mac Pro they put out before it's quietly retired.

 

[dented42ford]

dented42ford -

I'm in much the same boat you are; among other things, I've been using DP since it was "Performer". Thought you'd be interested to know that MOTU announced in January DP8 will be cross-platform when it's released. (I know that's not a big help, but it's something...)

I've had the money for a new Pro for over a year and have been waiting for an update. Given the disappointing news today, I'm looking seriously at Windows systems from Sweetwater Sound and Rain Computers.

Been a Mac guy since the late '80s and am sorry that it's come to this.

Like many other commenters, I can understand the secrecy on the "consumer" side where there's much more competition and product cycles are shorter. But this is a lousy way for Apple to treat those of us who need actual workstations...I can't do my job with Garage Band.

+1
F that.
+17,000

DP8 being cross platform, whenever it actually shows up (MOTU missed their speculated Q2 launch window already), is going to be a v1 - if you can tell me a single PRO who would try to DEPEND on a v1 piece of software, let me know where they are so I can buy them a beer - them's some big brass ones!

It is more the Apogee/MH conundrum that bothers me - MH doesn't use PCIe, being mostly AES-based with a [USB? can't remember] control connection for the built-in plugin effects. Apogee's Symphony, while not being quite as good at Low-Latency as really great ASIO drivers or any kind of TDM-like system, is rock stable for me and consistent. It is a good solution if you don't like to be stuck with the workarounds of working with Avid hardware and non-Avid software - sure, once you get it to work, it mostly works, but when it goes down, oh boy...

And my 10 years of learning Logic seem rather silly now - there's no word from Apple on that product, though they do seem to be doing incremental updates (that fail to fix glaring issues, like the god**** memory leak)...

I hate to say it, but I am thinking of jumping ship. I was doing an inventory after my earlier invective, and I realized that Logic and a few plugs are the only things tying me to Mac - and I don't use Logic nearly as much as I used to, since I do a lot of my prototyping in Live and mixing in Reason. However, Logic and Mixbus are both Mac-Only, and I do use them fairly often - I rarely use DP anymore, so that's a blessing. I actually COULD convert, but it would mean selling my converters and going with [shudder] HDX & HD I/O 16 (x2), most likely, since I don't really like RME that much. But that would mean my $5-8k upgrade cost would go up to around $10-12, once I take the loss on the sold hardware...

This is the type of thing that going with Apple was supposed to fix in the first place!

 

[nanofrog]

What a complete joke.

I didn't expect a miracle (TB or USB 3.0), but I did expect them to use SB-E5's to keep current (and reduce the development cost per board due to Intel's Tick-Tock cycle).

Given what's happened, I wouldn't expect an Ivy Bridge (presumably E6 series) to make it. Ever.

So the likely outcome = enjoy the last MP as we know it... Followed by "Introducing the New iMac Pro".

 

[Bubba Satori]

What a joke of an update. How do they manage to get video cards that old? So Apple doesn't want my money, fine. I'm not interested in a fancy overheating AdapterBook Pro. But they'll sell millions to hipsters wanting to upload all of their personal information to facebook and icloud.

Send a $5 check for a 5770 to overstock.com.

 

[iBug2]

So the likely outcome = enjoy the last MP as we know it... Followed by "Introducing the New iMac Pro".

Actually, I think that an iMac Pro might be a possibilty now. I surely hope Apple has some plans to make this transition easier than this nonsense.

 

[iSayuSay]

Good bye it is then MacPro .. Been a nice ridin'

 

[NY Guitarist]

I recall at a keynote not too long ago, that although not a large share of Apple hardware sales, the Mac Pro was profitable and if it were a separate company would be considered a success... and Apple was committed to that market.

Does anyone remember which keynote that was... if indeed I am remembering it correctly?

 

[50548]

I'm not a pro but I fully understand people's anger...it's unbelievable that Apple was not able to update the Mac Pro with even the slightest of newer features.

In fact, there would be almost ZERO need for a redesign or major changes, and no engineering demands apart from tweaks that Woz himself would be able to effect in a couple of hours, such as USB 3.0 or, at the very least, TB controllers. Updated GPUs? Not even a need for that. Just ensure compatibility with newer boards and bundle NONE if cost is a factor!

As I said before, Cook is about streamlining to the core...he is no Jobs. The post-PC era is upon us, and it won't be pretty for many. Apple today just gave up the server and pro desktop markets for good. And no, there will NOT be any "newer" MP later - forget it.

 

[iBug2]

I recall at a keynote not too long ago, that although not a large share of Apple hardware sales, the Mac Pro was profitable and if it were a separate company would be considered a success... and Apple was committed to that market.

Does anyone remember which keynote that was... if indeed I am remembering it correctly?

You remember incorrectly, they said the Mac business on its own is a Fortune 500 business.

 

[nanofrog]

Actually, I think that an iMac Pro might be a possibility now. I surely hope Apple has some plans to make this transition easier than this nonsense.

It's not certain, but such an occurrence makes the most sense to me (I did eventually expect this, but not quite as soon as it seems to be coming).

I expected SB-E5 followed by the IB-E6 series as the last Tick-Tock based MP. Then an iMac Pro, as the consumer CPU's and integrated/embedded GPU's to be powerful enough to make a serious run at the MP's target (sans ECC, which isn't needed by that many).

 

[kps]

It's not just the Mac Pro — the 17" MacBook Pro is gone too. Apple no longer sells any high-end machines. That means the Macintosh is no longer a full-range solution, which means Apple has no intention of keeping it alive. Apple is continuing to eject the kind of customers who complain about the dumbing-down and locking-down of OS X as it merges into iOS.

 

[NY Guitarist]

You remember incorrectly, they said the Mac business on its own is a Fortune 500 business.

Thanks. Do you recall which keynote? I'd like to watch it again to see what they said about Mac Pro sales.

 

[iBug2]

It's not just the Mac Pro — the 17" MacBook Pro is gone too. Apple no longer sells any high-end machines. That means the Macintosh is no longer a full-range solution, which means Apple has no intention of keeping it alive. Apple is continuing to eject the kind of customers who complain about the dumbing-down and locking-down of OS X as it merges into iOS.

17" MBP really became irrelevant after the retina introduction. 15" have been equally powerful as 17" forever. I use a 17" and the only reason I bought a 17" was to watch my 1080p content without scaling down, and now I don't need a 17" for that. So 15" all the way.

 

[50548]

Is it time to bring back Woz yet?

 

[iBug2]

Thanks. Do you recall which keynote? I'd like to watch it again to see what they said about Mac Pro sales.

Apple never says how many Mac Pro's they sell. They only give us notebooks and desktops as sales figures in quarterly results. But if the Facebook page only got 17k likes, Mac Pro's are probably selling in 4-5 figures which is extremely low.

 

[nanofrog]

Apple never says how many Mac Pro's they sell. They only give us notebooks and desktops as sales figures in quarterly results. But if the Facebook page only got 17k likes, Mac Pro's are probably selling in 4-5 figures which is extremely low.

If you and others recall previous threads (months ago), it definitely comes down to unit sales over some time period (quarterly, semi-annually, and annually).

So it seems the MP's sales figures are far too low for Apple's liking (i.e. too low to retain their desired margins).

 

[hob]

This may sound like trolling, but I think I've just become enlightened.

One can sit around forever waiting for new hardware, wondering what might be... or one can simply put together the best system possible to them and get on with the work in hand.

In my case, I dare say one of these new Mac Pro's would be a serious bump to the 2007 MP currently under my desk, but then an iMac starts to look like a better deal (although I can't chuck 20GB RAM in there!)

Apple is focussing hard on consumer products at the moment, but who isn't? Has anyone seen what Microsoft are doing to Windows 8? Turning the entire OS into a touchpad OS is pretty bold...

 

[milo]

Sandy Bridge Xeons did come out last month, not in Feb 2011.

THESE MPs ARE NOT SANDY BRIDGE. They are the exact same as the 2010 machines (which are the same as the 2009), with ONE cpu version that came out in Feb 2011.

Again, THEY COULD HAVE SHIPPED THESE EXACT MACHINES OVER A YEAR AGO.

Apple never ever upgrades their computers because intel released 100mhz faster CPU of the same generation.

I guess that's true in this case as well...the only update in this version is 133mhz faster CPU of the same generation - I guess that 33mhz makes all the difference.

You can check the "We want a new Mac Pro" facebook page and it only has 17k likes. That's your number.

That number means nothing, you're really that naive that you think that every single potential buyer on the planet is going to participate in a given Facebook page?

 

[iBug2]

If you and others recall previous threads (months ago), it definitely comes down to unit sales over some time period (quarterly, semi-annually, and annually).

So it seems the MP's sales figures are far too low for Apple's liking (i.e. too low to retain their desired margins).

We already knew that, but to me that's still not "enough" to axe the line unless they have a total replacement, which for now, they don't. CPU's and Memory can be "good enough" on iMacs, but PCI-e isn't there and not all PCI-e is replaceable by TB solutions today. If they axed this in 2 years, it'd make much more sense. But then again, they didn't axe it. If someone definitely needs one, they can buy one even today, and then wait for Apple's solution in the future.

----------

THESE MPs ARE NOT SANDY BRIDGE. They are the exact same as the 2010 machines (which are the same as the 2009), with ONE cpu version that came out in Feb 2011.

Again, THEY COULD HAVE SHIPPED THESE EXACT MACHINES OVER A YEAR AGO.

I know that. But even if Apple wanted to upgrade these machines for real, they couldn't have done it until last month. So their upgrade cycle is not responsible for low sales.

----------

That number means nothing, you're really that naive that you think that every single potential buyer on the planet is going to participate in a given Facebook page?

The actual buyers of Mac Pro are probably less than that number in reality. Not everyone who "likes" it will immediately buy a Mac Pro on the release day. And many could have artificially increased that number by urging their friends to "like".

Mac Pro not selling well is not a mystery. This has been known all along by everyone. What we wanted was for Apple to keep the line "DESPITE" the low sell figures.

 

[iPadPublisher]

This means one of two things. Apple is going to discontinue them in the future. Or they are working on a major redesign that just wasn't ready yet. Hopefully it's the latter.

I knew a million guys were going to start saying this. Puts us right back at square one; wait or buy now and regret it later.

My firm has been waiting patiently for some time. We have several minis we wanted to swap for Pro units. Didn't even get Thunderbolt, which means the Cinema displays attached to the Minis have to be sold and swapped out for the non-Thunderbolt units if we want to get this current Mac Pro iteration. Lame.

Also, processor upgrades have been available from OWC for ages now, and include more powerful options. We coulda done that already and had a machine FASTER than the current offerings from Apple itself. Not cool.