Then why did you buy 1 if you think a new 1 will be out soon ? I don't know if they will or not But the move to final cut pro x Is an indication they're moving out of the pro market which makes sense because all of their other hardware is consumer or prosumer.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple 'Questioning' the Future of its Mac Pro Line?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Then why did you buy 1 if you think a new 1 will be out soon ? I don't know if they will or not But the move to final cut pro x Is an indication they're moving out of the pro market which makes sense because all of their other hardware is consumer or prosumer.
The 11' Air is a fine machine. I do not think Apple gives access to sales #'s on particular devices, so I am guessing the white book was phased out to encourage folks to go for the 13' Pro since they were the same in most respects. Be nice if they kept the Macbook and started it at $799 though. 11' and 13' screens are quite a difference as well so it would be awesome if they came down a shade on pricing. Its gone though so oh well.
I doubt that really ruined your day or annoyed you. I stated nothing as fact, it was merely a guess. I honestly thought they discontinued their best selling iPod at one point, my bad me and Steve shared the same acid.
Want some starbucks?
scenario #1:
some stupid commercial at apple:
"Hey, the mac pros do not sell as well as ipads, it is too expensive to keep poeple working on it, let's stop that thing"
some smart engineer at apple:
"How. I think you're completely wrong. Professionals do use Macs only for the mac pro and do buy others products only because they do have a mac pro."
some stupid commercial at apple:
"Don't care. They can switch to anything they want, we still have the power of IOS and big sales of iToys."
some smart engineer at apple:
"Well, try to launch a rumor on mac pro discontinuation, and see the customer reaction on forums."
scenario #2
some smart commercial at apple:
"Hey, the mac pros are about to be refreshed, let's launch a rumor on their discontinuation so that everyone rushes on it and we empty the stock."
some stupid commercial at apple:
"Hey, the mac pros do not sell as well as ipads, it is too expensive to keep poeple working on it, let's stop that thing"
some smart engineer at apple:
"How. I think you're completely wrong. Professionals do use Macs only for the mac pro and do buy others products only because they do have a mac pro."
some stupid commercial at apple:
"Don't care. They can switch to anything they want, we still have the power of IOS and big sales of iToys."
some smart engineer at apple:
"Well, try to launch a rumor on mac pro discontinuation, and see the customer reaction on forums."
scenario #2
some smart commercial at apple:
"Hey, the mac pros are about to be refreshed, let's launch a rumor on their discontinuation so that everyone rushes on it and we empty the stock."
Email Tim Cook
OK -- I'm worried enough by all this to have just sent a polite, energetically worded email to Tim Cook (tcook@apple.com). See below.
My suggestion for this forum: If you're also worried about whether Apple may discontinue the Mac Pro, email Cook with your own thoughts about why he shouldn't.
OK -- I'm worried enough by all this to have just sent a polite, energetically worded email to Tim Cook (tcook@apple.com). See below.
My suggestion for this forum: If you're also worried about whether Apple may discontinue the Mac Pro, email Cook with your own thoughts about why he shouldn't.
They probably do it on PCs. They also use HP servers and Microsoft services for iCloud.
Funny. Is that why there are so many Mac's at Microsoft? The old switcheroo.
Steve used a Mac Pro. He does not like to wait.
This is my feeling as well. Its still needed for the content providers for the other content consumers of the iOS devices and laptops.
Thunderbolt is not mature yet to be useful enough to go entirely with MacBook pro or iMac for people needing more power. Speed is still not fast enough using this port, not until it gets to at least 100gbps, if that or goes optical.
^ Winner
This line, or something similar will be available for the foreseeable future. Besides that, how about a graph of how much those Mac Pros rake in. Sure they may sell less of them, but it's a higher ticket item and the more you customize the higher that price goes.
Max iMac price, fully configured- ~ $3700
Max MP price, fully configured- ~ $12,800 (would be more of RAID card used SSDs)
Hmm....
Love my Apple stuff..
I love my Apple "toys". But when it comes to Apple Macintosh I refer to my old MacPro. Sadly lately they starting to kill their hit products. The icon of all laptops the Macbook, The end of "The iPod" is coming. Bad strategy in order to get new customers they lose old ones.
I love my Apple "toys". But when it comes to Apple Macintosh I refer to my old MacPro. Sadly lately they starting to kill their hit products. The icon of all laptops the Macbook, The end of "The iPod" is coming. Bad strategy in order to get new customers they lose old ones.
Could it be because Microsoft is one of the top software vendors for Apple OSX applications?
I guess you are the god of art and you determine what is an isn't art. People said the same ignorant comment about just about every new art movement in history.
I was talking about overflow from the Mac BU. They are everywhere and MS had to make a statement about how they would be "tolerated" if Windows was the OS. I still don't think you can have iPhones though. I know some employees that hide them.
FCPX, and XServe, and Lion's Auto
Today I'm running Snow Leopard on my Mac Pro, because I currently depend on software that needs Rosetta. I know I'll have to replace that software eventually; the question is, with what. I'll miss parts of Mac OS X, but everything nuApple is doing tells me it's a dead end.
Sounds like a very snobby pretentious view of art to me. By your definition Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein would not be artists, Photography would not be art. I have never heard of a single dictionary or philosophical view that matches such a narrow view of art, even from my die hard traditionalist art professors when I went to college.
I'm not sure if the lower profits are due to there being more [discounted] education/research buyers, but as I understand it, the Mac Pro is _still_ somewhat profitable.
At any rate, Apple has always had an interest in the education, design, creative markets, and in my mind, the Pro is the high end content creation tool in those sectors.
The folks I know who use them in the video industry don't want an integrated (iMac) machine, they want to use their 30" editing displays, and be able to stuff way more RAM/CPU in the box than is supported by anything else in the product line.
I'd still like to see a "Midi", maybe even low profile like an HTPC or a Mini, but with way more side-to-side space, and make it with a optional stand so it can be run "tower style".
At any rate, Apple has always had an interest in the education, design, creative markets, and in my mind, the Pro is the high end content creation tool in those sectors.
The folks I know who use them in the video industry don't want an integrated (iMac) machine, they want to use their 30" editing displays, and be able to stuff way more RAM/CPU in the box than is supported by anything else in the product line.
I'd still like to see a "Midi", maybe even low profile like an HTPC or a Mini, but with way more side-to-side space, and make it with a optional stand so it can be run "tower style".
I went ahead and bought one JUST in case the "end of Mac Pro" rumors were true. At least I would then have one of the last Mac Pros made. I was afraid that upon hearing the rumors, everyone would rush out to buy one, and the stock would dry up. But, like I said, the rep stressed that I might want to NOT open it. I just spent $4,000 on a machine and he's suggesting I don't open it? Hmm. I'll stare at the unopened box for as long as I can stand to while I wait for an announcement. I just found their admission of wanting to clear out the existing, dwindling stock a pretty odd one. But if I rushed to buy one after hearing the rumors, you can bet some others did too. Which would be exactly what Apple would want to happen before they launch a new machine...
I totally agree, we need them at universities, loaded with disks and graphics.
We need boxes. And they are great boxes. I'd hate have to buy PC boxes.
And iMacs/Mac minis? We have enough external drives hanging around. Not a good solution.
Universities sure helped Apple survive (not business) and uni campuses made a big part of the ipod success.
I think dropping boxes would loose a far larger market, because if we have to start using other stuff, there is much less incentive to keep iMacs and macMinis in the offices. And if those are all gone, you don't buy the laptops anymore...
The nicely integrated world is key. If you keep loosing piece by piece, it'll disintegrate.
I honestly don't think Apple's intention was to shaft professionals with Final Cut Pro X - I think they got really excited about finally being able to rebuild FCP from the ground up on newer technology, and just wanted to get a version 1.0 out the door because they were proud of the new architecture and were willing to take the wrap on not having some key professional features not quite ready yet.
I find it highly unlikely that Apple no longer wants to provide for professionals when the ENTIRE bases of the Mac computing platform, the entire paradigm upon which the Mac was founded, was on the professional desktop publishing arena - one of the 6 industries Steve Jobs revolutionised.
Apple even made promises after the FCPX launch to build in many of the missing features. They want to help move the industry forward also, by abandoning some ageing tech and embracing new tech. I simply don't see this as Apple abandoning the pros.
So with that in mind, I feel pretty much the same way with the Mac Pro. What's more likely? That Apple is abandoning the Mac Pro? Or that they have had to wait for Intel to provide decent chips? I assume the reason why Apple didn't do an interim upgrade on the Mac Pro CPU's is because they need to buy from Intel in huge amounts for them to be cheap enough, and given that Mac Pro's are not super high volume sellers, they couldn't warrant the costs to add slightly speed bumped CPUs.
I expect new Mac Pros out soon, quite possibly with a new enclosure.
They won't kill off the Xserve because there is no other product that meets the wants/needs of Xserve customers. The Xserve makes (small) profits for them, so it's here until something changes.
Wrong
Let's take a beefed-up (less expensive) MacMini or iMac and run 64-bit workstation- / server-class tasks on it. Let's run the components all at the hairy top edge of their thermal specs in enclosures that are not designed for it. Let's burn up the component MTBF and replace the unit every 1.5 years, even giving warranted coverage at the expense of revenue, but still putting the customer through the headache of that marginal flakey can't-get-anything-done zone as components start to fail.
Let's absorb the freakin' ire of today's typically spoiled Internet-centric customers when all this happens.
Then let's call it a wise business-driven decision and take a bow before the Board of Directors -- before being sent out onto the street with only a resume to rub on our tender, freshly-kicked butt!
Let's take a beefed-up (less expensive) MacMini or iMac and run 64-bit workstation- / server-class tasks on it. Let's run the components all at the hairy top edge of their thermal specs in enclosures that are not designed for it. Let's burn up the component MTBF and replace the unit every 1.5 years, even giving warranted coverage at the expense of revenue, but still putting the customer through the headache of that marginal flakey can't-get-anything-done zone as components start to fail.
Let's absorb the freakin' ire of today's typically spoiled Internet-centric customers when all this happens.
Then let's call it a wise business-driven decision and take a bow before the Board of Directors -- before being sent out onto the street with only a resume to rub on our tender, freshly-kicked butt!
Last edited:
Where did this myth come from? High-end graphics and production is NOT being done on iMacs and Macbook Pros. While Macbook Pros might be used on set for basic tasks or while traveling as soon as we get back to the office we sit down at our Mac Pros to get the meat of the work done. I can't name a single video/film, design, photography, audio, or even game developer I have met from any major studio or design house who does NOT use a Mac Pro for their work. We are not getting by with lesser and lesser machines in fact our need for more horsepower is growing exponentially. Cloud render farms only aid production render farms but do not replace them. There is always a need for local renders and on the box visualization. Apple may show FCPX running on an iMac but we tried it for one of our projects and it was killing at dual 8 Mac Pro with background tasks. We have fallen back to FCP7 because X is still beta quality software and the new XML schema is too new so nothing is really compatible with it yet.
Interesting strategy. I guess it depends on how much software you have On the mac platform. Most people if they can are switching to windows. these rumors are killing mac pro sales. as well as a switch to final cut pro x. They didn't want you to open the box because you indicated that you might return it. just like if you told them you didn't want it after they shipped it it would tell you to refuse shipping that way they can sell it again. the reason a try to get rid of them is because tjey are not selling. If apple doesn't give some assurance that the mac pros will be around for a few more updates mac pro sales will continue to drop like a rock.
I keep seeing this said throughout this thread as well as the obligatory smartassed comparison to saying the same thing about XServes. My question though is does anyone actually know how much money Apple makes on the Mac Pros? Do any of the experts commenting in this thread know what their actual profit margin is on the Mac Pro models? Also, if it is profitable...at all...which I bet it is...why would they kill it?