Apple Says All-New Modular Mac Pro With Apple-Branded High-End Pro Display Coming After 2017

[cult hero]

I doubt they'll bring back the cheese grater. But it will likely be a tower of some sort.

I think a tower is extremely unlikely. The quotes is interesting in that they were banking on multi-GPU and instead it's single über GPU but the latter is the reality. I'll be surprised and disappointed if they return to a tower. I'm really hoping for an eGPU solution. Get the GPU removed entirely and isolate it and potentially come up with some way of handling SLI connections externally.

Going back to a tower just seems like a step in the wrong direction. Furthermore, they're pretty clear about Pro users liking laptops. I use one. Something external means the component is available across their product lineup. It seems like a product makes more fiscal sense if it's something that can be used by more people than just Mac Pro users. I think it's pretty clear at this point that they're Apple's smallest device demographic.

If they were going back to a tower, there's no reason to wait another year.

Looks like the Trash Can is basically just the the G4 Cube v2.

Overall this announcement is exciting, even as someone with no interest in a Mac Pro. As a Mac user there's reason to feel uneasy about the future and this announcement helps rest that a bit.

 

[Bacillus]

Apple admitted the Mac Pro is a single-digit percentage of Mac desktop sales, which in total are 20% of all Mac sales. So honestly from a financial perspective they should have scrapped it, not invest money in improving it, because the market was never of note to begin with even when it was "cutting edge".

They're not upgrading the Mac Pro to try and win market share (back) from Windows and Hackintoshes. They're upgrading it because they really do seem to give a s**t about a very small percentage of their user base and are willing to spend money on it even though the returns are not going to be very much (in comparison to the returns on most of their other products and product lines).

Sounds like someone succeeded in persuading Tim that his AR vision was a complete joke without serious computer and developer support...
A historic day. For the first time ever I hear a remote (p)resonance of the word "sorry"

 

[LordVic]

Being a big asoiaf fan, this made me spit out my coffee.

Ilaughed

then I realized that it also means someone has to die

 

[Ethosik]

yes. in 2016/17, the world is still reliant on USB-A devices. While most devices can just have a cable replacement to be fine (like external hard drives)

there ARE items that require USB-A and have no USB-C devices that can replace them. Forcing to remember to need a dongle.

For example: Going to clientsites and having to use their USB sticks. They're going to be USB-A. 100% of the time. Servers don't have USB-C (yet), and enterprises aren't going to be replacing their expensive and fancy server infrastructure just to support USB-C

There are also still many cases of in the enterprise where USB-A "smart card" services are used. Dongles for security, and these are predominantly USB-A.

Then when you factor in that despite having 4x USB-C/TB3, the new MBP doesn't even offer full TB3 bandwidth to all 4 ports. only the two on the left offer the full TB3 speed. the two on the right only offer 1/2 TB3 speed due to PCI Lane limitations.

There would have been no problem with 3x USB-C and 1x USB-A on this device and it would have shut everyone up.

Instead they were "Courageous!" and made a decision that negatively impacts a lot of users because they can't use empathy to understand their own use cases aren't universally true

The 15" DOES provide full TB3 speeds on all four ports.

 

[CWallace]

Sounds like someone succeeded in persuading Tim that his AR vision was a complete joke without serious computer and developer support...

Or Tim already knew that, which is why Apple has been working on a new Mac Pro and more powerful iMacs (the "iMac Pro") to support it and they're talking about it now to show they knew that.

 

[LordVic]

Not sure if it played any role, but I sent this message to Apple a couple of times last year (I know that also others from this forum did the same: thanks all for supporting the cause)



Glad to hear that they are listening. Unfortunately we move faster than Apple at present. 50% of my developers switched to Linux or windows the past three months. All of a sudden our android apps are fitter than the iOS ones. Not sure if it is already too late... 2018. Seriously!?

I think you're pointing out the biggest issue with the neglect of the computer lineup

iOS and Appstore is Apple's #1 bread and butter. iOS apps require an OSx computer to be developed. if there's no longer suitable OSx based computers, Developers aren't going to be able to develop (or won't want too) iOS apps. This negatively impacts the ecosystem and if apps starts dissapearing, provides less of a strong ecosystem to keep people in.

Ignoring the Mac for so long, and assuming it can easily be a consumer appliance like the iPads/iPhone was a mistake and showed that Cook and Co aren't computer people, and do not understand the computer market.

 

[acecombs]

Meanwhile the pro market has moved on. Hackintoshes. external GPUs, and Windows and Linux machines have all moved into the market space that was Apple's to keep. If the drivers for the Nvidia 1080s aren't available in a week(and they won't be), I'll be buying my first Windows machine after 25 years on Macs. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the 3d programs (Modo, Maya) try to migrate Mac users to PCs and no longer offer Mac software. Open licenses and subscriptions make it easier to switch these days. Apple should have realized that once the creative market goes, it's gone and so is the halo effect. Tim Cook may be hauling in fistfuls of cash but so was Steve Ballmer and how'd that work out?

 

[CWallace]

Tim Cook may be hauling in fistfuls of cash but so was Steve Ballmer and how'd that work out?

Evidently really well with claims by you and so many others that all the former Mac professional users are now on Windows.

 

[JMacHack]

Meanwhile the pro market has moved on.

Guess I'm not a pro then.

 

[Appleaker]

I always suspected that Apple wasn't absolute in their decision to exit the display business. The design of the LG Ultrafines has truly puzzled everyone. One of the things that I thought that could explain the lack of any design effort in the Ultrafines is the possibility that Apple could return to the display business and would not want LG making something that would infringe upon the Apple look and feel. LG was certainly capable of making something that would appeal more to the Apple audience.

Yeah, Apple never planned to leave the display business although it might have been a considered move. The apparent intended release date of Apples display was alongside the MBPs, and the best next release date would be with the new Mac Pro, especially as they have the LG ones for now. Discontinuing the Thunderbolt Display was only a logical move and didn't signify Apple leaving the display business.

Perhaps Apple's main role in their collaboration with LG was in scrapping their better looking designs so they wouldn't have to compete against the company they arranged to keep a seat warm for them in case they still wanted it back later.

That's exactly one of the arguments I made when explaining that they weren't leaving the display market .

 

[Bacillus]

Or Tim already knew that, which is why Apple has been working on a new Mac Pro and more powerful iMacs (the "iMac Pro") to support it and they're talking about it now to show they knew that.

Rather, in one of Tim's wildest dreams, His Stevedom came down on him, pointing at him, saying: "Ah, well. So, it's you, you grey fella, who was to betray his mythical founder...
Never, ever expect the world to forgive you.
You act now, for the better"

 

[I7guy]

My English is surely poor, but the message is quite clear.

Not really. Your message isn't clear. A barrage against a mythical universe of "fanboys" makes no sense in the context of not being happy with apples direction.

 

[CWallace]

Rather, in one of Tim's wildest dreams, His Stevedom came down on him, pointing at him, saying: "Ah, well. So, it's you, you grey fella, who was to betray his mythical founder...
Never, ever expect the world to forgive you.
You act now, for the better"

Don't forget Steve named Tim his successor. Knowing Steve, he probably didn't do that by lining up photos of all the execs on a wall and throwing a dart.

 

[Ethosik]

But it doesn't cost the same. The soon-to-be $2,999 model was $3,999. People can still call it overpriced, but there will be a price drop.

Besides, the processor alone is STILL averaging for $1,500 on Newegg/Amazon/Ebay.

 

[mikecorp]

booooring.

 

[LordVic]

Evidently really well with claims by you and so many others that all the former Mac professional users are now on Windows.

Ballmer's been gone since 2013. Most of the really good advances in windows (Windows 8.1 -> 10), and the doubling down of 2-in-1s and cloud services has been post Steve Ballmer.

So it only further re-enforces the point. Microsoft is in a renascence period for themselves now that they have a somewhat competent leadership group.
[doublepost=1491337900][/doublepost]

Don't forget Steve named Tim his successor. Knowing Steve, he probably didn't do that by lining up photos of all the execs on a wall and throwing a dart.

Steve also helped Pick Sculley.

so? maybe he wasn't as good a judge at character as many believe

 

[cpfoto2005]

Edit: Thin at the expense of performance = innovation in post-Jobs Apple.

Well, the Jobs Apple did give us the G4 Cube – underpowered, overpriced, all the ports were on the bottom and no headpphone jack.

"Quite possibly the most beautiful product we have ever designed." ~ Steve Jobs

 

[ctrlzone]

In other words, we screwed up.

A modular style Mac Pro was what everyone needed. Just an updated smaller cheese grater.
IMO, the trash can design was simply another Jony Ive vanity project. Being different for the sake of being different, without regard for user experience.

And because they've been sitting on our hands for the past 3 years, you won't see anything new this year.
I wonder if this public announcement is a reaction to a mass exodus by semi and pro users to Windows.

WHY ON EARTH it has to be smaller ?
are you kidding me ?
the cheese grater was already not big enough to handle some needs, i just don't get it...
why should there be any tiny "pro" machine at all ?

 

[skitidetdu]

So taking this step means the current model is a flop? To me it is a over glorified cube which also flopped. I like how Apple takes risks with their design but they should have listened a bit sooner to users who obviously has asked for a system more in the style of the cheese grater

 

[Appleaker]

Nope, its no joke We voted with our wallets, and they listened. If we had just taken whatever they shoveled at us laying down, then I doubt this drastic measure would have been taken. Apple should already have been doing what Jobs would do, without having to deprive us of products and, in turn, make us deprive them of our money. I'm looking right at you Cook.. straighten up before its too late!

Yeah I was just joking , although I genuinely didn't expect them to lower upgrade prices and improve the specs of the preconfigured models.
A Mac Pro upgrade was obviously always planned, with a complete redesign being planned later on. They have been testing redesigned models for quite a while (around 18 months), both of the trash can design and new designs. The decisions were made at a time where the outcry wasn't as bad, however I do agree that it played a role in their approach, especially this announcement.

But it wasn't that Apple didn't care before, they did. Although naturally there was no immediate rush to release a new model as there would be with an iPhone, so i think they should have been doing what Jobs would have done in that sense and also when finalising the 2013 Mac Pro design (realising the future limitations). Because while Steve Jobs played a role in that, I'm sure there were other designs similar to the one we will see with the next generation Mac Pro.

 

[G-News]

Apple admitted the Mac Pro is a single-digit percentage of Mac desktop sales, which in total are 20% of all Mac sales. So honestly from a financial perspective they should have scrapped it, not invest money in improving it, because the market was never of note to begin with even when it was "cutting edge".

They're not upgrading the Mac Pro to try and win market share (back) from Windows and Hackintoshes. They're upgrading it because they really do seem to give a s**t about a very small percentage of their user base and are willing to spend money on it even though the returns are not going to be very much (in comparison to the returns on most of their other products and product lines).

You don't understand the importance of halo products. It's the reason my Formula 1 exists, it's why car companies make luxury models or design studies, it's why people choose one brand over another. It's why developers consider a new/existing platform. The MacPro has been a halo product since pretty much the PowerMac G5. And yet it's a core element of the Apple and even more so, the Macintosh brand. Abandoning it would have been equal to removing the head from a body, or the beginning of the death of the Mac productline.

 

[Naimfan]

I'd say this is unambiguously great news.

 

[CWallace]

You don't understand the importance of halo products.

The iMac 5K is more of a "halo" product for the Mac line now than the Mac Pro is (and yes, that is in no small matter due to the lack of upgrades to the Mac Pro). But yes, I understand your point as does Apple - which is why they designed it the way they did back in 2013 to put it front and center on people's desks and not crammed in a corner beneath them. And why it's replacement is not going to look like a Dell or HP tower and therefore is going to take some time to bring to market.

 

[Naimfan]

Refurbs available - the quad-core is now $2119 and the 3.5 GHz hex core is $2549.

 

[panjandrum]

Intersting! And nice to see. Keeping my fingers crossed!