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

[Neodym]

The trash can pro was an interesting idea, but the warped view of 'skinny' has ripped the soul out of the damn thing. Big was good. Air flow is great. Upgradability is amazing. They made a 'box', and that 'box' had little way for improvement.

Oh, there would have been ways for improvement. It's only that Apple didn't want to. They decided for a setup that brought the design to its limits, but refused to adjust afterwards (such as e.g. bringing in new processors and less power-hungry graphic-cards, the latter also as upgrade for existing owners). They could even have taken the design and offer a "consumer hardware" flavor as the often-demanded xMac.

I'm reading 'modular' as in continuing with some of what the 'trash can' is, in using TB3 for expansion, vs a huge box where you stuff everything inside.

There is a third option: Expansion without cables (i.e. proprietary internal connectors) and via plug-and-play "Lego" boxes (see my earlier post). All the necessary software is there and even hardware solutions do already exist (especially for the required high-speed, low-latency internal connectors).

That way everyone could configure his "personal Mac" from mini to Pro. And expansion over the lifetime of the machine is possible by additional boxes, sold by Apple. That way Apple could earn money from upgrades and present themselves as ecologically friendly by ensuring a longer operation of computer hardware, instead of the current glue, lock and throw-away machines in their portfolio.

 

[macs4nw]

Maybe aluminium rectangular prisms are back in style.

Given Craig Federighi's statement:

"I think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner, if you will. We designed a system that we thought with the kind of GPUs that at the time we thought we needed, and that we thought we could well serve with a two GPU architecture... that that was the thermal limit we needed, or the thermal capacity we needed. But workloads didn't materialize to fit that as broadly as we hoped.

Being able to put larger single GPUs required a different system architecture and more thermal capacity than that system was designed to accommodate. And so it became fairly difficult to adjust. At the same time, so many of our customers were moving to iMac that we saw a path to address many, many more of those that were finding themselves limited by Mac Pro through a next generation iMac.. And really put a lot of our energy behind that. [But,] while that [upgraded iMac] system is going to be fantastic for a huge number of customers -- we want to do more."

it would be reasonable to assume the 'Trashcan' is dead. Perhaps a similar, but smaller version of the old, aluminum, 'radiator style' MacPro will make a comeback. "Modular" is a nice promise by Phil, but that doesn't necessarily mean user upgradeable, the latter being on many pro user's wish list.

As far as the supposedly beefed-up next gen iMac is concerned, I wonder if we'll finally see desktop graphics in those, which would almost certainly mean a thicker iMac body due to additional thermal dissipation requirements in the form of larger heatsinks and/or fans. Not that a thicker or different form factor would bother pro users.

Finally the good news today, that many have for too long, been diligently waiting for. You can't argue Mac loyalists aren't a patient lot!

 

[zzzachi]

That way everyone could configure his "personal Mac" from mini to Pro...

why again reinvent the wheel with a super-modular thing.
its too complicated and ends up in non standard solutions.

everything is there already! apple just hast do update the mini, the imac and go back to something similar we had with the old mac pro. everything is standard nowadays, so the hardware is easy as long as apple commits to regulary update desktop computers!

personally, i'm hoping but doubting...
the only way i'm not switching to pc is if apple decides to use replacable pc standard components again. and this is not only about saving money on components and being able to update much more often than the lazy apple cycles! if future macpros are not able to use nvidia standard gpus for example, then the whole vizualizing industry (relying on CUDA) will finally stop developing software for macos. why should they support macos, if there is no reasonable hardware available!

 

[scottsjack]

That feller Tim can sure spin some yarns!

 

[Bacillus]

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.

And the firm assignment to stay young, wild, foolish, hungry, concentrate on products.
Better cite completely - or not.

 

[ventricle]

If you read the post on Daring Fireball they say the Mac Pro accounts for "single digit Mac marketshare".

Does that mean the product was too poor or the market too small? You can appeal to a broader market by playing with the low and high end specs and margins, assuming the product doesn’t contain a serious flaw.

Apple will create a new "standard" for the modules and upgradability so that you have to buy everything from them.

Might that mean you can only connect it to the new Apple displays?

They haven't even started working on it until NOW. From Phil Schiller in this article, "and that’ll take longer than this year to do."

So they dropped the price of the already obsolete 6,1 and expect we’ll hold off for one more year? I think they should’ve gone for a quicker fix because a year will give them enough time to overthink it, and you know what that did to the 5,1’s successor. I think you can kiss most of those who moved to Windows goodbye forever, and probably those that moved to well-spec’ed Hackintoshes too because the performance/cost ratio of the switch must have been illuminating.

 

[theluggage]

Yeah, I remember that. I am wondering is this a good strategy for all lineup?
They used to pre-announce Airpods, Apple Watch before it is ready to be shipped. I don't like this strategy because the hip will faded along the time.

And iPhone, iPad... but in all those cases there was no existing product that would have lost sales because of the pre-announcement, and it gets Apples foot in the door in case a competing product appears. Plus, it's hard to keep things secret during the final stages of testing, regulatory approval etc.

Also, I suspect that the airpods were supposed to be ready for the iPhone 7 launch.

 

[sofila]

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.

no no no, from www.merriam-webster.com:
Definition of pundit

1. 1: pandit
   
   
2. 2: a learned person : teacher
   
   
3. 3: a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usually through the mass media

Definition of shill

1. 1a : one who acts as a decoy (as for a pitchman or gambler)b : one who makes a sales pitch or serves as a promoter

Those were my words. "Fanboys" is yours.
You know that kind of person that acts as the ultimate expert in whatever is the topic of the moment? Displays, stock markets, image editing, marketing, web, app developing, SSD benchmarks, RAM power efficiency, pizza topping.
Just arrogant (and stupid, it usually goes the same direction) that justify whatever comes out from Apple. No matter what or when or how. And if you love/loved Apple products are obviously aware that not everything is perfect.
The LG displays are not up at Apple's standard. Mac Pro too. 3 years waiting and now a mumbled promise of some future project. Pointing out some defaillances is one of the many ways for trying to improve the products we're all in here for. Complainers (whiners for the elected) and satisfied. All Apple fans.
Edit: I'll add that it is not a mythical universe. Is real, from NY to the Bay area, from Italy to UK, from Holland to Singapore. A real global disease

 

[ventricle]

I wonder if we'll finally see desktop graphics in those, which would almost certainly mean a thicker iMac body

That would slow the haemorrhage of embarrassed gamers to Windows. Why limit the size of your market?

 

[dan katz]

Next year!?!!?! I can innovate my ass faster than that!

 

[profets]

And if they do go that way, money is on the idea that none of the dongles will work across the Apple corral...
[doublepost=1491358685][/doublepost]

Yep...
[doublepost=1491358923][/doublepost]

There is no way that the 'trash can' Pro is for 'general consumer's. Like DAMN, to really use the Pro, you have to realize that you need some big cash for an array, killer HUGE monitors, etc...

No no - I'm not saying that. Just saying their general direction of computing (iOS and wearables for example).

 

[dfelix]

Suggestions, so it can remain small, svelte, still beautiful and add a ton more functionality.

Silverstone has already made the perfect chassis for the Mac Pro. The Silverstone FT03.

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/290736-silverstone-ft03-nofan-cs-70-hackintosh-node-20/

And yes, this thing is SLI/Crossfire compatible with two full size cards in there. And PCI Express cards! If you can add a HBA card (or two) to the Mac Pro, you will never have to worry about hard drive expansion as you can have as much as you desire externally. Thunderbolt raids like Lacie 12Big are highway robbery, as with ZFS you don't need hardware RIAD. And you can't buy them plain to add chocolate later.

Sidenote: funny how people seem to forget that the "I" in RAID stands for Inexpensive.

 

[pppx3]

way overdue... who knows, with any chance, the new Mac Pro might actually be affordable...?

 

[Abazigal]

Why is everyone so delighted at the prospect of waiting up to a YEAR or more for new Mac Pros? What the hell has Apple been doing the past couple of years? Y'all have Stockholm syndrome.

If you can wait, wait.

If you can't, then get a windows workstation.

At least there is more certainty now.

 

[Michael Joseph]

So glad to hear that a new Apple-Branded Pro Displays are coming.......the LG display just look awful next to Apple's product

Apple today reshuffled its Mac Pro configurations and pricing, marking the first "update" to Apple's pro-oriented desktop computer in over three years. Apple also confirmed it is working on a "completely rethought" Mac Pro with Apple-branded pro displays that will launch at some point beyond this year.

The former $3,999 model is now the $2,999 base model, while the previously built-to-order 8-core model with dual D700 GPUs is now the high-end stock configuration for $3,999. Both models are equipped with 256GB PCIe-based flash storage, four USB 3.0 ports, six Thunderbolt 2 ports, and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports.

The former quad-core model with dual AMD FirePro D300 GPUs and 12GB of RAM now has 6-cores with dual D500 GPUs and 16GB of RAM, while the 6-Core model with dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs is now 8-cores with dual D700 GPUs and 16GB of RAM. There are no other hardware changes--not even Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Meanwhile, Apple said an all-new Mac Pro will be a high-end, high-throughput modular system that will "take longer than this year" to complete. It will be accompanied by an Apple-branded external display in at least one size, essentially marking the return of the discontinued Thunderbolt Display.

Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller via Daring Fireball:Apple said that Mac desktops represent roughly 20 percent of overall Mac sales, with the Mac Pro accounting for only a "single-digit" percentage of Mac sales, perhaps as justification for the elongated refresh cycle. 1,202 days had passed since the last Mac Pro update, per the MacRumors Buyer's Guide.

Apple also suggested that the "trash can" design of the current Mac Pro has restricted its ability to truly upgrade it.

Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi via TechCrunch:It isn't often that Apple pre-announces new products in its pipeline, but there were growing concerns that Apple no longer cared about professional users, and this is the company's way of proving otherwise. Schiller reiterated that Apple is committed to the Mac and has "great products" planned for the future.Apple's repriced Mac Pro configurations are now listed on its online store, but the 8-core model is "currently unavailable."

Article Link: Apple Refreshes Mac Pro Lineup, Says All-New Modular Model With Apple-Branded Pro Displays Coming After 2017

 

[richinaus]

Someone should inform the people at the cgsociety, who are really disappointed at Apple's opinion that single GPU is the "reality".

exactly. Whilst this gets announced I am looking to specify a dual 1080 Dell desktop.........

Oh well, have waited a year now what's another year to let my company go down the gurgler just so Apple can manage to build a computer that everyone else seems to manage quite easily.

Too little too late for me I think. Windows here we come, unless by some miracle an iMac with a desktop GPU gets released in the next 3 months.

 

[MacBH928]

$3000 for a 3 year old tech?
no thank you

 

[Admiral]

Too little too late for me I think. Windows here we come, unless by some miracle an iMac with a desktop GPU gets released in the next 3 months.

I have built a Hackintoshable PC — fanless Kaby Lake i7 7700, 32GB RAM, dual Samsung 960 EVO NVMe SSDs, passively-cooled NVIDIA 1050Ti — but installed Windows on it for giggles. Windows 10 is awful. On the surface the OS looks passable, once you tweak the font rendering for your LCD monitor, but very quickly (like getting into the Control Panel past the first-level panel) one runs into the awful, awful user interface issues that are attendant with Windows. I've installed Microsoft Office on this and Outlook's ribbon interface makes me want to slit my wrists.

As soon as my assistant's PC is set up, and my USB Bluetooth dongle arrives, the Hackintoshing begins in earnest. I just wish Apple would sell me a comparably powerful Mac for less than $5000. My PC is running me only about US$1500. Jesus, even at US$2200 I would so much rather have a Mac.

But who knows? Maybe a week or two more and Windows will grow on me.

 

[robeddie]

no no no, from www.merriam-webster.com:
Definition of pundit

1. 1: pandit
   
   
2. 2: a learned person : teacher
   
   
3. 3: a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usually through the mass media

Definition of shill

1. 1a : one who acts as a decoy (as for a pitchman or gambler)b : one who makes a sales pitch or serves as a promoter

Those were my words. "Fanboys" is yours.
You know that kind of person that acts as the ultimate expert in whatever is the topic of the moment? Displays, stock markets, image editing, marketing, web, app developing, SSD benchmarks, RAM power efficiency, pizza topping.
Just arrogant (and stupid, it usually goes the same direction) that justify whatever comes out from Apple. No matter what or when or how. And if you love/loved Apple products are obviously aware that not everything is perfect.
The LG displays are not up at Apple's standard. Mac Pro too. 3 years waiting and now a mumbled promise of some future project. Pointing out some defaillances is one of the many ways for trying to improve the products we're all in here for. Complainers (whiners for the elected) and satisfied. All Apple fans.
Edit: I'll add that it is not a mythical universe. Is real, from NY to the Bay area, from Italy to UK, from Holland to Singapore. A real global disease

To be fair, the confusing line is this: "All of the above without asking permission to all Apple's pundits and shills in here. Those who spent years justifying every single fart coming out from Apple's top management's ass."

I've read, and re-read that a couple times trying to figure out what you mean. Why would they ask permission of Apple supporters? I know you're being sarcastic, but who said Apple should listen to macrumors forum members, either pro apple or against apple? It's just an odd line, IMO.

If anything, it's the anti-apple folks (myself included) who have been hoping the company hears us and rethinks the mac pro - we are the ones who have been aching to be heard.

 

[Mac Kiwi]

As for the MP I really don't care if it looks like a Nash Metropolitan as long as it has a Ferrari engine and modern components. Just don't make it pretty first at the expense of true expandability is all. Get it right, then make it pretty.

If they hit a new version of FCP out of the park at the same time as an incredible new MP then people might return.

 

[barmann]

....

As I said above, I'm not sure most pros care if it's 'open' or 'closed.' But, it has to meet their needs. The 'trash can' was revolutionary for what it is... it just missed the mark of what it needed to be. TB was mature enough to handle external storage, but not GPU. Plus, it adds a ton of cost to an already expensive system.

I don't care so much if the next Mac Pro is closed, if it's done right. Heck, bring back the 'cheese grater' with new internals. Or, go modular like the 'trash can' with *acceptable modules* and comparable pricing. Either work, but the previous attempt wasn't either.

I agree; modular is the key word here .

The cMP is modular, obviously, but with the trashcan Apple failed to offer an alternative to traditional expansion, and left it to the aftermarket manufacturers to provide solutions.
Which either still don't exist, or are very pricey, can have compatibility issues and can't keep up with ever changing connector standards .

Whether it's one box, 2, 5, it doesn't matter ; I do think however that some 'openness' is required for either solution .
A USB 6.x card upgrade for 50 bucks, 10 years from now , in your MacPro or Mac expansion box ?
Very doable .

It's possible today, with a cMP, and since when does progress mean getting less for more money ?

 

[I7guy]

no no no, from www.merriam-webster.com:
Definition of pundit

1. 1: pandit
   
   
2. 2: a learned person : teacher
   
   
3. 3: a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usually through the mass media

Definition of shill

1. 1a : one who acts as a decoy (as for a pitchman or gambler)b : one who makes a sales pitch or serves as a promoter

Those were my words. "Fanboys" is yours.
You know that kind of person that acts as the ultimate expert in whatever is the topic of the moment? Displays, stock markets, image editing, marketing, web, app developing, SSD benchmarks, RAM power efficiency, pizza topping.
Just arrogant (and stupid, it usually goes the same direction) that justify whatever comes out from Apple. No matter what or when or how. And if you love/loved Apple products are obviously aware that not everything is perfect.
The LG displays are not up at Apple's standard. Mac Pro too. 3 years waiting and now a mumbled promise of some future project. Pointing out some defaillances is one of the many ways for trying to improve the products we're all in here for. Complainers (whiners for the elected) and satisfied. All Apple fans.
Edit: I'll add that it is not a mythical universe. Is real, from NY to the Bay area, from Italy to UK, from Holland to Singapore. A real global disease

Right, you used the word shill, which in the context of your "post" is nearly a synonym to someone who disagrees or has another point of view because there isn't room for another point of view.

While there is always room for improvement it's the way things are said in a public forum such as this. And if the company no longer provides the product you want instead of complaining, find an alternative.

 

[curmudgeonette]

There's a stock market saying: "Buy on the rumor, sell on the news."

In regards to this announcement, I'd say it is: "Remain on the platform on the rumor, leave the platform on the news."

If someone expects to need a new workstation in the next year, switch to Windows/Linux now and don't look back. If for some reason the switch doesn't work out, there might be the possibility of switching back in a year or two. In any case, the Windows/Linux box you buy now will be ready to pass down to a junior employee by the time Apple releases a new Pro.

So the iMac is coming later this year? What's that, maybe October? That means Apple abandoned a quintessentially Apple product for two years!

The Mini is merely a product that Apple sells? No comment beyond that? Sounds like they haven't even thought about upgrades, i.e. it sounds dead! They'll probably leave it unchanged and discontinue it when Intel discontinues the CPU.

...

The annoying part of this debacle is that the nMP was the first machine since the Quadra 700 that might have gotten me to buy a premium machine. (I'm interested in buying second best performance but in a smaller form factor as I need none of the internal expandability.) But alas, I have no need for dual GPUs!

P.S. My 128K Mac is wailing that it might not get to meet any further descendants...

 

[nt5672]

So apparently you can't read. Explicitly, explicitly, stated that the new form will allow for frequent updates/upgrades.

We'll see. I am commenting on that Apple has actually done. That has nothing, these days, to do with what they say they will do, unless of course one lives in fairy tale land.

 

[NT1440]

We'll see. I am commenting on that Apple has actually done. That has nothing, these days, to do with what they say they will do, unless of course one lives in fairy tale land.

When has Apple ever made crow-eating comments likes this? I will take them at their word instead of living in the land of cynicism.