Apple to Release Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR on December 10

[MGrayson3]

Kinda wish they’d update the iMac Pro with Threadripper at some point...

But by then, everyone will be talking about the Terachomper, and will complain that Apple is using three year old Threadripper architecture. Two years later, any computer not using the Flourine series of bio-chips will be loudly declared as garbage, but then...

 

[Internet Enzyme]

i wish they would do something about it. The engineering on that thing looks amazing. But the “$1000 for a stand” comes off pretty harsh

I feel like it would be enough to reduce the price to $500 but they should really do like $250 or, maybe, I dunno, include the stand with the $5000 monitor!

 

[fathergll]

Thank you for making this table. Plenty of people who used to be able to afford a base model Mac Pro now no longer can.

You're welcome. This is proof for all of the "Mac Pro wasn't meant for you" nonsense thats been floating around. It's been so long since Apple released the Mac Pro that people forget what it's actual pricing has ALWAYS been.

 

[Alan Wynn]

I asked a simple question. You stated "To the people that will get this system, they can make up the $6,000 in one job". I'm simply asking who is the target audience for the base configuration that makes $6,000 in a job.

For someone who needs their FPGA card, the base configuration would be OK. They will probably add some NVME storage (internal) and maybe a faster ethernet card for external storage. My fiancé is likely to get the base configuration (or maybe one up from it), and a single post job for him would easily be $6,000.

 

[fathergll]

For someone who needs their FPGA card, the base configuration would be OK. They will probably add some NVME storage (internal) and maybe a faster ethernet card for external storage. My fiancé is likely to get the base configuration (or maybe one up from it), and a single post job for him would easily be $6,000.

The reality is they are probably going to get the one up from it.

 

[Alan Wynn]

Thank you for making this table. Plenty of people who used to be able to afford a base model Mac Pro now no longer can.

Many of them now have other options from Apple. The iMac Pro, the 2018 Mac Mini (especially with an eGPU) are both great solutions for many people who previously needed a Mac Pro.

 

[Stephen.R]

i wish they would do something about it. The engineering on that thing looks amazing. But the “$1000 for a stand” comes off pretty harsh

I don’t get this view. Who is looking at a $5K display as a serious consideration but then saying “oh the stand costs more”.

Oh that’s right. No one. No one is going to just buy the pro display because it’s apple and they want an apple display, not at the price it is. I’m not saying it’s expensive for what it is, I’m saying it’s expensive compared to “mainstream” and even “Pro” displays like the UltraFines etc.

I actually understand people who just want an apple display at the “Cinema Display” price point - but when your complaint is “yeah $5k is fine but no stand? Rip off” it’s clear the comment is just another throw away meaningless comment.

Having said that: to those who do just want an apple at the “Cinema Display” price points: I suggest you dip your toe and try one of the other options on the market. As they say, “the waters fine”.

 

[winston1236]

This will probably be the worst selling Mac Pro model due to the pricing. It might not matter overall to the company because lower sales at a higher price point sometimes works out but I'll be following this one. I manage the IT department at the production company I work for and I know we'll be staying with the trashcans for as long as possible. There's no way the bean counters are going to approve a single computer that cost that much sadly.

 

[Reed Black12]

I wonder how many pros are left on Mac OS. Surely pretty much all of them will have moved to Windows years ago?

As for this machine, the specs are nice enough but they're crippled by Mac OS' useless 3D graphics support. A version of OpenGL which is a decade out of date and laughably slow, no Vulkan, and of course no DirectX. I'm not aware of a single pro 3D app which supports Metal.

Um, You know all those TV shows on all those channels and ALL those streaming services? And all those commercials you see on YOUTUBE before videos play? You know almost all those albums and songs you hear on the radio, or spotify, or itunes or pandora? Or ALLL those movie scored? Yeah, about 99% of them are edited and mixed with Mac Pros from the 5,1 to the 2013 version. So, I'm not sure what pro's you're referring to that left Mac for windows. I've been a professional editor since 1998 and I've worked at countless facilities and production companies and I have NEVER seen any editor, assistant editor or mixer working on a PC in 20 years!

 

[Ethosik]

I'm glad we came to the final conclusion you are making things up as you go.

And tell me how I am making this stuff up? I would gladly have purchased one just for the better cooling alone, but I just could not wait for the system to come out so I got the 2019 iMac maxed out. The cooling is irritating.

 

[Williesleg]

So funny I'm now on a machine way more powerful for a fraction of the cost.
Gotta love AMD and Ubuntu!
Got my Roku ordered so I can watch my Apple TV shows I purchased. Then I'll have zero Apple products. First time since 1989.

 

[redheeler]

But not a fast one for the money

Really?! You don't think this machine will be fast? How fast are YOU looking to go? How much do you have to spend to go THAT fast? It's bizarre the complaints or issues I'm seeing here. It honestly just sounds like a bunch of upset guys who'd LOVE to have this machine but it falls outside of their price point. As mentioned in an earlier post $50 a month for 5-10 years is a DEAL! To me.
And if THAT is too much for those bothered by the price - go build a PC or get the iMac pro or whatever.

The base model's 8-core Xeon, 256 GB SSD and 580X GPU is underwhelming for the price. For a server the base model specs would be adequate, but still, you'd expect more of a performance gap between a $3,000 MacBook Pro and $6,000 Mac Pro. The SSD is only 1/4 as large as the MBP's 1TB.

 

[citysnaps]

You're welcome. This is proof for all of the "Mac Pro wasn't meant for you" nonsense thats been floating around. It's been so long since Apple released the Mac Pro that people forget what it's actual pricing has ALWAYS been.

Always been?

I bought an entry level Mac Iici around 1990 for $6K. A friend of mine bought an entry level Mac IIfx for $9K around the same time. In today's money that would be about $12K and $17K, respectively.

That was a good chunk of our salaries back then, percentage wise. But we needed the computers and made it happen. Didn't whine about it for even a second.

 

[Detnator]

Mythical displayless xMac that Apple is no longer interested in making.

Apple has never been interested in making this since they stopped making it in the 1990’s.

Interestingly when they were making the displayless xMacs (Centris, Quadra) in the 1990s they nearly went bankrupt. Then Steve killed those, resurrected the company, and it’s only grown since then.

Coincidence? I’m not suggesting that was the only factor, but maybe it contributed and maybe Steve knew what he was doing NEVER making this xMac.

 

[fathergll]

Always been?

I bought an entry level Mac Iici around 1990 for $6K. A friend of mine bought an entry level Mac IIfx for $9K around the same time. In today's money that would be about $12K and $17K, respectively.

Mac Pro I'm talking about.

 

[Solomani]

Hip hip hurray! Callooh! Callay!

 

[Stephen.R]

I can change the tires of the BMW 1 series on my own, don't need to buy a BMW 7 in order to be able to do that. Same for about anything on any BMW. Now try to change an SSD or RAM in a MacBook Air.

The irony of this post is that high end European manufacturers like BMW/etc put systems in their cars to “force” you to use an “authorised” bmw service centre of the computer will complain it hasn’t been serviced, etc.

 

[ThatSandWyrm]

I was excited to see an update but at 5k starting price point, which more than average Joe, can afford this except for the very wealthy and professionals who would buy this equipment though their businesses. It is sad but never the less a great product they can be proud of at Apple.

And still no proper Apple replacement for the crappy LG 5K monitors.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Just curious. Who are the type of people that use these machines besides people in the film industry?

 

[citysnaps]

Mac Pro I'm talking about.

You're talking about prices and capability. And the Iici and IIfx were the best Apple had to offer back then in terms of power and expandability.

Today's Mac Pro and Pro Display HDR are well priced.

 

[fathergll]

And tell me how I am making this stuff up? I would gladly have purchased one just for the better cooling alone, but I just could not wait for the system to come out so I got the 2019 iMac maxed out. The cooling is irritating.

Vast majority of users will be specing up to some degree who generate that kind of revenue from the Mac Pro. I'm not stating anything groundbreaking here.

 

[ajfahey]

I for one can’t wait to see how well it grates cheese!!

Or how well all those nooks and crannies collect dust.

 

[pertusis1]

My first Mac was a 1991 IISI. Inflation adjusted, it actually cost about the same as the new Mac Pro today.

mine was a IIci. Inflation adjusted was double the current machine, but boy was it screaming fast!

 

[citysnaps]

And still no proper Apple replacement for the crappy LG 5K monitors.

Apple is not in the commodity display business any more. Same with Wifi routers and laser printers.

 

[fathergll]

And the Iici and IIfx were the best Apple had to offer back then in terms of power and expandability.

I'm talking about a product known as the Mac Pro. I could care less about what the pricing of the best Apple computer was around the time the Berlin wall fell.