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.
Concept Imagines What a Modular Mac Pro Might Look Like
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
smirking
macrumors 601
What wasn't mentioned is that this video came from Mattel. One of their Barbie designers had some spare time.
Honestly, all I'd want for my future Mac a few years from now, is that it would be able to hold a couple (or more) of NVIDIA Titans inside. The rest I don't care, provided that it's a Mac on par with the Titans performance.
emm386
macrumors 6502
Just like the trash can - Mac: An absolutely useless form factor.
Way to small for decent air cooling. While it might work for the CPU, there's no space for cooling a modern graphics card or flexible storage options , let alone a decent PSU.
For a hardware enthusiast like me a definite no-go, for a professional content creator merely an expensive toy.
Way to small for decent air cooling. While it might work for the CPU, there's no space for cooling a modern graphics card or flexible storage options , let alone a decent PSU.
For a hardware enthusiast like me a definite no-go, for a professional content creator merely an expensive toy.
Confused as to why everyone seems to want some huge PC-style box, half-filled with.... air. They manage to pack enough power into laptops I don't understand such a pro machine would need to be 'so' big. Also, the guy who did that mock-up clearly has no idea how cantilevers work as that monitor would never stand up. And what's the obsession with completely edge to edge displays? The bezel does actually serve a function!
swm
macrumors 6502a
the dumbest idea would be to place horizontally protruding usb-c ports on the "reimagined" cinema display backside. looks like crap when there are wires going out, kinda like ghost in the shell.
and you don't really have access to ports on the middle of the backside anyway, and unlikely will you mess with them on daily basis. ports on the back must be facing down.
and you don't really have access to ports on the middle of the backside anyway, and unlikely will you mess with them on daily basis. ports on the back must be facing down.
Do "Pros" care about a fancy "modular" design? There are hundreds of "modular" pc cases and people can get custom cases built in a few months. I don't understand why Apple is claiming it's going to take them 2 yrs or more to build a case. A CASE. They are in search of a "solution" to a problem that doesn't exist. It isn't like they are building the actual components.
They should just admit they don't give a crap about "Pro" users and let them move on to something else, while Apple does what they do best consumer products and watch bands.
They should just admit they don't give a crap about "Pro" users and let them move on to something else, while Apple does what they do best consumer products and watch bands.
robeddie
Suspended
Huh? Its not that anyone is asking for a mac pro thats large for the sake of being large.
We just dont want another overly small/thin computer that due to its size constraints limits its professional use and expandability.
In other words the very problems the current trash can mac pro came with.
We just want Apple to 'right-size' it to give it all the functionality and flexibility that current macs lack.
Too small. It needs to be something that can compete with other pro workstations - HP Z, Dell Precision, Lenvo ThinkStation, etc. That means support for multiple GPU's, dual CPU support and at least 512GB RAM. There needs to be room for a decent amount of internal storage 6+ drives, but also standard connectivity to external arrays - read that as SAS, FC, 10Gig-E. Thunderbolt can be there as an option, but FC still wins in the corporate world. Options, options, options. Not everyone is the same or has the same requirements. Apple needs to build a machine that is flexible enough to encompass all of these options. It won't be cheap, but the intended market wants cost-effective, not cheap.
There will be a massive gap between the Mini and the Mac Pro if Apple release such a machine, even more than there is now. A modular design like the one here wouldn't work for those guys either though as a gaming GPU would probably be too much for the PSU. So it could be that the Mac Pro has to start as a single socket design with a dual socket option - same chassis and everything. Could even start the single socket design with i7 like the X99 platform.
There will be a massive gap between the Mini and the Mac Pro if Apple release such a machine, even more than there is now. A modular design like the one here wouldn't work for those guys either though as a gaming GPU would probably be too much for the PSU. So it could be that the Mac Pro has to start as a single socket design with a dual socket option - same chassis and everything. Could even start the single socket design with i7 like the X99 platform.
This isn't even a wet dream anymore, it's the kind of stuff nobody at Apple dares to dream about these days (sadly).
It's everything I want from a Mac, it's everything Apple refuses to give me year after year no matter how much money I offer to throw at them - Apple doesn't do computers anymore, it's in the market of life-style devices and happy-go-lucky gizmos.
Good thing is, long live the hackintosh community - it's there to fix every spot where Apple drops the ball.
It's everything I want from a Mac, it's everything Apple refuses to give me year after year no matter how much money I offer to throw at them - Apple doesn't do computers anymore, it's in the market of life-style devices and happy-go-lucky gizmos.
Good thing is, long live the hackintosh community - it's there to fix every spot where Apple drops the ball.
zen
macrumors 68000
I guess you haven't seen inside a pro PC workstation. Graphics cards can have multiple fans, the case itself can have multiple fans top/bottom/sides, and the CPU itself can have a large cooler unit, with yet another fan. All that empty space is essential for airflow and cooling.
The two graphics cards ALONE inside my wife's gaming PC are bigger than my 15" MacBook pro when put side by side.
M.PaulCezanne
macrumors 6502a
Not sure about that space-limited design. Maybe for a new mini.
I did find my hips and head moving involuntarily during that video though.
I did find my hips and head moving involuntarily during that video though.
SPUY767
macrumors 68020
Apple should have just kept the original Mac Pro case and filled it with new goodies. The first mac Pro in 2006 was literally the fastest workstation you could buy for anywhere near the price. The 3.0 GHz chip wasn't even available from another OEM. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
rawweb
macrumors 65816
Shocked to see MacRumors ran this on the homepage, it doesn't even appear to be functional. It's like the designer didn't read why Apple admitted the 6,1 was a thermal failure. They basically designed a 6,1 in rectangle form and added some cheese graters! To me, not like something Apple would design. The stand on the display looks hideous and the thing looks like it would topple over. The Apple logo on the front stand looks laughable and clearly amateur. Just my opinion...
videographer7
macrumors newbie
Not really a "pro" mac. He missed the point of why the Mac Pro needs to change. The renders are nice however.
There's a lot of overly pedantic nerdrage in this thread, and I'm not sure why. It's a pretty cool design and the dimensions aren't as far from reality as people are making them out to be. I've seen custom builds, including Project Orthrus, that are comparable in size to the prototype and are absolutely spectacular in their craftsmanship and detail. Yes, air cooling alone wouldn't get the job done, but the bigger issue is manufacturing and assembly cost.
clever concept- props to the guys/gals who played this this.
one item that I was scanning for, because it's been largely overlooked so far, is speakers. The imac idea of pointing the speakers backwards is just silly IMO. I'd like to see a better approach to this in future. Maybe integrate them it the stand, pointing upwards at the user?
one item that I was scanning for, because it's been largely overlooked so far, is speakers. The imac idea of pointing the speakers backwards is just silly IMO. I'd like to see a better approach to this in future. Maybe integrate them it the stand, pointing upwards at the user?
yurc
macrumors 6502a
Nice and creative.....but open slot PCI-E for future expansion is real strength for real workstation, i'm prefer this stuff to become powerful mac mini/mac mini pro or such.
Besides why only had 1 ethernet port? From cheese grater to trashcan they have dual ethernet port which is very useful for various scenario (e.g link aggregation). Yes we live in interesting faster w-fi ac (soon ad) but wired connection is better .
I hope they also update ethernet port with dual 10GbE Ethernet port in future Mac Pro.
[doublepost=1492091433][/doublepost]
Off course.
I don't sure they will work on iOS, since these keyboard required special chip on motherboard. Same case for older mac and custom build mac a.k.a hackintosh...
Credit to pikeralpha for explanation. He should have same role like Ming Chi Kuo when talking about future/internal technology for upcoming Macs.
Besides why only had 1 ethernet port? From cheese grater to trashcan they have dual ethernet port which is very useful for various scenario (e.g link aggregation). Yes we live in interesting faster w-fi ac (soon ad) but wired connection is better .
I hope they also update ethernet port with dual 10GbE Ethernet port in future Mac Pro.
[doublepost=1492091433][/doublepost]
Off course.
I don't sure they will work on iOS, since these keyboard required special chip on motherboard. Same case for older mac and custom build mac a.k.a hackintosh...
Credit to pikeralpha for explanation. He should have same role like Ming Chi Kuo when talking about future/internal technology for upcoming Macs.
Exactly, in todays terms it would have to be something like dual 22-core CPUs, a (few) Titan GPU(s), storage and a few PCI-express slots for expansion as a minimum. Now try to put that into a computer case and it's clear that the dimensions of the case cannot be smaller then the cheese grater case.
There are modern ATMOS systems for your home that bounce sound from floor speakers to the ceiling and then to your ears. It's not that silly to have sound bounce of the wall behind an iMac. The user just has to make sure they always have a wall behind their iMac 😉.