'Constant Negativity' From Pro Users Led Apple to Develop Modular Mac Pro, Which May Not Ship Until 2019

[44267547]

Let's all just face the reality here.

If you keep buying current apple hardware apple won't be listening at all. They care what they are selling and how many is sold. Their bottom line is the green backs. You really think they will listen to their "fan base" when these fans keep giving them money for products that suck?

If only Tim Cook reads MR he can really get some insight on the real apple fanatics....but i still see posts like "keep up the good work, apple!" "I love your products no matter how expensive and old tech it is!" "TAKE MY MONEY!"

Stop buying their products they will definitely listen!

Actually, I think that's part of your reality, not necessarily everyone else's.

Fact is, not everyone in here is disgruntled with their productline. There is a core group that really appreciates the Mac Pro/Mac Mini and iMac, but it doesn't mean that they make "Products that suck." You know and everyone else knows, Apple makes a great product, they just have been farther behind updating their product line, which they should have done so in the more recent years.

But my reason I purchase their products, is because of their quality and overall durability with longevity, coupled with their outstanding customer service. That doesn't mean they make a bad product or we shouldn't support Apple because of XYZ. Everybody's situation will vary depending on what they want from Apple.

 

[VulchR]

About bloody time Apple addressed professional users' needs. Without a decent professional desktop (and an affordable home machine), the Apple ecosystem is not tenable for me. That's saying something, since I have used Apple products since the days of the Lisa.

 

[hawkeye_a]

Does anyone else get the following vibe from the post...

"we don't really care about the product/market(MacPro), but we're addressing it because customers complained"

Or am i reading too much into it?

 

[zone23]

I can still see uncle Phil telling everyone at 2013 WWDC 'we can't innovate anymore, my ass'!
Seems everyone at 1 Infinte Loop has been busy the last year picking out carpet and office equipment for the new spaceship.

I thought it was watch bands and emoji's probably can't do both.

 

[6836838]

One would have to be completely off their rocker to buy the new MBP. The best upgrade to any PC/Mac is an SSD and memory upgrade. The fully surface mount nature of the new MBPs makes them a no-go for many. There is zero future-proofing there and this has now backfired on Apple. I still would not be surprised to see the comeback of the jack in newer iPhones although that's probably me dreaming.

 

[haydn!]

The two year estimate is based on typical project end to end timescales. Whilst Apple said they'd told the team to take the time they needed, they also know, they need this on the market quick so I think they'll be working their asses off to get this into stores within 12-18 months.

I don't believe the design team don't have any ideas, designs, prototypes that they can't pull on to make this happen.

One would have to be completely off their rocker to buy the new MBP. The best upgrade to any PC/Mac is an SSD and memory upgrade. The fully surface mount nature of the new MBPs makes them a no-go for many. There is zero future-proofing there and this has now backfired on Apple. I still would not be surprised to see the comeback of the jack in newer iPhones although that's probably me dreaming.

The headphone jack is gone for good. Upgradeable ram and SSD could quite possibly be something they'd aim to bring back with future MacBook's if Apple really are listening.

 

[MH01]

I'm going to be so pissed if they remove the Touch Bar. Way to ruin other people's workflows, MR members.

The social media pro power users workflow will be ruined ....

Look they can keep this MacBook Pro air, but give us a MacBook Pro with function Keyes and ports.

Truth be told the new MacBook Pro is a flop, the damage has been done to the majority of the workflows, and apple will go with the sales numbers....and that is the 2015 layout.

 

[Rocketman]

The wind tunnel with a box molded on the side would work. The design guys would hate it and the pros would live it. Heck, make them attachable to encourage grid computing!

 

[upthetoffees]

Here's how I see it: I miss my G5, it sucked in the summer when it sounded like an airport, but it was a great machine. There is nothing like that now, they killed that whole line and forced Imac. No one should be forced to buy an Imac, there should be a Mac pro desktop computer. The current Mac Pro is not that machine, it's a gimmic. Admit it, it is.
Here's some more info. I knew around 10 people that had a G5, friends and work. In 2017, I don't know ONE person that has a Mac pro. It's too expensive. It's just not a sensible solution and for these people, nor is the Imac.

Apple had better have some good ideas for the Mac Pro to come back. I would never buy an Imac again, not the right place for that discussion but it was a letdown. Why not let people make some choices Apple? It will only hurt you in the end.

 

[Appleaker]

are they credible? I don't believe for one second that they weren't sure what to do with the Mac Pro until just a couple of weeks ago.

No, that's certainly not true. They've been prototyping models for over a year. Although given the news that it has not been the new design, it seems like it was testing the thermal constraints with new iterations of the current design. (I previously presumed it was both old and the new modular design).
They've been hesitant to radically change the design, so the final decision to go in that direction exclusively would have been made in recent months (the second half of 2016). So while they haven't just put the Mac aside and said "we'll leave that for later", the decision to go ahead with the modular Mac and plan a release period around it, looks like it's a recent one.

 

[RumorConsumer]

My theory is that they are taking their time because the machine will be *THE* VR workstation as the technology starts to permeate. They are taking their time because thats the only technology that really matters on the horizon and what Apple does is sit around and let other people ship stupid things, learn from those mistakes, and then kill all of them in one blow.

 

[violst]

Whatever the reason I'm very glad apple has come to their senses and realized how important the pro community is to them. I look forward to a new and improved killer Mac Pro!!

 

[hawkeye_a]

Just reintroduce the old MacPro design and be done with it already, and they wont need 2 years to design/test it.

How many Pro users complained(or would complain) about that design?

 

[Elderloc]

Bring back the previous design with Thunder Bolt 3 ports, Dual 10/100/1000 or 10Gig E. Drop Firewire, update the SATA/SAS Bus to Express or what ever the fastest is. Put one or two NVME slots for SSD Storage. Leave it dual socket, bring DDR4. As for the Optical maybe a 5.25 bay, but honestly that doesn't matter to me. I've been using an HP Z840 since the 2013 was released, it does everything and then some. Hopefully HP will add TB3 ports to the next model, with a few classic USB A style on front.

 

[goaliefight]

The most shocking part of this story is that OSnews is still a thing.

 

[9081094]

Too little, too late! Pros will never invest in the Mac platform again. It will take years to built up trust.

 

[apolloa]

It's all about the money money money....

Lose Pro's, lose programmers, lose markets, lost more customers, lose more sales...

Pro moves from Mac to Windows, then changes iPhone for Android, then starts developing for Android.. and you can see where it goes..

About damn time Cook and his team got of their asses and stopped their obsession with watch bands!!!!
Let's hope they pay the same attention and ditch the utterly utterly utterly lazy design efforts, or lack there of, for this years iPhone line up..

I think the new MacBook Pro and MacBook and iPad Pro 12.9" were the ONLY new Apple hardware designs for the last 3 years! From the richest corporation on the planet... and still people throw their money at their stocks..

As for people buying the older design MacBook Pro... well theirs the other thing, if you decide to PRICE GOUGE and rip people off by hiking the price of your computer replacement, when the computer it's replacing already cost more then most competitors, then it really is no flipping wonder people buy the older 'cheaper' computer is it!!!

How about reducing prices??

 

[Wowereit]

[RANT]
2019?!
It's a professional workstation-grade desktop and not a highly integrated mobile device where it's a matter of millimeters.
Every retard could put new hardware inside classic Mac Pro's case, call it Mac Pro SE and more shockingly it could actually be a good product.

Even if you want to do a new thing and not a SE, don't tell me this takes 2 years of time.
I personally know someone at Dell and they can create completely redesigned compact workstations with new hardware, including board, cooling, case and everything in 6 months. Sure, their casing is ugly as hell, but other than that they are great machines. I'm pretty sure creating the same thing with a prettier face doesn't take 4 times as long.
[/RANT]

 

[YegorH]

It's great news. The lack of compelling new hardware is what has kept me from buying a new desktop. I ended up upgrading my mid 2010, 12 core Mac Pro tower with 64GB RAM and 2TB SSD, added USB 3.0 and still use my trusted 30" Apple display. Will definitely buy a new machine and display as soon as Apple release them.

 

[Asarien]

This might be pretty unreasonable of me to suggest, but what about something like a single OWC Dock per room? (yes, expensive also). What's the downside to that which I'm not seeing? (vs. 100k in older equipment stockpiling).

In a startup environment, people are very mobile with their machines and often move between rooms and spaces. A bulky port dock, unfortunately, isn't too practical.

 

[ProwlingTiger]

, such as pairing the iPad Pro with a Mac so that it can be used as a Cintiq-style drawing tablet.

This should've been a launch feature.

 

[brentsg]

Listening, maybe. 2 years to resolve it, after admitting it? Fail. Just offer both right now. Use an old physical architecture with a new set of guts. THIS YEAR.

I'd buy the old tower case with new internals now for sure. I don't really care what it looks like, and honestly I liked the old gal.

They'd have to discount the existing unit another $1000 to get me to consider it as an interim solution. I'd honestly like to have one, as it would work fine for me. I have an external Thunderbolt RAID setup and I could stick the cheese grater in my storage room for bulk storage. Would be handy to have essentially a high powered Mini on my desk.

 

[apolloa]

2019. Christ.

This essentially proves Ive and Co. haven't even been seriously designing successors to the Mac Pro in the background, over the past four years.

Nope, they have been busy making a bigger iPad, and two laptops... and endless countless ridiculously high numbers of different style watch bands.....

I think it's a clear sign their own sheer arrogance has blinded them and all the money they've been making..

EDIT:: oh I forgot about the new Apple TV which is cool to be honest.

 

[ateslik]

SO happy to be reading about powerful machines with PORTS, and expandability and upgradability.

My body is ready. Macbook Pro please.

 

[MellowFuzz]

Apple is a fat, lazy and greedy behemoth (big dinosaur body, tiny dinosaur brain). Without radical internal overhaul, it's only going to continue rotting from the inside out.