iMac Pro Guesses for the Redesigned iMac Pro

[ruslan120]

I’ll start.

32” Pro XDR Display Panel
Physical Redesign
Better internals (unfamiliar with Intel server CPUs but guessing a newer model, weaker than the Mac Pro + Navi graphics)
> $8,000 Price Tag

 

[TiggrToo]

I’ll start.

32” Pro XDR Display Panel
Physical Redesign
Better internals (unfamiliar with Intel server CPUs but guessing a newer model, weaker than the Mac Pro + Navi graphics)
> $8,000 Price Tag

32" Pro XDR? I'll have whatever you're smoking...

 

[Juicy Box]

My guess is that the iMac Pro will merge with the redesigned iMac.

I have speculated in the past that the iMac Pro was originally going to be iMac redesign, but the components were tweaked to appease the Prosumer after the 2013 MP backlash.

Now that the 2019 MP has launched, I think that the iMac Pro will not receive an update, but instead just leave some of the iMac Pro internals (updated, of course) as BTO options for a redesign iMac.

The redesigned iMac will most likely adopt much of the iMac Pro's design with some minor changes.

 

[mj_]

It will have pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows painted across its display.
As good a guess as any.

 

[iPhone2019]

I could do with a 27" iPad. No need for expensive hardware when web surfing...

 

[Freida]

Lol - you are crazy

If iMP gets XDR screen for that price then XDR will stop selling as everyone will be buying iMP instead.
Hell, even I would buy the iMP just because of that screen

I’ll start.

32” Pro XDR Display Panel
Physical Redesign
Better internals (unfamiliar with Intel server CPUs but guessing a newer model, weaker than the Mac Pro + Navi graphics)
> $8,000 Price Tag

 

[ruslan120]

A man can dream...

If iMP gets XDR screen for that price then XDR will stop selling as everyone will be buying iMP instead.
Hell, even I would buy the iMP just because of that screen

They’ve done it before with the iMac and the 5K panel where you have the cost of the parts almost resemble the actual device price + a 5K screen on the lower end models.
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I feel like a device like that would make a lot of people happy, even with an AIO design, even at a higher price tag than $8K.

 

[Freida]

Oh for sure it would. I would get it also. That would be incredible value machine

A man can dream...



They’ve done it before with the iMac and the 5K panel where you have the cost of the parts almost resemble the actual device price + a 5K screen on the lower end models.
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I feel like a device like that would make a lot of people happy, even with an AIO design, even at a higher price tag than $8K.

 

[theluggage]

I feel like a device like that would make a lot of people happy, even with an AIO design, even at a higher price tag than $8K.

Happy? Only people who had absolutely no other choice than use MacOS. Everybody else would laugh hysterically and switch to Windows. Or get a regular iMac. Or, heck, get a Mac Pro and a nice $1000-$2000 display.

Seriously - a > $8000 workstation that didn't let you choose the display to suit your particular workflow? Or - even if you've drunk the "consumer TV-grade HDR in a content creation workstation is worth $5000" Kool-Aid - a $5000 display that lived and died with the workstation it was built in to?

Frankly, though, the current iMac Pro is already swings-and-roundabouts close in performance to the entry-level Mac Pro (slightly weaker CPU, significantly better GPU, more SSD), and any upgrade is going to have to be a relative downgrade to avoid making the entry MP look silly. My guess is that it's a dead end and will just hang around as is until it gets dropped.

...but then I never got the point of putting Xeon-class components (stability on the long haul over raw speed) in an all-in-one (severe thermal constraints c.f. a tower) other than "we have pro customers who wouldn't be struggling with 2013 trashcans or out-of-support 2010 classic MPs if they had the choice to dump MacOS..."

 

[Freida]

You are partially right and partially wrong.
Sure, the iMac Pro as it is now is really a crap value and I really don't see the reason for its existence anymore. Either you get beefed up iMac or you go Mac Pro. Whoever says otherwise is either having very specific need or is just inflexible.
However, on the other hand, Apple can make the iMac Pro good value if they actually put the XDR screen in (maybe with some sacrifices) as that could justify being inbetween but I feel that is crazy thinking right here.

Honest, I think Apple should kill the iMac Pro (or rethink it), make the entry level Mac Pro better value and just have that. Redesign on the normal iMac with better thermals to allow for better specs etc. and call it a day. I don't know, i feel the product line is messy right now

Happy? Only people who had absolutely no other choice than use MacOS. Everybody else would laugh hysterically and switch to Windows. Or get a regular iMac. Or, heck, get a Mac Pro and a nice $1000-$2000 display.

Seriously - a > $8000 workstation that didn't let you choose the display to suit your particular workflow? Or - even if you've drunk the "consumer TV-grade HDR in a content creation workstation is worth $5000" Kool-Aid - a $5000 display that lived and died with the workstation it was built in to?

Frankly, though, the current iMac Pro is already swings-and-roundabouts close in performance to the entry-level Mac Pro (slightly weaker CPU, significantly better GPU, more SSD), and any upgrade is going to have to be a relative downgrade to avoid making the entry MP look silly. My guess is that it's a dead end and will just hang around as is until it gets dropped.

...but then I never got the point of putting Xeon-class components (stability on the long haul over raw speed) in an all-in-one (severe thermal constraints c.f. a tower) other than "we have pro customers who wouldn't be struggling with 2013 trashcans or out-of-support 2010 classic MPs if they had the choice to dump MacOS..."

 

[1204949]

The iMac Pro is still a good value compared to the Mac Pro base model even in its current form and even wins against a high speced iMac.

You get 1TB SSD as standard with the Apple T2, 10GB ethernet, better camera, better microphones, better speakers and much better cooling (more silent and better performance) than in the regular iMac.

Compared to the MP you also get a great screen and better graphics to go along with it.

Just put the latest Cascade Lake Xeons and a more recent AMD GPU into the iMac Pro and fix the dust issue of the screen and I'll buy one.

 

[Freida]

No, its not. Its almost double the price of normal iMac and for that you can beef it up.
In benchmarks its also not faster. In some yes but overall all things considered iMac is still by far better option.
Sure, the cooling is a huge factor but do you really wanna pay almost double?
If iMac gets redesign and tackles the cooling then iMac will win and iMac Pro will again be in awkward position.
I wanna see what Apple does

The iMac Pro is still a good value compared to the Mac Pro base model even in its current form and even wins against a high speced iMac.

You get 1TB SSD as standard with the Apple T2, 10GB ethernet, better camera, better microphones, better speakers and much better cooling (more silent and better performance) than in the regular iMac.

Compared to the MP you also get a great screen and better graphics to go along with it.

Just put the latest Cascade Lake Xeons and a more recent AMD GPU into the iMac Pro and fix the dust issue of the screen and I'll buy one.

 

[theluggage]

The iMac Pro is still a good value compared to the Mac Pro base model even in its current form

Yes, but so is a platinum-coated bucket of Lady Gaga's bathwater signed by Banksy. Even the reviewers saying nice things about the better Mac Pro configurations criticised the price/performance of the base config. To be fair, the MP base is only there to create a low (?) headline price, or maybe for some niche that needs lots of i/o but only a weedy (by workstation standards) CPU.

and even wins against a high speced iMac.

Again - color me unimpressed!

The current iMac design is even older than the iMac Pro - its just had CPU and GPU bumps - the better cooling, speakers etc. on the iMP should, frankly, have trickled down to the regular iMac by now and probably will when it gets its long-overdue update. Heck, even the Mac Mini has a relatively cheap 10GB Ethernet option. Then there's the T2. Second prize, two T2s...

A regular iMac with 8 core i9, 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD and Vega 48 is $950 cheaper than a base iMac Pro and will beat it in a sprint. You can also shave several hundred dollars off that by taking 5 minutes to upgrade your own RAM (not an option on the iMP). So, really, that's over $1000 extra for 2 extra TB3 ports and the warm glow of having Xeon and ECC.

Ultimately, though, there's never going to be agreement on this between people who can contemplate abandoning MacOS and those who can't. Certainly in the desktop market, the 'price' of MacOS is just getting higher and higher and the products are getting increasingly niche (All-in-one with welded-in screen vs. one-size-doesn't-fit-all single Xeon chassis...)

 

[MistrSynistr]

They will do the smaller bezel gimmick, but so small it's almost impossible to tell. They'll also shrink the profile by like .3 and tout that as special.

If they want to get HARDCORE they'll hit us with a 32" screen or something...but it will look the same as it did 10 years ago almost.

 

[Abazigal]

I am guessing updated internal specs and call it a day.

 

[FredT2]

No, its not. Its almost double the price of normal iMac and for that you can beef it up.

iMac Pro base configuration: $5000
iMac upgraded to equal iMac Pro base: $4050

Ya more, but hardly double.

 

[Juicy Box]

iMac Pro base configuration: $5000
iMac upgraded to equal iMac Pro base: $4050

Ya more, but hardly double.

To be fair, the RAM for the 2019 iMac can be user purchased and installed, so if price is a big issue when deciding between the two, the 2019 could be considered much cheaper than the comparison above.

Actually, for the price for the 32GB RAM BTO option for the iMac, the user can purchase and install 128GB of RAM in it. While the 2019 RAM isn't ECC, the upgrade price for 128GB on the iMac Pro is an extra $2000.

In that case, it would be like comparing a $7000 iMac Pro to a similar spec 2019 iMac for about $4050.

 

[Freida]

See above ;-)

iMac Pro base configuration: $5000
iMac upgraded to equal iMac Pro base: $4050

Ya more, but hardly double.

 

[Azrael9]

My guess is that the iMac Pro will merge with the redesigned iMac.

I have speculated in the past that the iMac Pro was originally going to be iMac redesign, but the components were tweaked to appease the Prosumer after the 2013 MP backlash.

Now that the 2019 MP has launched, I think that the iMac Pro will not receive an update, but instead just leave some of the iMac Pro internals (updated, of course) as BTO options for a redesign iMac.

The redesigned iMac will most likely adopt much of the iMac Pro's design with some minor changes.

You could well be correct. Apple is all about consolidation these days. Lest we recall the Macbook got the boot.

iMac pro melds into the mainstream iMac as just another high end option...where you can configure a 27 inch iMac from £1500 to £5000.

Scaling from i9s to Xeons. From low end to high end gpus. To a superior cooling system. From 8 cores to 32 cores if they go AMD.

If the Mac Mini went 'pro' with 6-8 cores...and a grey paint job. The next iMac has to go 'dark grey?'

And whilst they're at it, it's overdue a radical redesign and the obvious contender is the Mac Pro monitor.

We won't be getting 'THAT' panel but we may get a cheaper panel.

A new size option of 32 inches would be nice. Chances are it will be 27 inches. Again.

iMac. Over due. On so many levels. GPUS. CPUS. Core Count. Design. Bevels. Chin. Cooling. And a stand that offers more flexibility eg. Vertical.

Where's the radical innovation we saw at it's inception?

Come on, Apple. Sort it out. It's been far eclipsed by the M$ Studio AND their own Mac Pro monitor.

Azrael.

 

[Bradrlaw]

iMac Pro base configuration: $5000
iMac upgraded to equal iMac Pro base: $4050

Ya more, but hardly double.

They are not quite equal yet, need to add a few more costs and some things have you would have to estimate a comparable price tag:

* Those extra TB3 ports are a separate TB3 channel so quite a lot more bandwidth.
* 10 GB ethernet is a must have for workloads (add $200 for a basic TB3 10gbs adapter to the iMac)
* ECC is a must have for many workloads
* Ability to VESA mount after purchase vs time of purchase for iMac (this is SO annoying with the base iMac, the workaround are very clumsy / kludgey)
* Much better cooling
* iMac Pro can upgrade (with work) to a much faster processor later when they are cheaper. The i9 iMac will never get anything faster than what it has now.
* Imac Pro can upgrade to 512GB ram while iMac is limited to 128GB

ECC and 10 gig ethernet are deal breakers for some, even if anything else was equal.

The imac does have one thing going for it besides cost, easily serviceable memory upgrades.

 

[Jorbanead]

I think they’ll have to do a 32” iMac so they can put an XDR display next to it and have it line up. I don’t think they’ll do an XDR display for the iMac but maybe mini LED?

 

[mmomega]

Coming back for the outrage when it is the exact same design but with a new'er Xeon chip.

 

[DeepIn2U]

You are partially right and partially wrong.
Sure, the iMac Pro as it is now is really a crap value and I really don't see the reason for its existence anymore. Either you get beefed up iMac or you go Mac Pro. Whoever says otherwise is either having very specific need or is just inflexible.
However, on the other hand, Apple can make the iMac Pro good value if they actually put the XDR screen in (maybe with some sacrifices) as that could justify being inbetween but I feel that is crazy thinking right here.

Honest, I think Apple should kill the iMac Pro (or rethink it), make the entry level Mac Pro better value and just have that. Redesign on the normal iMac with better thermals to allow for better specs etc. and call it a day. I don't know, i feel the product line is messy right now

customers not choosing the iMac Pro vs the 2019 Mac Pro are being inflexible?! Really?!

some macOS users want the power of the iMac Pro yet not have to be restricted to the built-in screen that comes with it. Nor do they want to have a useless Mac when screen repair occurs and have to wait days/weeks at a time for repair.

mths Mac Mini still is not on par with the iMac Pro power and performance is it? That machine, if it was would fill the sweet spot.

2020/2021 iMac redesign will have:
Multi swivel and level hinge for the display.
Apple could kill the surface studio with full multi-touch support and Apple Pencil 2 supper for graphical artist! Why Apple doesn’t do this is beyond me ... the iPad Pro will still serve this market for portability.

like the iMac Pro, certain specs will be BTO and finally we’ll have full PCIe (4?) storage as standard across the lineup. No more spindle hard drives!

storage options: 256/512/1:2TB internal. BTO up to 4TB.

RAM: 4/6/8/12GB on the BTO for latter.
4x/6x TB3 (4-lane ports), 2x USB-A (3.2 spec) HDMI out as well.

louder and clearer speakers with Dolby Atmos support.

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

customers not choosing the iMac Pro vs the 2019 Mac Pro are being inflexible?! Really?!

some macOS users want the power of the iMac Pro yet not have to be restricted to the built-in screen that comes with it. Nor do they want to have a useless Mac when screen repair occurs and have to wait days/weeks at a time for repair.

mths Mac Mini still is not on par with the iMac Pro power and performance is it? That machine, if it was would fill the sweet spot.

2020/2021 iMac redesign will have:
Multi swivel and level hinge for the display.
Apple could kill the surface studio with full multi-touch support and Apple Pencil 2 supper for graphical artist! Why Apple doesn’t do this is beyond me ... the iPad Pro will still serve this market for portability.

like the iMac Pro, certain specs will be BTO and finally we’ll have full PCIe (4?) storage as standard across the lineup. No more spindle hard drives!

storage options: 256/512/1:2TB internal. BTO up to 4TB.

RAM: 4/6/8/12GB on the BTO for latter.
4x/6x TB3 (4-lane ports), 2x USB-A (3.2 spec) HDMI out as well.

louder and clearer speakers with Dolby Atmos support.

Why would the RAM options be so minuscule?

 

[Azrael9]

customers not choosing the iMac Pro vs the 2019 Mac Pro are being inflexible?! Really?!

some macOS users want the power of the iMac Pro yet not have to be restricted to the built-in screen that comes with it. Nor do they want to have a useless Mac when screen repair occurs and have to wait days/weeks at a time for repair.

mths Mac Mini still is not on par with the iMac Pro power and performance is it? That machine, if it was would fill the sweet spot.

2020/2021 iMac redesign will have:
Multi swivel and level hinge for the display.
Apple could kill the surface studio with full multi-touch support and Apple Pencil 2 supper for graphical artist! Why Apple doesn’t do this is beyond me ... the iPad Pro will still serve this market for portability.

like the iMac Pro, certain specs will be BTO and finally we’ll have full PCIe (4?) storage as standard across the lineup. No more spindle hard drives!

storage options: 256/512/1:2TB internal. BTO up to 4TB.

RAM: 4/6/8/12GB on the BTO for latter.
4x/6x TB3 (4-lane ports), 2x USB-A (3.2 spec) HDMI out as well.

louder and clearer speakers with Dolby Atmos support.

*nods. Agreed.

Azrael.
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Why would the RAM options be so minuscule?

Probably a typo.

Should have 16 standard with 32 and 64 gig options.

Azrael.
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I think they’ll have to do a 32” iMac so they can put an XDR display next to it and have it line up. I don’t think they’ll do an XDR display for the iMac but maybe mini LED?

32 inch iMac. Yes please. 8 core as standard with a ten core option (see imminent Intel processors.) And?

A decent gpu instead of skimping with low end ones. Radeon 5700XT would be a start.

Yeah, won't be XDR. Maybe LED like you say.

Azrael.