iMac Pro Now Available to Order With 8 to 18 Cores and Prices Ranging From $4,999 to $13,199

[Jefe's MacAir]

A professional wouldn't spend that much on a machine that can't be upgraded and is prone to overheating. Professionals don't want to wait a month for Apple Care when a drive fails. They want to swap it out themselves immediately.

It can be upgraded. Just not by your average user. You don't have to wait a month for Apple Care. They haven't even shipped so your reference to overheating is really just a guess or a wish. You obviously are NOT a professional. Well, maybe a pro troll.

 

[cmaier]

Do we assume the new iMac Pro can't do hardware accelerated encoding/decoding of HVEC, because the Intel chips don't have Quick Sync Video?

it uses the gpu for 10-bit hvec

 

[BeatCrazy]

it uses the gpu for 10-bit hvec

Dumb question, are the iMac Pro GPU(s) just as good at hardware accelerated 8/10-bit HVEC encoding/decoding as the 7th gen+ Intel chips?

 

[cmaier]

Dumb question, are the iMac Pro GPU(s) just as good at hardware accelerated 8/10-bit HVEC encoding/decoding as the 7th gen+ Intel chips?

Depends on what you mean by just as good. They work fine, produce similar results presumably (depends a bit on software), but since some software glue is required it may take more electricity to produce the same result.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Depends on what you mean by just as good. They work fine, produce similar results presumably (depends a bit on software), but since some software glue is required it may take more electricity to produce the same result.

OK good to know. I'm considering investing in the Sonnet eGPU + RX580, but if it can't easily handle iMovie/FCPX HEVC 8-10 bit video, I'm probably wasting my money.

 

[canonical]

What if you don't to radiate your head with a bluetooth keyboard ... do they make a wired version in black too?

 

[fourthtunz]

The operator usually much more expensive. You can write it off tax wise anyways, so if you are profitable company and make more then the cost of the

Buy a screen magnifier to place in front of the 27" screen.

Heh, I use my mac for Protools etc but also use it as my tv. guess I'll just wait for the modular mac pro..

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

So in your mind "Pros" only want two 5k displays. Not all the software out there that either benefits or even requires NVIDIA? Got it. I now understand this market. Thank you.

Where did I say ANY of that, Hater?
[doublepost=1513357250][/doublepost]

This is more like a "jump" than a "creep".

A Jump from what? The regular iMac?

Well, DUH!
[doublepost=1513357929][/doublepost]Depends on the software, more than anything else.

Adobe seems to be particularly BAD at writing multicore-aware applications; so much so that "the word on the street" is becoming "less cores are better", when that isn't NECESSARILY the case.

In fact, now that CPU clock speeds are pretty much plateaued (damn laws of physics!), about the ONLY way to get more throughput is to "expand horizontally" (more cores). But, as I said above, that is HIGHLY dependent on how well the particular application can/has been "parallelized".

But, as more cores start to be the norm in higher-level workstatons, HOPEFULLY Developers like Adobe will put some SERIOUS effort into "re-factoring" their code (dividing it up differently); so that they actually are HELPED by large numbers of cores, rather than fighting with them...

BTW, you guys are a handsome bear couple! Rock on!!! ;-)

 

[cmaier]

OK good to know. I'm considering investing in the Sonnet eGPU + RX580, but if it can't easily handle iMovie/FCPX HEVC 8-10 bit video, I'm probably wasting my money.

8 bit should be handled by the cpu

 

[yoak]

As for people who say they won’t sell, I spoken to 3 people I know that have ordered the 10 core in different configurations today. Of course this is just anecdotal, but I think they will sell a bunch. These guys runs small production houses shooting mostly with Red cameras in 6K and 8K and these iMacs are perfect fit

 

[BeatCrazy]

8 bit should be handled by the cpu

Only if you have 6th gen Intel or newer. I do not.

 

[fairuz]

Newbie question: Does Apple include all the necessary drivers for Windows 10/Bootcamp out of the box on these new iMacs? What's the oldest Windows version they support, if any?

Windows 10 yes. I don't think they support 7 but could be wrong. Boot Camp is UEFI only now.

 

[cmaier]

Only if you have 6th gen Intel or newer. I do not.

Correct. I was talking about the new machines.

 

[Larry-K]

A Jump from what? The regular iMac?

Well, DUH!

A jump from any previous Mac Workstation-like product

Duh!

 

[ThatGuyInLa]

Where did I say ANY of that, Hater?
[doublepost=1513357250][/doublepost]
A Jump from what? The regular iMac?

Well, DUH!
[doublepost=1513357929][/doublepost]
Depends on the software, more than anything else.

Adobe seems to be particularly BAD at writing multicore-aware applications; so much so that "the word on the street" is becoming "less cores are better", when that isn't NECESSARILY the case.

In fact, now that CPU clock speeds are pretty much plateaued (damn laws of physics!), about the ONLY way to get more throughput is to "expand horizontally" (more cores). But, as I said above, that is HIGHLY dependent on how well the particular application can/has been "parallelized".

But, as more cores start to be the norm in higher-level workstatons, HOPEFULLY Developers like Adobe will put some SERIOUS effort into "re-factoring" their code (dividing it up differently); so that they actually are HELPED by large numbers of cores, rather than fighting with them...

BTW, you guys are a handsome bear couple! Rock on!!! ;-)

Fake news.

 

[niploteksi]

While I do think it's great that Apple is finally putting new computers out there, I have to admit I'm a bit baffled why they would do this.

A professional wouldn't spend that much on a machine that can't be upgraded and is prone to overheating. Professionals don't want to wait a month for Apple Care when a drive fails. They want to swap it out themselves immediately.

The All in One form factor was something inherently designed for casuals.

I completely agree. While upgrading components is not something people do every day, not being able to swap drives or memory is rather stupid. The iMac Pro doesn't make any sense at all to me.

There is nothing about this group of people which suggests that they are any less “professional” just because they don’t know how to service or upgrade their own hardware. Sure, knowing how to helps, but I don’t see how not knowing how to replace the innards of my computer makes me any less capable of a developer or video editor.

Most people are able to do this, it's not rocket science. Also, if you have some basic tech support they would be able to swap drives or whatever if it's just made accessible. I just don't see any reason for soldering down ram or drives other than wanting to force people to either buy top of the line or buy new computers. At least in a desktop.

 

[dutchyonabike]

I can’t imagine the component parts of a Windows machine ever coming to a total of $13k.

Mac is a convenience platform, not a power platform. Whoever spends that much on a Mac is crazy, and whoever thought those prices would sell is even crazier. That’s why the trashcan Mac Pro didn’t sell, and that’s why I believe this one won’t either.

In Australia $7,299 for base model... What were they thinking?

 

[cmaier]

In Australia $7,299 for base model... What were they thinking?

That you guys can just sell some kangaroos and scrape up the dough?

 

[decder]

All in one form factor, weak power supply, wireless keyboard etc sounds very silly for a machine aimed at professionals. Besides, assuming a proper Mac Pro is in the works, why do they want to maintain two Pro lines? Is this a stopgap measure and which will be discontinued when the ”proper” Mac Pros come out?

 

[dutchyonabike]

A true "pro" user who would buy this machine is likely to make the money back in a week or two. A web developer could make this back in a month or two. So for a machine that you'll be using for at least two years (most likely three or four), the ROI isn't very long.

And also try pricing the components (and OS - Windows since macOS is "free") yourself. The price is competitive.

I don't think the price is the main problem for people who earn a living from their computer. I think the problem is with the all-in-one design. If anything goes wrong with the computer, (bad ram, video card, SSD, display) it's gone for weeks to be fixed, longer if you live outside of America. With a 5,1 Mac Pro, it's just a matter of replacing the faulty part (maybe 2 days for shipping) and keep on working.

 

[Abazigal]

All in one form factor, weak power supply, wireless keyboard etc sounds very silly for a machine aimed at professionals. Besides, assuming a proper Mac Pro is in the works, why do they want to maintain two Pro lines? Is this a stopgap measure and which will be discontinued when the ”proper” Mac Pros come out?

My guess was that the iMac Pro was in the pipeline long before Apple made the announcement about the Mac Pro, likely in response to the uproar over the 2016 MBP. By then, the iMac Pro was pretty much a done deal, so it made no sense to can it. May as well release both, see how sales pan out, and take it from there.

 

[PickUrPoison]

All in one form factor, weak power supply, wireless keyboard etc sounds very silly for a machine aimed at professionals. Besides, assuming a proper Mac Pro is in the works, why do they want to maintain two Pro lines? Is this a stopgap measure and which will be discontinued when the ”proper” Mac Pros come out?

The iMac Pro is in no way a stopgap for a modular Mac Pro; it will exist alongside the re-architected upgradable Mac Pro. I’m glad you put proper in quotes, because iMac Pro is exactly the “proper” solution for some Pro buyers. There are many users who would rather have an all in one than a desktop/tower/cylinder(!) type modular Mac Pro.

In fact, a lot of pros ended up buying high end iMacs, because they are suitable for the workloads that used to require Mac Pro level hardware. Now those users have an upgrade path, and high core count and/or 128GB RAM will pull in more users who will find iMac Pro preferable for their needs to a modular, more-upgradable Mac Pro.

Even if Apple were to release a traditional workstation tower in the most ideal (for old school Mac Pro fans) form factor possible—dual Xeon, 8 RAM slots, 5 PCIe slots, 5 drive bays, 1200W power supply, whatever... all user upgradable and easily accessible—I wouldn’t be surprised to see the iMac Pro take 50-75% of unit sales.

Though certain pro users would love that tower, since iMac Pro in no way meets their requirements, they are a smaller percentage of overall Pro buyers than they think. That’s not to say it’s not an important market segment that needs addressing, but their needs are not more important or valid than those who find iMac Pro a preferable solution. As always, it’s about choosing the best solution for your needs.

PS I’m not sure why you’re FUDing the iMac Pro power supply, or complaining about wireless keyboards.

 

[asdavis10]

I don't think the price is the main problem for people who earn a living from their computer. I think the problem is with the all-in-one design. If anything goes wrong with the computer, (bad ram, video card, SSD, display) it's gone for weeks to be fixed, longer if you live outside of America. With a 5,1 Mac Pro, it's just a matter of replacing the faulty part (maybe 2 days for shipping) and keep on working.

You'd be surprised how many iMacs you'll see on photo/video shoots from professional photographers. There are a lot of pros and hobbyists who like the AIO design because it's easier to transport. And they spec them out to the max. I've also worked in a lot of design firms and ad agencies to see mostly iMacs on desks. There's a reason the iMac is the most popular desktop in the world. And it's not just because of home consumer users.

 

[seclusion]

So looking at the soon to be offerings.
https://blog.macsales.com/43169-owc...2018?utm_source=xlr8yourmac&APC=XLR8YourMac13
Wow, so a question would be, can all 4 usb-c slots run independent full band width?
If so, 128 gigs of ram, HD size of choice and external drives r/w at 2600 mb/s.
Holy pink bananas, where would the bottle neck be?

 

[businezguy]

Ok, I've now heard the word "stealthy" to discuss the color scheme of a desktop and I'm curious. How do people picture themselves using a "stealthy" computer? Are they sneaking around at night with an iMac under their arm and the space grey color will make them less noticeable?

Well, not *anymore*, now that you've exposed my plans!