Mac Pro 2010 speculations

[VirtualRain]

The Mac is still a significant $10B+/yr business for Apple, it's not going anywhere.

Apple prides itself on having three separate $10B/yr businesses... Mac, iPhone, iPod, and hopes that the iPad is soon their 4th business line to reach $10B/yr.

Here's the quarterly revenue contributions by business line...

 

[TennisandMusic]

^^^^ It depends what you "value".

The only "value" the Mac Pro has is OSX, and to many people that's not enough. It's really not superior to Windows. You may like it better, and that's understandable, but it's not "better".

So what other value could there be?

 

[nanofrog]

...PhotoShop...

Limited to 2 cores.

Makes you wonder if the 8 core > 12 core hype will be mainly just that - "hype" for many users - little practical value

As always, it will depend on the usage. For some, the additional cores would be worthwhile, such as 3D rendering.

But if the system's primary functions are Photoshop for example, most of the cores will sit idle (granted, it can allow for multiple open windows of various applicatons, but whether or not they're doing something is another story - loaded, but sits idle).

In fact I think the general consensus on the dual proc's is that they are basically "fine."

They weren't as bad when you keep the focus on the processors uses and RAM capacity for example, but as you mentioned, the details mattered, such as the DIMM slots and graphics card in the base model.

The Mac is still a significant $10B+/yr business for Apple, it's not going anywhere.

Yes, but that section includes ALL of the systems (server, workstation, consumer AIO desktops, laptops, the Air and the Mini). There's no breakdowns, and I'd expect the laptop sales "rule" within that grouping.

The only "value" the Mac Pro has is OSX, and to many people that's not enough. It's really not superior to Windows. You may like it better, and that's understandable, but it's not "better".

I see it as not just personal preference, but the existing software investments may force the continuation of OS X, as there's insufficient funds to upgrade the application suites used (can easily out cost the system). Then there's the potential of new training to consider as well.

 

[zeff]

What is everyone expecting?

2 e5620s?
1 5670?

Is everyone expecting a single hexacore option and two quad-core option?

 

[VirtualRain]

The only "value" the Mac Pro has is OSX, and to many people that's not enough. It's really not superior to Windows. You may like it better, and that's understandable, but it's not "better".

So what other value could there be?

LOL... I guess you don't recall our heated debate in the thread "Is Apple still serious about the professional market?"

I don't see any point in revisiting it again here.

Yes, but that section includes ALL of the systems (server, workstation, consumer AIO desktops, laptops, the Air and the Mini). There's no breakdowns, and I'd expect the laptop sales "rule" within that grouping.

I know, but this graph was for the previous posters who were concerned Apple might be turning away from the Mac altogether.

 

[Umbongo]

What is everyone expecting?

2 e5620s?
1 5670?

Is everyone expecting a single hexacore option and two quad-core option?

If they just update things then it should be 2.8x4, 3.2x4, 3.33x6, 2.4x8, 2.66x12 and 2.93x12. The last update didn't really make sense, the 2.26GHz isn't really a workstation aimed processor, and they didn't use the fastest ones available. Could be a return to the 2008 style offering now they have quad core in the iMacs.

 

[gundam789]

I honestly don't think there should be a war between MAC and pc"s lol
I have been a PC user for many years and no matter what i will always have a pc in my home because I'm a gamer and i need a PC=)
But i'm looking into buying a Mac Pro and you might ask why?
Because i never owned a Mac and I just want to ty something different and i will mostly use the Mac for video editing and web browsing since i don't browse on my game PC for fear of picking up viruses.
I'm also tired of tinkering with my pc all the times and i would just like to have a system that is rdy to go from the get go and if something goes wrong i can just go to an apple store and let them deal with it=)
You could say why don't you just buy a dell? Well that's because i can built a better PC then dell for half the price and using good quality components instead of dell crap

Someone asked where can i buy a good pc for 1000$? Well for 1000$ you can't assemble a good pc you will need a budget of around 2000$+ , I will list some components to give you an example.
If i had to built my self a pc right now this is what i would buy

Motherboard http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=52159&vpn=Rampage III Extreme&manufacture=ASUS or

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=38253&vpn=141-BL-E760-A1&manufacture=eVGA

CPU http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5975150&CatId=4074


memory http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34802&vpn=TR3X6G1600C8D&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1141


PSU http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_443&item_id=017677


Audi0 card http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=40&item_id=027981


Hard drive X2 http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=15_210_212&item_id=019904

GPU http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=51903&vpn=012-P3-1472-AR&manufacture=eVGA


PC case http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_111&item_id=015108

Has you can see for a decent Built with a GOOD solid pc case and none of the plastic crap you will need around 2400+ before tax not including the operating system, so after tax + OS you will be close to 3000$.

But i'm still getting a mac when it comes out P

 

[nanofrog]

I know, but this graph was for the previous posters who were concerned Apple might be turning away from the Mac altogether.

Ah, OK. I can see them dropping models who's sales numbers are low enough it no longer works for Apple profit wise (i.e. XServes and MP's, and possibly the Mini and Air).

But definitely not the iMac or laptop systems (MB, MBP). The sales volume is too high, and the margins are also high = really nice profits.

The last update didn't really make sense, the 2.26GHz isn't really a workstation aimed processor, and they didn't use the fastest ones available. Could be a return to the 2008 style offering now they have quad core in the iMacs.

The processors chosen would almost certainly been a result of keeping the margins at a certain point, not based primarily on performance. It's the only thing that really makes sense to me anyway.

 

[gundam789]

I hardly doubt Apple will turn away from the Mac Pro line.
What better system do they have to efficiently represent their OS?
The iMac is nice and all but is it a serious work station?
The Mac Book Pro are nice but who will do graphic design and video editing on a 17inch screen?
And if they do drop the mac pro how are they going to sale theyr monitors?
Since the iMac is all in one they would also have to give up on the monitors market lol.
I'm sure we will see a new mac Pro soon.

 

[nanofrog]

Someone asked where can i buy a good pc for 1000$? Well for 1000$ you can't assemble a good pc you will need a budget of around 2000$+ , I will list some components to give you an example.
If i had to built my self a pc right now this is what i would buy

Motherboard http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=52159&vpn=Rampage III Extreme&manufacture=ASUS or

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=38253&vpn=141-BL-E760-A1&manufacture=eVGA

CPU http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5975150&CatId=4074


memory http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34802&vpn=TR3X6G1600C8D&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1141


PSU http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_443&item_id=017677


Audi0 card http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=40&item_id=027981


Hard drive X2 http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=15_210_212&item_id=019904

GPU http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=51903&vpn=012-P3-1472-AR&manufacture=eVGA


PC case http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_111&item_id=015108

Has you can see for a decent Built with a GOOD solid pc case and none of the plastic crap you will need around 2400+ before tax not including the operating system, so after tax + OS you will be close to 3000$.

But i'm still getting a mac when it comes out P

Keep in mind though, you're building a gaming rig with these parts, and you've selected better components than are even used in the MP's. Namely graphics, PSU, board, memory, and even audio.

Gaming rigs can be built cheaper as well, if you'd be willing to scale back on some of the components, such as the board, and skip the Velociraptors. There's also some that base their figures on the fact they've already usable parts lying around, such as cases, PSU's, drives,... to reduce the costs, so they're not buying everything needed to build from the ground up.

 

[gundam789]

Keep in mind though, you're building a gaming rig with these parts, and you've selected better components than are even used in the MP's. Namely graphics, PSU, board, memory, and even audio.

Gaming rigs can be built cheaper as well, if you'd be willing to scale back on some of the components, such as the board, and skip the Velociraptors. There's also some that base their figures on the fact they've already usable parts lying around, such as cases, PSU's, drives,... to reduce the costs, so they're not buying everything needed to build from the ground up.

Absolutely you are right you can easily save on some of those components but i just wanted to show a good quality built.
I saw so many people always arguing that home made pc have crap components and theyr PC cases are cheap and made of plastic , like Applesoldier always says on hes youtube videos lol
If you have the budget you can built a sexy looking Home made PC and if you have the time and the creativity you can also do an amazing wiring job in the interior of the case.
But then again you have to take the time to put everything togheter , updated the bios ( and i know this scares a lot of new builders away) install the OS update all the drivers and blah blah and it can be a pain in the ....you know what=)
But no matter what once Apple comes out with the new mac pro i will buy one
I'm actually exited about it.

 

[nanofrog]

Absolutely you are right you can easily save on some of those components but i just wanted to show a good quality built.
I saw so many people always arguing that home made pc have crap components and theyr PC cases are cheap and made of plastic , like Applesoldier always says on hes youtube videos lol
If you have the budget you can built a sexy looking Home made PC and if you have the time and the creativity you can also do an amazing wiring job in the interior of the case.
But then again you have to take the time to put everything togheter , updated the bios ( and i know this scares a lot of new builders away) install the OS update all the drivers and blah blah and it can be a pain in the ....you know what=)
But no matter what once Apple comes out with the new mac pro i will buy one
I'm actually exited about it.

Understandable.

I built my own workstation after trying an '08 base Octad (it wouldn't do everything I needed, and the external RAID enclosures would have pushed the cost too high.

But my board is cheaper than what you linked, but not cheap - ASUS P6T6 WS Revolution, same PSU, decent memory (OCZ Platinum), GPU is an HD4870 (my work's not that graphics intensive), and the case is a Lian Li PC-V2010A (silver). It also runs hardware RAID cards (2x), and the board is capable of running Xeon's and ECC memory (why it was selected).

It looks nice, does exactly what I need, and came in under the MP's cost with after figuring in the upgrades (not by much though). But with a better PSU, more slots on the board,..., it's worth it IMO. It just may not be the best solution for everyone (my primary OS is Windows BTW, followed by Linux). OS X is just an experiment/hobby.

 

[Max(IT)]

The only "value" the Mac Pro has is OSX, and to many people that's not enough. It's really not superior to Windows. You may like it better, and that's understandable, but it's not "better".

So what other value could there be?

to many people that is simply NOT true.
I work as an admin on a daily basis with WinXP, Vista, Server and Win7. I think that OSX is still superior to Windows, in many aspects.

 

[xgman]

I'm also tired of tinkering with my pc all the times and i would just like to have a system that is rdy to go from the get go and if something goes wrong

Yes sir!!

 

[roblin]

I work with my comp so I want the best. Bought my 8x2.4ghz >2y ago, since then added a 160gb ssd. This has been my best purchase ever, bought it when the dollar was low, even 2y later it's close that I can get better bang for the buck where I live. But it feels weird running a 2y old comp. I should be able to get something twice as fast for the same money by now, why do you fail me Moore?

 

[TomMcIn]

Mac Pro Upgrade Rumors

The WWDC 2010 Keynote did not mention the Mac Pros. Hoping for something in the near future now that all the big Apple Income Units have had their day. Any solid rumors, if there are such things?

 

[Umbongo]

The WWDC 2010 Keynote did not mention the Mac Pros. Hoping for something in the near future now that all the big Apple Income Units have had their day. Any solid rumors, if there are such things?

None.

 

[Ravich]

*Sigh* I think this means I'll be buying an iMac.

 

[Icaras]

*Sigh* I think this means I'll be buying an iMac.

You also might as well wait for the new iMac refresh as well, since that is also at the end of it's refresh cycle. I would give the iMac until September too though, given the 8-11, 8-11 refresh cycle.

 

[Ravich]

I need a new workstation -.-

It's not worth sacrificing this summer's productivity for even one more day. Chances are the new high end iMacs wont receive that much of a spec bump anyway. Unless we suddenly see user serviceable HDDs/multiple internal drives or USB3, I'm not going to be missing out on much. It just makes more sense than dropping more money on a mac pro that gets outperformed by the iMac, or spending far more money on a 15 month old system.

 

[nanofrog]

I need a new workstation -.-

It's not worth sacrificing this summer's productivity for even one more day. Chances are the new high end iMacs wont receive that much of a spec bump anyway. Unless we suddenly see user serviceable HDDs/multiple internal drives or USB3, I'm not going to be missing out on much. It just makes more sense than dropping more money on a mac pro that gets outperformed by the iMac, or spending far more money on a 15 month old system.

What exactly are you doing?

I ask, as some usage will benefit from system upgrades that address bottlenecks such as disk throughput and RAM.

Granted, you can upgrade the RAM in an iMac (up to 16GB), but disk throughput is a bit more of a conundrum (possible to change drives, such as using an SSD, but it voids the warranty).

I'm also aware that the 27" monitor offers a lower cost vs. the MP, as it requires a monitor. But the upgradability of the MP may offer you more "bang-for-your-buck" in the long run.

I'm just hoping to get you to consider other areas between the two systems that could be an issue to you, depending on exactly what you're doing, not dismiss the iMac on prejudicial reasons.

 

[Ravich]

Music production - soundtrack-esque work, so I use sample libraries. I am aware that it is largely based on HDD usage, but my current bottle neck on my mid 2008 MBP is mostly processor power. I am also taking into consideration the possibility of eventually using the iMac as both a slave as well as an external monitor to a future MP (like this discussion I believe http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?p=1526912)

The low end MP is just as limited in terms of RAM, isnt it? The low end MP right now just doesnt seem promising as a long term investment, but it is still quite pricey. The HDD limitation does seem like kind of a deal breaker for the iMac, but it feels like it could end up as a better investment.

 

[nanofrog]

Music production - soundtrack-esque work, so I use sample libraries. I am aware that it is largely based on HDD usage, but my current bottle neck on my mid 2008 MBP is mostly processor power. I am also taking into consideration the possibility of eventually using the iMac as both a slave as well as an external monitor to a future MP (like this discussion I believe http://duc.digidesign.com/showthread.php?p=1526912)

The low end MP is just as limited in terms of RAM, isnt it? The low end MP right now just doesnt seem promising as a long term investment, but it is still quite pricey. The HDD limitation does seem like kind of a deal breaker for the iMac, but it feels like it could end up as a better investment.

An SSD would help load your libraries much faster than mechanical. As per the RAM, there's 8GB sticks available, so 32GB is currently possible (8GB*4). Larger sticks will come later. Adding an SSD won't invalidate your warranty either.

You can also add an SSD to an iMac, but you'd invalidate the warranty (you have to go in by pulling the glass), so that may not be a valid solution to you. If however, you're fine with it and 16GB would be sufficient RAM (I think so), then it could be a less expensive alternative.

Compare the RAM and SSD costs (3rd party), and a monitor in the MP's case, and see how they compare to one another.