Mac Pro To Get Dual Optical Drive Slots?

[AidenShaw]

Oversimplifiying is more idiotic

top heavy is just idiotic.

Has anyone noticed that three or four disk drives actually weigh a lot more than a power supply?

Especially a modern power supply! (Those Apple IIfx supplies had a lot of iron - but today a 600watt supply is pretty light.)

Get a life (and an IEC 90° cord) and forget whining about power supply top or bottom.

Worrying about "Top heavy" is simply nonsense - I have top PS systems and bottom PS systems, and "top heaviness" has never been an issue - the centre of gravity of my systems is usually determined by the number, capacity, and location of the disks.

 

[ksz]

How would you burn two DVDs at once Eldorian? I don't know of any software that lets you do this do you?

I agree it would be nice. But I can't imagine how.

Here you go.

Dragon Burn enables Mac desktop and PowerBook notebook computer users to quickly and easily begin producing audio, data, mixed-mode CDs, and DVDs. Dragon Burn's Multi-Burning engine allows users to simultaneously write multiple CDs or DVDs. It also fully supports the newest internal and external drives, including 16x DVD-R drives.

 

[4God]

School House Rock - "Oh, I'm just a bill, a lonely old bill, sitting here on Capitol Hill"

That's old school. Even I remember that one.

 

[boncellis]

School House Rock - "Oh, I'm just a bill, a lonely old bill, sitting here on Capitol Hill"

I prefer the Simpsons' parody of that cartoon:

"...and I'll make Ted Kennedy pay, if he fights back I'll say that he's gay."

But seriously, the $1799 price point is a step in the right direction. If we could get it down to $1599 or <gasp> $1499, then that would be the de facto mini tower so many have clamored for. I would like a redesigned case, but that'll come eventually.

Sometimes the right price can make a person forget about what might have been.

 

[xPismo]

s/apple/Intel/wh
s/mac community/all the Intel vendors/wh

You have been assimilated.

Apple == Dell == IBM == Gateway == Lenovo == ...

Apple existed pre RISC, and they will exist post IBM chips. Your fears are unfounded. Well engineered hardware with well engineered software, add a dash of the SJ RDF and things will stay groooooovy.

 

[jephrey]

I assume that the PS move is due to heat. That thing generates heat, and if it can vent in a different location or through a different air channel than the processors, the I think that's good... And 2 drive bays is effin spectacular. I myself am fine with 1, but if I can get a bracket and put a couple HDs in that spot then cool. It'd be cool if apple made it usable that way. I would sure like more bays, but just having that real estate for them, and a solution to cleanly mount them would be nice.

Jephrey

 

[aafuss1]

All ATI cards-so a Stero 3D capable graphics card BTO. WiMax should be able to be added via a third-party add-on (as 802.11n is still not ready). Wonder if the liquid-cooling will be simpler.

 

[aafuss1]

Interesting question, but I don't think any of us here will have the answers.

PCs don't use EFI. I don't know if a generic AGP/PCIe card can be initialized by EFI, or if the card will need some EFI code to be on-board.

As for OS X, I think we can be fairly certain that Apple will only bundle drivers for cards that Apple sells. If you install a third-party card, they will probably tell you that you'll need a driver from the card's manufacturer - that's what they've historically told customers.

Generic VGA drivers? I'm sure they were developed - they'd be very useful during that time when OS X/Intel was internal-only. But I wouldn't expect them to be bundled with a shipping copy of the system software.

Now, assuming that the Mac firmware (including whatever EFI drivers they include in it) is capable of initializing a generic video card, then there should be no need for more than a device driver, which the card vendors can probably provide, if they are so inclined. If the cards will require special ROM code for EFI, however, then we're back to the same problem that plagued the PPC systems.

I agree-eg. to add a Crossfire configuration would mean that Apple would need to have a preference pane to configure that, which they don't-they supply a driver only.

 

[~Shard~]

Personally I go the BTO route at Apple.com for my PowerMacs and downgrade all RAM to the minimum cost and buy my RAM from a trusted 3rd party vendor for a savings of at least 10% if not more so.

Exactly - this is one of the reasons I'm glad Apple is going with a minimum RAM configuration. I'd much rather buy RAM from a reputable 3rd party dealer than have to succumb myself to Apple's significant premiums. Always buy 3rd party, never from Apple.

I agree as I am waiting for the 8 core model with Leopard while I continue to limp along on the Quad G5.

Are you just going to hold out for a Dunnington PowerMac?

 

[phatpat88]

Burn two DVD's at once and DVD copying.

Burning a DVD while watching another?

Dude, there is totally a use for the power user!

 

[FF_productions]

Exactly - this is one of the reasons I'm glad Apple is going with a minimum RAM configuration. I'd much rather buy RAM from a reputable 3rd party dealer than have to succumb myself to Apple's significant premiums. Always buy 3rd party, never from Apple.

Still, it's ridiculous that Apple's Top-Of-The-Line machines don't come STANDARD with 1 gig of ram. I can guarantee they will when they come out next month. If the MacBook Pro's can come with 1 gig of ram standard, the Mac Pro's will too. I cannot wait to see this new Mac Pro, it's new design, it's new everything. I'm getting that countdown widget...
Ok, I just got it
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/developer/wwdc2006countdown.html

 

[phatpat88]

So excited... How come no FW800 infront? thats a little crazy no?

Right now the only device I use for FW800 are Hard drives... I would rather have a 2nd USB 2.0 in front than the 800

 

[phatpat88]

What about 4 SATA II Drives? This way I can have a mirrored 1TB RAID [clicks heals]

The speed of a RAID with the security of mirroring.. it doesn't get mucho better

 

[~Shard~]

Still, it's ridiculous that Apple's Top-Of-The-Line machines don't come STANDARD with 1 gig of ram. I can guarantee they will when they come out next month.

Oh, I agree - I should hope this is the case. In this day and age, 1 GB should be table stakes, especially when you're dealing with Pro machines - I would bet that most PowerMac owners upgrade to at least 2 GB of RAM standard as it is. Throw on top of that the fact that Leopard is coming out in (presumably) 6 months, give or take, and I'm sure that 1 GB will be required to run that with any degree of smoothness as well.

Here's hoping you're right. I think including 512 MB of RAM standard would be a bit of a slap in the face if Apple is releasing these supposedly "advanced" machines. What kind of advanced PowerMac has only 512 MB of RAM standard?

 

[FF_productions]

Here's hoping you're right. I think including 512 MB of RAM standard would be a bit of a slap in the face if Apple is releasing these supposedly "advanced" machines. What kind of advanced PowerMac has only 512 MB of RAM standard?

It would be ridiculous if it came with just 512 mb's of ram...

Steve Jobs-"The New Octa-Core Mac Pro with 512 mb's of ram" It just doesn't fit...

 

[~Shard~]

It would be ridiculous if it came with just 512 mb's of ram...

Steve Jobs-"The New Octa-Core Mac Pro with 512 mb's of ram" It just doesn't fit...

I agree, it wouldn't make sense. Might as well sell a new Lamborghini with a 1.8L 4-banger...

 

[Silentwave]

It would be ridiculous if it came with just 512 mb's of ram...

Steve Jobs-"The New Octa-Core Mac Pro with 512 mb's of ram" It just doesn't fit...

I honestly think it'll have 1GB standard- they can save money by not having to bother with FB-DIMM 512s. its cheaper to just get 1 and 2 gig increments.

 

[Silentwave]

What about 4 SATA II Drives? This way I can have a mirrored 1TB RAID [clicks heals]

The speed of a RAID with the security of mirroring.. it doesn't get mucho better

You mean SATA 3Gbps? Sata II is often confused with Sata 3Gbps and has not been brought to market yet, unfortunately. the sata people even have a page explaining the difference on their site . the good part though is they're planning 6Gbps and IIRC 12 as well.

I want sata3g or SAS or both.

 

[baeder]

dual processor upgradeable for lower end models?

Is it possible that the lower end models (rumored to be single processor) will be upgradeable by BTO or later on by the user by putting in another processor?

 

[FF_productions]

Is it possible that the lower end models (rumored to be single processor) will be upgradeable by BTO or later on by the user by putting in another processor?

Depends on how it is built, I'm sure you will be able to though. I know just as much as you.

 

[DrGruv1]

Smallish Towers?

Maybe along the line of the g4 quicksilver (without the handles)

a nice short compact apple tower with more expansion than the mini and with a conroe for....

$1099

Now you'd be talkin'

let people switch out their monitors, etc and give them a nice tower - not the stupid mini - i say (stupid mini) only because i wish it was a smallish tower with expansion capabilities

 

[Shagrat]

Here you go.

(re Dragon burn...)

looks like a good app, and the price is good, but it seems as if it is for PPC mac only if their downloadable manual is to be believed. Anybody know if there is a Universal binary in the offing? Need a burn program for my (Non-Mooing!) Macbook!

 

[Marx55]

My top 10 features (in order of preference).

1. Quiet Mac. THAT IS A MUST. If possible, no fans.
2. Modular Mac. Use any Apple cinema display with it.
3. Fast 7,200 rpm drive inside. NO SLOW DRIVES!
4. At least a maximum of 2 GB RAM (BTO).
5. FireWire 800 (2), 400 (2), USB 2 (6) and eSATA (2).
6. True 64-bit microprocessor inside.
7. True Intel virtualization microprocessor inside.
8. Two Blu-ray drives built-in (at least as a BTO).
9. Upgradeable microprocessor inside.
10. Reasonably priced. Check out current PC boxes!

 

[Silentwave]

10. Reasonably priced. Check out current PC boxes!

You know the more I think about it the more I question Apple's ability to make anything with a Xeon particularly cheap. I've been pricing all sorts of Dell workstations with the 5100 series Xeon-Woodcrest cores... even the single chip versions are not cheap. Granted, they may have inflated prices due to targeting at the large business market, but still they wouldn't be cheap. We'll see, but the more I think about it maybe we will see Conroe at the low end.

 

[illegalprelude]

Not a chance in the near future. Blu Ray and Sony are in utter shambles right now.

really? off what fact is this based upon or personal opinion?