Mac Pro Unavailable for In-Store Reservations at Many Locations

[TMay]

So true, support contract for Maya is same as a new low-end Mac Pro. And thats only piece of software I have to deal with.
But to date, were using Maya on a Boxx 8400 Windows 7 system.
I generally like Adobe/FCS/Avid/Protools on the Mac Pro side.

The Boxx is a great machine, but it isn't an inexpensive one either. I prefer the ability to move back and forth between OSX and Windows 7 at will, and the Mac Pro can do that.

Autodesk is really a first class supporter of the Mac. AutoCAD is coming to the Mac which is good news to Architects and Civil engineers and there are a bunch of apps that you are familiar that have or will be getting OSX treatment. If Inventor goes OSX, I would be out $8K plus another $2K a year, but I believe in supporting vendors that support OSX native apps (Siemens NX is an X11 app and price like Pro/engineer).

You have a cool sandbox to play in...

 

[TMay]

Also, as of this moment, I am very sceptical that Apple will really put some effort into FCS. Adobe Premier and of course Avid are just mopping the floor with FCP in all of the aspects that cutters want. Especially not having to render after each and every slight adjustment.

I'll use it if a client wants me to, but I am 12" from going full Master Collection.

On a side note, I 100% agree, when you are using apps like you describe, the Mac Pro's 8 core price is very competitive. For joe-schmo freelancer like myself.... not so much.

I actually think that Apple is going to really come through with FCS (this as a prosumer, no a pro). People have trouble dealing with Apple's schedule, but more often than not, Apple nails it. One also needs to realize that Apple is rewriting FCS in Cocoa for 64 bit and Snow Leopard; not trivial task.

In most cases, the iMac is probably a sufficient machine for most pro's (it would work well even for my apps) but for the lack of a pro card; in my case a Quadro or a FirePro, and some of the Adobe CS5 apps take advantage of specific nvidia cards, which would be a detriment to yourself.

If Apple adds USB 3.0 and FireWire 1600 as is rumored, and includes a BTO for an SSD, there isn't really any reason not to find the iMac useful excepting the lack of the above graphics capability.

 

[wimbledonsound]

If they had a second firewire bus or an expresscard slot on the iMacs for some kind of proper expandability, I'm sure a lot of people would ditch the ol' cheese grater. I feel that they keep shutting down audio professionals and it's a real shame. Mac Pros are overpriced and out of date, and iMacs are so close to being the dream machine - but for the lack of connectivity and expansion and a mirror instead of a screen.

Don't get me started on the laptops. Ooh, an SD card slot. Great. I'll have to buy a 17" laptop to use my expresscards when this one dies. And a new flippin' bag to carry the **** in!

In Apple's future digital imaging reigns supreme, but there's no new music because everyone had to switch to PCs and killed themselves. (cup of tea for the grumpy old man in the corner here...!)

 

[xbjllb]

Stupid?

Don't count on Blu-ray. Remember when Apple astonished the public by removing the floppy disk drive? Everyone thought Apple was stupid...

You can't "remove" a feature you never had in the first place.

Just imagine how well Apple computers would have done if they'd NEVER HAD FLOPPY DRIVES in the first place because Jobs claimed "Just wait; something better WILL be coming along soon enough; Apple is just ahead of the curve."

That's right. Apple would have been ahead of the curve to beat Amiga to the graveyard by a decade.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I actually think that Apple is going to really come through with FCS (this as a prosumer, no a pro). People have trouble dealing with Apple's schedule, but more often than not, Apple nails it. One also needs to realize that Apple is rewriting FCS in Cocoa for 64 bit and Snow Leopard; not trivial task.

Very true, I keep forgetting about the rewrite to Cocoa. I just really hope that Apple doesn't make FCS4 only a 64bit rewrite though. I hope to see a push for competing with at least where Adobe Premier is currently, even if it's just low res, unrendered playback of two streams of 1080p

In most cases, the iMac is probably a sufficient machine for most pro's (it would work well even for my apps) but for the lack of a pro card; in my case a Quadro or a FirePro, and some of the Adobe CS5 apps take advantage of specific nvidia cards, which would be a detriment to yourself.

100% agree. It's actually the preferred choice for myself with the i5 and i7 chips. The only thing holding me back is just the I/O. One FW800 port just isn't enough when you have three or four high bandwidth devices. I'd love to have even one express card 34 slot added. That would be taken up by the Qio from Sonnet and then I could plug everything else into that.

The graphics options is a slight issue for me, huge for some. But I can suffer with limited/poor GFX if only to save a few hundred bucks. It is a shame that such a wonderful, finally getting there machine has to be hindered by mediocre GFX. Apple has never been one to have great GFX options though.

If Apple adds USB 3.0 and FireWire 1600 as is rumored, and includes a BTO for an SSD, there isn't really any reason not to find the iMac useful excepting the lack of the above graphics capability.

Yes Please! I'd even skip the USB3.0 if I could just get one more FW800 port, eSATA port, or express card slot. I see Apple just giving us the 2TB HDD standard on the next revision, then maybe the 3TB as a CTO on the revision after that.

 

[xgman]

There sure are a lot of so called experts in this thread telling others what and who a Mac pro is and is not for. My question is simple. Where do you get off telling someone who is interested in a Mac pro whether it is appropriate or not for them? If someone wants to buy a Mac pro to cut their toe nails, what do you care? To each his own. If someone wants to game on a Mac pro more power to them. If someone wants to do their homework on a Mac pro (and can afford one) more power to them. If someone feels that the current mac pro is to slow to open Safari, more power to them. I'm sure Steve Jobs is happy to sell a Mac Pro to anyone who can afford one, for whatever reason, period. I am so sick of hearing what others think of what people do with their computers one way or the other. In truth, it really is none of your collective business, and if those "non-pro" types wish to post here, they should be welcomed. (rant over)

 

[Peace]

There sure are a lot of so called experts in this thread telling others what and who a Mac pro is and is not for. My question is simple. Where do you get off telling someone who is interested in a Mac pro whether it is appropriate or not for them? If someone wants to buy a Mac pro to cut their toe nails, what do you care? To each his own. If someone wants to game on a Mac pro more power to them. If someone wants to do their homework on a Mac pro (and can afford one) more power to them. If someone feels that the current mac pro is to slow to open Safari, more power to them. I'm sure Steve Jobs is happy to sell a Mac Pro to anyone who can afford one, for whatever reason, period. I am so sick of hearing what others think of what people do with their computers one way or the other. In truth, it really is none of your collective business, and if those "non-pro" types wish to post here, they should be welcomed.

I agree completely !!

I use mine to run my Commodore 64 emulator.

 

[mynameisraj]

I didn't know if this had been posted already (searched this thread). From John Gruber:

My pal Dan Benjamin is off the sauce and we’re celebrating by putting our podcast back on the air, on a weekly schedule. Listen live this Wednesday at 1pm ET. We’ll have much to talk about, what with the new Mac Pros (finally, right?), speed-bump iMacs, and the gorgeous new 16:9 27-inch Cinema Display that Apple might hypothetically release tomorrow.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

The Boxx is a great machine, but it isn't an inexpensive one either.

When Apple came out with their Nehalem 8 core towers, a rep from Boxx was in the thread on CGsociety. He was talking about how they will be more competitive than Apple.

When the Boxx towers came out and were MORE expensive than apple's 8 core machines, someone asked him if their was a "Boxx Taxx." He didn't answer.

But they do offer graphics card options. You sure pay for it though.

 

[xgman]

I didn't know if this had been posted already (searched this thread). From John Gruber:

I think they all get their rumors from us.

 

[twoodcc]

please let this happen tomorrow

 

[BernPhone]

The store is down - yeah baby! It's happening!