Well like all current Intel Macs the Mac Pro already includes both an ARM64 Apple Silicon SoC and an Intel CPU. Admittedly, the ARM64 SoC is the A10 based T2 rather than an M1 and it has not been without issues.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Macs With Intel Processors Still Coming Amid Transition to Apple Silicon
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Perhaps from this Apple support page: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624
Its more about hardware support that OS updates but 2014 Macs were mostly upgradeable to Big Sur but not to Monterey. So that is six years of new OS versions and another 2 years of security updates.
Yeah, that's why they're releasing a new Intel Mac Pro with a high wattage processor and probably GPU.
fwiw, I don't care about perf/watt either, I did the calcs on just how much power computers are using and the cost and it's so minimal as to be irrelevant. (big server rooms it does make a difference, but that's not my domain.)
And I would like a seriously beefed up Mac Mini. (11th gen desktop i9 at the least.)
A new Intel Mac mini, not going to happen; you want a beefed up Mac mini, you get the M1 Max Mac mini (Pro)...!
I know it probably wont happen, but it fits my needs far more than an M1 Max Mini and I can tell you I would buy it.
I really need intel compatibility to run Windows in VM's. I wont be buying another M1 based Mac until I can run x86 Windows in a VM, which is also probably not going to happen, which means I'm done buying Apple Macs.
You seem not to understand what a workstation is.
hint: it is not a notebook running at 85/90° for hours.
Really not what he said...
The whole conversation started as dspdoc stated for professionals perf/watt is what matters, while others said no professionals care.
This machine is aimed at one user one computer type of setups, typical for shops that are NOT hundred to thousands of employees.. for whom it does make sense to have a more distributed computing, VMs etc.
Reality is for many users the biggest expense is the person sitting in front of the computer for $50-$100 an hour, if you can make that person stare at the beach ball an hour less per month it's a no-brainer to take a hit and let your daily electricity bill go up by $1.
I could see them selling the base model with RAM and SSD on the chip and then expansion slots for additional RAM and graphics. That would make it similar to the Fusion drive, where the OS uses the Apple SOC until it needs the expanded hardware.
I am very interested in how the Apple Silicon Mac Pro is going to work out. One of the big draws for the current Mac Pro is upgradeability (and the lack of is part of why the trash can MP was so despised). Not many options for upgrading a soldered on SOC.
Not likely, but really hope they do a "Mac Mini Pro" that is Apple Silicon and the Mac Pro stays Intel for a few more years to come, at least until Windows can run via Bootcamp on Apple Silicon.
Aaaand, queue all the fanboys talking about how "Mac users and professionals don't need bootcamp".
Not likely, but really hope they do a "Mac Mini Pro" that is Apple Silicon and the Mac Pro stays Intel for a few more years to come, at least until Windows can run via Bootcamp on Apple Silicon.
Aaaand, queue all the fanboys talking about how "Mac users and professionals don't need bootcamp".
Not only is the MBP NOT a workstation, but there are LOT of professional workflows that still don't work as well under Apple Silicon as they do on Intel Macs.
Since everyone loves to talk about video editors, lets talk about After Effects. Oh wait, we can't because it still runs worse on Apple Silicon than it does on Intel....
I regret to inform you two that a computer used by professionals to get work done is a workstation. If it’s not hardcore enough for your needs, that sounds like a you problem.
The term “workstation” is completely meaningless. In the 90s, it vaguely meant “runs on MIPS or SPARC rather than a pleb’s architecture”. Today, it might mean “Xeon instead of Core i”. Which is to say: not much at all.
Or RS-6000 or Alpha or PA-RISC.
POWER processors too, though rare.
Now workstation just means much higher specc'd than consumer machines. (More RAM, ports, video) I have a PC that Lenovo calls a workstation, and it can have 11 monitors plugged into it, and 256G of RAM max. It's kind of small for a workstation to me, but it's certainly more capable than most "desktop" machines.
Now workstation just means much higher specc'd than consumer machines. (More RAM, ports, video) I have a PC that Lenovo calls a workstation, and it can have 11 monitors plugged into it, and 256G of RAM max. It's kind of small for a workstation to me, but it's certainly more capable than most "desktop" machines.
Yeah. RS/6000 was basically the proto-POWER.
Yup. Often things like ECC RAM that haven't made it into mainstream machines.
But, either way, my point was "your computer is not a real workstation" is weaksauce — OK, buddy, yet here I am getting my work done.
Makes sense! IBM's P and i Series machines are power processors even now, and the hardware definitely follows on from the RS/6000.
The term workstation really is not that important these days, but I can understand why it's important to someone who makes their money with a very high specc'd machine that knows they they couldn't do the job on a portable, there's just not the RAM and likely disk available to do it as quick as they can.But, either way, my point was "your computer is not a real workstation" is weaksauce — OK, buddy, yet here I am getting my work done.
The hardware isn't the problem. A lot of pro workflows still rely on x86 software that probably won't be ported for some years to come. In the mean time, running things on rosetta is going to be slower/less reliable.
Meanwhile, I'm browsing MR ? ?...
OK, buddy, yet here I am getting my work done.
If Apple wants to work on something they can work on bringing mac pro prices down so us mere mortals can afford one.
Yes, the 2019 Mac Pro is woefully underspec'ed (8-core Xeon, 32GB RAM, Radeon 580X GPU w/8GB GDDR5, & a 256GB SSD), but I would expect some of the major cost is in the chassis, mobo, & PSU...
As a mere mortal myself, I am looking to get the Mac mini in my sig when it becomes available; half the price of a baseline 2019 Mac Pro tower, and easily twice as powerful...!?!
For those who buy a 2019 Mac Pro to earn a living, this is true; for those who just want a shiny 2019 Mac Pro for bragging rights, either their priorities are a bit off or they just have an excess of spending money (a whole lot of spending money)...
Last edited: