New PowerMac (Mac Pro) and MacBook Pro Enclosures

[daneoni]

I know cars are in a completely different boat than computers, but I think Apple should stick to its beautiful designs and only make minor changes to the models' formfactors like Porsche would do. If you've got a great thing, why completely obliterate it?

Ever heard the sentence "The iPod is the best selling MP3 player in the world....and now its time to replace it"

I guess Apple is one of those people that likes pushing the envelope as much as possible when it sometimes doesn't make sense to do so

Remember...Think Different.

 

[fanbrain]

As far as the new enclosure goes, I don't really care how big it is. Currently, my G5 just sits on the floor happily performing its mundane tasks. I couldn't care less about how much floor space it takes up. I think the current design is fine albiet a bit long in the tooth. I trust Apple's design team will come up with something good looking and hopefully more expandable than the current for factor.

 

[localghost]

Can't wait to see a new enclosure, the G5 case was just way too big!

to each his own i guess - i never understood why a powermac has to be small. i would not care if it was 3 times the current size as long as it has more drive bays. it is supposed to be a workhorse after all.

would be nice to see a small AND a big line of mac pros though.

 

[MacRumoron]

i want a mac pro

i need a job

 

[ampd]

Unless Intel/Apple designed a completely different MB

It does not matter how the motherboard is configured. The ability for Conroe to run with multiple chips does not exist. It is the chips configuration not the motherboards. Woodcrest, however, will allow for this.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Hopefully they can decrease the size down to something that doesn't take up the same cubic space as a mini fridge. Seriously the G5 case is the Hummer of the computer world. While there WAS a reason for its size in the past these new chips should hopefully be cool enough to handle something smaller while still having some room to expand.

 

[bdkennedy1]

Noooo!

Quad might mean dual dual core processors.

You're kidding me! Apple is going to install dual dual processors instead of wasting energy with 4 single processors? What is this 2025?

 

[Peace]

It does not matter how the motherboard is configured. The ability for Conroe to run with multiple chips does not exist. It is the chips configuration not the motherboards. Woodcrest, however, will allow for this.

Well if that's the case perhaps a new chip as some have mentioned?
Or as Longofest said single dual-core Conroe and dual dual-core Woodcrest..


[edit] I still think Intel and Apple are designing a completely new and different MB [/edit]

 

[SiliconAddict]

As far as the new enclosure goes, I don't really care how big it is. Currently, my G5 just sits on the floor happily performing its mundane tasks. I couldn't care less about how much floor space it takes up. I think the current design is fine albiet a bit long in the tooth. I trust Apple's design team will come up with something good looking and hopefully more expandable than the current for factor.

Did it ever occur to you that some of us might not have a crap load of space for such a huge system? I actually have several computers under my desk all of which serve a purpose. All if which can't be replaced with a single system. Move beyond just your narrow view of the world and see that there is a reason why companies are shipping thinline desktops.

 

[Mord]

if they do conroe and woodcrest towers they would have to use different ram/mobo/psu which upps the manufacturing costs, the price difference between woodcrest and conroe is minimal.

 

[hayduke]

Black anodized alloy enclosures. Come on Apple you know you want to

Hmm come to think of it imagine the complaints about scratches...

If I'm not mistaken anondizing results in an extremely hard surface which is quite difficult to scratch. In fact, I think it is harder to scratch than un-anondized aluminum. So...bring it on!!! Afteral the iPod mini's were anodized and I don't recall scratching complaints. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[page3]

I know cars are in a completely different boat than computers, but I think Apple should stick to its beautiful designs and only make minor changes to the models' formfactors like Porsche would do. If you've got a great thing, why completely obliterate it?

Porsche is not a good example. At least I can tell the front of my Mac from the back

 

[Mord]

Did it ever occur to you that some of us might not have a crap load of space for such a huge system? I actually have several computers under my desk all of which serve a purpose. All if which can't be replaced with a single system. Move beyond just your narrow view of the world and see that there is a reason why companies are shipping thinline desktops.



No just 2005.

it's your fault for not buying the g4 cube.

 

[Kelmon]

In terms of the MacBook Pro, I'd like to see how they can improve upon perfection. I'm a little nervous as to how it will look... but I guess each successive PowerBook revision looked snazzier than the one before it.

I'd like to see those horrible silver keys go away for starters. Most of the existing MacBook Pro enclosure is very nice but I've detested the silver keys ever since I saw them in real life (they actually looked OK in the pictures). I'm just gutted that I'm going to have to wait longer for the laptop that I've been lusting after for the last couple years.

 

[kevin.rivers]

Well if that's the case perhaps a new chip as some have mentioned?
Or as Longofest said single dual-core Conroe and dual dual-core Woodcrest..

There won't be a new chip. That wouldn't be cost effective for Intel, to design a chip specifically for Apple.

As others have stated, we may see a single Conroe on the low end, and Dual Woodcrests in the top end.

This will also keep the Mac Pro line simple, as hopefully there would only be these 2 configurations. But there may be a middle config as there is now.

 

[lonepilgrim]

-MacBook Pro Core Duo 2Ghz/2GB RAM/100GB

Finally, you have (sensibly) agreed to call your notebook by its actual name!

 

[SiliconAddict]

Finally, you have (sensibly) agreed to call your notebook by its actual name!

No. I just forgot to change it when I removed the * note below it.

I think I changed that back in early March.

 

[Eraserhead]

I know cars are in a completely different boat than computers, but I think Apple should stick to its beautiful designs and only make minor changes to the models' formfactors like Porsche would do. If you've got a great thing, why completely obliterate it?

The should do a redesign (at least to the 15" model) to give easy access to RAM/HD like the MB, to add Firewire 800 to the 15", to add an extra USB port to the 15", also to change the case design to allow better cooling, don't the 2.16Ghz MBP's step down to 2Ghz very, very, fast?

All of that would need a re-design, here's hoping for one for Merom.

The Mac Pro should have more internal drives and stuff I'd be surprised if that wasn't changed.

 

[nagromme]

I vote for no handles (useful but bulky), still minimalist, still aluminum, with a high-gloss faceplate or side-plates in black

The MacBook Pros could become black inside, but stay aluminum outside (which is so durable my 3-year-old PowerBook still looks like new).

I can see four possible colors that could be part of new designs without violating Apple minimalism:

* Metallic
* White
* Black
* Clear

(And for consumers, real "colors," but not for pro machines. No offense to owners of G3 Smurf Towers.)

Realistically I expect a more minor design shift for the pro models--still all-aluminum. The MacBooks especially might change only in small ways (until you look inside).

 

[Peace]

There won't be a new chip. That wouldn't be cost effective for Intel, to design a chip specifically for Apple.

As others have stated, we may see a single Conroe on the low end, and Dual Woodcrests in the top end.

This will also keep the Mac Pro line simple, as hopefully there would only be these 2 configurations. But there may be a middle config as there is now.

I disagree with the assumption that Intel is wanting to make the new MacPro insides conform to established ideals for the sake of money..

It is in the best interest of Intel to introduce the future of computing with Apple.The initial cost/profit ratio may well be at a loss for a while but Intel and Apple both want to introduce the new MacPro as the best computer in the world.Even if it means losing money until the rest of the computing world catches up and realizes they need to start making better computers.

This is MacRumors..We all have opinions.

 

[localghost]

Did it ever occur to you that some of us might not have a crap load of space for such a huge system? I actually have several computers under my desk all of which serve a purpose. All if which can't be replaced with a single system. Move beyond just your narrow view of the world and see that there is a reason why companies are shipping thinline desktops.

i live/eat/sleep in a really small studio with 4 computers (mac pro would be number 5) but i still would not care. i think it's pathetic that the biggest mac has space for 2 HDDs only. don't tell me about external SATA enclosures - they'll cost you an arm and a leg if you need a quiet one. if you need a fast GPU you'll want some space for cooling, if you don't get an xserve or an imac.

 

[Core Trio]

Unless Intel/Apple designed a completely different MB

You dont seem to understand what everyone is saying. Conroe cannot be set up in dual processor configurations. thats the bottom line.

 

[AidenShaw]

Conroe MUST run SMP !! (same for Yonah and Merom)

conroe cannot be run SMP, seriously, can this finally be accepted as common knowledge conroe ? SMP SMP is required to run more than one physical chip and conroe is one chip with two cores...

Please, can't it be accepted as common knowledge that you must have an SMP operating system to run a dual-core chip - even the current Yonah in the iMacIntel and MacIntelBooks?

An SMP operating system is required to control and schedule the two CPUs in a dual-core package. Without an SMP operating system, the chip wouldn't run both cores.

conroe and woodcrest use the exact same cores just conroe has SMP disabled.

Conroe DOES have SMP enabled !!

What Conroe does not have is the cache-coherency and inter-socket communications capability needed to coordinate memory and bus access between chips in two independent sockets. And it isn't so much "disabled" as it is "not enabled" - the signals aren't brought out to the pins.

(ps: and it might be a bit of a leap to say "exact same" - I used "basically the same" because in the past Intel has had real differences in silicon between Xeon and Pentium chips.)

 

[SiliconAddict]

I vote for no handles (useful but bulky), still minimalist, still aluminum, with a high-gloss faceplate or side-plates in black

Maybe magnetic handles using Neodymium magnets?

NEW FROM APPLE. The oS*** carrying systm. Erase your system and move it all in one easy action!

 

[azzurri000]

The should do a redesign (at least to the 15" model) to give easy access to RAM/HD like the MB, to add Firewire 800 to the 15", to add an extra USB port to the 15", also to change the case design to allow better cooling, don't the 2.16Ghz MBP's step down to 2Ghz very, very, fast?

All of that would need a re-design, here's hoping for one for Merom.

The Mac Pro should have more internal drives and stuff I'd be surprised if that wasn't changed.

Yeah, I agree. It's a real shame they lost the dual layer on the 15" when the MacBook Pro was introduced. It's my belief that a new model should warrant improvement, and should not be a step behind what was available before.

That said, they did manage to make it a lot thinner, and I can't see the next MBP model being larger... even if those extra features would be great.