Quick Takes: The Comfort of Apple's Ecosystem, Using a 2009 Mac Pro in 2018, and More

[MacRumors]

In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.

Thursday, March 22

Highlights

Image Credit: MacStories​

1. Erasing Complexity: The Comfort of Apple's Ecosystem: MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci explains how, after years of testing competing products and ecosystems, he has decided to fully embrace Apple's ecosystem given the simplicity and integration of apps, services, and hardware.

It took me years to understand that the value I get from Apple's ecosystem far outweighs its shortcomings. While not infallible, Apple still creates products that abstract complexity, are nice, and work well together. In hindsight, compulsively chasing the "best tech" was unhealthy and only distracting me from the real goal: finding technology that works well for me and helps me live a better, happier life.

2. Retro Review: 2009 Mac Pro in 2018: iMore's Anthony Casella examines whether the 2009 Mac Pro, upgraded with dual Radeon RX 580 GPUs, is still a capable machine in 2018 compared to a 2014 iMac and entry-level iMac Pro, based on transcoding HD video, rendering video in Final Cut Pro, and gaming.

Image Credit: iMore​

Casella notes that his article isn't intended to be a scientific comparison, but rather more of a fun project to see if a nine-year-old workstation can still keep up in 2018, if someone were to have upgraded its components over the years instead of buying a whole new system. His answer is very much "yes."

And yes I say that it can hang with the latest and greatest systems. In some areas, like with openCL computation, we made it insanely fast. Much faster than an iMac and an iMac Pro. It some areas it plays in the ball park like when transcoding videos. Others seem to show it's age like when exporting Final Cut Pro videos but it does not show it's age when using a FCP workflow like editing, transforming and scrubbing.

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to adopt in-display fingerprint scanning: sources: "Samsung Display has prepared three or four solutions for Samsung Electronics to embed the fingerprint sensor inside of the main display, and both are seriously considering one of the solutions," a source told The Korea Herald.

Samsung wouldn't be the first smartphone maker to achieve the feat, as Chinese company Vivo released the X20 Plus UD with an in-display fingerprint scanner in January. The smartphone is the result of a collaboration between Vivo and Synaptics, which could also be working with Samsung for the Note 9.

Apple was widely rumored to embed Touch ID into the iPhone X's display, but as it turned out, the company chose to ditch the fingerprint scanner entirely in favor of Face ID. And with a trio of new iPhone models with Face ID expected to launch later this year, it doesn't look like Touch ID has a long future.

Other Links
The Loop Bash at WWDC 2018: The party will be held at The Ritz, a nightclub around the corner from the San Jose Convention Center, on June 4, 2018, from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The Loop will make an announcement on how to RSVP for the party as WWDC draws closer.
Meet Haben Girma, a blind-deaf rights lawyer changing tech and design: Mashable's Kerry Flynn interviews disability rights lawyer Haben Girma, who is deaf and visually impaired, about the need for more commitment to accessibility in tech by businesses and entrepreneurs. There are a few quotes from Apple's accessibility director Sarah Herrlinger.
Clipboard API Improvements: Apple has added a new entry to its WebKit blog that provides a technical overview of recent improvements made to the Clipboard copy-and-paste API that enables web apps to more seamlessly integrate with native apps on macOS and iOS.
For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

Article Link: Quick Takes: The Comfort of Apple's Ecosystem, Using a 2009 Mac Pro in 2018, and More

 

[ChazSch]

I am still rocking my late 2008 MBP...and the only upgrade is a SSD drive....so there!

 

[austin95x]

Last September-October Apple came to my college campus for an informational event regarding the A11 chip. During the talk, one of the engineers mentioned that Apple tried and couldn’t get an in-display Touch ID to the way that they liked, so they quickly moved on to Face ID. I obviously don’t have proof as I didn’t record the event (and we weren’t allowed) so it’s my word against the internet. I do have the engineer’s name from an email invitation but don’t want to reveal a name to get anyone in trouble. I do have to say though that I don’t think it’s rumored that they went with Face ID first; they tried to integrate Touch ID underneath the display but the tech just wasn’t there.

 

[now i see it]

This is the very reason Apple locked down the cylinder MP - the machines never die and can upgraded with non Apple parts. Not a good business model in anyone's book. It will be interesting to see how they tip toe around that problem with the next one.- Balancing customer desire & satisfaction (upgradeable) vs profitable product.

 

[laurim]

In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.

Thursday, March 22

Highlights

Image Credit: MacStories​

1. Erasing Complexity: The Comfort of Apple's Ecosystem: MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci explains how, after years of testing competing products and ecosystems, he has decided to fully embrace Apple's ecosystem given the simplicity and integration of apps, services, and hardware.2. Retro Review: 2009 Mac Pro in 2018: iMore's Anthony Casella examines whether the 2009 Mac Pro, upgraded with dual Radeon RX 580 GPUs, is still a capable machine in 2018 compared to a 2014 iMac and entry-level iMac Pro, based on transcoding HD video, rendering video in Final Cut Pro, and gaming.

Image Credit: iMore​

Casella notes that his article isn't intended to be a scientific comparison, but rather more of a fun project to see if a nine-year-old workstation can still keep up in 2018, if someone were to have upgraded its components over the years instead of buying a whole new system. His answer was a very clear "yes."3. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to adopt in-display fingerprint scanning: sources: "Samsung Display has prepared three or four solutions for Samsung Electronics to embed the fingerprint sensor inside of the main display, and both are seriously considering one of the solutions," a source told The Korea Herald.

Samsung wouldn't be the first smartphone maker to achieve the feat, as Chinese company Vivo released the X20 Plus UD with an in-display fingerprint scanner in January. The smartphone is the result of a collaboration between Vivo and Synaptics, which could also be working with Samsung for the Note 9.

Apple was widely rumored to embed Touch ID into the iPhone X's display, but as it turned out, the company chose to ditch the fingerprint scanner entirely in favor of Touch ID. And with a trio of new iPhone models with Face ID expected to launch later this year, it doesn't look like Touch ID has a long future.

Other Links
The Loop Bash at WWDC 2018: The party will be held at The Ritz, a nightclub around the corner from the San Jose Convention Center, on June 4, 2018, from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The Loop will make an announcement on how to RSVP for the party as WWDC draws closer.
Meet Haben Girma, a blind-deaf rights lawyer changing tech and design: Mashable's Kerry Flynn interviews disability rights lawyer Haben Girma, who is deaf and visually impaired, about the need for more commitment to accessibility in tech by businesses and entrepreneurs. There are a few quotes from Apple's accessibility director Sarah Herrlinger.
Clipboard API Improvements: Apple has added a new entry to its WebKit blog that provides a technical overview of recent improvements made to the Clipboard copy-and-paste API that enables web apps to more seamlessly integrate with native apps on macOS and iOS.
For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

Article Link: Quick Takes: The Comfort of Apple's Ecosystem, Using a 2009 Mac Pro in 2018, and More

Interesting! I still have my 2009 Mac Pro but didn’t think there was any more to upgrade and bought the “trash can”. Wonder how the topped up 2009 does working in Motion or After Effects with complex particle systems or simulations? Can you work with a real time preview? That’s the nirvana for me. Editing clips is never as cpu/gpu intensive as creating motion graphics where my work lives

 

[L-Viz]

Kinda sad, that mac enthusiastic journalists have to praise 9 year old mac pros due tue the lack of current decent upgradable macs.

On my last visit to the Apple Store, there was no Mac mini on display. Only iPhone covers, wireless headphones and watch bands.

 

[laurim]

This is the very reason Apple locked down the cylinder MP - the machines never die and can upgraded with non Apple parts. Not a good business model in anyone's book. It will be interesting to see how they tip toe around that problem with the next one.- Balancing customer desire & satisfaction (upgradeable) vs profitable product.

If they sold the upgrade parts as well (at a reasonable price) they wouldn’t have to worry so much and we wouldn’t have to worry about incompatibilities.

 

[MrBat]

Ah, the cheese grater. So pretty, modular and nice to work with.

Ah, my old 13" MBP, just slap a 2.5" SSD and 16GB RAM and boom, life is good. Too bad only holds an old dual core. MagSafe tho, total life saver. When MacBooks Pro were actually quite "Pro". Once upon a time.

Times of yore. I feel old.

 

[thomasthegps]

I use a 2009 Mac Pro upgraded with dual 6 core Intel Xeons X5680 and a RX 580, which means it has a total of 12 cores and 24 threads. I have to say that I don't really encounter any lag at all in normal use. In gaming Mac OS is horrible but in windows I can game just fine.

 

[laurim]

I am still rocking my late 2008 MBP...and the only upgrade is a SSD drive....so there!

My personal MBP (to keep my work ones clean) is also a 17” 2008 MBP. Still has a platter drive tho that had started making noise but stopped before I swapped it out. I think my 2011 17” work MBPs are getting ready to push down the life chain so the 2008 will go to recycling soon since the OS can’t be upgraded.

 

[justiny]

My late 2011 MBP has upgraded RAM and a 1TB SSD, both installed over four years ago. The fans kick on every now and then, and I’m missing out on a Retina display (only when I’m not at home, where it is connected to an external WQHD display). Other than that, keeps on going.

Honestly speaking, and I understand why they did it, but Apple locking down components (RAM, Storage, etc.) makes me NOT want to upgrade to the latest MBP models. I’d like to find a slightly older (circa 2014) and upgrade everything for even cheaper. Not to mention the glowing Apple.

 

[JGIGS]

1. Erasing Complexity: The Comfort of Apple's Ecosystem: MacStories editor-in-chief Federico Viticci explains how, after years of testing competing products and ecosystems, he has decided to fully embrace Apple's ecosystem given the simplicity and integration of apps, services, and hardware.​

​

Ummm ok until you have to interact with someone who doesn't own or have access to Apple hardware. Then yeah it's great! MacStories editor-in-chief wouldn't have any bias at all would he?

 

[cpfoto2005]

I'm still using my 2006 Mac Pro with an upgraded gpu and SSD. I don't edit video but I do a lot of freelance work in Photoshop/InDesign/Illustrator and it's a keeper!

 

[star-affinity]

Also still very happy with my six-core Mac Pro (Mid 2010). Upgraded with:

-SSD (one for macOS and one for Windows 10)
-NVIDIA GTX 970 graphics
-PCI Express card with two USB 3.1 (Gen 2) ports (USB-C ports like the modern Macs).
-32 GB RAM

Some not too big caveats like no boot screen because of the ”non-Mac” graphics card and the need to wait for NVIDIA to update their Web Drivers after each macOS update (they're usually pretty quick – a day or two). Also can't seem to get Windows 10 to stay as the selected startup disk – I always get back into macOS after each restart which can be a little bit of a hassle with Windows updates that require restarts. Not that I'm using Windows much except for the occasional gaming session…

In total – overall works very well for my needs.
I really hope the coming modular Mac Pro will have similar longevity – talk about giving the user a strong affection to the brand (Apple) and an environmentally sustainable computer (well, maybe power consumption being the exception?).

 

[MrBat]

If they sold the upgrade parts as well (at a reasonable price) they wouldn’t have to worry so much and we wouldn’t have to worry about incompatibilities.

Actually, if Apple would make computer chassis like a "platform", just like car manufacturers do, and sell upgrades, would be terrific.

Take as an example my old iMac 27" 2011. GPU got toast, 700 EUR replacement for an old MXM AMD 6970 2GB. Asking that kind of money in 2017 is lol not happening, nice scam bro.

Now, if Apple would have told me... we can offer you an internal upgrade of PSU + MXM GTX 1080 for let's say 1200 EUR.... My reaction: Well well well, you want that in cash or credit card? When will be that ready?

However, nope. I sold my beautiful iMac for parts on ebay. I'm still super salty about it, and I really mean it.

I got so pissed that got myself a PC under Win10, made of parts. GTX 1080 liquid cooled, Ncase M1, NVME and all the like. Ran all at about 3K or so with a Dell U2717D.

 

[Xenious]

Early 2008 mac pro still going strong. Upgraded SSDs, memory and flashed NVIDIA card. I'd love to buy a new Mac Pro if they would make one.

 

[macduke]

If I had to do it all over again, I'd have bought a Mac Pro back then and continually upgraded it. I just didn't have the money back then since I was still in college. I was primed to do something like that back when the trash can came out but the lack of upgradeability kept me away. Now I'm waiting for the modular Mac Pro unveil and will decide whether to go low end Mac Pro and upgrade it over time, low-end iMac Pro with the higher end video card and RAM that I can upgrade at an Apple Store down the road, or a fully maxed out 2018 5K iMac. I'm crossing my fingers for a great Mac Pro platform going forward with a beautiful 5/6K Thunderbolt Display.

 

[fairuz]

Surprised and glad to see a review of my Mac Pro on here. The 2009 Mac Pro is one beast of a machine and can be found for very cheap if you live in the right area, and old server parts make for dirt cheap upgrades to very high specs. Totally blows my new rMBP out of the water for my dev work... Xcode builds are way more compute intensive than they should be, lol. And plenty of RAM for VMs. And great for those rare times I play games.

RX580 is a popular upgrade for it. Wish I bought the RX580 when it was cheap last year; now it's 3X price.

Edit: Will have to warn you all that they aren't 100% problem-free. Currently mine refuses to shut down sometimes, and I have to manually power off. The price of using unsupported hardware.

 

[iPhysicist]

Apple was widely rumored to embed Touch ID into the iPhone X's display, but as it turned out, the company chose to ditch the fingerprint scanner entirely in favor of Touch ID.
TouchID

You have a typo there...they ditched TouchID in favor for FaceID.

 

[Will.O.Bie]

I used to rock Android everything years ago but ever since I tried Apple and it's ecosystem, there was no looking back. I agree that their products and services are seamless in working in sync with each other. No, they are not perfect and has its bugs, but compared to Android, I'd rather take my chances with Apple and its stance on privacy and security.

 

[deanthedev]

​

Ummm ok until you have to interact with someone who doesn't own or have access to Apple hardware. Then yeah it's great! MacStories editor-in-chief wouldn't have any bias at all would he?

Hmmmm.

I interact just fine with the rest of the world, whether they use Mac, Windows, iOS or Android. Never had any issues.

However, the seamless integration between my Apple devices makes all my personal and family activities so much smoother.

 

[Frisco]

I had a Mac Pro, but everyone kept on throwing their trash in it. It finally died when someone threw their 1/4 coffee container in there.

One of the worst computer designs of all time. If it were a car--it would be the Pontiac Aztec!

 

[robertosh]

I'm still using my 10 year old iMac. Last week I've replaced the original 1Tb hard disk (Still working!!) for an ssd and I am pretty amazed about how it performs! It was my best buy ever!!

 

[Lancer]

LOL I just bought a Mid 2009 MBP 13 on eBay. Not looking for speed, just a Mac for the road while on a short road trip in a few months. Sad truth is my iPhone 8 is way quicker!

 

[Apple_Robert]

Cue all the 'Why can't Apple be like Samsung and allow this, that, and the other?' rhetoric.

I am happy with Apple doing away with TouchID.