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Ditch the feet, no need for a desktop-sized chassis without any bottom intake...

Ditch the handles, most place the chassis once and never really move it again unless moving the entire computing setup...

Offer it in Space Gray as well as Silver...

And it would not be the Mac Pro Mini, I prefer the following headless desktop naming:
  • Mac mini
  • Mac Studio
  • Mac Cube
  • Mac Pro

If one removes the feet and handles, we are left with a different look of the Mac Studio case. Should the case vent holes warrant a Mac Cube creation? If Mac Pro holes make it more attractive/appealing, ditch Studio case design for Mini + Cube + Pro lineup. If Studio is the more attractive/appealing one, ditch the approx-size-duplicate, hypothetical Cube.

Wait, this is Apple. How would Apple consider this?
  • Anything that can be called or connected to Pro means much higher prices and much higher margin. Cube for the win. 💰💰💰
  • Keep the feet so that some will buy the Uber-profitable wheels. Cube for the Win. 💰💰💰
Farewell Studio, we barely knew ye'. ;)

Apple on noticing robust sales of Cube: "Redesign Mini to get the Pro hole types in that case too... and jack the price. Our fans will pay ANYTHING" 💰💰💰 ;)
 
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Wrong, but never arranged as a 4 tile squared window, it actually looks as a 4 Chip strip (I prefer to name it a dominoes). It's UltraFusion it's daisy-chainable north/south, m2 max requires memory interconnected at its sides, a 4 tile arrangement to block two channels front each SOC.

This was the tweet and the schematic that the rumor was based of off...

FNqTqvCWYAcyIYI
 
You raise an interesting premise suggesting that Mac laptops should be configured as direct competitors to Wintel boxes like the LG. My premise (but I could be wrong) is that positioning Macs properly in the lineup of Macs is much more important. Apple became the world's largest most profitable tech company by specifically not attempting to go directly against the likes of LG.
Well it’s less about LG and more about what the market demands. If they had put the new Apple SoC in the same footprint of the MacBook Pro from five years ago (the version after they fixed the keyboard) that is the perfect device for a lot of people. That weigh and thinness makes a lot of sense for many users skipping todays 16 MacBook Pro because it’s too heavy and the 14 because it’s too small or just paying for gpus they just don’t need. There needs to be a pro device for those that don’t have graphics rendering workflows and need a lighter device. We had one before, sure it ran hot, but it was taken away. If Apple gimps this new device for the sake of market segmentation as low end it will be a missed opportunity to create a new, high demand flagship model.
 
This was the tweet and the schematic that the rumor was based of off...

FNqTqvCWYAcyIYI
I'm aware, ppl i know laught at this, never ever Mx-Extremme considered such configuration, instead a Park lot-like and the line or strip or dominoes (as I prefer), like this:

Failed m1 extreme:

Code:
[ram]{m1-m}[ram]    [ram]{m1-m}[ram]
      ||(Ultra Fusion Extreme)||
[ram]{m1-m}[ram]    [ram]{m1-m}[ram]

Rumoured m2 Extreme:

Code:
 (UFe2-pcie5 phi)
       ||
      (UFe2)
       ||
[ram]{m2-m}[ram]
       ||
      (UFe2)
       ||
[ram]{m2-m}[ram]
       ||
      (UFe2)
       ||
[ram]{m2-m}[ram]
       ||
      (UFe2)
       ||
[ram]{m2-m}[ram]

||* = Bias

UFe = Ultra Fusion Extreme 2
UFe2-pcie5 = UFe bus to PCIe5 bus interface.

M2 max UFe2 bias are located moreless at its center maybe a single or dual bus but the bridge interposer below actually extends
 
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I'm always quite high when posting here he he 👽

Me, not always, bu sometimes I rip the vape pen a bit too much before posting...

I considered it, also given the studio has no room for two m2 max, but other evidence suggests that m2 Ultra studio won't happen, since it's launch Mac studio with M1 ultra has an one or two months backlog, it means either quite strong demand or low yield, the latter it's particularly bad news for Mac pro -anything.

Maybe there was too much demand for the M1 Max MacBook Pro laptops, cutting into the supply of M1 Max SoCs to be used to create M1 Ultras for the Mac Studio...?

Latest leak suggest it to look like Two m2 max on top of the edges of a table and said table at the edges of another larger that also adds PCIe5 I/O Google nvlink 4way maybe some photo will depict it better.

So, about those photos...

If one removes the feet and handles, we are left with a different look of the Mac Studio case. Should the case vent holes warrant a Mac Cube creation? If Mac Pro holes make it more attractive/appealing, ditch Studio case design for Mini + Cube + Pro lineup. If Studio is the more attractive/appealing one, ditch the approx-size-duplicate, hypothetical Cube.

I would keep the Mn & Mn Pro in the Mac mini & the Mn Max & Mn Ultra in the Mac Studio...

That leaves the Mn Ultra & Mn Extreme for the Mac Pro, but then what to do for folks wanting the power of the Mn Extreme but not needing PCIe slots...?

The Mn Extreme Mac Cube...!

Keep the feet so that some will buy the Uber-profitable wheels. Cube for the Win.

The smaller Cheesegrater 2.0 needs neither feet nor wheels, it is sized to live on the desktop...

Farewell Studio, we barely knew ye'.

Mac Studio still fills a spot in the headless desktop market...

Apple on noticing robust sales of Cube: "Redesign Mini to get the Pro hole types in that case too... and jack the price. Our fans will pay ANYTHING"

Personally, I dunno about ANYTHING, but if I had the funds I would consider paying a premium for an all-new Mn Extreme Mac Cube...!
 
The smaller Cheesegrater 2.0 needs neither feet nor wheels, it is sized to live on the desktop...

Mac Studio still fills a spot in the headless desktop market...

I'm not working in what makes sense. I'm trying to view the concepts through Apple Inc eyes. Yes, this hypothetical cube needs neither feet or wheels, but Apple has a very profitable wheels kit for sale. Thus, it comes with feet that can be replaced by wheels... not because that makes any sense through a consumer lens but because it makes $en$e through a bean counters lens.

I agree on Mac Studio continuing. I just don't quite see both Studio and this hypothetical Cube. Again through Apple lens (instead of a consumer lens), which will offer the most profit? Studio is already established at Studio pricing. Pro is to be re-established at unknown- but very likely- higher than Studio pricing. If this Cube being basically Pro Jr can get profit lift by looking like "Daddy", maybe Apple kills Studio and slugs in this Cube??? again not because that makes sense through our lenses but profit seems to rule all decisions at Apple Inc these days.

Personally, I dunno about ANYTHING, but if I had the funds I would consider paying a premium for an all-new Mn Extreme Mac Cube...!

I suspect Extreme is dead as rumored. So I presume Mac Cube Ultra would be as good as we can get. Rumor is Apple drops the Ultra option from Studio to reserve it for Mac Pro. That would leave:
  • Mac Mini Mn
  • Mac Mini Mn Pro
  • Mac Studio Mn Max
  • Mac Cube Pro Mn Ultra
  • Mac Pro Mn Ultra with Slots
However, if Apple Inc sees they can get even more profit out of Mac Cube Pro because of a visual connection to Mac Pro (different case vents), I would not be surprised to see Studio replaced with this hypothetical Cube.

I have Studio myself and think it is a fantastic Mac. I'd like to see it continue for many generations. But Apple goes only where max profits are these days, so give them a whiff of more with Cube and Studio would probably be dropped like iMac 27".
 
I'm not working in what makes sense. I'm trying to view the concepts through Apple Inc eyes. Yes, this hypothetical cube needs neither feet or wheels, but Apple has a very profitable wheels kit for sale. Thus, it comes with feet that can be replaced by wheels... not because that makes any sense through a consumer lens but because it makes $en$e through a bean counters lens.

Both the feet & the wheels could be straight BTO options, but not really needed on a truly desktop box...

And the feet could still be standard on the full-size ASi Mac Pro, with the wheels still a BTO option...

I agree on Mac Studio continuing. I just don't quite see both Studio and this hypothetical Cube. Again through Apple lens (instead of a consumer lens), which will offer the most profit? Studio is already established at Studio pricing. Pro is to be re-established at unknown- but very likely- higher than Studio pricing. If this Cube being basically Pro Jr can get profit lift by looking like "Daddy", maybe Apple kills Studio and slugs in this Cube??? again not because that makes sense through our lenses but profit seems to rule all decisions at Apple Inc these days.

Nah the Mac Studio stays in the line-up for Mn Max & Mn Ultra users who do not need PCIe slots...

The Mn Extreme Mac Cube is a halo product, top end power for users without the need for PCIe slots...

I suspect Extreme is dead as rumored. So I presume Mac Cube Ultra would be as good as we can get. Rumor is Apple drops the Ultra option from Studio to reserve it for Mac Pro.

Gurman is the source of the "Extreme is dead" rumor, so a pretty big grain of salt there...

M2 Extreme may be dead, but the M3 Extreme lives on...! ;^p

Don't forget about the 1x4 (domino) config @Mago has been going on about, and they say they have confidential sources...

Where is the rumor that Apple pulls the Mn Ultra option from the Mac Studio, I have seen nothing... Is this just forum conjuncture snowballed into rumor status...?

However, if Apple Inc sees they can get even more profit out of Mac Cube Pro because of a visual connection to Mac Pro (different case vents), I would not be surprised to see Studio replaced with this hypothetical Cube.

I have Studio myself and think it is a fantastic Mac. I'd like to see it continue for many generations. But Apple goes only where max profits are these days, so give them a whiff of more with Cube and Studio would probably be dropped like iMac 27".

Killing off the Studio and replacing it with the Cube would only mean a more expensive "mid-range" headless desktop due tothe higher BOM of the Cube chassis...
 
IMHO, a Mac Pro without a clear supported path for upgrading isn't worth it, and the Mac Studio is the proper upgrade option. While it is about extreme performance (with extreme power consumption and some cooling to suit), the studio does have this, and a mere one-up is not as easy to justify without expansion. And not just thunderbolt expansion, since any mac can do that (8 ports if its a new formfactor, but we remember the trashcan). So, really if the upgradable megaworkstation based on an M2-generation platform isn't already designed, they'll punt a reasonable in-between step where the existing Mac Pro will get a slight bump in intel space, and include a massive accelerator that has a few M2-generation chips on it, so it can run massive ARM processes. Add a second card if you want even more power. Basically, it would feel like reverse-rosetta, in that you can run ARM userspace apps on an intel machine using actual hardware. The memory and storage archetecure is the complicated bit, but with a good userspace bridge code that feels automatic, wouldn't be very bad. They could do it, and even make it a worthwhile interim solution while they work the bugs out of making a performance-geared beast using a platform originally designed for power-efficient utility. A proper mac pro takes more design effort than the mini's "slap the new cores in the prior case, with underutilized fan and overspecced power supply, and lots of room to spare". a 5-figure workstation better be worth it, or they'll flub the transitions finishing keystone.
 
So if the AS Mac Pro doesn’t have user upgradable ram, then is this just a studio with pcie slots? Seems like it would be cheaper to do something similar to the eGPU route for pcie expansion on a studio instead of a case with $400 feet.
 
I'm not working in what makes sense. I'm trying to view the concepts through Apple Inc eyes. Yes, this hypothetical cube needs neither feet or wheels, but Apple has a very profitable wheels kit for sale. Thus, it comes with feet that can be replaced by wheels... not because that makes any sense through a consumer lens but because it makes $en$e through a bean counters lens.

I agree on Mac Studio continuing. I just don't quite see both Studio and this hypothetical Cube. Again through Apple lens (instead of a consumer lens), which will offer the most profit? Studio is already established at Studio pricing. Pro is to be re-established at unknown- but very likely- higher than Studio pricing. If this Cube being basically Pro Jr can get profit lift by looking like "Daddy", maybe Apple kills Studio and slugs in this Cube??? again not because that makes sense through our lenses but profit seems to rule all decisions at Apple Inc these days.



I suspect Extreme is dead as rumored. So I presume Mac Cube Ultra would be as good as we can get. Rumor is Apple drops the Ultra option from Studio to reserve it for Mac Pro. That would leave:
  • Mac Mini Mn
  • Mac Mini Mn Pro
  • Mac Studio Mn Max
  • Mac Cube Pro Mn Ultra
  • Mac Pro Mn Ultra with Slots
However, if Apple Inc sees they can get even more profit out of Mac Cube Pro because of a visual connection to Mac Pro (different case vents), I would not be surprised to see Studio replaced with this hypothetical Cube.

I have Studio myself and think it is a fantastic Mac. I'd like to see it continue for many generations. But Apple goes only where max profits are these days, so give them a whiff of more with Cube and Studio would probably be dropped like iMac 27".
Perhaps the real Mac Pro would be a callback design?
banana-jr.png
 
If an extreme chip comes out it’ll show Gurman doesn’t have decent sources at TSMC.
Does feel like the cancellation of Extreme chip may have been the wrong end of the stick - as Apple basically cancelled on TSMC doing 3nm earlier last year.
may be giving the wrong reasons for it if Extreme doesn’t happen - eg if it was planned for 3nm, but they had to keep 5nm around for M2 Ultra then yes likely you’d be looking at thermal issues if you’d planned for 3nm?
Apple has been at the cutting edge in some regards with their silicon, and they do use expensive chip fabrication methods and expensive ways of making their chips - so it’s exciting we’re so close to some news on the Mac Pro.
The rumors are that Apple is going to be reusing the Intel Mac Pro case. And its thermal dissipation capacity would be more than enough for a 5 nm M2 Extreme (= 4 x M2 Max). So it seems more likely they cancelled it because they couldn't extend their fusion technology from two Max chips to four.
 
The rumors are that Apple is going to be reusing the Intel Mac Pro case. And its thermal dissipation capacity would be more than enough for a 5 nm M2 Extreme (= 4 x M2 Max). So it seems more likely they cancelled it because they couldn't extend their fusion technology from two Max chips to four.
I hate it when Mark Gurman cancels Apple products in his head.
 
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