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Sonnet Announces Mac Pro 4U Rackmount Enclosure and Expansion Chassis

Sort of defeats the point of having a Mac Pro does it not? You could easily build your own rig at half the price.
 
Looking at the specs then this is essentially am EchoExpress III system with the ability to install an nMP on its side.

What would be nice would be if get something like this

http://www.netstor.com.tw/_03/03_02.php?MTE3#

lose 12 HDD bays and the mini slot in for an nMP
Feed each PCI-E slot via a separate Thunderbolt Bus
Feed the 3 remaining Thunderbolt ports out to the back so still available if wanted.
Feed the USB3, GigEthernet, HDMI out the back as well.
 
Flynnstone said:
Why would you buy of these things when you can buy a vented 19" rack tray for under $100 and get 4 nMP on it?
Click to expand...

Actually I just invented a rack mount that holds six nMP's.
Here's the latest prototype:

dyPioz7.jpg
 
Michael Scrip said:
Didn't the old Mac Pro take up 4U in a rack?

I don't think it was a problem though.

MAXX-Digital-DAM-DIT-Cart.jpg
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It did, which is why it was a poor choice to be racked.

Also why image techs love the new Mac Pro, their carts can be a lot smaller now.

No point in putting a small tower into a huge case that makes it just as big as the previous model with less expansion and twice as many power worts.
 
Digital Skunk said:
It did, which is why it was a poor choice to be racked.

Also why image techs love the new Mac Pro, their carts can be a lot smaller now.

No point in putting a small tower into a huge case that makes it just as big as the previous model with less expansion and twice as many power worts.
Click to expand...

A rectangular cart doesn't fit the new Mac Pro style

This cart would continue the design theme...

105963.jpg
 
Wow.

People must reeeally love the Mac as a platform to put up with this kinda "shoehorny" thing. Thank God I don't use a Mac to make money and rely on their infrastructure for my business.

I heard people complain that Apple didn't care about the pro market before.

I heard Tim Cook say that Apple is not abandoning the pro market.

But when I see this, and listen to the reasons why some disagree with Apple (glossy screens, loss of xserve, ignoring the old Mac Pro for years and then replacing it with the new, etc..), I understand why some say Apple does not care about the pro market.

Still, for those who need it, it's good to see 3rd party companies step up like this and help the consumer meet their needs.
 
Or..you know...Apple could just let us IT professionals running data centers install their OS on our million dollar VMware blade server environment...just an idea?
 
Frazzle said:
But did they have to make it this ugly? Really, what a shame.
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Seriously.

Apple always takes pride in their designs and makes something that I think looks amazing. This case looks like a newbie designed this in CAD in 5 minutes.

I know it goes into a rack, but this is more of a 'PC' looking enclosure than an Apple enclosure.
 
dragje said:
No one, no professional out their, was blaming developers for doing a bad job, even though they did with the release of the first version which was way off from being labeled: "ok" as a product due the tons of bugs. But, this wasn't the main reason why professional users got upset, they got upset because Apple made sure they couldn't your their entire database filled with older projects any longer and they made sure the old Final Cut version couldn't be installed.

So, when you know this all, and you do now, you'll understand that it has no ground stating that people, the so called professionals, where merely whining about Apple without any good argument. They, the professionals at that given time, had all (!!!) the reasons to complain.
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I completely agree. But the Problem many of our Customers have with Apple in it's current state is that the secrecy that works so well for Apple in the Private Sector (surprise Product Launches) is realy killing the professional Market.
Imagine getting for example 20 workplaces outfitted with these rackmounts plus the nMP. Then Apple decides to "optimize" the nMP case; in other words making it incompatible with the existing mounts. With most other companys you get some sort of heads up info on product changes so you can either stock up on existing products or plan an investment into new ones.
With apple on the other side, they usualy flick a switch an you are faced with a final situation. This is especialy daunting with Softwareupdates: "Well, we will not support any of the existing software but only the latest and greatest...starting...NOW!...your application does not work anymore? That is our Problem exactly why?" this is pretty much what you said about Final Cut...now imagine those clients of ours that faced similar problems with even minor OS X updates. They are gone, and gone for good. They will never ever use a Apple infrastructure in a professional enviorment anymore....which is sad.
Space is totally not relevant when you work in a studio. Power and the ease of adding third party high end hardware is. Every professional will subscribe to this statement.
Click to expand...
YMMV but the last couple of projects I did work on were rather limited on Rackspace (one case with a tiny non expandable server-room, one for a mobile system=mounted in the back of a truck) so Space CAN sometimes be very precious.
 
dragje said:
Actually, I do...

I'm around editing studio's for over 20 years now and I've seen some cursing editors out there once the new Final Cut X came out and it's clear to me you don't have a clue why these people quite rightfully got upset, I do, so I'll explain it to you by removing some wrong conclusions you've stating here:

1- first of all, software development had nothing to do with giving aid to professionals. Meaning, Apple, at the time, could have done both: release the new Final Cut Pro X 'while' maintaining support for the old version until the new released version would be bug-free.

2- Second, see point 1, the new version of Final Cut X was at it's release anything but bug free, it crashed frequently, it was not able to load previous versions of Final Cut...so...wait.... let's stop there! Indeed, the new version didn't allow to load previous saved projects of Final Cut. This resulted in editors where sitting ducks because they couldn't do 'anything with their work.

So there you have it. Then you could, with all your knowledge about professionals, reply with: what's the problem? Go back then to your old Final Cut version by installing it. This wasn't possible either! That was something Apple took care of forcing people to use the new version after installing it. So professional editors coudn't even step back. It took weeks and tons of rightful complains from professionals and a 1 star ranking for the new Final Cut X at the Apple Store until Apple gave in; admitting this was a wrong choice and they restored the ability to re-install the old Final Cut Pro. By then many users already left Final Cut X and exchanged it into Adobe's Premiere because they, again quite rightfully, never ever wanted to face the position again in which they couldn't do anything with their work literally....

Now we are many months further on the road and Final Cut X has slowly, with many many updates grown from being a kindergarten editing software package to a professional editing suit once again...

Now the clue...

No one, no professional out their, was blaming developers for doing a bad job, even though they did with the release of the first version which was way off from being labeled: "ok" as a product due the tons of bugs. But, this wasn't the main reason why professional users got upset, they got upset because Apple made sure they couldn't your their entire database filled with older projects any longer and they made sure the old Final Cut version couldn't be installed.

So, when you know this all, and you do now, you'll understand that it has no ground stating that people, the so called professionals, where merely whining about Apple without any good argument. They, the professionals at that given time, had all (!!!) the reasons to complain.



Space is totally not relevant when you work in a studio. Power and the ease of adding third party high end hardware is. Every professional will subscribe to this statement.
Click to expand...

By far, the best post I have seen on MacRumors for quite some time.
 
kwikdeth said:
there are plenty of rack-mount cases out there that gave more than 15 minutes consideration to appearance. the discontinued X-Serve line is one of them. At the DC i used to work at, people would regularly ask "wow, what hardware is that?" when passing the one rack full of x-serves.

iStar, whilst not having the best quality reputation for their power supplies, makes a whole series of designer rackmount cases for workstations and recording studio use.
Click to expand...

Are we talking about the same thing... because the Xserve was a pretty ugly box.

With vents, and holes, and blah... again... rackmount gear...

images
 
sigmadog said:
Can't help but wonder what effect the horizontal configuration of the nMP will have on thermal control. It seems to me optimal cooling comes in the vertical position. I wonder if buyers of this rack will have heating issues.
Click to expand...

kwikdeth said:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6099
Click to expand...


When on its side, secure the Mac Pro (Late 2013) to be sure that it doesn't roll
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Now you need one of these for your nMP
pTRU1-3023743dt.jpg

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2401848&cp=2273443.2256244.2256227
 
H2SO4 said:
Really? Formula1 is the pro world and their designers take the time and money to make things aesthetically pleasing. A road car engine is usually unseen and has a far more important job but guess what........?
Don't be so ridiculous and short sighted one doesn't preclude the other and often one that seems unimportant generates sales so that you can have the other. You 'Pros' need to get off your high horse, your jobs aren't the only important ones and often aren't any more difficult than regular jobs. Oh we don't care as long as it does the job.... Please!
Click to expand...

Wow, you are ridiculous. Have you seen the noses and the stepped chassis of the new F1 cars this year!?! They are ALL hideous. And what about the stepped noses of the past few years shoehorned into the design of the cars due to the requirement for lower noses as a safety measure. Or the incredibly negative hoopla surrounding the aesthetics of the different and reduced sound of F1 cars with this year's regulations? Or when they changed the formula a few years ago to have narrower front and rear wings?

All of those design changes and choices were made for functionality or safety reasons. At every point the general consensus has been that the cars became uglier and/or lost their luster due to the changes.

Has to be the absolute worst analogy ever, and a huge fail as you actually supported the other guy's point of view rather than the one you were arguing for.
 
mojolicious said:
It's a 19" rackmount which fits a frankly bizarre computer enclosure into the smallest possible vertical space. What does the future look like?
Click to expand...

Honestly, I made that comment before even going to the site and reading about the product...I won't lie.

With being said, I work at a high power HD television and I can think of many ways to utilize the new pro without PCIe and SDI inputs...however I could see where this could be appealing in this business for people who want to keep doing things the way they always have...which in TV is 90% of people.
 
D-Dave said:
YMMV but the last couple of projects I did work on were rather limited on Rackspace (one case with a tiny non expandable server-room, one for a mobile system=mounted in the back of a truck) so Space CAN sometimes be very precious.
Click to expand...

True, point taken.

But in most cases, for my perspective so to speak, hardware is installed in studio's where there is enough room and even the "big" PC's are getting smaller and smaller as well and hardly any bigger these days. Tiny, i.m.h.o, desktop computers appeals to those who like to use a computer close or even in a living room where space is more often precious as well as design in general.

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Bibbler said:
By far, the best post I have seen on MacRumors for quite some time.
Click to expand...

Well erhm thank you :)
 
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