Seems like it is coming - they took a patent out http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/7995350.html#show-page1
looks like the rackmount with no dvd bay
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Still Waiting for Mac Pro Updates, Suitable Intel Processors Due in Q4
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Seems like it is coming - they took a patent out http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/7995350.html#show-page1
looks like the rackmount with no dvd bay
Apple has patented "computer with no optical drive"?
You've got to be kidding.
Maybe I'll try to patent "computer with an on/off button", so that everyone will have to pay me if they want the option to turn their computer on or off.
yeah, I should have said "might not have a dvd bay"
I read it pretty good, and the onee thing that seemed to not be talked about is where the dvd goes
What are you talking about? The patent is on what the patent claims recite. Read the patent claims. The patent has nothing to do with whether or not there is a dvd.
The patent is for a retention bar that keeps the hard drives in. Because it has to describe in detail where it fits in the computer, you can get a feel for the structure. They mention hard drives, cpu, fans, motherboard, memory - and there is an illustration of what it might look like. What is not in the illustration or in the text is dvd
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This is pure speculation, I have never claimed otherwise - and i am not looking for a debate. I just thought you guys might want to see the patent
You do realize that's meaningless, right? The patent doesn't teach away from using a DVD - it simply doesn't bother describing one. And what matters is the patent claims, not the illustrations.
I tried, but in
I got lost trying to understand the difference between "socketconnectors" and "socket connectors".
I also am not sure if "moreoversized" is the opposite of "lessoversized" or means something different entirely.
And I'm not even sure that "said locking component being in saidsecond unlocked position when a force is exerted by a user thereto" is even parseable in the English language grammar. What's a "saidsecond"? Is it shorter or longer than a "silentsecond". What about a "batedsecond" - is that between a "saidsecond" and a "silentsecond", or is it in another dimension?
1. And where do you suggest these new drives go????? You might be able to squeeze another row in but whats the point when it's all going SSD in 2.5"?
I find it more likely that two SSD slots will appear in the next MP, no chance in hell of more 3.5" bays, especially with TB here now!
2. Again, no space for this, have you seen inside of the 2009/2010 MP!?!
3. Apple use Intel chipsets 100%. No USB3 until Intel has it. Period.
4. When it was released, the 5870 was hardly midrange. Besides it turns out that current GPUs work just fine with a tweak or two.
5. *shrug* Personally I'm not bothered but it would be nice if it eventually does go BR.
6. Will arrive with the update.
Whats the point in refreshing with no major CPU update?
Answer: There isn't one.
The MP will be updated when Intel give us SB-E. No sooner. No later.
*Is waiting to upgrade his launch day 2009 MP*
There are plenty of good reasons for mid-cycle refreshes. All the reasons you gave for not wanting one (I find it hard to swallow that anyone wouldn't want to have more for their money... ) are straight from Apple marketing or something.
Better GPUs, USB 3 (even Intel ships it on their motherboards if not their PCHs!), eSATA, tweaks to the case design to reflect newer needs, all could be done without revamping the CPU. There is more to these boxes than just the damn processor.
Yeah, I know that. And there is always the NF200 for instance (provides two x16 slots). jnpy!$4g3cwk asked for maximum bandwidth slots, thus I explained that Mac Pro already has such slots (or very close to) and the limitation is in the chipset (or actually in the CPU in Sandy Bridge since the PCIe controller is there now).
There are plenty of good reasons for mid-cycle refreshes. All the reasons you gave for not wanting one (I find it hard to swallow that anyone wouldn't want to have more for their money... ) are straight from Apple marketing or something.
Better GPUs, USB 3 (even Intel ships it on their motherboards if not their PCHs!), eSATA, tweaks to the case design to reflect newer needs, all could be done without revamping the CPU. There is more to these boxes than just the damn processor.
And whats the point in doing R&D on a Mac Pro that is going to be replaced in ~3 months? Answer: NONE!
Apple has the next gen MP in it's labs being tested, I would put a rather large amount of money on the fact that they are simply waiting for a decent supply of the chipset and CPUs.
And FYI the CPU is a pretty big part of what the Mac Pro is, being the top of the range and all.
There is more to an update than making sure it has the latest kit
It is a bad enough mess to try to comprehend the current PCI-Express 3.0 support on P67/Z68 boards. I will need to dig up some block diagrams but supposedly a few of the boards just have PCI-Express 3.0 switches from the 2.0 controller onboard Sandy Bridge-DT. Gigabyte issued BIOS updates to add compatibility (electrically the same) on their current boards. Then there is another concern that it will operate under PCI-Express 3.0 mode but with x8 lanes (x16 2.0 lanes).
We will not really know without Ivy Bridge in hand and more solid information from motherboard vendors. Gigabyte's BIOS update was rather surprising though.
No luck for any LGA 1155 boards with the nForce 200 either.
Some of us are just entering the market and would like to get the most up-to-date technology for the money that we are paying. It's not too much to ask for a mid-cycle upgrade to keep the price/performance ratio in balance.
The least Apple should do is have a mid-cycle price adjustment either by significant dealer discounts, rebates, or upgraded standard options (eg. Better/more hard drives, more memory, better graphic card, upgraded processor). How about buy a new Mac Pro now and get a free non-thunderbolt monitor...might loosen up that 5K that I'm holding for my new Mac Pro.
As has been discussed, Apple has evidently decided that it is not cost-effective from a ROI perspective to do what you are suggesting, given the relatively low sales volume of the Mac Pro.
Yeah, the PCIe 3.0 scheme is quite confusing. I guess the main goal is to provide support for IB's PCIe 3.0 as right now with SB, PCIe 3.0 is quite useless (there aren't even any cards support it AFAIK).
At least ASUS has one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131714
With laptops:
Power: MacBook Pro
Portability: Macbook Air
With Desktops:
Power: Mac Pro and iMac
Affordability: Mac Mini
One of those have a possibility of being dropped, the Macbook was with the Air in portability, and look what happened
Ah yes discussed, therefore must be true. Ask some of the bigger companies that have gone belly up what the cost of a loyal customer is?
...and by not making minor, cheap adjustments to the product, they drive sales volume down even lower.
Motherboards are cheap to design and build - proven by the variety and frequency of updated boards from the board makers.
If I were suspicious, I'd think that Apple is trying to create the situation where the Mac Pro is killed for low sales.
Supposedly ATI's HD 7000 Series is going to bring PCI-Express 3.0 support.
I suspected it was the ASUS "Workstation" motherboard. I am constantly tempted to build a system on one of those. Not that I have any practical value in doing so.