The 2009 (Gainestown) Mac Pro: Everything We Know

[Lesser Evets]

Would making the handles more rounded (like recent Mac designs) help?

It's from the thinness of the metal at this time, on the current Pro models.

The old plastic cases were great! But they had their own faults. The later designs were good for people with small hands, I suspect, but my medium sized hands were constantly flayed by the case of the main body when I lugged the computer by the handles. It was like a grater shaving off skin from my knuckles.

Apple has the right idea with the handles, and they need to be placed into the design with a minimum of expense, but it would be good if they were somewhat comfortable as well. Not a BIG deal, since it is rare that a floor mac computer is carried around.

 

[deze]

On his wireframe they are tray loading, but on the render they're slot...

You have some explaining to do, mister...

Both render and wireframe are tray loading, just hard to see on the render due to lighting

 

[deze]

omg thats so beautiful you should work for apple

Why thank you bumzo1,
I would love to work for Apple, the only problem is i would get dismissed after a while due to leaking stuff to you lot! (Deze sacked on NDA grounds)

 

[dabirdwell]

Laughs...



Yes i know its not technically correct and lifting it would make you look like a gorilla in stance, but hey... Will work wonders for your triceps!

Ha! Now that is a multipurpose machine! I stand corrected! Excellent design work!

 

[iMacmatician]

My Mockups

Looks very good, except for the handles.

I think a Mac Pro redesign will be somewhat along these lines.

 

[Outsider]

My Mockups
*snip*
A comparison to the original design (extra internal space gain)

These are great! Nice work!

 

[warwickt]

Rendering, rendering, rendering. it makes a HUGE difference.
I edit just fine on my MBP, but transcoding, compressing, rendering etc takes a lot longer. With the Mac Pro - you could continue working WHILE you are rendering (If you don't have a render farm). With QMaster - you can direct it to give Compressor 6 cores while you save 2 for the OS and an app.

\

agree. Well said,,, this is what multi threaded usage is about one thing - improved (more efficient) workflow that reduces the cost of production.

yep rendering, transcoding, rendering, transcoding, rendering, transcoding!

and reducing the costs to do the job. thats all its about. USinf Qm with SHAKE, compressor, maya and hopefully more new  PRO apps under SNOW LEOPARD sensitive to multicore/mutithread usage and Qmaster...

and creative industry for 3D for 4k and 5K...

This new MAC PRO is a just a place to manufacture stuff.
agree.

 

[Weepul]

Just for fun...

These are just edited versions of Apple's photo of the current Mac Pro.

 

[m1stake]

Just for fun...

These are just edited versions of Apple's photo of the current Mac Pro.

I don't think changing the color counts :/

That reader (You know the one ) was really pretty, maybe the first one in the thread that I'd like Apple to do something like.

 

[indiochano]

Just for fun...

These are just edited versions of Apple's photo of the current Mac Pro.

I can live with the first one... although it looks tacky (im still not keen on the black).

but the other two? oh please no.......

 

[Horst]

My Mockups

Quite elegant, nice .

 

[J the Ninja]

Ok, found what I want it to look like inside:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112182

 

[nanofrog]

Ok, found what I want it to look like inside:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112182

Lian Li does a decent job with layout. Take a look at their server cases (full towers).

 

[Fomaphone]

i'm debating buying one of these instead of 16GB RAM when i get my new MP, so that i can have this while i wait a few months for RAM prices to drop. anybody think that will happen?

the functions of these two hardware options are completely unrelated, but the cost is about the same and i'm not willing to spend more than $5k on this computer until i'm steadily employed

so, i'm thinking the top of the line processor, 6gb transintl or OWC RAM, 8800gt or equivalent/better, and either this card or an additional 10gb of RAM. with the price bump of the new machine, that should bring me in right around $5k after my sADC.

what are your thoughts?

 

[tom.]

Im trying to decide what I'm going to do about graphics, I don't know anything about the cards mentioned in this thread.

I will most likely go with standard CPU's (not base/downgrade), hopefully stick with standard RAM until prices drop @ Crucial UK, possible Gfx upgrade + keeping my HD2600XT to drive TV, Applecare, Airport (if not standard), add my own SSD or keep my current (loud) raptor. Trying to think cheap then I might be pleasantly surprised on how much i have left on release day!

 

[bradleykavin]

I dont understand why people think the new mac pros case wont be a radical change? Every computer that apple has updated this year has undergone major redesign exterior wise

 

[Tallest Skil]

I dont understand why people think the new mac pros case wont be a radical change? Every computer that apple has updated this year has undergone major redesign exterior wise

All two of them?

The iMac won't get a design change when it is updated later this year, but the Mac Mini will be brought into line with the rest of Apple's offerings.

There is just... nothing that can be done to the cheese grater.

It looks older now simply because it doesn't match the rest of the line, but, seriously, man, what would they change it to? It'll either be something like what I drew in my first post or something like deze's mockup...

From which I'm having difficulty wrenching myself away...

 

[nanofrog]

All two of them?

The iMac won't get a design change when it is updated later this year, but the Mac Mini will be brought into line with the rest of Apple's offerings.

There is just... nothing that can be done to the cheese grater.

It looks older now simply because it doesn't match the rest of the line, but, seriously, man, what would they change it to? It'll either be something like what I drew in my first post or something like deze's mockup...

From which I'm having difficulty wrenching myself away...

Well, if they don't and you really like the look, there's always masking tape + black spray paint.

 

[paulg1979]

Well I went for a Mac Pro today. 2 x 2.8ghz. I couldn't wait no longer. I'm selling the iMac. Even if the new Pro comes out soon I don't think i'd ever use extra power. I'm not a heavy user but have always wanted a Mac Pro. Got a few extras and ended up saving £400 with a student discount. Apple Care for £45 and a HP printer for £9.95. Can't wait

 

[BenRoethig]

I dont understand why people think the new mac pros case wont be a radical change? Every computer that apple has updated this year has undergone major redesign exterior wise

Because the cheese grater has been around 5-1/2 years (which is actually longer than the G3/4 El-Capitan series)

Personally I think there will be a new case. The cheese-grater isn't as adaptable to the Xeom 5500/ x58 DP platform as it was its FB-DIMM using predecessors. The platform is going to need something a bigger to avoid losing features. This may also leave the door open for a two-tired solution.

Well I went for a Mac Pro today. 2 x 2.8ghz. I couldn't wait no longer. I'm selling the iMac. Even if the new Pro comes out soon I don't think i'd ever use extra power. I'm not a heavy user but have always wanted a Mac Pro. Got a few extras and ended up saving £400 with a student discount. Apple Care for £45 and a HP printer for £9.95. Can't wait

I wish I was making that move as well.

 

[paulg1979]

I wish I was making that move as well.

So why are you not?

 

[Pressure]

All two of them?
There is just... nothing that can be done to the cheese grater.

It looks older now simply because it doesn't match the rest of the line, but, seriously, man, what would they change it to? It'll either be something like what I drew in my first post or something like deze's mockup...

From which I'm having difficulty wrenching myself away...

Pretty narrow-minded in my opinion. They, Apple, have a pretty extensive design team.

To narrow the only design options down to the two mock-ups in this thread is just being out of touch with reality.

There are also no reasons why the Mac Pro has to look in-line with Apple's mainstream offerings. It is, after all, a workstation and the current design reflects that.

Granted, it will in due time get refined and maybe even get a major overhaul.

 

[philius]

There is just... nothing that can be done to the cheese grater.

It looks older now simply because it doesn't match the rest of the line, but, seriously, man, what would they change it to? It'll either be something like what I drew in my first post or something like deze's mockup...

Looking at the design of recently updated Macs vs older Macs there's one thing which seems inevitable... the black and silver combo. Especially considering the new 24" Cinema Display is also of this variety. Let's face it, if Jonathan Ive can't improve upon a 6 year old design, then he might as well retire now. And what b*llshit when I hear 'you can't improve upon the current design!' That's ONE thing a designer would NEVER say!!!

 

[BenRoethig]

So why are you not?

1) Current Mac Pro is not compatible with the iSight cinema display.
2) Even if it was compatible, with single 2.83ghz Tower, graphics upgrade, airport extreme, and display it would be $3600 after taxes or about $1500 more than I am used to paying for PowerMacs and kinda insane for a single quad core system. I do know though that the iMac is not coming even close to cutting it.

Looking at the design of recently updated Macs vs older Macs there's one thing which seems inevitable... the black and silver combo. Especially considering the new 24" Cinema Display is also of this variety. Let's face it, if Jonathan Ive can't improve upon a 6 year old design, then he might as well retire now. And what b*llshit when I hear 'you can't improve upon the current design!' That's ONE thing a designer would NEVER say!!!

Plus Ive's definition of "improve" may be a little different than that of this segment's user. Remember, his idea of an improved PowerMac was the cube.

 

[robinp]

Looking at the design of recently updated Macs vs older Macs there's one thing which seems inevitable... the black and silver combo. Especially considering the new 24" Cinema Display is also of this variety. Let's face it, if Jonathan Ive can't improve upon a 6 year old design, then he might as well retire now. And what b*llshit when I hear 'you can't improve upon the current design!' That's ONE thing a designer would NEVER say!!!

quite agree, but whether they will is another question...