This is a wildly ignorant comment.
The US is the largest manufacurer in the world for the opposite of all the reasons you list.
China is a close #2, but all they have is staggering amounts of incredibly cheap labor.
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Tim Cook Shares Details About New 'Made in USA' Mac Model
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This is a wildly ignorant comment.
The US is the largest manufacurer in the world for the opposite of all the reasons you list.
China is a close #2, but all they have is staggering amounts of incredibly cheap labor.
I really shouldn't reply, cuz it may drag the thread off topic . . . but what the heck.
I agree. Sadly a customizable chassis wouldn't cannibalize Mac Pro sales if Apple would just make the Mac Pro competitive. Most other workstations from HP and Dell offer three configs, a mini tower, full sized tower, and rack/server config.
Cutting the specs of the Mac Pro in half, and making the case smaller, then selling a relatively bare-bones unit would bring that price down to $1599 or so. That's reasonable for a Mac tower system in 2013. Dual HDD, 8 RAM slots, 1 CPU socket, 1 double wide PCI with three more and you're set.
Then, on the Mac Pro side, we'd need to see some real workstation specs. 16 RAM slots, 6-8 HDD slots, two double wide PCI lanes with 4 more, etc. etc. Kill off the single slot version. Even with a 6 core chip it's just not worth the money for folks looking for big iron.
I wouldn't be surprised if the new Mac Pro will be significantly different in design than the old one, perhaps resembling more the Mac Mini. Thunderbolt connections can replace most expansion requirements so the need for such a big box is no more.
It's just priced really high for what you get. Single package models from other brands tend to start a lot lower. The difference is still there sometimes at the dual level. PC oems often have higher markups on cto options in their workstation lines (HP for example). The percentage difference definitely tapers off somewhat at the 12 core level though.
So there is actually nothing new to report, yet Macrumors puts this on the front page? It's a rehash of an old story with no new relevant information. Slow news day people?
I would agree if it weren't for most TBolt periphs needing external power supplies. The last thing we'd want is a Mac Pro, display, TBolt PCI box or two, TBolt HDD enclosure or two, and TBolt periph or two each with their own power cable criss crossing out floor. Then a ton more TBolt, eSATA, FW, USB cables criss crossing the desk.
My iMac workstation has an adaptor and two HDD enclosures, speakers, and a second display and it's killing me just a bit. I would hate to now have to put two or three PCI boxes and power cables, and TBolt cables down to get the functionality of a proper workstation.
Keep it big, keep it large, keep it high end, and just bring in a smaller tower for those that want a single socket for gaming and expansion and heavy lifting on a budget.
Agreed. That's why I say kill off the single socket and make it into another option in the lineup. The single socket is STILL trumped by the iMac. Even the 6 core model isn't that much faster at common tasks and apps that won't use up to 4 cores.
On the PC side however, an equally prices MacPro will get SMASHED by the competition. But in the end all Apple really has to do is beef up the darn thing.
I share your sentiment, but unfortunately a large portion of Apple's $82 billion cash stockpile is in overseas tax havens. Whether this cashpile will ever be repatriated depends on what sort of tax breaks they can wrangle.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/318794-apple-s-foreign-cash-hoard
So parts are shipped in from China, someone paid minimum wage puts them together and build half the mac, they are then shipped across state and put together with the other half the mac made in another state using parts that have also come from China, and apple slap a "Made in USA" sticker on it...
this looks like its a case of apple getting around transforming the "assembled" in USA tag into a "Made" in USA tag by making the process 2 step instead of one.
Unless the components are made in the USA, the Mac isn't MADE in the USA, its ASSEMBLED in the USA..
Im not sure, but don't most GPU/CPUs , HDD, Motherboards, Screen and pretty much everything else in a mac come from Taiwan, korea, china, japan, mexico, and pretty much everywhere EXCEPT the USA ?
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I think your right, but in the USA a lot of companies count work they off-shore to china as USA Manufacturing.. Companies like, well, Apple are about to start doing by getting Minimum wage USA residents to assemble a Mac with imported parts and slap a Made in USA sticker on it.
this looks like its a case of apple getting around transforming the "assembled" in USA tag into a "Made" in USA tag by making the process 2 step instead of one.
Unless the components are made in the USA, the Mac isn't MADE in the USA, its ASSEMBLED in the USA..
Im not sure, but don't most GPU/CPUs , HDD, Motherboards, Screen and pretty much everything else in a mac come from Taiwan, korea, china, japan, mexico, and pretty much everywhere EXCEPT the USA ?
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I think your right, but in the USA a lot of companies count work they off-shore to china as USA Manufacturing.. Companies like, well, Apple are about to start doing by getting Minimum wage USA residents to assemble a Mac with imported parts and slap a Made in USA sticker on it.
So instead of a big box I do like I should have a bunch of small ones I don't connected together by $50 cables..GREAT
As long as the quality control is in place then I don't think anyone has anything to fear about made in USA.
Even ford is producing good stuff these days so if they can make quality then Apple should have no issues. And besides, I'm sure they will only be screwed together in the US, and all the actual engineering will still be done overseas.
Even ford is producing good stuff these days so if they can make quality then Apple should have no issues. And besides, I'm sure they will only be screwed together in the US, and all the actual engineering will still be done overseas.
You mean apart from it's enormous size and weight which just looks incredibly out dated now?
Some Mac users really are resistant to change these days. I can remember the days when we all looked forward to a new form factor. Now all I hear is "no please don't change things I'm too stuck in my ways to contemplate that".
I need space to put a couple of graphic cards, ideall enough space for 2 different raid systems (not going to happen I think).
I don't mind a change in form factor
, but I guess most pros don't want a smaller Mac Pro. If you can do with smaller, an iMac usually is enough
We're a global economy now - selling where profit is highest and manufacturing where it's cheapest. No middle class is worth it anymore, though if you can shell out enough corporate welfare that's okay - even if the government can't afford it thanks to all the lost opportunities and jobs. Indeed, the moment people realized how management earned only 40x in 1980 to over 400x now shows they are shifting costs to everyone else and pocketing it for themselves is the moment they stop saying "if we manufacture or engineer here, prices must go up as a result". People know the "delegation" of cost has led to parasitism and anti-value-of-worker ethics.
The extra $1000 goes to Apple. Noting lobbyists and other means to even get refunds on taxes that amount to $0, many large companies pay remarkably little...
Happy web searching...
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Go to a Ford forum and read rants about MyFord Touch, the new dual clutch transmission system, etc...
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Pity.
The Mac Pro chassis is rock solid, dependable, easy to add and remove storage, is quiet as a whisper thanks to its very design...
putting it into a smaller frame only means more heat and earlier death due to thermal overload... Loved my 2009 Mac Pro, but one will never see a tower design with desktop GPU and desktop CPU in one package. Just server-grade CPU w/desktop grade GPU, or the desktop-grade CPU with notebook-grade GPU (iMac)... or notebook-grade CPU and GPU (Mini, Macbook)...
What's Apple building in the US? Cook gave us half the answer. Now do your own homework.
Here's an interactive map of Apple's suppliers. Look up the states mentioned by Cook, see who Apple's suppliers are in that state, and you're well on your way to figuring it out. Then search for what components/services those suppliers have provided to Apple in the past, and for which products. And then, if you're really the eager beaver, read the job postings on their websites and you'll see what they're hiring for at that location.
http://www.chinafile.com/who-supplies-apple-it-s-not-just-china-interactive-map
Have fun.
Here's an interactive map of Apple's suppliers. Look up the states mentioned by Cook, see who Apple's suppliers are in that state, and you're well on your way to figuring it out. Then search for what components/services those suppliers have provided to Apple in the past, and for which products. And then, if you're really the eager beaver, read the job postings on their websites and you'll see what they're hiring for at that location.
http://www.chinafile.com/who-supplies-apple-it-s-not-just-china-interactive-map
Have fun.
Funny, I won't buy foreign made stuff just because it is made outside of the US. If it's crap it's crap.
Saying that I missed SJ wasn't because I disagreed with TC, or that I don't like what TC is doing. I'm the first one against the numerous SJ posts. But when I watched the video and saw him on stage with that goofy, signature grin that oozed with pride & genuine excitment when he held up his latest invention, I missed him. He's gone, I know. I'm over it. And you're right, sometimes change is good. But no matter how true that statement may be, Apple, (and the world for that matter) is not better off without him.
That doesn't make sense. Either you are being sarcastic, or don't know much about the state of American manufacturing.
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This exactly, and what I was getting at with my post where some of you totally missed the point. As long as quality is there, then great, make the stuff here! If they are making it here just for the sake of making it in 'Murica, then we have a problem.
With Apple, most of the engineering is done in the States, and is mass produced overseas. With this move, just about everything top to bottom will be designed, fabbed, and slapped together in country.
And no, this won't lead to a lesser quality product. Just a more expensive one. Assembly line workers in the West are placed in environments that have to conform to a higher safety standard, and paid much more than they are in the East. This leads to more expensive products.
I like what you have said about the economics of manufacturing but remember that even robots need maintenance engineers and programmers. Although they could just get a contractor that comes in periodically to service the robots and these do not have to be on the company's payroll but it is not the "$0/year" dream you have mentioned. In addition, don't blame the poor, decent, law-abiding, hard working Chinese workers and engineers who just want to better their lives. Remember who brought these jobs to China in the first place.
I am sure whatever product they will make in USA, they have some idea that they will benefit from it. It is already well known that they manufacture products in China, and they have no problems selling those. They should also have enough influence and resources so they have no need for any political horsetrade. There are also lots of products made in western countries that are inexpensive. Of course also of both high and low quality. Both Japan and some european countries have higher average salaries for workers of manufacture and industry than USA, but products like the "Raspberry Pi" are made in Wales, UK. Iconic products like Maglite, Leatherman Knives, Harley, Gibson etc. are made in USA.
However China is the world largest manufacturer, and has been for the last 3 years. There is not a big difference, and about 20% each of the world production.
However China is the world largest manufacturer, and has been for the last 3 years. There is not a big difference, and about 20% each of the world production.
Maybe you would. But I need the 12 cores and 96 GB ram and the internal hardware raid we run in our MacPro's. Not having 12 or 16 cores of the current Xeon generation is already troublesome, especially for colour grading and debayering. Furthermore, key new software products like Mari are not made for OSX due to the poor OpenGL support Apple are offering. As a result of this, all our new workstations in the past year have been Windows boxes.
We were able to upgrade our editing and post-production MacPro's with faster Xeons (3.33Ghz). But if new MacPros are not coming soon, these computers will be replaced with Windows or Linux boxes. And all the benefits of Apple's 'walled garden' are lost. Laptop and phone replacements will follow.
If Apple stop making the best tools for pros, they lose more than half of their brands quality and image. Even if Apple lose money on doing the best possible computers in the high end, it would still be a profitable move for the company.
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