This is the best post i've read so far and is completely spot on. Doesn't matter if the card works or not but the fact Apple aren't in a position to state this categorically shows a total disregard for owners of older Mac Pro's and that there was no clear intention of offering an upgrade solution.
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Upgrading old Mac Pro to 8800 GT graphics?
- Thread starter Fezzy
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This is the best post i've read so far and is completely spot on. Doesn't matter if the card works or not but the fact Apple aren't in a position to state this categorically shows a total disregard for owners of older Mac Pro's and that there was no clear intention of offering an upgrade solution.
Pardon my language but a chill pill may be in order...
Did Apple promise or write anywhere that you would be able to upgrade other graphic cards than the ones sold for the machine? No.
And the Mac Pros are upgradeable. Plenty of things you can upgrade it with, harddrives, ram, Bluetooth, Airport Extreme, processors, PCI-Express cards etc.
Wait until someone actually gets to try a Geforce 8800GT in the old Mac Pro before announcing the apocalypse.
Patience is the key word, not being able to shout the loudest.
Even in the best possible situation they've made a mistake. If these cards do work, and they just haven't tested them, they made two mistakes:
A) Not testing them before releasing them.
B) Not publishing in the store that these cards do not work with old Mac Pros.
If the cards don't work there's still any number of possibilities, but all of them bad for us. And what's bad for us is bad for Apple when we stop buying from them.
A) Not testing them before releasing them.
B) Not publishing in the store that these cards do not work with old Mac Pros.
If the cards don't work there's still any number of possibilities, but all of them bad for us. And what's bad for us is bad for Apple when we stop buying from them.
I take your point but I think I am quite calm - relatively!
Only 3 months ago I spent a shed lot of money in an apple shop after being told that there would be new graphics card out soon for it. If that turns out not to be the case, then see how mad I get - I'm just warming up! I work in Press and PR and I promise you this will cost them money!
If you are thinking of buying a new Mac Pro...wait
Wait to see what Apple does for the old Mac Pros because this will be you in one or two years. OSX is great but the fact is your 3000 dollar Mac Pro will be a crippled system when the next generation cards come out. PCs will be able to do everything your Mac can do but your Mac may not be able to run graphics intensive applications properly.
This is so disappointing from a company that has garnered so much good will over the past few years. Not only has Apple destroyed loyalty in an entire consumer base but one loud dissatisfied customer will undo hundreds of good word of mouth recommendations. Apple: Your entire market for the new Mac Pros will come from either current owners or new owners. Other than the initial sales from the current owners who have been waiting, who will buy these machines? The recent purchasers will not replace their Mac Pros with the new machines because we will remember this bitterly. New customers will invariably ask us before purchasing and they will hear about this as well.
Wait to see what Apple does for the old Mac Pros because this will be you in one or two years. OSX is great but the fact is your 3000 dollar Mac Pro will be a crippled system when the next generation cards come out. PCs will be able to do everything your Mac can do but your Mac may not be able to run graphics intensive applications properly.
This is so disappointing from a company that has garnered so much good will over the past few years. Not only has Apple destroyed loyalty in an entire consumer base but one loud dissatisfied customer will undo hundreds of good word of mouth recommendations. Apple: Your entire market for the new Mac Pros will come from either current owners or new owners. Other than the initial sales from the current owners who have been waiting, who will buy these machines? The recent purchasers will not replace their Mac Pros with the new machines because we will remember this bitterly. New customers will invariably ask us before purchasing and they will hear about this as well.
I don't think you're jumping ahead a bit. I think you could be a serious contender for the triple-jump in 2012!
Seriously, though, calm down until we have the card in hand. At the moment, all we know is that Apple doesn't seem to know its arse from its elbow. Also, who knows what Macworld may bring?
Ditto on my order. I've just received my confirmation by email and I've had no telephone call. Mine's due for delivery on 21st/22nd though. I'm with you on the ATI/Nvidia front as well. My 6800GT was simply awesome.
OK well I got a phone call earlier in regards canceling my order from Apple Ireland.
Oh well never mind... 320 to put on somthing else... or maybe I should pay my CC
Oh well never mind... 320 to put on somthing else... or maybe I should pay my CC
Ditto here. No phone call and order processing. Ships 18 Jan.
If it doesn't work in my July 07 MP so be it - I guess with the glass half full approach I just saved a couple hundred quid on something I am not even sure I really needed to be honest.
Rather than send it back to Apple though, if anybody doesn't want to wait 5-7 weeks for a BTO option, or indeed the standalone card that is now quoting 5-7 weeks too, then I am happy to pass on for my flat cost without markup to anybody interested. It will of course have been opened and inserted into my MP but that's all.
If it doesn't work in my July 07 MP so be it - I guess with the glass half full approach I just saved a couple hundred quid on something I am not even sure I really needed to be honest.
Rather than send it back to Apple though, if anybody doesn't want to wait 5-7 weeks for a BTO option, or indeed the standalone card that is now quoting 5-7 weeks too, then I am happy to pass on for my flat cost without markup to anybody interested. It will of course have been opened and inserted into my MP but that's all.
I guess with the glass half full approach I just saved a couple hundred quid on something I am not even sure I really needed to be honest.
LOL! Yeah same here hence I'm not too fussed its more about desire and impulse purchase than actual necessity for me.
Must restrain myself from Dirty Thoughts.......
Please spare me your useless nonsensical attacks at me in an attempt to expose me as some sort of fanboy, to lead yourself and others to the conclusion that what I am saying is bull and should be disregarded. Check into my post history before you attempt to call me an apologist. Because I am far from it.
The fast remains that we do not know if Apple is indeed ignoring previous Mac Pro owners. There is not enough evidence to suggest such. Your haste to call me an apologist shows that your ability to reason like a rational human being is completely gone, and over a silly video card.
My attempt is in no way to defend Apple. You could not answer my questions as to whether or not Apple did this intentionally, or whether or not they have a plan. Which means you do not have enough information to come to a conclusion in this matter and immediately write Apple off. And again, this is only mere days after it having been made known that a 8800GT exists. Three days to be exact.
Now, equally spare me your attempts to make my knowledge in the matter seem incomplete. And furthermore that you have advanced knowledge. I am completely capable of reading. And I completely understand this situation. I know what PCIe is, and that again has nothing to do with this situation, as I said in the post your replied to. The problem is EFI, so why call into question something we know to not be the issue?
Now, if you know with absolute certainty that there is no reason for the card not to work. I suggest you call Apple and offer your services. As you clearly could offer them a solution with your infinite wisdom. Better yet, why don't you produce a card and resell it to the members here, since you can do it better than Apple.
If this were MS, no. I would not jump all over them without enough knowledge to do so. If it does indeed turn out that Apple said screw the old Mac Pro owners. Then yes, you have a valid claim and I would equally be upset about the situation. However, I will not jump to conclusions and make silly threats and equally silly comments without enough knowledge to back it.
You have the ability to think and act like a rational human being. I suggest you give a second though to your actions and illogical conclusions. I am a rational human being and that is what I look like. The old Mac Pro owners at this stage in the game do indeed look like babies and have no right to be upset with incomplete knowledge.
So please, spare me your childish nonsense. If you want to have a temper tantrum, go in a closet and have at it. But do not fuel hatred and anger with your grossly incomplete knowledge.
If mine is a no-show in OS X, then I'll learn to flash it and get involved learning how to hack the bloody things. Seems like a good enough entry point.
How can people post in here to and preach patience? Who can honestly say that the video cards haven't been do for an upgrade for a long time, they were pretty much outdated when they launched. I think people have waited long enough, while still being forced to pay a premium for an outdated card, which to this day still costs more than the newer, better, (basically intentional) incompatible one.
As I expected Apple would believe
Well if this is true, which it seems like it is. This is a real kick in the teeth for a recent convert from PC to Mac. After blowing a fair amount of cash on my Mac Pro, I now find a year later its not possible to install a new video card (or at least have OSX support for it). And even if this was possible, the cost of the video cards are outrageously overpriced.
And laughably Apple are now pushing EA games, and stating Mac's can be gaming machines? Seriously confusing information?
What I can't understand is, I though these cards had been used under bootcamp with XP/Vista? So the hardware must support the card (with a few power tweaks I understand). So what exactly is stopping the 8800 from working with the old Mac Pro (old being 1 year, or a few months in the case of others). Or are we expected to now upgrade to the new mac pro, just for the new video card options?
I imagine I'm not the only "Switcher" who's gonna feel mightily shafted by Apple over this scenario. And to be honest, will never but an Apple product again if this is the case. I'm sure there are many apple fan boys out there who will defend Apple to the hilt, but this behavior is just not on.
It's a shame as Mac Pro owners are a small minority of Apple customers. So this really wouldn't be big news outside our little community, and thus Apple will still smell of roses to Joe average.
Whilst I enjoy OSX very much, I can't now wait for the next version of Windows (long wait I imagine). Which I hope will finally bury OSX, along with my now end of life Mac Pro.
I'm not bitter, honest
Well if this is true, which it seems like it is. This is a real kick in the teeth for a recent convert from PC to Mac. After blowing a fair amount of cash on my Mac Pro, I now find a year later its not possible to install a new video card (or at least have OSX support for it). And even if this was possible, the cost of the video cards are outrageously overpriced.
And laughably Apple are now pushing EA games, and stating Mac's can be gaming machines? Seriously confusing information?
What I can't understand is, I though these cards had been used under bootcamp with XP/Vista? So the hardware must support the card (with a few power tweaks I understand). So what exactly is stopping the 8800 from working with the old Mac Pro (old being 1 year, or a few months in the case of others). Or are we expected to now upgrade to the new mac pro, just for the new video card options?
I imagine I'm not the only "Switcher" who's gonna feel mightily shafted by Apple over this scenario. And to be honest, will never but an Apple product again if this is the case. I'm sure there are many apple fan boys out there who will defend Apple to the hilt, but this behavior is just not on.
It's a shame as Mac Pro owners are a small minority of Apple customers. So this really wouldn't be big news outside our little community, and thus Apple will still smell of roses to Joe average.
Whilst I enjoy OSX very much, I can't now wait for the next version of Windows (long wait I imagine). Which I hope will finally bury OSX, along with my now end of life Mac Pro.
I'm not bitter, honest
You have absolutely no idea what Apple's intent was. This is pure speculation presented as fact.
Well in your infinite wisdom, what would be a good, logical reason? Also, the word "basically" does not imply 100% fact.
If I had infinite wisdom, I wouldn't be wasting my time here reading this stuff. :^)
But seriously, there are a lot of people here pushing speculation as fact, and it's too early to do that. The fact is that we just don't know yet and having temper tantrums about something we have no proof of is a serious waste of time.
I am quite glad that someone else here appeals to their reason with making judgments. Even if I had a 2007 Mac Pro, I would not be remotely as upset until I had complete knowledge.
We do have "complete knowledge" that Apple released a product without knowing if it would work in "older" Mac Pros. They ambiguously advertised the product on their site and then had to call people who had ordered the product in order to cancel their orders. An updated graphics card for these machines shouldn't be an afterthought. That is what I am upset about. The fact that you could care less makes me wonder why you find this thread so interesting.
has anyone actually tried switching to a new graphics card for their mac pros? its weird that the graphics cards arent upgradeable. sorry but ive ive been a laptop person since forever and planning to get a macpro but its kinda shocking to know that graphics arent upgradeable.
That is offensive. To mock those of us who have been shafted by apple is one thing, but to make light of 9/11 is quite another. You should be ashamed.
I've always heard people rail against apple fanboys, but I'm seeing a real taste of it firsthand in this thread.