MP 7,1 Waiting for Mac Pro 7,1 A1991 (no more)

[PeterJP]

You missed the time when improvements to computing technology had some real merit. It seems that today computing, at least the operating systems, change for the sake of change. It's difficult to describe to someone who didn't live through punch cards, DOS, MacOS, Windows 9x, etc. It used to be fun.

Exactly. I'm 45. Grew up on a ZX-81, then a C=64. Even back then, the meh upgrade of the C=128 upset a lot of people. But of course, then came the era of the 68K machines: Amiga and ST mainly. Or the Acorn Archimedes for the real hobbyists (it was rare in continental Europe).
I never got one of those. When I started computer science in '91, I got myself a PC to program on. In '92-'93 (forgot exactly when), I installed a Slackware with a pre-v1.0 Linux kernel. I did my thesis in 3D rendering on that machine. It had 8MB RAM, 1MB video RAM (just enough for 1152x768 2D accelerated) and 130+340MB hard disks. Woh! Nearly half a GIGAbyte!
I compare young people's attitude to computers to my attitude to cars. Cars were new and wonderful in the 60's-70's-80's. But now, who cares? I use care sharing. It's just a tool.

 

[William Payne]

Nobody ever mentions it but I think a huge thing that effects all parts of the tech world right now is something very simple........... boredom.

Take the MacBook pro for example, the latest one got a lot of flack and trash talk about it. People complained about the specs, complaining about it being all thunderbolt 3 and usb-c.

Yet at the same time praising the Microsoft Surface Studio and saying "wow look at this... so awesome". Even though hardware spec wise the surface studio wasn't much better then the MacBook pros, it just had a big touch screen attached.

Then Also we had Apple users complaining about only being usb-c and at the same time on the windows side people asking "Wheres the usb-c?"

What we have here is a situation of boredom to the point where anything that isn't "revolutionary!!" Doesn't excite anyone.

 

[-hh]

So that must mean your 56 or so. When you were born (1961?), I was already in and out of the USAF and starting night school at Bentley School of Accounting & Finance > Bentley College > Bentley University. Twelve years later I finally had my degree You were a wipper snapper of 12

Can you guess how old I am

Lou

Sounds like around 1940 ... which may have meant that the USAF stuff might have touched on Korea. You've lived through a period of huge technological ... and social ... change.

FWIW, this tangent is an interesting one, as age profiles and activity levels do vary across the different mediums of the Internet. For example, MR is pretty healthy because the influx of new users (a younger crowd) is sufficient and sustained, whereas USENET and LISTSERVs had lost their "new blood" replenishment and have consequently withered away and died off as viable mediums.

It varies, but my general expectation has become that when I'm on "active" groups such as MR that I generally assume that most of the other posters are probably going to be younger. Its only when I go back to USENET that I can rely on it being a bunch of 'old farts' ;-)


-hh

 

[flowrider]

Sounds like around 1940 ...


-hh

Close, you're off by a year. Early 1939 Korea was over. I did spend two years in Japan, however.

Lou

 

[zephonic]

I compare young people's attitude to computers to my attitude to cars. Cars were new and wonderful in the 60's-70's-80's. But now, who cares? I use care sharing. It's just a tool.

Quite. I'm sure there's still a contingent of next-gen gamers out there that obsess over specs, but by and large, it seems that my son's generation (he's a HS senior) just view computers like appliances. Not a lot of interest in what's inside or how it all works. Pretty much like the way I think of a TV.

 

[Naimfan]

With respect to a MP 7,1: I would personally like it to be an updated cheese-grater type. Allow for owners to easily update storage, RAM, GPU, and CPU. Shrink the case if they must (which could help hold costs down by reducing packaging and shipping costs). Provide TB3, USB-C, AND USB-A connectivity. Allow for AMD or nVidia GPUs. Provide PCI-e slots so that it can grow and adapt to the future (at least to some degree).

Based on what I've seen and read of the iMac Pro, I don't expect Apple to do much, if anything, of my list. And that could be fine. But I do hope Apple doesn't come up with something as utterly stupid and self-limiting as the trash can.

/rant

 

[AidenShaw]

With respect to a MP 7,1: I would personally like it to be an updated cheese-grater type. Allow for owners to easily update storage, RAM, GPU, and CPU. Shrink the case if they must (which could help hold costs down by reducing packaging and shipping costs).

If you're saying that you want a tower form factor, I understand.

If you literally want the cheese grater to be updated, that could be tragic.

Apple should erase the cheese grater from their memory, and look at the HP Z-series and other towers for inspiration. The others have much more flexibility (more slots, more RAM, more disks), in generally smaller cases. The thermal zones of the cMP were necessary to tame the nuclear fire that was the PPC 970. Today, that design simply breaks to usable space up into wasteful sections.

 

[Naimfan]

If you're saying that you want a tower form factor, I understand.

Practically speaking, yes. I'm not fixated on tower versus any other form; the tower seems to be a highly functional and efficient form.

If you literally want the cheese grater to be updated, that could be tragic.

Certainly. That's why I wrote cheese-grater type (emphasis added).

Apple should erase the cheese grater from their memory, and look at the HP Z-series and other towers for inspiration. The others have much more flexibility (more slots, more RAM, more disks), in generally smaller cases. The thermal zones of the cMP were necessary to tame the nuclear fire that was the PPC 970. Today, that design simply breaks to usable space up into wasteful sections.

Of course - I don't mean to suggest that Apple simply update the cheese-grater tower. I'm not a hardware engineer, but every time I see the interior of my MP I'm amazed that there is so much empty space in it - that seems inefficient and not like Apple.

I remember the PPC 970 Power Macs - true space heaters.

Generally, I'd personally like to see Apple keep the upgradability/flexibility of the cMP tower while modernizing the form and the technology within.

 

[flowrider]

If you literally want the cheese grater to be updated, that could be tragic.

Not IMO. The Cheese Grater, again IMHO, is a watershed design. Attractive, sturdy, easy to work on and built like a tank. With modern internal architecture I'd luv it. Remember the PowerMac G5 (Models 7,2 - 11,2) looked much like the MacPro 5,1, except for the lack of the 2nd optical drive bay. The internals were quite different however.

Lou

 

[OS6-OSX]

 

[flowrider]

^^^^Nothing there?

Lou

 

[wonderspark]

I think if the Cheese Grater chassis were updated to maximize space density and airflow throughout, it could be amazing. If designed such that compartments could be rearranged freely, sort of like how there are rows of holes for moving pegs in bookshelves, the possibilities become vast. One could opt for larger shelves with larger fans, and other shelves with smaller fans. There would be limitations based on the motherboard as to how far shelves could be moved, but having some adjustment would be so nice. Internal modular flexibility could allow removal of fans for liquid cooling options. Maybe even the motherboard could be a module, for that matter. Apple would still be Apple if they continued to provide Apple Modules that were known to work correctly, and declare all bets off in cases where some non-Apple module was deemed to blame for screwing something up.

If there were newly arranged PCIe slots to allow at least two double sized cards without obstruction, and all the open space filled with options for things like SSD, M.2, USB family/Thunderbolt connects, etc.

The open CPU space could be filled with RAM slots and more M.2 options, and would be interchangeable with new CPU socket types when they change, so the latest CPUs could be used.

Then the upper deck, ODD and PSU sections... that could be interchangeable zone. You could add a second (or larger) PSU that works seamlessly for more power, or add optical drives, or add more storage, or liquid cooling pumps.

It won't ever happen, but dreaming is fun.

 

[AidenShaw]

Not IMO. The Cheese Grater, again IMHO, is a watershed design. Attractive, sturdy, easy to work on and built like a tank. With modern internal architecture I'd luv it. Remember the PowerMac G5 (Models 7,2 - 11,2) looked much like the MacPro 5,1, except for the lack of the 2nd optical drive bay. The internals were quite different however.

In other words, you'd like it to look like a cheese grater but be completely different inside the case? I think that's what I said.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^I reread your post. That's not my understanding of what you wrote. But, yes, you understand me completely.

Lou

 

[AidenShaw]

^^^^I reread your post. That's not my understanding of what you wrote. But, yes, you understand me completely.

Thanks. I was thinking of the interior design when I said "forget". The exterior design could be anything - hell, even a hotel for Smurfs.

 

[zephonic]

Apple should erase the cheese grater from their memory, and look at the HP Z-series and other towers for inspiration.

That's hilarious!

 

[flowrider]

Thanks. I was thinking of the interior design when I said "forget". The exterior design could be anything - hell, even a hotel for Smurfs.

View attachment 739653​

I had two versions of that case, both G4s. The original in 2001 and the MDD in 2003. Wasn't very fond of working on either of 'em.

 

[AidenShaw]

That's hilarious!

Have you ever opened up a Z-8 system? I think not.

 

[Peace]

Have you ever opened up a Z-8 system? I think not.

Apple cares more about how something looks than something that's upgradeable.

 

[AidenShaw]

Apple cares more about how something looks than something that's upgradeable.

That's sad.

It can be wildly upgradeable and still look nice.

 

[mattspace]

I gotta be honest, looking around Corsair's site some of their more understated cases look perfectly serviceable (the tempered glass and Carbide Air 540 series have a certain something about them), and no less attractive than a cheesegrater in terms of internal neatness. After my last cleanout, I'd appreciate dust filters, and easier to remove fans, that's for sure.

 

[William Payne]

The HP Z series are nice machines, I kind of wish you could just buy the case for them. I saw a HP Z440 mounted to a endoscope cart at the local hospital recently.

 

[mattspace]

Thanks. I was thinking of the interior design when I said "forget". The exterior design could be anything - hell, even a hotel for Smurfs.

View attachment 739653​

I actually like the look of the Smurftower more and more over time. It's very of its era, but I think it ages better as a historical artifact than the G4 did.

 

[pertusis1]

Here's to hoping that 'modular' means that they will sell the mMP as a upgrade kit that can be installed in my dual G5 cheese grater case. Or if need be, perhaps I could press my mirror doors G4 back into service with an upgrade kit...

 

[Aldaris]

Here's to hoping that 'modular' means that they will sell the mMP as a upgrade kit that can be installed in my dual G5 cheese grater case. Or if need be, perhaps I could press my mirror doors G4 back into service with an upgrade kit...

Although I agree that the inside was horrible to work with (considering the improvements and refinements of the cheese grater G5/Mac Pro, the MDD was my favorite of that style and behind was the quicksilver. Great external aesthetics-