Want to save the Mac Pro? Send Apple your feedback!

[Demigod Mac]

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html

Sent to Apple:

I have heard rumors that Apple is considering removing the Mac Pro from its product lineup, putting it to the same fate as the Xserv. If this is indeed in Apple's plans, I would beg Mr. Cook to reconsider.

The Mac Pro is a great source of pride and joy for myself and other professionals. The iMac, Mac Mini and Macbook Pro - while excellent machines in their own right, are thoroughly inadequate replacements for a Mac Pro. I learned this the hard way in 2008 when I opted to purchase a Macbook Pro for my work after the dying PowerPC application market could no longer sustain my Power Mac G5, only to find that the portable could not stand the heat (quite literally) when put to stressful processing tasks. While I love the portable and it still serves me well on the road, my next purchase was a Mac Pro in 2010, and I have no regrets in going back to the desktop Mac. The expandability, the upgradability, the reliability of ECC memory, the ease of access to the system internals, the raw power and memory capacity, the ability to withstand stressful tasks without overheating, the freedom of choice for displays… All of this would be sorely missed if Apple ended the Mac Pro line.

I'm asking Mr. Cook to look past the fact that the Mac Pro may be only 1% of Apple's sales, and understand that it stands for something more than just its contribution to Apple's bottom line. Part of it is the prestige of having such finely engineered machines in your product lineup. It's also respect for the professionals who create the content enjoyed by the other 99% of Apple customers.

So please, don't ditch the Mac Pro. Keep it alive and well, for in the post-PC world, content will be the king, and content creation requires truly professional gear.

Your turn.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html

 

[IceMacMac]

Apple has already been clear about something:
They always know best.

Steve Jobs insisted on telling the client what the client wanted. Not the other way around.

And in terms of building Apple's business: he obviously did know best.

When Apple sends out a survey to me...then I'll know Apple is listening to me. I don't expect that to happen anytime soon.

 

[nuckinfutz]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

 

[derbothaus]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

For starters you would never have been able to come to this conclusion if the Mac Pro did not exist. No "bang for buck" comparison without choice.

 

[lemonade-maker]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

No Mac pro? I'll buy an hp z series and run Ubuntu. Effit.

 

[mountains]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

Ever tried professional development on an iMac? It's not pretty.

 

[BigJohno]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

I disagree. In order for the iMac to not become out of date you have to update it, by buying a new one... That doesn't seem bang for the buck. The mac pro you can keep for 3-5 years and update components to that. Also, you can never get a desktop grade gpu in an iMac with its current form factor.

for 80 percent of the people out there the iMac is great. I thought that way and thats why I bought it. As I move through school and work I am realizing that I should have gone the pro rout. A mobile video card driving a high res screen like the 27" is stupid for 3d work.

 

[iSayuSay]

I disagree. In order for the iMac to not become out of date you have to update it, by buying a new one... That doesn't seem bang for the buck. The mac pro you can keep for 3-5 years and update components to that. Also, you can never get a desktop grade gpu in an iMac with its current form factor.
.

I love and support MacPro to be continued, but that statement of yours is not entirely true.

Even if you upgrade iMac each year to always have newest and greatest Mac, still cheaper than keeping a MacPro and upgrade per component. You can't pick any hi-end GPU and just plug in there, as long as Apple don't sell the GPU upgrade, you're stuck.

Plus how much MacPro GPU upgrade cost compared to equivalent GPU out there? Just do compare Apple Radeon 5870 vs. anything Radeon 6950 out there, okay?

Don't tell me the GPU board from Apple has excellent build quality and have unibody anodized heatsink so it's worth the premium price

Upgrading MacPro to be in-line with current hardware is more expensive than keeping an iMac for a year and upgrade it annually
.

 

[dansmac]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

We have our reasons switching from PC based studio computer systems over to the Mac Pro line in 2009.

In the end what allowed us to get the best of all worlds was a solid OS with great performance AND the ability to customize external devices to our needs. The new iMac line is super fast and I'm sure the displays are wonderful for the average consumer. But these new displays do not have the proper gamut for professional photography. Also the all-in-one iMac is not very flexible and would not allow minor customization like a third-party USB 3.0 CF card reader with PCIe support and drivers.

So if Apple decides not to continue with the Mac Pro line we would switch back in a few years to PC based computers. Right now the Pro's are working wonderfully.

Apple will do what they believe is right for them. This company typically never stays very long in the past and attempts to redefine markets. The global consumer market is so large it makes the professional segment appear irrelevant.

Qualcomm has stated (and it is true) that there are now more mobile phones in consumer hands than access to water. I'm sure Apple wants to do the same for consumer based computing devices … and that is not a Mac Pro!

Let’s just hope Apple sees the value in attracting professionals and the return to the company is worth continuation of the Pro line of products …. Nice to wish for but doubtful now that the world has 7 billion consumer customers to go after!

 

[Zwhaler]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

Sorry, but Core i7 doesn't come anywhere close to what 2 Xeons can do. More $ but twice the bang.

 

[Demigod Mac]

Just one thing to say about the iMac doing pro work:

{::::WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR:::}

End of argument.

 

[FrankHahn]

I have posted at http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html.

I think that Apple should keep the Mac Pro line. They may make the form factor smaller by modifying the design and/or by replacing some of HDDs with SSDs.

What about bringing back the cube as for the NeXT computer with handles as those on the current Mac Pro case? They can call it the special edition of Mac Pro for remembering Steve Jobs.

On the second thought, is it now an appropriate time for Apple to produce special editions of its products for remembering Steve?

 

[zephonic]

Upgrading MacPro to be in-line with current hardware is more expensive than keeping an iMac for a year and upgrade it annually.

I don't think so. You'd have to compare the MacPro to a top of the line iMac, not the entry-level model.

 

[Neodym]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

For starters...

- 6 drive bays, easily accessible (incl. 2 bays suitable for optical drives)
- better thermal management under load
- PCIe slots (much faster than Thunderbolt)
- No wire mess on the desktop from half a dozen external boxes
- Multi-Monitor support for 6 monitors (maybe more with more graphic cards), independent from monitor brand
- Much higher maximum Ram
- Much more powerful CPU
- Much more powerful GPU
- Much more powerful PSU
- Much more powerful Ram
- Upgradeable GPU and CPU
- Front panel ports

... all that is considering a basically 2-3 year old MP design vs. the latest(!) iMac. An updated MP would simply destroy the iMac in most aspects (except for price, size and power consumption). And the list is not even complete!

 

[chrono1081]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

Not even close. It would be very hard for me to get my work done on an iMac. I don't have wads of internal storage on an iMac or the option to put in a Quaddro card. I also don't have all of the connectivity options or room for the amount of RAM I use (I don't believe the current iMacs can support 24 gigs of ram though I could be wrong).

I sent my feedback.

 

[mus0r]

You know, these "a new iMac will beat a MP" morons are the reason Steve didn't listen to customers...they're mostly stupid.

I still say this rumor was designed to help clear out existing MP stock before the coming refresh. There is no way a top of the line iMac can compare with even the base spec MP. Trust me, I have a 1,1 MP, an '09 MBP and my wife has a previous revision iMac- the MP wins. Especially after dropping in the 2 quad core CPUs when my Applecare expired

 

[Tutor]

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html

Sent to Apple:



Your turn.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html

Thanks. I sent mine.

 

[Lone Deranger]

Just sent my contribution. Also to Tim Cook.

Let’s hope it helps.

 

[chaosbunny]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

An iMac under my desk would not be a good sollution. It would require too much space and my cats would constantly knock it over.

 

[xgman]

Apple should just look at the 1500 post thread on the News page.

(sent my request in for what it is worth)

 

[ActionableMango]

Why do we need the Mac Pro?

A maxed out 27" iMac delivers more bang for the buck IMO

First of all, "...for the buck" isn't the end of the discussion. Maybe a free handheld calculator is better bang for the buck, but it's limited in its feature set. If you want a powerful GPU, or multiple GPUs, or lots of monitors, or 12 cores, or expansion cards, or any of several other things, the iMac cannot do the job at all.

Secondly, because Macs don't fall in price over time, they are always at their highest value right when they are released. You are comparing a fresh iMac against a MP which hasn't really been updated in over two years.

Everyone knows the current MP is long in the tooth and badly needs an update. A better comparison can be made when the next MP is released.

 

[Kimmo]

Your turn.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html

Done. Thanks for the link.

 

[bdhart100]

I just sent feedback as well I love my Mac Pro and have been using them for years.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Ever tried professional development on an iMac? It's not pretty.

How so?
I'm real interested in this statement but it lacks any real reasoning.

I love my MacPro but the new ones are simply out of my reach. The MP I have now was just over $3k, that felt a bit hard on the wallet no doubt. I'd like them to continue to make them but the price point seems off.

 

[Vantage Point]

Apple has already been clear about something:
They always know best.

Steve Jobs insisted on telling the client what the client wanted. Not the other way around.

And in terms of building Apple's business: he obviously did know best.

Perhaps but he's not there anymore, is he!?!? It just doesn't hurt to try and the more people they hear from the better the chance someone that makes decisions will hear/listen. By trying your chances may be slim, but without trying it will be none.