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Why Apple did not release Mac Studio M1 Pro?

V

vtrautia

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 19, 2015
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Most affordable Mac studio now starts from 1999 dollars. Why Apple did not release Mac Studio M1 pro 16GB 512GB version for 1399 dollars? Now you have to spend the extra cash on GPU cores and RAM that you might not benefit your work flow. Downgrading M1 max 24 GPU core saves 200 dollars and cutting RAM to 16GB saves 400 dollars in Macbook M1 pro line.
 
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You answered your own question: now you have to spend extra cash on something you might not need. After that, Apple can release a Mac Mini with an M Pro chip (M1 Pro wouldn't make sense in such a big computer like the Mac Studio).
 
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I don't think anyone knows for sure, but one possible explanation might be product differentiation, leaving room for a Pro-based Mac Mini slotted between the current Mini and Studio. This would keep the Mac Studio and upcoming Mac Pro firmly in the "highest performance" tier.
 
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Definitely m1 pro gap in current desktop line up. Question is whether Apple release it on Mac mini or Mac studio? ?
 
If I was a betting person my money would be on the Mini. "Here's this existing product, now less powerful than ever!" doesn't sound like Apple marketing.
 
the M1 pro presuming based on MBP pricing would be the 10/16 Pro chip.

To get to the 1399 as the 10/16 Pro to 10/24 Max is 200 on the MBP and the 400 For the RAM.

Now the 8/14 Pro is 300 quid cheaper then the 10/16 so 1099 for an 8/14 Pro. Or 500 less then a Max with 16gb.


Now take a Mini.

8/8/16/512 is 1099 with 1Gb Ethernet so the same price as a studio 8/14 with 10Gb.

Give the Mini the 10gb option and more expensive then the 8/14 studio by 100.

You get

better cooling, faster Ethernet, extra GPU cores, ProRes encode in Media Engine in the studio from the M1 Pro vs M1 Media engine.

Is why people saying the studio entry model is good value for Apple.

So would say pricing model is why not offered as difficult to fit in without either higher studio price which less impressive or dropping the Mini prices downwards, which come on this is Apple.
 
I agree with the others here: I think it's because with the M2 refresh Apple will have a BTO option for an M? Pro in the mini which will push it + Studio Display back into the old 27" iMac territory from both a power and pricing standpoint.

The Mac Studio is made to be a high-middle to high-end system. The Mac mini will be the low-end to mid-range system.
 
The Studio is a $erious upsell from the Mini. They’ve got to keep the Mini performance a lot lower than the Studio to make the Studio seem worth it.
 
G46&Fbnth5 said:
You answered your own question: now you have to spend extra cash on something you might not need. After that, Apple can release a Mac Mini with an M Pro chip (M1 Pro wouldn't make sense in such a big computer like the Mac Studio).
Click to expand...
Big computer? ?
 
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I just don't think they wanted to do the last upgrade of the Mac mini Intel to M1 Pro in the same event as the Mac Studio release, it might have stolen some sales from the Studio. Perhaps they will release it next event?
 
G46&Fbnth5 said:
I mean’t that M1 Pro doesn’t need the cooling system of the Mac Studio. Apple can fit it in the Mac Mini.
Click to expand...
I do wonder if the fan/cooling system in the current M1 mini is big enough for the M1 Pro chip of if they'd have to rework it a bit first.

I've finally decided for myself that my current i7 (8700) Mini is too much of a wash to trade for an M1 Mini for photo editing. It's either spend big $$$ and get a M1 Max Studio or wait for a possible M1 Pro Mini. Choices...

I also figure with the intro of the Studio the value of my Intel Mini continues to decline so I should decide soon. ;)
 
eelpout said:
I do wonder if the fan/cooling system in the current M1 mini is big enough for the M1 Pro chip of if they'd have to rework it a bit first.
Click to expand...
They've got it working in the MacBook Pros so I'd think they've got the space to have it cooled in the Mini case. Mght be they are tweaking the design to optimise the airflow for the Pro and the Max, hence the delay?
 
The Mac Studio is way overkill for an M1 Pro. It's honestly probably a bit overkill for even the Max chip, but if they just had an Ultra option for the studio, it would not be as affordable. My guess is the headless desktop line is going to look like this:

Mac mini - M2 & M2 Pro
Mac Studio - M2 Max & M2 Ultra
Mac Pro - M2 Ultra & M2 Ultra Duo

And each year (or every 2 years) Apple will just replace the chip # with the next iteration of the chip.
 
Jorbanead said:
The Mac Studio is way overkill for an M1 Pro. It's honestly probably a bit overkill for even the Max chip, but if they just had an Ultra option for the studio, it would not be as affordable. My guess is the headless desktop line is going to look like this:

Mac mini - M2 & M2 Pro
Mac Studio - M2 Max & M2 Ultra
Mac Pro - M2 Ultra & M2 Ultra Duo

And each year (or every 2 years) Apple will just replace the chip # with the next iteration of the chip.
Click to expand...
And so we wait...the M1 with its 16GB limit is a pure 1.0 product good for YouTube and Websurfing....
 
Very torn between going for a Max Studio or waiting for a hypothetical Pro Mini. Good thing I can still probably get another year out of my MBP before I need to pull any triggers.
 
eelpout said:
I do wonder if the fan/cooling system in the current M1 mini is big enough for the M1 Pro chip of if they'd have to rework it a bit first.

I've finally decided for myself that my current i7 (8700) Mini is too much of a wash to trade for an M1 Mini for photo editing. It's either spend big $$$ and get a M1 Max Studio or wait for a possible M1 Pro Mini. Choices...

I also figure with the intro of the Studio the value of my Intel Mini continues to decline so I should decide soon. ;)
Click to expand...

I was going back and forth on the same thing, waiting for an M1 Pro Mini or getting an M1 Max Studio. I don't want to do an M1 Mini because I want something with the Media Engine. I figure the Intel Mini will be retired and replaced with a couple different versions of M1 Pro, probably starting in that $1200ish range with 16GB of RAM.

I also wanted to strike on resale of my 2020 5K iMac while it seems to still be decent, so I ended up pulling the trigger on the Studio. My guess is that the Pro Mini with 32GB of RAM is going to be only a few hundred cheaper than a base Studio anyways.
 
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