“Back in June 2012, Tim Cook himself all but confirmed that we’ll be seeing a new Mac Pro in 2013,” Dan Frakes writes for Macworld. “Yet the only Mac Pro speculation I’ve seen recently is that the next Mac Pro might be assembled in the U.S.”
“Well, I’m here to say, ‘Let’s talk about the new Mac Pro that we know nothing about,'” Frakes writes. “Because it’s been far too long since we’ve aired our pipe dreams and unreasonable expectations for what was once Apple’s flagship machine.”
Frakes writes, “Except that instead of talking about an updated version of the massive Mac Pro we have today, I’m going to make a case — no pun intended — for a smaller version.”
Read more in the full article here.
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Apple to discontinue Mac Pro in Europe March 1st, sources say – January 31, 2013
Rush Limbaugh: Okay, Apple, where’s my Mac Pro with Thunderbolt? – June 12, 2012
Apple reportedly confirms NYT report: New designs for iMac, Mac Pro in the works, due in 2013 – June 12, 2012
Apple should outfit a Mac Pro line with Ivy Bridge i7/i5 (or Haswell) processors and bring the price down by 2/3rds instead of that overpriced Xeon junk that they sell now, and demand would take off like a rocket. Give it desktop class components instead of shoehorning laptop components like they do with the Mac mini.
I respectfully disagree. There is more than enough market for both a consumer tower with i7 chips and a professional machine with Xeon chips. Don’t you like choice?
I think there’s a niche for Xeon Mac Pros, except that that niche would be minuscule. Still, I don’t disagree with you.
And if they give it away demand will be even greater!
Thanks Captain Obvious. The new MacPro will have the latest desktop class components. Duh. Of course the latest will cost more money than the Core2Duo technology. You can’t have tomorrow’s tech at 2010s prices, sorry.
I think thats why Apple was waiting. They knew intel’s road map, and the newest CPUs are the only thing that made sense for a true updated MacPro. (This think had better have Firewire 800 AND Thunderbolt)
Don’t knock the iMac and Mac mini just because they are ‘mere’ consumer machines.
I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting. Professionals may be a niche market but we are or rather were the foundation of Apple. No more and we all understand that. But it’s how we make a living so throw us a bone Apple. You’ve had enough time to completely revamp or come up with a new design for the Mac Pro. Enough already. I need to order some. Hurry up!
This would definitely appeal to the fence-sitters who would like to buy a Mac for the first time but are scared away by the current “cheese grater”.
I have to admit that I have three cheese graters, only because they haven’t offered a mini-tower.
A minitower doesn’t appeal to power users. We don’t care how big or how much it costs. We just want the biggest baddest mofo out there.
Nahh.. Apple needs to take a page from Google’s fantasies manual and unveil plans to make a spaceship.
Journo types will then fall over themselves with praise to get a free trial ride on Apple’s rocket. Boom, no more bullshit stories.. well except Rob Enderle who’s too old and crazy change his habits now.
Edison Carter!!
Spaceship!!!
:o)
Haven’t you seen the plans for the new headquarters? There are plans already for a spaceship.
As the owner and user of a Mac Pro, here is what I think should be done:
1- A mini tower that allows the user installation of 3rd party graphics cards, etc.
It Does not need the Xeon series CPU but offers a flexible desktop for many who do not need the overkill of a Xeon.
2- A new Mac Pro with the latest Xeon series CPU.
Apple has more than enough money to be able to release these even if the market is smallish.
I just want the Mac Pro to be the powerhouse that it is now. I don’t want it dumbed down for the masses. I’ll pay what ever Apple wants for them. I have two 27 inch iMacs and love them but they are not the engine that drives the train. They are great for everyday consumer use but that’s not what professionals need. I also have an iPad,MB Pro and several Mac Minis but again, those are consumer-products. I want the balls to the wall fully loaded desktop computer that has driven the industry for years. I want to order some Mac Pros. Now please. Throw a little money at that Tim.
+ ∞
Apple has no excuse not to serve its loyal professional users AND its growing “prosumer” market. I’ve been calling for a mid-sized tower since the huge & expensive aluminum G5 PowerMac was first introduced.
I can’t help but wonder if we’ll be looking at a modular solution–a processor box w/Thunderbolt, a PCI expansion box or two, and several types of disk enclosures. I’m not sure that would be a bad idea. You could modernize what you needed to on your own schedule. If you need power, get the processor box full of Xeons. If you need less, get the box stuffed with i7s. I think Apple’s going to surprise us.
Thunderbolt doesn’t have the throughput to offer a pro-level octopus system, period. Pros need maximum performance, and that means an integrated system. If system performance isn’t critical, then any cheap computer can be expanded using USB or Firewire today.
Apple needs to be much more forward thinking.
Apple also needs to wake up and realize that it is not a “niche” market that uses desktop workstations. No professional in the audio, video, photo, or graphics industries is ever going to use the “iCloud” for serious work. They need horsepower, they need upgradeability, and need flexible local storage. Oh, and they also need the best graphics cards they can find.
… or in his quest for more iGadget model proliferation has Cook and Co forgotten that productivity Mac users exist?
@Mike, Thunderbolt is PCI-e, so how is it slower than an ‘integrated system’? The high-end graphics cards you might need are PCI-e (or PCIx in an older version), so how are they faster if they’re inside the box? If the processors, along with main and cache memory are in the main box (OK, perhaps some USB-3 as well), there’s no advantage to the big box that’s been the Mac Pro up till now. And believe be, with my audio and video applications (as well as my development needs) I really do know the difference between a Pro and a wannabe.
@ Mikey:
The problem with external buses (any of them) is that complex routing complicates the bus initialization, latency, and overhead. Sticking a PCIe card directly onto the motherboard will always be faster than connecting the same card trhough any external PNP cabling system you devise. Always. And it cleans up a whole mess of external cables…
Apple already have a mini tower running i7 it’s called a macmini and even for graphic designers this is an awesome computer with a dedicated mobile video card.
Anyone that does not understand the difference from An iCore processor and a Xeon please keep your trolling to another topic. Professionals that need Xeon processors are looking for a server grade CPU that can throughput very large files almost 24/7. This requires a dedicated power source, cooling system and hardware expansion.
Thunderbolt is nice and small and would be an awesome addition and so would USB 3 for additional storage.
I would like to see a tooless removable sata harddrive bay in the front allowing fastest backup and an endless workflow throughput of data.