“One reason to be excited about Apple Inc.’s 2018 iMac lineup [is that] Apple will be able to pack these next-generation systems with enough processor power to further marginalize the Mac Pro,” Ashraf Eassa writes for The Motley Fool. “On deck are next-generation central processing units, faster graphics processors, and the addition of USB-C ports, [Bloomberg‘s Mark] Gurman says.”
“Although not much is known about the iMac computers that will follow the ones that Apple has planned for next year, there is one upgrade that could prove to be quite compelling in the 2018 iMac models — at least to power users,” Eassa writes. “Since 2009, Apple’s premium iMac computers have featured processors with up to four processing cores supplied by microprocessor giant Intel… owever, in 2018, the desktop processor lineup that will be suitable for Apple’s iMac systems, which goes by the name Coffee Lake, will feature up to six processor cores — a 50% jump in core count from current offerings.”
“What I think this might do is shift some prosumers or professional users away from entry-level configurations of Apple’s Mac Pro, which can be configured with processors with six or more processor cores, and toward higher-end iMac models,” Eassa writes. “I suspect that for a non-trivial subset of potential Mac Pro buyers — admittedly a small group to begin with — the case for the Mac Pro will become tougher to make when 2018 rolls around, especially if Apple doesn’t bother to update the Mac Pro soon.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: You’d think the world’s most valuable company would be able to satisfy all personal computer users, even the most demanding, wouldn’t you?
2018?!?!?
It helps to read the article. Any 2017 Macs will see only modest increases in performance. We will have to wait until 2018 for Macs blazing with Intel six-core Coffee Lake processors.
Why would I buy an iMac when I already have a very nice display (and no reason for 2)? I want to replace my 2010 Mac Pro with full bays, PCI slots and optical drives. What do you have for me, Apple?
“…You’d think the world’s most valuable company would be able to satisfy all personal computer users, even the most demanding, wouldn’t you?…”
If they were a computer company. If they were “Apple Computer, Inc.” They are not though. They are Apple, Inc., maker of information appliances. And by choosing this path they have become the world’s largest company. When they are trying to make computers to meet the needs of every computer company, they were always floundering.
The point is that its does not have to be either/or..
They can do Both….and should…
its the iPhone that has made them the most valuable company… and The iPhone is a computer…
and by ignoring the Power user/pro side ……the path they have chosen is a path towards a cliff.
The whole platforms credibilty is at stake here.
“You’d think the world’s most valuable company would be able to satisfy all personal computer users, even the most demanding, wouldn’t you?”
If you ask ten power users what they want from Apple, you’ll get at least twelve answers. The problem is that most power users want something specific for their requirements and have very good reasons why they demand those features. Apple will never be able to satisfy all of these demanding users simultaneously. That’s not to say that Apple should ignore power users, but it’s easy to work out why Apple does not try to cater for narrow niche markets.
For those who a long term Mac users, I remember in 1990 upgrading from an SE30 to a Mac IIfx and while the fx seemed unbelievably fast, there were still people moaning about what it couldn’t do. People have always clamoured for more powerful Macs, faster and better suited to their needs. They always will want more, irrespective of what becomes available. Apple will only cater for the parts of the market for which there is a sound business argument for doing so.
That is why a standard set of parts is created in the industry, to produce regular boxes capable to fit different parts inside to satisfy vast user needs.
One of this little “secrets” is called PCI-Express. But I suspect the reason Apple don’t like it anymore is because it gives the user the power to choose, something late Apple stoped believing. So how could they “Apple” milk you often enough.
Those SE30 where not standard towers or desktops and iMacs are neither. I have been using iMacs for professional work and I regret not having my old Mac Pro. The iMac was a meanwhile Mac, and meanwhile I am still waiting for the last 3 years.
What we need is a box with standard PC parts. But we are all dumbed with Jony’s beautiful design first priority, “Pro” market included.
uh, what happened to 2017?
You missed it?
Well… here’s what you missed.
Trump was impeached in February, convicted in July. Pence resigned upon the conviction and never assumed office. Bernie was installed as President, and he made Obama Secretary of State.
Apple spun off the Mac division which was promptly purchased by Lenovo, which leads us to an exciting 2018 Mac lineup.
heh, damn, that was quite a year.
🙂
Actually, I screwed up. I should have told you that they went down the line of succession and that Kiefer Sullivan is President. 😛
Sutherland! Gosh, I wish we could edit…
I’ll bet 2017 is the last year for the iMac.
The new “Pro” computer is the MacBook Pro. If your computer can handle the job with extremely fast connected peripherals, CPUs and built in GPUs, including all the expansion you could ever want, who needs an iMac or a MacPro?
“I’m a PRO! I need a Big Cereal!”
For that matter this talk of who is and who is not a PRO, has become insanely stupid.
Think of the average automobile driver. Is this person a pro driver or is the formula one race car driver the pro? Oh yeah? What about an Uber driver? Truck driver? Stunt car driver? Cab driver?
The question of pro vs. not pro has become that silly. Is the guy working with machine learning on his MacBook less pro than the person using a MacBook Pro to make pretty pictures or edit video? I know which I consider pro.
Is the person managing a couple hundred Mac servers offering Infrastructure as a Service to Mac people a Pro? Of course they are.
For Apple, PROs represent a market niche about as large as the number of people who need formula 1 racing cars. It’s all but non-existent.
I think the way Apple defines “PRO” now is anyone who absolutely truly can’t do their work on an iPad.
FWIW, to me Pro means I can adapt MY machine to MY work.
There has been absolutely no reason to buy a Mac in the past few years. Tim and his band of idiots are killing them off. Who needs a new phone every year? NO ONE. The watches are a joke too.
Cook needs to go. Seriously. He’s killing Apple IMHO.
perfect take, MDN.
The pipeline appears to be clogged. Someone call Roto Rooter – STAT!!!
Let’s see, letter to the clueless.
PRO users don’t care about pretty, we want functional and upgradable. We use it to WORK, not look pretty.
Based on the trajectory of clueless Tim, the iMac will have ONE plug for everything, and offer 5,000 dongle cables.
NONE of the pro users I know would buy that ever.
Does anyone at Apple have the balls to educate Tim on what a pro user is and what they want and need????
MY RANT
Pro user to me is some one who uses their computer to make a living and where the computer needs to be at its maximum ability at all times to get such work completed efficiently.
Mac Pro is now inadequate for power users because they are not keeping pace with tech thus hindering those who need every ounce of processing power as their software gets more complex hindering the work flow.
Apple is not the only creative in the world!
I think they have forgotten this.
by not updating the Mac Pro Apple is actively hindering all creatives!
Apple has become the problem of other innovators who are stuck using their 3 year old tech!.
I deleted the rest of this rant but i have many valid point to make which i will blog if Apple doesn’t update soon.
I’ll give ya just ONE of my many examples.
In the audio world.. Our recording studio has numerous systems. We have 4 Avid Pro Tools systems. We needed to update our main system that controls our studio. A studio that creates billboard charting music, tv commercials and jingles for some of the world’s largest brand on earth. We had to drop $7k on a new (old 2013) Mac Pro to utilize the new O.S. (for the software to work) and have Thunderbolt I/O for the drives. Since that computer also does not have PCI slots, we had to purchase a Sonnet Chassis to get the $14k of Avid cards to read. So after dropping $25k on new stuff, We had to settle for a OLD MacPro, which pisses us off to the highest degree. Is it that difficult to update a few internals? Really?
After really paying attention to the trajectory Tim leads the pack, it’s painfully obvious to me that he looks at the Pro market as the the same as the consumer market. Consumer market can adapt to one cable… one slot.. etc.. the pro market is WAY different .. we NEED slots, I/O, etc.. because other companies create the functional tools for them to exist.
This is just one of many perspectives Apple fails to consider when they talk about their “eco-system” that Tim is destroying.