Any new rumors on the timing of the next Mac Pro?

[needmacpro]

Hi everyone!

I’m new here and I’ve just been reading all the rumors/speculation on the next rev. of the Mac Pro. I really wish I just bought one a couple of months ago. Even if they update it/reduce the price, I wouldn’t be upset if I had a couple of months of use out of it. However, with all the talk that an update is near, I’m really dying to buy one now.

I recently got a MacBook Pro 15” and I’m using it for all my work. My primary desktop currently is in driver hell after an attempt to upgrade it from XP to Vista. Instead of dealing with that, I decided to just change that machine to a Mac as well.

I know everything is speculation, but any news on a potential announcement tomorrow? Sorry for the long post but I’m really anxious to get my primary workstation setup and needed to rant a little.

Thanks!

 

[spicyapple]

The Quad Xeon Mac Pros were last released on August 7th, 2006. I think Mac Pros are due for a speed bump in March or April, in time for NAB.

Apple might release an 8-core version, and since they recently acquired Final Touch, we might see them release it in late March-early April as a strong possibility. That's my guess anyway.

But Tuesdays is always a possibility with a quiet, minor update of the specs. Who knows. Apple is so gosh darn secretive!

 

[needmacpro]

Thanks spicyapple!

I hope we hear something sooner than that!

 

[Macinposh]

List the programs that you use, check out if the programs are optimized for threading and decide then.

Some programs benefit very little of multicores.For example photoshop is not that good on 4+ cores, the filters dont thread that well to multiple cores.
Video (and music to an extent) benefit a bit more.
But some tests that I have seen list the benefits moving from 4 and 8 cores from -5% to +30%.

So you waiting for a 8 core machine, losing valuable time (money) while waiting and working, might end up you buying a slower machine in the spring...



-If you really need a computer,you would propably allready would have bought you MP.

-If you are reaching that breaking point, go and do it now. It will be a fast tool for you for many years to come.

-If you feel like waiting,then wait. You propably could wait untill untill the rev.B octos then too.
Or rev C..
Or...

 

[needmacpro]

Macinposh -

Other than standard business apps and some light photoshop work, I'm a heavy virtual machine user. I'm currently using Parallels (although I used to use VMWare exclusively on Linux and Windows) and often need 2 linux VMs and 1 or 2 windows VMs going at the same time. The linux VM's run instances of my production sites which are DB and computationally intensive but run the standard LAMP stuff.

I'm not really sure how optimized parallels is for multi processors but I know the VM's (at least the linux ones) could in theory use the power.

I'm not one to wait forever, but I will have a lot of regret if I could have had a faster machine for the same price within say 30 days. But all your logic is sound...I just wish I could make up my mind (or emotions really).

 

[MDMillerID]

I'm in the same boat...hehe but from a different point of view...

I'm still a student but graduating in May and I realize that my work place they will provide me with the machine i need but i still would want something that was comptent enough to do things at home. I'm in industrial design so i need the Adobe (photoshop, illustrator and indesign), but on the other had i need the 3d modeling and rending programs of say rhinoceros, maybe alias studiotools, maxwell render, vray...etc... this is what i would use for work.......none of that requires 8 cores, it would run better on the 4 cores and i know this.

At play, im a gamer....WoW is on the list and i know this isn't a graphics intensive game, Im running it on my three year old 17" Powerbook...but I would like to be able to play steam, BF2, BF2142 (maybe, still think its shady with spyware crap) supreme commander and any number of cool games that might be coming out in the near future

but my reason for wanting to wait...... is all the other stuff. Updated support for 802.11n, directx 10 supported graphics cards (which isnt the hugest deal, in that I should still be able to play games just not with all the new shaders) SLI 512 graphics cards versus only the 256's.......

In the end im looking for the "gamers mac" that have been popping up in the rumors forum.....ive debated updating my Laptop to the 17" MBP for now and when the tower is what i want, getting that........

 

[72930]

Macinposh -

Other than standard business apps and some light photoshop work, I'm a heavy virtual machine user. I'm currently using Parallels (although I used to use VMWare exclusively on Linux and Windows) and often need 2 linux VMs and 1 or 2 windows VMs going at the same time. The linux VM's run instances of my production sites which are DB and computationally intensive but run the standard LAMP stuff.

I'm not really sure how optimized parallels is for multi processors but I know the VM's (at least the linux ones) could in theory use the power.

I'm not one to wait forever, but I will have a lot of regret if I could have had a faster machine for the same prince within say 30 days. But all your logic is sound...I just wish I could make up my mind (or emotions really).

Right now Parallels only uses one core...but they are working on multicore support. VMWare's new Fusion beta uses two cores.

 

[Fallencircus]

I am in the same boat as well, except I use Photoshop, FCP, After Effects, DVD Studio Pro, and a few other programs. I was going to wait until the new octo cores were released and buy a 17" MBP while I wait. I am guessing apples software will be optimized for the 8 cores when their next update is released ( I am guessing at NAB ) Knowing all that since I can wait until April at the latest will it be worth the wait or should I just jump in now?

 

[Umbongo]

Well you can go on Intel's roadmap pretty much now. Though that can also be hard to find information on. From what I've read the new workstaion/server platform (Stoakley) will not be here this quarter, so expecting the next Mac Pro revision around April/May would be fair.

 

[MDMillerID]

Ive also thought about just getting a $500-750 punkydunk PC or dropping the cash on a 20" Imac to keep me going as well.....Or just buy a Mac Pro and try to ebay it should the revision be too awesome that I feel I should have gotten that one......

Im definately up for some suggestions regarding my situation................

 

[needmacpro]

Hey guys, thanks for listening and for the support. I pulled the trigger.

Logic prevailed and the Mac Pro is plenty powerful for what I need to do. Of course my emotions will always want the latest/greatest, but that doesn't really make sense.

FYI, Amazon has a $200 rebate and free shipping on them right now for a AR price of $2299. No tax in most states too.

I added $3.99 next day shipping (w/ Amazon prime) so with any luck it will be here tomorrow.

 

[dkoralek]

Right now Parallels only uses one core...but they are working on multicore support. VMWare's new Fusion beta uses two cores.

That is, Parallels uses one core for windows (or virtualizes a single pentium class processor), but it is multithreaded (at least booting into windows shows as 17 threads), so it could make use of multiple cores for other functions, i guess.

cheers.

 

[Rocketman]

Hey guys, thanks for listening and for the support. I pulled the trigger.

Logic prevailed and the Mac Pro is plenty powerful for what I need to do.

So I guess that means you have to change your forum name.

Rocketman

 

[needmacpro]

So I guess that means you have to change your forum name.

Rocketman

I suppose but it will probably still work once they come out with the next version...

 

[synth3tik]

I am running a 2X 2.66Ghz dual core Mac Pro and the other day I was mixing a 26 track Pro Tools set with around 8 or so plug ins running and converting a AVI file to H-264. My system was only being taxed about 60%. Everything ran just fine. I was amazed at the speed of the file conversion.


So anyway. I think a 8 core Mac Pro would be cool, but I do really see it being very useful as stated earlier a lot of apps have a hard time threading data to just 4 cores.

I think its safe to say that a 8 core Mac Pro would benefit for a 64 bit architecture. I could see an 8 core computer coming out with or just after 10.5


I will drool over an 8 core machine, but will shy away from getting one for atleast a few years

 

[pseudobrit]

The Quad Xeon Mac Pros were last released on August 7th, 2006. I think Mac Pros are due for a speed bump in March or April, in time for NAB.

Apple might release an 8-core version, and since they recently acquired Final Touch, we might see them release it in late March-early April as a strong possibility. That's my guess anyway.

But Tuesdays is always a possibility with a quiet, minor update of the specs. Who knows. Apple is so gosh darn secretive!

I think graphics card updates are in the offing along with price cuts. Intel cut prices in January, but I doubt we'll see speed bumps from Woodcrest.

Look for the Mac Pro updates to coincide with the Photoshop CS3 release and 10.5 Leopard. There is a massive professional market for universal binary Adobe apps out there waiting with cash-in-hand for new systems. If Adobe launches their entire UB Creative Suite at once, it's possible that NAB might be the timeframe because of After Effects and a Premier Pro beta.

 

[Umbongo]

I think graphics card updates are in the offing along with price cuts. Intel cut prices in January, but I doubt we'll see speed bumps from Woodcrest.

Look for the Mac Pro updates to coincide with the Photoshop CS3 release and 10.5 Leopard. There is a massive professional market for universal binary Adobe apps out there waiting with cash-in-hand for new systems. If Adobe launches their entire UB Creative Suite at once, it's possible that NAB might be the timeframe because of After Effects and a Premier Pro beta.

Don't expect price cuts. Intel didn't cut 5100 series processor prices and there are no scheduled cuts for the next price drop on April the 22nd. Now perhaps the sources that are covering it haven't bothered to mention Xeon pricing, but I doubt it. You're right about the speed bump also, 3.33Ghz is probably ready to come out, but they will wait for AMD to do something before they start shipping them or before any pricecuts are announced.

The Mac Pros don't really have any components that are going to see a big drop in price for the foreseable future. Just room for additional options like quad processors and possibly new graphics card options (though I wouldn't hold my breathe on that).

 

[flat five]

realistically, what will happen with the 2.66 refurb pricing?

I am ready to buy right now but can hold out for a couple of weeks if there will be a significant price drop.. (over $1 -200)..

how have the prices (specifically refurb prices) been affected in the past when new machines are introduced?

thanks,
Jeff

 

[BiikeMike]

So once Adobe releases their stuff as UB, do you think it will take advantage of multi cores?

What about the new rev. of Final Cut studio?

 

[synth3tik]

realistically, what will happen with the 2.66 refurb pricing?

I am ready to buy right now but can hold out for a couple of weeks if there will be a significant price drop.. (over $1 -200)..

how have the prices (specifically refurb prices) been affected in the past when new machines are introduced?

thanks,
Jeff

I really can't recall ever seeing refurb prices drop earlier then a couple months after a new machine has been released. I think you would have a pretty good shot of getting a refurb that won't go down in price tomorrow.