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Maybe some of us like the operating system, I could care less what the computer looks like, but I sure as hell care about the operating system and can't stand to look at Windows it just feels clunky to me, where using the Mac feels smooth and easy, where things are truly plug and play and you can get as deep as you want into the bones of the OS or just stay at the GUI and actually use your computer the way god intended, its up to you. I knew from the day that I purchased my first 128K Mac to the day I received my Studio Ultra that I was using something that had a tremendous value (saving me time and effort) I love the Mac Interface, how the computer looks is totally secondary or even does not really matter.

I'm glad that it works for you, but for me, I expect Apple to maintain the high standards in physical design they've established. When Jony Ives left the company, Apple's worth fell by EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS. Yes, billion with a B. So I'm not alone in liking Apple for the hardware designs as well as their great software design and usability (which are also important).
 
Well, I think the summary of this thread has been fairly disappointing.

It’s obvious that people either:

A) didn’t properly read my post. I was clearly saying that the Max Studio is a really great computer worth the price, with exceptional performance, I/O and cooling. I was only taking issue with the (objectively) lazy design.

B) truly do not care about how Apple products look. If that’s the case, I don’t know why that happened. But at best, it just shows that the users of Macrumors are clearly not typical Apple fans. Guarantee that every typical Apple fan loves the design and look of their products, both UI and hardware. Most Apple fans do not read Macrumors and demand M1 Ultra performance.

It’s sad to see a company that once produced literal works of art turn into one that creates boring (aluminium) boxes. I simply think Apple could’ve done better. They play it too safe now.

Yep, you summed it up perfectly.
 
The hardware is fine for me. The OS still sucks -- there still seem to be memory leaks -- and the apps that I use (eg, Lightroom) are not yet optimised for the hardware. Similarly, despite the best efforts of the standardisation committees, the performance of peripherals is patchy. Makes you wonder at how well Microsoft does...
 
I'm glad that it works for you, but for me, I expect Apple to maintain the high standards in physical design they've established. When Jony Ives left the company, Apple's worth fell by EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS. Yes, billion with a B. So I'm not alone in liking Apple for the hardware designs as well as their great software design and usability (which are also important).
Since their market is so high that's basically couch change. And in any case the stock is FAR higher now then it was when he announced his departure. Not significant, IOW.
 
I'm glad that it works for you, but for me, I expect Apple to maintain the high standards in physical design they've established. When Jony Ives left the company, Apple's worth fell by EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS. Yes, billion with a B. So I'm not alone in liking Apple for the hardware designs as well as their great software design and usability (which are also important).
Ivy is the same guy who designed the round mouse, right there it says it all, form over function, the trash can MacPro again form over function.

If I want to look at a piece of Art I can go to any number of web sites and bring up works of art on my 80" TV and look at art. I computer is not a work of Art (yes some can look better than others, but looks are also in the eye of the beholder) it is tool just like a saw, hammer, chisel, etc. Also the fact that Apple stock fell when Ivy left the company does not relate to this discussion, who cares and Apple has more than made it up over the months and years after he left.
 
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I love the look of the Max Studio. Reminds me of a Vaxstation. It has a high end workstation look.
 
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I'm glad that it works for you, but for me, I expect Apple to maintain the high standards in physical design they've established. When Jony Ives left the company, Apple's worth fell by EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS. Yes, billion with a B. So I'm not alone in liking Apple for the hardware designs as well as their great software design and usability (which are also important).
The vertical line marks the approximate announcement of Ive leaving. As you can see, that temporary drop was irrelevant, and Apple's value is fine with the new design team in charge. Regarding the design, I think Apple could have done something more interesting, but it looks good and is the "tall Mac mini" we were all expecting. It actually looks like a larger, but shorter Time Capsule which was a Johnny Ive design.

It will be interesting to see what the Mac Pro looks like.
Screen Shot 2022-05-01 at 9.30.29 AM.png
 
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The G4 Cube was prone to overheating and the clear plastic had stress cracks and mold lines, but the design was a favorite of many.

Screenshot 2022-05-01 at 10.23.58 AM.png
 
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Ivy is the same guy who designed the round mouse, right there it says it all, form over function, the trash can MacPro again form over function.

If I want to look at a piece of Art I can go to any number of web sites and bring up works of art on my 80" TV and look at art. I computer is not a work of Art (yes some can look better than others, but looks are also in the eye of the beholder) it is tool just like a saw, hammer, chisel, etc. Also the fact that Apple stock fell when Ivy left the company does not relate to this discussion, who cares and Apple has more than made it up over the months and years after he left.
My only issue with the 2013 Mac Pro was not that it put form over function but rather there was no cMP alternative. Had Apple continued to offer an updated cMP (or the 2019 Mac Pro) in addition to the 2013 Mac Pro I don't think there would have been nearly as many objections to it.

I think the Mac Studio would suffer the same "fate" of the 2013 Mac Pro if the 2019 Mac Pro didn't exist and / or Apple wasn't planning to make, we assume, an expandable AS Mac Pro.
 
No, what I'm disappointed by is the design. Frankly I think it looks very ugly, just as bad as the renders predicted, if not worse. A height-stretched Mac Mini has none of the elegance of the Mac Mini form factor, and is rather ridiculous.

I'm disappointed because Apple had a real chance to showcase a bold new design, like the M1 iMac, but instead they played it very, very safe, because of "pros hate colour" or "pros hate risktaking" or whatever.

This could've been a chance to do something like the G4 Cube – heck, I bet enthusiasts are already planning to mod a Mac Studio into a G4 case. To quote Steve Jobs, Apple could've had the power and the sex. They've got the power now... just not the beautiful design they once pioneered.

I'm asking them to be cool. Cool like the Cube, iMac G4 and iPod. Today, Apple's design team seems only capable of creating products that look like an iOS app. They're not pushing the boundaries anymore.
The Studio is absolutely gorgeous. It's the pinnacle of simplistic elegance. And it most certainly pushes boundaries. The Mac Mini was cool. The Studio is even cooler.

I recall the excitement I felt when I first saw the Studio. It was the Mac computer I always wanted.

The Cube was nothing less than hideous. The iMac G4 was not "cool". I thought of it as an April Fool's joke. It might have been better if it came with a big lamp shade.

And to compare it's looks to an iOS app? I have no idea what that even means.
 
The Studio reminds me of the Monolith from Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 Space Odyssey series - mysterious and powerful. That nondescript block of metal (and whatever the Monolith was made of) just says "try me"...
 
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Ive made mistakes, but they were the honest mistakes of someone reaching for the stars instead of playing it safe.

Everything new is designed with him in mind.
 
I'm glad that it works for you, but for me, I expect Apple to maintain the high standards in physical design they've established. When Jony Ives left the company, Apple's worth fell by EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS. Yes, billion with a B. So I'm not alone in liking Apple for the hardware designs as well as their great software design and usability (which are also important).
I agree with you on the design piece of the Studio. Looks like a square brick, not a bad brick, but could have been much sleeker. I think the mini looks better and also looks better on a desk.

I wish Ives would have stayed with the company and they would continue their neat designs, along with performance. For the price of the Studio, I want both.
 
Well I own the Studio, and I really like the design. It is not as distinctive as my 17" lamp iMac was, but that was never really possible, was it?
I don't like the non-expandable storage, and I really wish they had implemented a fan curve that made sense. But the design is fine in my book. Borderline great. Not that I look at it much, you can barely see it on my cluttered desk. ?
 
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The hardware is fine for me. The OS still sucks -- there still seem to be memory leaks -- and the apps that I use (eg, Lightroom) are not yet optimised for the hardware. Similarly, despite the best efforts of the standardisation committees, the performance of peripherals is patchy. Makes you wonder at how well Microsoft does...

not sure what you think would be optimized specifically for the Studio, Lightroom is for the most part single threaded. Since it's one of my primary apps for the Mac as well, it's why I'm just waiting on a new Mini rather than get a Studio, which I think would be more than I'd need.
 
More disappointed that it took until the release of the Mac Studio in order to be able to buy a new desktop machine that solidly scored higher in Metal benchmarks than a 2018 Mac Mini with a eGPU.
 
There definitely is something "off" with the Studios design, IMO. Every time I see one on someones desk my first reaction is "what’s that thing?".
 
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