Apple please ditch the Mac Pro and embrace a modular Mac Mini

[xraydoc]

I fear that the days of the expandable and upgradable Mac Pro are at an end. I think Apple will introduce a Mac Pro with a high-performance, but otherwise completely unupgradable, SOC-based system like the current M1-based Macs. Configure all the RAM, SSD, CPU and GPU options at time of purchase. Need more? Replace the whole machine like a Mac mini. Think of the "trash can" Pro but without replaceable RAM & SSDs.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[MarkC426]

I tend to agree, but like yourself hope it doesn't go that way.
Creating a 'throwaway' machine is not environmentally friendly if replaced every couple of years.
At least with the cMP and 2019MP you can keep adding over many years.

I am waiting, with bated breath for a hint at wwdc about something regarding mac-mini-pro or mp news.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Many think the Mac Pro is too niche unflexible and expensive. When Apple said it would deliver a smaller mac pro I wish they meant a modular Mac Mini Pro...

This is not a new idea but with M1, Apple could finally embrace those modern hardware disaggregation principles from the data center into the personal computing arena and finally deliver modular stackable units for CPU, GPU, IO ports, all flash storage and maybe even RAM modules as well: all units connected to each other by QSFP DAC cables.

Think of a Mac Pro family consisting of "mini" stackable units. A CPU module would be based on the unified M1 architecture and have only a power port, a USB-C port and a 200 GbE QSFP NIC: a stand alone equivalent of NVidia Bluefield DPUs. Multiple CPU modules if connected together would act like a cluster. It's a shame that Apple gave up attempts at turning mac OS into a proper enterprise OS.

Apple would be happy to sell modules and users would be happy to upgrade as they feel. In my opinion this stuff would sell like hot cakes among all user categories from hobbyists to professionals...

It's not a bad idea. Or, at least, it doesn't have to be a bad idea. I think this was Apple's overall idea with the 2013 Mac Pro. In hindsight, they probably should've waited until Thunderbolt 3, but that probably only would've helped them so much.

External expansion that is as flexible as PCIe is much more costly than PCIe expansion. This is part of why this failed when Apple tried it before. Certainly, Apple is very aware that the Mac mini is often used in stackable clusters, but I think they probably feel like they need to strike a balance. The fact that the 2019 Mac Pro exists in a rack form factor in addition to the tower form factor is a sign that they, at least, realize that people want these machines in bulk and likely in a datacenter (or at least a server room) of some sort.

 

[Sydde]

I believe that they might well just dispense with the mini. The basic machine will be largely unchanged but it will just be called the "Mac", dropping "mini" from the name. The motherboard will be slightly modified, with traces (and perhaps actually drilling so that a proprietary connector can be set in it (at time of sale) to allow the addition of additional system boards and/or a PCI chassis.

These will be purchase options. It will just be a "Mac" that includes enhancement capabilities, which the buyer can specify at purchase time, along with possibly some kind of dual SoC option. The case will be made to fit the buyer's option choices. Using one motherboard will greatly simplify Apple's production line.

The point is for Apple to say “This Mac is so freaking good that ‘pro’ is no longer meaningful. It will get your work done as it is.”

 

[senttoschool]

I believe that they might well just dispense with the mini. The basic machine will be largely unchanged but it will just be called the "Mac", dropping "mini" from the name. The motherboard will be slightly modified, with traces (and perhaps actually drilling so that a proprietary connector can be set in it (at time of sale) to allow the addition of additional system boards and/or a PCI chassis.

These will be purchase options. It will just be a "Mac" that includes enhancement capabilities, which the buyer can specify at purchase time, along with possibly some kind of dual SoC option. The case will be made to fit the buyer's option choices. Using one motherboard will greatly simplify Apple's production line.

The point is for Apple to say “This Mac is so freaking good that ‘pro’ is no longer meaningful. It will get your work done as it is.”

I don't see the name change. The Mini is not iconic enough to warrant the name "Mac". It might confuse people and marketing too because Apple refers to "the Mac" as a collection of computers, rather than just one.

In fact, the Mac Mini is probably the least iconic computer in the Mac lineup.