From Facebook's "We Want a New Mac Pro"

[deconstruct60]

We'll see, but I don't think Apple are going to undercut their iMacs with headless cheaper desktop and I think that the $2,499 price will remain as it has for many years.

There is a significant gap between the $1999 where the iMacs end ( excluding the BTO options. those just muddle the price continuity between models) and the $2,499 'starting line' for the Mac Pro.

Using $100 gaps could put three products in there: $2099 , $2199, $2299. Even with $200 gaps could put three with small overlap on the last: $2099 , $2299 , $2499. If entry Mac Pro shifted to $2599 there would be no overlap and Apple would be OCD happy.


One of the major problems the Mac Pro has is it is not using the full $2000+ price zone it should have control over ( presuming there is a product pricing exclusion zones policy at Apple... which lots of evidence backs up with 13" laptop logjam aside. One of those 13" isn't going to survive. ) That just suppresses Mac Pro sales for no good reason.

And trying to goose iMac BTO sales so that the top CPU + top GPU option is still below the Mac Pro is short sighted.

Maybe it'll be better value this time or maybe it will be cheaper, but they know they can sell Macs at that price.

If they were selling enough at that price to demonstrate desirable growth they would have updated the product long before now. The sales have been unsatisfactory. That's why the product almost died. To keep with exactly the same strategy is inviting doom for the product. There is a substantively higher probability here for a change precisely because what they were doing before did not work. Something is going to change.
That could be price or feature mix or some combination but something.

 

[d-m-a-x]

Pci?

It seems like they are going to give us 2 pci slots for gpu options. Hopefully they will be accessible, not a sealed box

 

[KaraH]

There is a significant gap between the $1999 where the iMacs end ( excluding the BTO options. those just muddle the price continuity between models) and the $2,499 'starting line' for the Mac Pro.

Remember that is without a monitor so there is a bigger gulf between the price points.

 

[goMac]

It seems like they are going to give us 2 pci slots for gpu options. Hopefully they will be accessible, not a sealed box

If they give us actual slots I'd see no reason why to not make them accessible. But GPU doesn't necessarily mean slots.

 

[MatthewAMEL]

Thunderbolt requires that there is a Display Port signal integrated into the motherboard.

No, it doesn't.

It only requires the presence of a DisplayPort signal to support TB monitors. This signal can come from a IGP or a PCIe graphics card.

Someone might want to tell Intel it wasn't designed for storage. Or you could just watch the IDF2010 Light Peak Demo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ox_inwLSl0

 

[d-m-a-x]

If they give us actual slots I'd see no reason why to not make them accessible. But GPU doesn't necessarily mean slots.

you hinting at integrated gpu?

 

[MatthewAMEL]

Any bets on Thunderbolt 2 making it into the new Mac Pro?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57587687-92/intels-thunderbolt-2-official-coming-later-this-year/

 

[d-m-a-x]

I just threw up in my mouth a little

If it looks like this i am going PC

 

[goMac]

you hinting at integrated gpu?

Maybe. It depends. There are a few PC manufacturers shipping Thunderbolt motherboards that work with discrete GPUs without cable rerouting funniness, but most of them use integrated graphics only over Thunderbolt.

 

[scottrichardson]

Not had time to read all posts.. but here's my $0.02.

If these rumours pan out to be true, then I don't mind the outcome. SOME people JUST need the power of the Mac Pro, ie: The XEONs and the GPU. SOME people need the power AND the expansion.

By decoupling the expansion (PCI slots, 2-3 Drive Bays), Apple is still catering to both sets of users. Users who just need the power will now only pay for the power, while users who need the expansion will be able to use a Thunderbolt Chassis with PCI slots in it, or RAID arrays or any other Thunderbolt option.

IF this is rack mountable, AND IF Apple DOES deliver it's own Thunderbolt Chassis, then we could assume that the chassis will be rack mountable too.

I don't care much for rack mounting. But I'm sure this solution may end up appeasing a lot of users, including those who were hard done by when the XServe products were wiped out?

 

[FluJunkie]

If it looks like this i am going PC

I actually kinda like the idea of those as servers, but not for a workstation.

 

[d-m-a-x]

Not had time to read all posts.. but here's my $0.02.

If these rumours pan out to be true, then I don't mind the outcome. SOME people JUST need the power of the Mac Pro, ie: The XEONs and the GPU. SOME people need the power AND the expansion.

By decoupling the expansion (PCI slots, 2-3 Drive Bays), Apple is still catering to both sets of users. Users who just need the power will now only pay for the power, while users who need the expansion will be able to use a Thunderbolt Chassis with PCI slots in it, or RAID arrays or any other Thunderbolt option.

IF this is rack mountable, AND IF Apple DOES deliver it's own Thunderbolt Chassis, then we could assume that the chassis will be rack mountable too.

I don't care much for rack mounting. But I'm sure this solution may end up appeasing a lot of users, including those who were hard done by when the XServe products were wiped out?

The chassis run $500-$1000. No Firewire and no pci is a double whammy that would really burn

 

[goMac]

The chassis run $500-$1000. No Firewire and no pci is a double whammy that would really burn

Firewire adapters are $30. If it's just Firewire that's a problem, it's not really a big deal.

PCI? Maybe. But if the new Mac Pro/whatever is $1000 cheaper it all evens out. But most people don't have non-video PCI-E cards in their Mac Pros.

 

[spunkgarLEWII]

I agree 300 percent. I need expandability for my drives as my Mac Pro is mainly used as a server to host files for my other machines. A non-expandable Mac Pro or whatever its gonna be called is grounds for not getting one. I have a very VERY huge feeling we are all going to be in for a major disapointment.. a disappointment that could cost dearly.

I think the Mac Pro we all love and cherish is about to take a nose dive for the worse and end up like a hybrid mac mini or hybrid iMac like machine.

We will have to wait until next week for sure.

No internal expandabity ??? WHAT ?!?!?

No internal expandabity means my next machine will be a Hackint0sh, without question.

The whole point of the Mac Pro IS internal expandabity. If Apple has the audacity to actually release a machine like that, they can kiss my $$$$ goodbye.

Ill build the machine that I want. To hell with them.

 

[Wild-Bill]

But most people don't have non-video PCI-E cards in their Mac Pros.

I have a PCI-E USB 3.0 card in my Mac Pro, since it doesn't have USB 3.0.

And quite a few people have PCI-E SSD solutions.

 

[d-m-a-x]

I agree 300 percent. I need expandability for my drives as my Mac Pro is mainly used as a server to host files for my other machines. A non-expandable Mac Pro or whatever its gonna be called is grounds for not getting one. I have a very VERY huge feeling we are all going to be in for a major disapointment.. a disappointment that could cost dearly.

I think the Mac Pro we all love and cherish is about to take a nose dive for the worse and end up like a hybrid mac mini or hybrid iMac like machine.

We will have to wait until next week for sure.

On top of a t-bolt pci chassis, i'll need to get a hard drive chassis and an optical media chassis.
Too many added costs, not worth it

 

[goMac]

On top of a t-bolt pci chassis, i'll need to get a hard drive chassis and an optical media chassis.
Too many added costs, not worth it

An optical media chassis? An external optical drive is what, $50? And there are many different price points of hard drives. The thing is more than likely still going to have USB3 ports, so it's not like you're limited to Thunderbolt either.

 

[scottrichardson]

I have a PCI-E USB 3.0 card in my Mac Pro, since it doesn't have USB 3.0.

And quite a few people have PCI-E SSD solutions.

Yeah, I have a PCI USB3 card, and I also have a Sonnet Tempo Pro SSD Card so I can get SATA III and RAIDED SSDs.

But if the new Mac Pro has USB on board, AND it has 2 SATA III drive bays internally, then I won't need either of those PCI slots. The only other PCI cards I have are two GPUs - which, as the OP stated, will be included anyway.

 

[d-m-a-x]

An optical media chassis? An external optical drive is what, $50? And there are many different price points of hard drives. The thing is more than likely still going to have USB3 ports, so it's not like you're limited to Thunderbolt either.

Yeah, need something that can house 4 hard drives (Icy Dock $400), Blu Ray enclosures (yeah, 27 a piece) and the T Bolt Chassis. Hopefully they are open pci slots and internal room for drives - but it does not sound like it.

On top of being expensive, this stuff is going to be all spagetti mickey mouse with all the cables going all over the place - What is the logic here??????

 

[crjackson2134]

Yeah, On top of being expensive, this stuff is going to be all spagetti mickey mouse with all the cables going all over the place - What is the logic here??????

Don't get too worked up. If and it's a BIG IF, Apple does cut out a lot internal options, it's likely they'll have an elegant solution. For example... Stackable modules of bays for different purposes. Selectable by the user so he/she can upgrade/expand as needed. With this design, upgrading the processor module would be easier, cheaper, and nearly unlimited. Think of it as taking a hacksaw to your tower and dividing into 3-4 stackable units, with the base unit housing the processor and main boards.

 

[VirtualRain]

I agree 300 percent. I need expandability for my drives as my Mac Pro is mainly used as a server to host files for my other machines. A non-expandable Mac Pro or whatever its gonna be called is grounds for not getting one.

If that's all you use it for, you will never need to upgrade your Mac Pro... Isn't a Mac Pro way overkill for a file server? I mean, I use a Mac Mini dual core for that with a couple of FW RAID enclosure that cost a fraction of a Mac Pro.

 

[mokeiko]

I have a PCI-E USB 3.0 card in my Mac Pro, since it doesn't have USB 3.0.

And quite a few people have PCI-E SSD solutions.

Exactly, I've got PCI-E SSD, PCI-E ATTO Raid Card, PCI-E Sonnet 4-Port esata Card. I actually wished the MacPro came with 6 or 8 PCI-E slots.

mokeiko

 

[d-m-a-x]

Don't get too worked up. If and it's a BIG IF, Apple does cut out a lot internal options, it's likely they'll have an elegant solution. For example... Stackable modules of bays for different purposes. Selectable by the user so he/she can upgrade/expand as needed. With this design, upgrading the processor module would be easier, cheaper, and nearly unlimited. Think of it as taking a hacksaw to your tower and dividing into 3-4 stackable units, with the base unit housing the processor and main boards.

Alright, that could work.

 

[JM-Prod]

- It will be heavily reliant on Thunderbolt.
- There will be no internal expandability.

Eh... this machine is useless for serious post-production. Why not use an iMac if this becomes a reality? I don't really see how it would differ. I need to add several GPU's. A redrocket and internal raid... If Apple won't let us do that any more, then; **** Apple, and move on. Linux, Avid, Adobe and Windows, and Samsung phones...

 

[ValSalva]

If they were selling enough at that price to demonstrate desirable growth they would have updated the product long before now. The sales have been unsatisfactory. That's why the product almost died. To keep with exactly the same strategy is inviting doom for the product. There is a substantively higher probability here for a change precisely because what they were doing before did not work. Something is going to change.
That could be price or feature mix or some combination but something.

Good explanation of why a change like this may take place. The only question now is when will we find out.