Is the nMP an appliance?

[Gonk42]

Let me help you guys out to finish this debate.

appliance

definition:

a device or piece of equipment designed to perform a specific task.

Therefore the new Mac Pro is an appliance. The old Mac Pro is also an appliance. Every computer is an appliance.

The key word in your definition is "specific". Most workstations are designed to be flexible and to be applied to many different tasks from mathematical theorem proving to video editing. They are therefore not appliances according to your definition.

The new mac pro is closer to being an appliance as it is designed primarily for video editing.

 

[flat five]

Let me help you guys out to finish this debate.

appliance

definition:

a device or piece of equipment designed to perform a specific task.

Therefore the new Mac Pro is an appliance. The old Mac Pro is also an appliance. Every computer is an appliance.

ha.. the thread title is about as useful as the thread itself
(but the 'appliance' thing came from the last few comments of the original thread which was titled 'nmp upgradeability')

regardless, most elements of this 'debate' will have factual answers within a year or so-- many of which will come much sooner than that.

 

[theSeb]

The key word in your definition is "specific". Most workstations are designed to be flexible and to be applied to many different tasks from mathematical theorem proving to video editing. They are therefore not appliances according to your definition.

The new mac pro is closer to being an appliance as it is designed primarily for video editing.

Ahh, so you want to debate about the meaning of specific. All of the tasks you mentioned can be grouped under one specific task, for example, computing stuff. That is a specific task.

Is that better?

Or, you can then argue that the nMP is a workstation according to your definition and the topic can be closed.

The new mac pro is closer to being an appliance as it is designed primarily for video editing.

This is blatantly incorrect and shortsighted. I am not sure how you came to this silly conclusion. I am pretty sure that it was termed an "appliance" because people could not upgrade the GPU and CPU in it and could not add PCIe cards.

Either way - this is the most ludicrous discussion I have seen on these forums.

 

[flat five]

The new mac pro is closer to being an appliance as it is designed primarily for video editing.

fwiw, it looks like it's going to be a great CAD machine.. the best one which has ever come out of cupertino for sure..
so, if it was truly designed specifically for video editing (which i don't believe) then i'll definitely enjoy the trickle down effect.

 

[theSeb]

fwiw, it looks like it's going to be a great CAD machine.. the best one which has ever come out of cupertino for sure..
so, if it was truly designed specifically for video editing (which i don't believe) then i'll definitely enjoy the trickle down effect.

Ahhh. Two tasks now! Damn, it's definitely not an appliance then.

 

[flat five]

Ahhh. Two tasks now! Damn, it's definitely not an appliance then.

for all intents/purposes, i think 'appliance' as it's being used around here refers to computer appliance..

A computer appliance is generally a separate and discrete hardware device with integrated software (firmware), specifically designed to provide a specific computing resource. These devices became known as "appliances" because of their similarity to home appliances, which are generally "closed and sealed" – not serviceable by the owner. The hardware and software are pre-integrated and pre-configured before delivery to customer, to provide a "turn-key" solution to a particular problem. Unlike general purpose computers, appliances are generally not designed to allow the customers to change the software (including the underlying operating system), or to flexibly reconfigure the hardware.

 

[theSeb]

Yes, I realise that, but it is a banal debate.

 

[flat five]

Yes, I realise that, but it is a banal debate.

probably better to have it in one place as opposed to seeing 'it's not upgradable' in every other thread around here..