Ladies and Gentlemen, place your bets: November Surprise!

[fastlanephil]

http://www.recode.net/2016/10/18/13323264/apple-new-macs-october-27

Apple plans to launch new Macs at an October 27 event

The MacBook Pro is mentioned but that's it so far. There could be more and Apple just wants to highlight it's best seller.

 

[star-affinity]

Which app switcher are you referring to on each platform? On Windows I have two applications listed on the task bar: Firefox and putty. Firefox has a single entry on the task bar despite multiple windows being opened. I will see multiple entries for putty if I open multiple sessions. On OS X, at least Mavericks, VirtualBox has multiple dock entries...one per running guest OS. Therefore I would suggest multiple / single entries are a function of the specific application being run and not the OS itself.

On OS X one thing I dislike about the Dock is how it shifts open programs around as they're brought to the foreground and then minimized. I much prefer the Windows way of leaving everything static.

I'm referring to pressing "cmd tab" in macOS and "alt tab" in Windows. Much easier to quickly find the app I want in macOS compared to Windows when there are many apps and windows open.

Things in the Dock stay pretty static as long as you have the app set to remain in the Dock even if it's not running. But I still get your point about a static task bar in Windows. Still there are other advantages to the macOS Dock, for example that you can drag and drop files directly onto the app icon in the Dock to ask that app to open it, or put folders in the Dock that can be navigated directly from it (I like putting the Applications folder there which sort of becomes a start menu for launching apps).

Another thing I like about the app switcher (cmd tab) is that files can be draged onto the apps viewed there too – grab hold of a file you want to open, active the apps switcher (cmd tab) and let go of tab, but keep holding down cmd and drop the file on the app you want to open it.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

With the "hello again" invitation theme, I can't help but hold on to a cruel pipe dream for option 1:

New Mini Tower form factor with easy expansion, whipping Mac enthusiasts into a frenzy of delight

Power, cooling, and space for solid state storage, dual sockets, tons of RAM, and 4 full sized GPUs. Give it to me.

 

[slughead]

“If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it's worth — and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago.”
– Steve Jobs, before he returned to Apple [Fortune, February 1996]

Then he released the imac 2 years later and brought back Apple?

 

[Xteec]

Please this.

With the "hello again" invitation theme, I can't help but hold on to a cruel pipe dream for option 1:

New Mini Tower form factor with easy expansion, whipping Mac enthusiasts into a frenzy of delight

Power, cooling, and space for solid state storage, dual sockets, tons of RAM, and 4 full sized GPUs. Give it to me.

 

[theitsage]

Then he released the imac 2 years later and brought back Apple?

Apple used its Mac user base to launch the next great thing.

 

[ssgbryan]

Throw my $5 for a 64-core ARM Mac Pro with BTO of 128GB RAM & 10TB SSD.

Hey... gotta stay optimistic!

running what software?

 

[ActionableMango]

Even if there was a Rosetta II to run software on ARM Macs, ARM Mac would kill Windows compatibility.

I did a survey in forums to see how many people ran Windows via dual boot, VM, or WINE and came up with this (IIRC):

Mac Pro: 80%
Mac Mini: 50%

When even Mac Mini users are using Windows to such a degree, this is a clearly important feature. ARM Mac would trigger an exodus from anyone needing to use Windows.

 

[Philocetes]

I see some more definite predictions on the front page here to the effect that mac pro isn't being discussed and the i series has to wait till mid next year. Thus far, 49% of the voters in my poll predicted this, and I will admit I was not among them. So, only two days to nail this down. My decision to get an extra cmp as backup, and upgrade the cpe and memory of my cmps feels like the right move for me at this point.

Still only speculation, though.

I am currently fighting a perhaps losing battle against myself as I have the urge to build a hack just because I like building new systems even though I don't really need them.

 

[tuxon86]

running what software?

Flappy bird in 5k res

 

[Joe The Dragon]

I would be surprised if OS X isn't dead in 5 years or less.

It's starting to look like Apple is seeking a transition to iOS and will simply let the Mac die a slow death. If they keep updating the Mac OS and hardware at the current rate sales will drop off a cliff as customers walk away in disgust. Then they will be able to use the old 'Oh well, the Mac wasn't selling' excuse to put it out to pasture. Professionals or anyone else in need of a device that is more than an oversized iPhone will switch to Windows. Sooner or later we'll probably see some sort of Surface style iPad device with a marginally more sophisticated version of iOS and a keyboard that may be picked up by the MacBook Air crowd.

Since the passing of Jobs there is no one left at Apple who is an advocate for the Mac. Tim 'Stay Tuned' Cook certainly isn't. The rest of management is busy with the iPhone, services, the music business or fashion industry. Jony looks to be borderline retired, with someone like Mac Newson waiting in the wings.

time for WOZ to come back?

 

[ActionableMango]

One More Day

Hope:
Slots and bays.

Prediction:
A 6,1 with little or no change. Maybe something small like a ~$100 price drop like the current non-retina MBP, or a spec bump like the 2012 MP.

Fear:
No mention at all, or discontinued entirely.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

Mango, right there with ya. Would LOVE an appliance with slots. Even if the "bays" were strictly for flash storage.

 

[pat500000]

One more day:

HOPE: Anything that kills 6,1

Prediction: vegas/polaris

Fear: Tim doesn't know what Mac Pro is.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

Good night Fellas, catch you here tomorrow!

 

[Flint Ironstag]

*yawn* Good morning! Got a couple of small things to take care of, then turning off the ringer and firing up the Apple TV for this live stream. This'll be the first event I've watched in years.

So who has their credit card warmed up, and how much are you willing to spend? I'd happily go $6500 for a 6-8 core with fast single threaded performance and dual GTX 1080 level performance. Ha! Torturing myself again.

 

[markwilliams4321]

I don't know if this is an indication or just normal Apple behaviour but I can't buy a Mac Pro online or via the telephone sales team.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

The online store has been taken offline. It's on the front page here.

 

[mrxak]

They always take down the store.

Whatever happens today, it'll probably be clear to me by the end of November what my next workstation looks like. Either a nnMP that doesn't suck, or a home built Linux box I can dual boot into Windows like I do now on my Mac. There's no way I'm switching to Windows full time though.

 

[filmak]

They always take down the store.

Whatever happens today, it'll probably be clear to me by the end of November what my next workstation looks like. Either a nnMP that doesn't suck, or a home built Linux box I can dual boot into Windows like I do now on my Mac. There's no way I'm switching to Windows full time though.

Have you thought about a dual boot Hackintosh?

 

[mrxak]

Have you thought about a dual boot Hackintosh?

Thought about it, and might go tri-boot in the transition, but if Apple's no longer making workstations and OS X—sorry, macOS—continues to be neglected as much as I feel it has been lately, it's better I just get used to doing things with Linux. Who knows what sort of Hackintoshes will even be viable five years from now if Apple does abandon the Mac Pro. Frankly I've been disappointed with a lot of the choices Apple has been making since Snow Leopard.

 

[mrxak]

Make that: who knows what sort of Hackintoshes will even be viable five years from now if Apple does abandon desktop computers.

 

[filmak]

Make that: who knows what sort of Hackintoshes will even be viable five years from now if Apple does abandon desktop computers.

Yes, I understand you and I agree...

 

[JimGoshorn]

Looks like a lot of wagerers just crapped out...

 

[mrxak]

Looks like a lot of wagerers just crapped out...

To be fair, the topic says November. It's not November yet.