Well, I would expect an "iMac Pro" to have at least 75% or 80% of the power that a Mac Pro does. Right now the top iMac is only at 50% of the Mac Pro's power.
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Let's rev up some excitement for the 2013 Mac Pro!
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Well, I would expect an "iMac Pro" to have at least 75% or 80% of the power that a Mac Pro does. Right now the top iMac is only at 50% of the Mac Pro's power.
What would you expect as an answer?
That depends on your equiment, obviously.
The top-of-the-line iMac has certainly more power than the standart Quadcore Mac Pro (4x 3.2) does, but it will crap off against a 12 core beast.
No matter what Tim said to try and quiet people about the lack of a new Mac Pro I do believe Apple is actively considering exiting the pro desktop market. The Mac Pro makes so little profit at this point I don't see how a business case can be made for significant investment into the machine at this point. At this point it has to be such a small group of customers that letting the PC builders have the market will make no difference at all to Apple's bottom line.
Even if Apple loses the few pro customers they have to Windows PCs for workstations those same people will still be Apple fans and buy iPhones, iPods and iPads. They won't leave Apple just because they are running a Windows PC for their work.
I think what some forget is that Apple is a corporation like all the rest and their main focus is doing whatever they need to do to maximize profit. The only way the Mac Pro (and desktop Macs in general) will continue into the future is if they can provide an excellent return versus the investment put into them. I don't doubt that the iMac probably still turns a decent profit, but when the current design becomes tired (as the Mac Pro has) will it be worth the investment to roll out a whole new machine? Time will tell, but this market is shrinking rapidly and today's Apple hates messing around in shrinking markets.
Even if Apple loses the few pro customers they have to Windows PCs for workstations those same people will still be Apple fans and buy iPhones, iPods and iPads. They won't leave Apple just because they are running a Windows PC for their work.
I think what some forget is that Apple is a corporation like all the rest and their main focus is doing whatever they need to do to maximize profit. The only way the Mac Pro (and desktop Macs in general) will continue into the future is if they can provide an excellent return versus the investment put into them. I don't doubt that the iMac probably still turns a decent profit, but when the current design becomes tired (as the Mac Pro has) will it be worth the investment to roll out a whole new machine? Time will tell, but this market is shrinking rapidly and today's Apple hates messing around in shrinking markets.
While you may be right I wouldn't buy iToys if I switch to Linux or Windows. The cost benefit really isn't there anymore the ecosystem is broken at that point.
Considering that the iDevices are becoming more and more standalone devices the ecosystem isn't really broke if the Mac is taken out of the mix. I would bet there are more PC owners at this point using iPhones and iPads then Mac users because the installed base of Windows machines is MUCH larger then that of Macs.
I think the Mac Mini, MBP, MBA and iMac business benefits greatly from the iOS devices. People who have always thought "Apple is nothing but expensive design" tries out an iPhone, gets hooked, and might be more open to consider an Apple computer next. So they try a Mac Mini at home, or an MBP on the run.
But that leaves out the MP. People don't buy that, because they are "somewhat" into Apple. Most iMac users don't upgrade to an MP either, they buy a new iMac if they want to upgrade. The strongest iMac increased 3-fold in performance between 2007 and 2011.
On the other hand, the MP could be the flagship product. GM sells Corvettes, even if it's in small numbers, because it's nice to show what "GM cars can do". Of course that requires Apple to treat the MP as their flagship product, which they haven't done the last several years.
As I've shown in a different thread, we can expect serious performance increases in the 2013 Mac Pro. There will be something for the pros next year, and without putting too much confidence in Tim's email, I doubt they'll discard the Mac Pro altogether. Seriously, all Apple have to do next year is upgrade to Sandy Bridge (which HP, Dell, etc. did in March-April this year) and they'll be back in the game.
I believe the delay in new MPs is due to the fact that Apple is working on a new case design for the MP. Nothing too revolutionary, and certainly not an xMac. It takes a while, cause the design must last 10 years.
But that leaves out the MP. People don't buy that, because they are "somewhat" into Apple. Most iMac users don't upgrade to an MP either, they buy a new iMac if they want to upgrade. The strongest iMac increased 3-fold in performance between 2007 and 2011.
On the other hand, the MP could be the flagship product. GM sells Corvettes, even if it's in small numbers, because it's nice to show what "GM cars can do". Of course that requires Apple to treat the MP as their flagship product, which they haven't done the last several years.
As I've shown in a different thread, we can expect serious performance increases in the 2013 Mac Pro. There will be something for the pros next year, and without putting too much confidence in Tim's email, I doubt they'll discard the Mac Pro altogether. Seriously, all Apple have to do next year is upgrade to Sandy Bridge (which HP, Dell, etc. did in March-April this year) and they'll be back in the game.
I believe the delay in new MPs is due to the fact that Apple is working on a new case design for the MP. Nothing too revolutionary, and certainly not an xMac. It takes a while, cause the design must last 10 years.
It depends on what you consider revolutionary. I wouldn't call it "revolutionary" if they drop ODDs, go to 2.5" slots instead of 3.5", drop the "CPU sledge" and put everything on one board and move other parts around inside the case as well. But it still requires engineering.
But please do tell, what's delaying Apple?
The CPUs are ready. Modifying the reference board to Apple needs doesn't take a year, even if they need to find an elegant way to pipe output from the GPU to the mainboard.
Apple's headaches are in all other areas than the core of the machine, which boils down to the physical external and internal design.
Probably all of it. Lazy, resources elsewhere, not caring. I am betting they want a new X chipset. But any of your listed reasons are viable.
Thats why I said I...
You right there are many Windows users with iToys but the tend not to be disenchanted former Mac user's.
The Macintosh is the personal computer of Apple Inc. It is what defines their company, even if it currently only generates a minority of their income.
They must maintain a flagship Macintosh that showcases the highest potential of the Mac.
And they will.
They must maintain a flagship Macintosh that showcases the highest potential of the Mac.
And they will.
I was trying to point out that because there's a lot of variance in cpu powers depending on model and also becasue gpu plays a role in here, there's no idea saying:
Obvoiusly you didn't get my idea. Sorry for that.
MP being axed and then resurrected again for next model would explain this well. After designing of iph5 & ipa4, they maybe have some free resources to put for MP design. Ordering parts half an year ahead will lower their cost significantly, since suppliers can make them when they have more free resources and so on...
I guess Apple's problem with MP being flagship is, that MP does not represent what Apple thinks their biggest advances. There's nothing magical in MP, it's big and bulky and it doesn't tell the story about how geniuses can fit so much power in so small product and how it will revolutionize the whole information society.
^^Think this idea came up earlier before and while possible it's nevertheless unlikely. Instead of one 'beautifully' designed object on my desk I have 3-5?
But this brings me to one point I really would love to see, however designed: one, or three - I don't care, unit(s) I can just store couple of meters away within my locker, cabinet, closet whatever and having just ONE cable running to my Apple Display (this could be also a touchdisplay + smaller proc so for surfing, watching movies or whatever light stuff I don't need to fire up the MacPro). I'm sure something like this is posssible today, but not out of the box and not from apple.
But this brings me to one point I really would love to see, however designed: one, or three - I don't care, unit(s) I can just store couple of meters away within my locker, cabinet, closet whatever and having just ONE cable running to my Apple Display (this could be also a touchdisplay + smaller proc so for surfing, watching movies or whatever light stuff I don't need to fire up the MacPro). I'm sure something like this is posssible today, but not out of the box and not from apple.
Honestly, I'm sick of Xcode being the only reason cited for why the Mac Pro is essential.
As I've outlined in great detail before, the Mac Pro is so much more powerful than its laptop/all-in-one equivalents, that it is a valid choice not just for professionals, but for anybody who has the cash on hand and wants to make a more long-term investment than what an iMac would provide them.
Three years after purchasing a higher end Mac Pro, you'll still have a machine more powerful than the iMacs that are coming out. This is why I purchase the Mac Pro.. simply because it's the fastest, most capable Mac by a long shot.
I don't do anything that "needs" it.. I just want speed and power and upgradeability that will last a long time.
Like VNC from your iMac or mini on the desk to MP in the closet/server room?
Seriously, when/if 100Gb (optical) TB will arrive, this could be possible if display would act like dumb terminal / very light power computer.
It just needs a whole lot of bandwidth to show eg. display data for double 27" retinas...
Actions speak louder than words. Apple have already killed off two professional products because they don't make them 'enough' money. Specifically, Final Cut Pro and the 17 inch line of Macbook Pos. I can't see any difference between these and the MacPro (in terms of market positioning).
For this reason I just can't see Apple brining to market what would be a very niche product for the very few people (relatively) that need more power than the top end Macbook Pros and future iMacs. There's about as much in it for them as there was for Final Cut Pro and 17 inch Macbook Pos!!!
For this reason I just can't see Apple brining to market what would be a very niche product for the very few people (relatively) that need more power than the top end Macbook Pros and future iMacs. There's about as much in it for them as there was for Final Cut Pro and 17 inch Macbook Pos!!!
I believe they will continue the MP line, despite it probably being their lowest profit product for the simple fact that MP users in a nutshell are their most hardcore supporters. We are the knights in the kings army, so to speak, and kings understand they can be decapitated if they do not keep the knights happy.
Killing FCP and turning it into muppet studio created that initial whip lash. Lots of us now are umming and ahhing, feeling burnt, but still the majority are loyal and hopeful. And despite that bit of a burn, look at the outry that was created. While this outcry hasn't been enough to damage the bottom line, keep in mind this was just a minor outcry of a not-yet-fully-toasted customer hardcore user base.
We are influential users who carried the flags initially that created the movement to Apple. Unless Apple have completely lost the plot in a feast of gold and fat their marketing team understand they must keep us happy or the opposite fall from the heights can happen just as easily.
I don't know the future, but killing the MP line would be suicide. It would be the final nail in the coffin (in my opinion).
Apple are not invincible - many great dynasties just as big, if not bigger, have had very sudden deaths all throughout history.
Killing FCP and turning it into muppet studio created that initial whip lash. Lots of us now are umming and ahhing, feeling burnt, but still the majority are loyal and hopeful. And despite that bit of a burn, look at the outry that was created. While this outcry hasn't been enough to damage the bottom line, keep in mind this was just a minor outcry of a not-yet-fully-toasted customer hardcore user base.
We are influential users who carried the flags initially that created the movement to Apple. Unless Apple have completely lost the plot in a feast of gold and fat their marketing team understand they must keep us happy or the opposite fall from the heights can happen just as easily.
I don't know the future, but killing the MP line would be suicide. It would be the final nail in the coffin (in my opinion).
Apple are not invincible - many great dynasties just as big, if not bigger, have had very sudden deaths all throughout history.
I kind of agree. They need to keep their foot in that professional industry. That's their soul.
Really. Killed off? I think you meant "neutered and bastardized for now, perhaps forever".
Apple hasn't killed much, but they have forgotten and disturbed their "pro" stuff as they lunged for megabux. Hope the inner m.o. realizes the development of their higher-end products help fuel the future of their iDevices.
Apple doing 2-year Pro cycles isn't a big deal. 3-year cycles are bad; torturous.
I'm with this.No more Macs,no more I-toys.And if Win8 will offer Appz like Logic or the Appstore quality well,the game would be really hard for Apple.Period.