Well, well, well...it's been quite some time since I've posted here. Last time I was here, I was the faithful and loyal owner of a 2019 Mac Pro and a studio full of Apple only. It was maxed out in every aspect and I swore by it. You wouldn't catch me dead with a non Apple product. Everyone here that was around in the beforetimes knows my entire studio runs on Apple. What that used to look like...
But then I had to do this, and the studio got upgraded...
And what that looks like now...
The upstairs studio is still powered by my M2 Pro Mac Mini...
...still rocking the dual apple monitors downstairs but...no world should exist where someone like me ends up with something like this.
Apple is dropping a serious ball.
...but are they??
I can't help but have this sneaking suspicion that Apple is heavily up to something. They've cancelled the Extreme version of 3 separate generations of M series chips so far...and while they may still be releasing the M4 Extreme "as reports have released saying they've cancelled, but logically that would be an M5 extreme if they did this late in the game"...I do NOT think they were ever working on an M4 Extreme in the first place.
They're not stupid...all of this is meticulously chewed over, and while they definitely make some errors in judgement from the perspective of the faithful power users, they also are the most powerful and wealthiest company on earth for reasons of the masses and creating mostly for them.
That said...there is only ONE reason to keep the 2019 Mac Pro chassis, and that is expandability...but not the current version of expandability.
I still believe Apple is working on an entirely separate brand new category Apple Silicon chip just for the Mac Pro. And my theory is that they are trying to put two of their technologies together. One would be a heavily modified version of the M series chips. Now this version would be far larger, and it would likely be open ended and run on some type of slot system which brings me to the next technology. I think they are likely creating a slot card system that would allow for personal GPU expansion. I could see them creating something that was your primary chip, as they already have the fastest CPU on earth...but that draws from the expanded GPU cards whenever needed "Unreal, C4D, Maya, Octane, Redshift, Arnold, V Ray, Houdini, Ai, etc...". These GPU cards would be custom chips that compete directly with the likes of Nvidia GPUs, much smaller, and not held back by wattage regulation. That's the thing about the M series chips...they are purposely nerfed to keep down power consumption, which is the right play, for the masses...but not for us...
I'm currently mocking up what I think that could look like, but that is the only thing I can come up with as to why people that are not Apple keep saying we will see an Extreme chip and then the same people that said that cancel the chip for them LOL. Apple hasn't said a single word about any of that stuff for a reason, and I think the reason is because people have been assuming that's what they've been working on, but in reality, it's been this. Their own version of GPU expansion. They've been working on their own version of everything else, so why then logically would they not have been working on their own version of GPU expansion all this time? The Mac Studio is more than enough for 90% of public consumers. Outside of studios, hobbyists, indie artists, bigger freelancers, and wealthy folks that like to be on the edge of tech, the Mac Studio maxed out is perfectly all that is needed for Apple to please the world and make bank...
...so then WHY are they still bothering all this time with a Mac Pro...unless they know something that we don't? The Mac Pro, more than anything, is meant to be the cornerstone of showing off what they can do. It's meant to be a show piece. It's supposed to be the "can't innovate my @$$" response to that continued annual question. Nobody expects them to sell these more than the other systems...most people will never be able to afford them. But they are absolutely meant to exist. Because Apple needs to let the world know who they are and what they can do.
This is very likely correct. I think I'm right...but then again, i'm also a dreamer, and this could just as easily be the ramblings of a man who simply doesn't want to let the Apple that could've been go. I don't know which path ends up actually being correct, but I'm sure you can guess which one my fingers are crossed for.
But then I had to do this, and the studio got upgraded...
And what that looks like now...
The upstairs studio is still powered by my M2 Pro Mac Mini...
...still rocking the dual apple monitors downstairs but...no world should exist where someone like me ends up with something like this.
Apple is dropping a serious ball.
...but are they??
I can't help but have this sneaking suspicion that Apple is heavily up to something. They've cancelled the Extreme version of 3 separate generations of M series chips so far...and while they may still be releasing the M4 Extreme "as reports have released saying they've cancelled, but logically that would be an M5 extreme if they did this late in the game"...I do NOT think they were ever working on an M4 Extreme in the first place.
They're not stupid...all of this is meticulously chewed over, and while they definitely make some errors in judgement from the perspective of the faithful power users, they also are the most powerful and wealthiest company on earth for reasons of the masses and creating mostly for them.
That said...there is only ONE reason to keep the 2019 Mac Pro chassis, and that is expandability...but not the current version of expandability.
I still believe Apple is working on an entirely separate brand new category Apple Silicon chip just for the Mac Pro. And my theory is that they are trying to put two of their technologies together. One would be a heavily modified version of the M series chips. Now this version would be far larger, and it would likely be open ended and run on some type of slot system which brings me to the next technology. I think they are likely creating a slot card system that would allow for personal GPU expansion. I could see them creating something that was your primary chip, as they already have the fastest CPU on earth...but that draws from the expanded GPU cards whenever needed "Unreal, C4D, Maya, Octane, Redshift, Arnold, V Ray, Houdini, Ai, etc...". These GPU cards would be custom chips that compete directly with the likes of Nvidia GPUs, much smaller, and not held back by wattage regulation. That's the thing about the M series chips...they are purposely nerfed to keep down power consumption, which is the right play, for the masses...but not for us...
I'm currently mocking up what I think that could look like, but that is the only thing I can come up with as to why people that are not Apple keep saying we will see an Extreme chip and then the same people that said that cancel the chip for them LOL. Apple hasn't said a single word about any of that stuff for a reason, and I think the reason is because people have been assuming that's what they've been working on, but in reality, it's been this. Their own version of GPU expansion. They've been working on their own version of everything else, so why then logically would they not have been working on their own version of GPU expansion all this time? The Mac Studio is more than enough for 90% of public consumers. Outside of studios, hobbyists, indie artists, bigger freelancers, and wealthy folks that like to be on the edge of tech, the Mac Studio maxed out is perfectly all that is needed for Apple to please the world and make bank...
...so then WHY are they still bothering all this time with a Mac Pro...unless they know something that we don't? The Mac Pro, more than anything, is meant to be the cornerstone of showing off what they can do. It's meant to be a show piece. It's supposed to be the "can't innovate my @$$" response to that continued annual question. Nobody expects them to sell these more than the other systems...most people will never be able to afford them. But they are absolutely meant to exist. Because Apple needs to let the world know who they are and what they can do.
This is very likely correct. I think I'm right...but then again, i'm also a dreamer, and this could just as easily be the ramblings of a man who simply doesn't want to let the Apple that could've been go. I don't know which path ends up actually being correct, but I'm sure you can guess which one my fingers are crossed for.
