Next workstation-class mac will be called Mac Studio

[rondocap]

The next Mac Pro would definitely be Apple silicon. The 2019 Intel Mac Pro will be obsolete in 3-4 years.

I wonder if this puts to rest any ideas of a refreshed Intel Mac Pro, or if it's now completely done and just waiting for the AS Mac Pro.

From seeing the supposed M1 Ultra performance, I can see how a Mac Pro that ticks a few extra boxes (Like PCIE slots or some expandability) will completely make the Intel Mac Pro unnecessary.

We'll see, maybe WWDC in June?

 

[cloudphrenia]

My favorite part was when he said “modularity” and then presented a square cMP, but without the user replaceable CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD

 

[JMacHack]

Seems no internal expansion and user replaceable parts.

Yeah it seems Apple has a different definition to what “modular” means.

 

[mikas]

I was going to expand and translate your thoughts into world wide politics, but didn't.

There is NO modularity in that Studio Box, according to a Bill Schiller "homework eaten" testimony few years ago at least.

 

[Boil]

My favorite part was when he said “modularity” and then presented a square cMP, but without the user replaceable CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD

Yeah it seems Apple has a different definition to what “modular” means.

"And finally, many want a modular system and display, so they can create their perfect set-up."​

 

[mikas]

I might stretch for an idea of putting a few of these things in a pile. Wouldn't that be a module(ar) of Studios?

 

[cloudphrenia]

Well excuse me! He said “modular” but put “modularity” on the slide. (35:50).

 

[kvic]

I might stretch for an idea of putting a few of these things in a pile. Wouldn't that be a module(ar) of Studios?

I believe you can. 4 x M1 Ultra (/w 128GB RAM each) to create a 512GB cluster using TB4 connectivity. Sooner or later we'll see a youtuber coming out with such a video.

 

[Boil]

Well excuse me! He said “modular” but put “modularity” on the slide. (35:50).

I was not trying to correct anything, was just commenting how Apple changed the definition of modularity...

 

[macaddress]

Modularity at purchase to fit your studio, tell we release just like the next iphone and render your box obsolete next year. Though the biggest cliff hanger in history @55:40 "just one more last thing, the mac pro"

 

[zephonic]

Any of the old-timers here remember when folks used to pine for a so-called “xMac”?

 

[mikas]

xMac's been a dream of mine for a life time now.

 

[mikas]

Modularity at purchase

Well that's it right spot on, pardon me.

 

[edanuff]

When do we get a new forum for the Studio?

 

[mode11]

I wonder if this puts to rest any ideas of a refreshed Intel Mac Pro, or if it's now completely done and just waiting for the AS Mac Pro.

There was 0% chance that Apple were ever going to refresh the 2019 MP.

A) Apple have historically updated the Intel Mac Pro very sporadically. During 2009-2012 the MP was essentially unchanged. The 2013 MP wasn't updated for 6 years. The iMac Pro never got an update during its 2017-2021 lifespan.

B) Apple have historically been quick to discontinue technologies they see as obsolete. The infamous 'courage'. They aren't sentimental when it comes to moving on e.g. dropping 32 bit application support.

C) They want to get the architecture transition done ASAP, so they can drop Intel code (and AMD drivers) from macOS and standardise company-wide on ARM. Bringing out new Intel machines would drag this out; if they released a new MP model in 2022, they couldn't drop Intel until, say, 2028.

D) Apple Silicon is fast enough that for 2019 Mac Pro money, they can make a monster SoC package with multiple Max dies that is fast enough for practically anyone.

E) For anyone whom an AS MP can't serve e.g. people who need Nvidia GPUs for VFX work, Apple is quite happy for them to use a PC workstation. They're all-in on the AS SoC architecture, and aren't going to provide a completely different system architecture and code path for 0.01% of its user base to use PCIe GPUs.

 

[zephonic]

They said the next Mac Pro is coming and John Siracusa reposted this diagram on Twitter that displayed a SoC essentially twice the M1Ultra...

 

[mode11]

They said the next Mac Pro is coming and John Siracusa reposted this diagram on Twitter that displayed a SoC essentially twice the M1Ultra...

The problem with this general approach is that it broadly ties the number of CPU and GPU cores together. What if an M1 Max has enough CPU cores, but someone wants 8x the GPU cores?

I guess in practice it means the customer is forced to pay for surplus CPU cores. This could get very expensive, but if the overall cost / performance is acceptable, and macOS compatibility is valued enough, this may not prevent a sale.

 

[goMac]

The problem with this general approach is that it ties the number of CPU and GPU cores. What if an M1 Max has enough CPU cores, but someone wants 8x the GPU cores?

I guess in practice it means the customer is forced to pay for surplus CPU cores. This could get very expensive, but if the overall cost / performance is acceptable, and macOS compatibility is valued enough, this may not prevent a sale.

Yeah, I'm kind of doubting it's just going to be this simple. If a Mac Pro was going to be an SoC system it's not enough of a distinction from the Mac Studio.

 

[mode11]

Yeah, I'm kind of doubting it's just going to be this simple. If a Mac Pro was going to be an SoC system it's not enough of a distinction from the Mac Studio.

It may include PCIe slots, but not for video? I.e. there will be no drivers for AMD / Nvidia GPUs.

Plus it will have a higher RAM ceiling and support for 2x Ultra.

 

[grouch]

I was so excited when he said modular.. then realized he meant the monitor.. I want to see the inside of one of these!

 

[goMac]

It may include PCIe slots, but not for video? I.e. there will be no drivers for AMD / Nvidia GPUs.

Plus it will have a higher RAM ceiling and support for 2x Ultra.

I'm not sure. But I think it has to be distinct enough from the Mac Studio to justify the Mac Pro name and separate product line. And Apple said M1 Ultra is the last version of the M1.

 

[Jorbanead]

They said the next Mac Pro is coming and John Siracusa reposted this diagram on Twitter that displayed a SoC essentially twice the M1Ultra...

They said in the keynote that the M1 Ultra was the last chip in the M1 family. So this must mean that the Mac Pro will just use two of these chips (like the old 2012 Mac Pro).

 

[JMacHack]

The problem with this general approach is that it broadly ties the number of CPU and GPU cores together. What if an M1 Max has enough CPU cores, but someone wants 8x the GPU cores?

Taking the architecture into consideration I’m not sure how well more gpu cores could be fed by the same amount of performance cores.

Like, an 8 cpu core m1 that can’t feed a 64-gpu core would be pointless.

 

[goMac]

They said in the keynote that the M1 Ultra was the last chip in the M1 family. So this must mean that the Mac Pro will just use two of these chips (like the old 2012 Mac Pro).

They also specifically called out dual CPU configurations as being bad and said they scaled badly. So it doesn't seem likely.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

Any of the old-timers here remember when folks used to pine for a so-called “xMac”?

Guess I need to update my sig. The experiment is a complete success. HP Z series Hackintosh FTW.

Yeah, I'm kind of doubting it's just going to be this simple. If a Mac Pro was going to be an SoC system it's not enough of a distinction from the Mac Studio.

Makes me wonder if their secret sauce is some backplane, old school quad Xeon motherboard style. Ships with one M2 populated. Buy additional M2s as user serviceable upgrades.
[edit] let me shut up & go watch the presentation