I won't lie, the biggest slap in the face with this "update" was the graphics card. I mean it's not that hard to at least give us a current card on the old hardware. Even then Apple could make some money on 1st party aftermarket GPU sales. I bought a 5870 for my 2008 MacPro from Apple.... I'd probably buy a 7000 series card now if they offered it.
I agree totally, closely followed by the miserly 1TB HD too!!!
Surely 2TB should be standard now for their 'pro' machine.
2TB HD's are ubiquitous now and can be purchased for about £80, yet Apple would charge me £130 to have it instead of the 1TB drive or £250 to have it as an additional 2nd drive, which is just scandalous!
If Apple had bumped the Graphics card to even a 5870 and fitted 2GB HD as standard, then it would have softened the blow and made the update far more significant, but to count what they have done as an 'update' is really very poor indeed.
I believe Apple have (intentionally?) cannibalised the sales of the Mac Pro by making the tower almost entirely the preserve of the professional.
Now I understand that this is their pro machine, but many people (like me) use pro machines without being 'a pro'.
That's why MacBook pro's are so common place.
Also many (like me) simply prefer to own a tower. I've owned almost every Apple tower since the G3 Blue & White and I'm not a pro - just a keen enthusiast.
I write & record music with Logic, and really benefit from having extra HD's internally (no mains hum - vital when recording).
I also like having the option to choose my displays and having twin optical drive bays (still handy for audio).
Plus I edit Video and do occasional DTP with Photoshop, so having a nice airy box to keep things cool and quiet has been great.
The G4's were terribly noisy, but since the G5's Apple's towers have been very quiet and perfect for the studio.
When the original Mac Pro was announced it could be purchased for under £1399. Expensive, but still an option for those like me who just prefer the flexibility of a tower.
Now the entry level model is £2049 (nearly £700 more) and that's despite it mainly using tech that's been around for over 2 years (sigh).
This makes the option of a tower out of the question for many who would otherwise choose them.
This then self fulfils the prophecy that 'no one wants a desktop anymore' by making them too expensive for 'the many' (ordinary consumer) and too much behind the curve for the 'few' (the pro's).
I accept I'm probably a minority, but I'm not as great a minority as Apple probably thinks I am - there will be many more like me out there.
Apple are ignoring me and my like at their peril.
As the 'keen enthusiast' I'm responsible for my siblings all owning Macs, my business running Macs, my family all owning Macs, iPads, iPods and iPhones too, so I am more than just the sale of just 1 Mac Pro!
By making the Apple tower only affordable by 'the pro' or the wealthy, Apple are effectively culling sales.
By not meeting the expectations of the 'pro' with the hardware, they are losing sales to the 'pro' too.
It's not that 'people don't want towers anymore', it's that 'not many people want the towers Apple are selling at the prices they are selling them for anymore'.
I really hope 2013 is the 'Eureka' year for the Apple desktop, but sadly that seems increasingly unlikely.
C'mon Apple - please please please sort it out.
