now that nMP is out...will they refresh it every year?

[AidenShaw]

In my opinion Apple will first look at things from a business viewpoint before deciding on another new release. Timing, sales performance, target market size, the type of new Xeons and GPUs that will soon be available and cost of production. Though I could be wrong, sometimes when Intel releases a new Xeon the speed difference may be incremental Maybe for 2014 Apple may not release another new Mac Pro plus they are still busy filling in and delivering the pending orders of the 2013 new Mac Pro. On the other side of the coin, might also be tough for Mac users to keep on spending $4k to $7K+ every year for a new computer specially if the current model is still adequate for one's need.

There's a lot that Apple could do even without waiting for radically new CPUs and GPUs. There's plenty of feedback about what people would like changed. (e.g. 2015 nMP (7,1) Proposed Feature Wish List)

For example:

• add a second internal SSD on the other GPU (yes, it would involve a small overcommitment in PCIe lanes, but it's easily doable)
• add 140 mm to the height and 25-50 mm to the diameter, and make a dual-CPU version with 12 to 16 DIMM slots

 

[koban4max]

let's just hope they keep refreshing...

 

[Macsonic]

There's a lot that Apple could do even without waiting for radically new CPUs and GPUs. There's plenty of feedback about what people would like changed. (e.g. 2015 nMP (7,1) Proposed Feature Wish List)

For example:

• add a second internal SSD on the other GPU (yes, it would involve a small overcommitment in PCIe lanes, but it's easily doable)
• add 140 mm to the height and 25-50 mm to the diameter, and make a dual-CPU version with 12 to 16 DIMM slots

Hi Aiden. Yeah I am 1000% in favor of the above suggestions on improving the nMac Pro. An additional internal SSD is also important for me. If they can make it 3 internal SSD would be great though it may not be possible. I have 6 internal HDs in my tower Mac Pro essential for my work. A Mac tech guy also told me when flash SSDs break down, they could not recover the files or no solution yet for now. Though SSDs rarely breakdown since this is a chipset. But better to have more backup storage.

 

[nathan43082]

what do you guys think?

Thinking about this seems like pointless speculation. Either they will or they won't. Only Apple knows.

 

[deconstruct60]

Nope, hdmi 2.0 port and wires remain the same as hdmi 1.x.

www.hdmi.org

I said input into the HDMI system not the output from. For 4K 60Hz dual streams have to be pumped in. That those two streams over going out over the same set of wires isn't particularly material. It is the "going out" part that is material.


DisplayPort 1.0 and DisplayPort 2.0 have the same set of wires going out. There is no firmware upgrade that is going to make that jump. There are input/supply and hardware differences as well. Ditto with Thunderbolt v1 and v2 .

 

[deconstruct60]

I read somewhere, maybe Anand's review, that the nMP doesn't have "real" USB 3.0, and that Apple engineers had to get creative, because the E5 v2 I/O doesn't support USB 3.0?

Zero Intel CPU packages support USB 3.0. None, nada, zip. Xeon or Core i makes no difference.

USB is in the supporting chipset. And yes, the C602 in the Mac Pro does not support USB 3.0. There is a discrete USB 3.0 controller. Being a discrete USB controller doesn't make it any less "real".

There is about zero creativity in using a discrete controller when it isn't present in the chipset. Every other workstation in Mac Pro class had USB 3.0 with discrete controllers back in 2012 (when vendors did their E5 v1 upgrades that Apple skipped. )

Even now, top end desktop motherboards have discrete USB 3.0 controllers on them even though Intel has USB 3.0 support in the chipset. An additional controller can mean more bandwidth and/or relief from some quirky Intel bugs ( perhaps in exchange for a different set of quirky bugs ).

HDMI 2.0 is here, so why didn't Apple have that on the nMP?

HDMI 2.0 passed standards in September 2013. It is barely here. Apple could have delayed the Mac Pro introduction even MORE for a johnny-come-late technology. Meanwhile DisplayPort 1.2 has supported 4K 60Hz since 2009-2010.

Hmm, pick the not finished until just in time for launch standard or pick the already deployed in the field for last couple of years standard???? Not that hard of a design choice.

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i thought oMP 2010-12 were minor tweaks ...welll except processor wise..

Minor except for a major component.. CPUs drive updates (and increasingly GPGPUs especially embedded ones ). USB controllers do not.

The 3500/3600 and 5500/5600 Xeon CPUs used the exactly the same chipset. Not only did Apple not do major board redesigns for 2010-2011, none of the other major system vendors did either.

Same thing has happened with the 2012 models that leveraged E5 v1 CPUs. Most of the other systems vendors have "Intel tick" upgraded those to E5 v2 with no substantive changes to the rest of the system. ( perhaps new PCIe cards on the BTO list but no logic board changes except to support new CPUs. )

 

[deconstruct60]

I think they'll release a new model every year, which every new Xeon cycle.

Xeon processors span far past the narrow E5 1600 and now even more limited 2600 class of products.

If the E5's go highly out of phase with the GPU updates then it can make sense to alternate if Intel and GPU vendors drag out the phase difference too far.

Maybe they'll release the Mac Pro based on the GPUs refresh cycle and put pressure on Intel to release their new Xeons accordingly.

Right now Intel's server business is making the bulk of the profits. Apple's share of that is quite small. Intel is far more likely going to move Xeon E5 releases around to maximize impact on their overall financial picture far more so than some highly narrow customer.

Remember Apple skipped the whole E5 v1 series. So they made Intel NO money on that front in 2012 and frankly pragmatically for 2013 also. That doesn't buy 'leverage'. When a buyer of product that going to decommission that year ( Intel retired 3500/3600 Xeons from retail market in 2013 ) you are not a "Prime time" customer.

Anyway, I doubt they'll let the Mac Pro untouched for as much time as they've done with the last tower-Mac Pros.

Highly depends upon what customers do as much as anything that Apple does. If Mac Pro sales crater later in the year then it will be back on the hot seat again.

This initial demand and the now slide in the later roll-out markets to March suggest that demand is healthy for now. They have sold more than a few but have hardly sold enough to sustain the product for the long term.
This new retargeting of the market for the Mac Pro doesn't have to fail, but it has some of the same hurdles to get over as the the legacy tower design had to get over also (and some new issues to that will surface as the systems get older. )

 

[koban4max]

Thinking about this seems like pointless speculation. Either they will or they won't. Only Apple knows.

it's a discussion... so why reply if it's pointless.