Just a friendly poll. Hypothetically, if new Mac Pros are coming, I'm curious to see how many people think that WWDC will be the time to release them alongside the rest of the potential lineup. If not at WWDC, when do you think it would next make sense to release them? A quiet release, or is there another event that you think would be more appropriate?
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Poll: IF new Mac Pros are coming are they coming to WWDC?
- Thread starter dbit
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Quiet release IMO; just as they've done with macs for awhile now. Certainly not at WWDC though. WWDC is really a software based conference and it's rare for them to introduce new hardware during it.
Agreed. Apple have even said as much themselves that launches won't be tied to events.
Possible? Yes.
But at this point no one has any info to predict any date. Especially with the further delays to the Xeons shipping in volume.
I think launching with no event at all is even more likely. Which pretty much leaves any date between now and the end of time open.
But at this point no one has any info to predict any date. Especially with the further delays to the Xeons shipping in volume.
I think launching with no event at all is even more likely. Which pretty much leaves any date between now and the end of time open.
They'll likely release hardware at WWDC, the question really comes down to what however. There are too many possibilities yet to predict exactly what will or won't be released.
I think we may see macbooks at WWDC, iMacs shortly after and then later on Mac Pros. That said, wouldn't it be really cool if they updated the entire mac line on June 11th? That would make a nice splash in an otherwise calm sea, but that is so very far fetched. They have the iphone and ipad mini for the fall festivities so they really should get moving on the mac end of things. Seems to me if they were trying to stretch out the mac releases, they should have at least announced something this month or last, but what do I know......
I'm really hoping the Mac Pro will be announced at WWDC, and shipping shortly thereafter. I doubt it though. More likely to see a full laptop refresh for Air and Pro models. More likely to see a new iTouch, even. I think the Mac Pro is more likely to be announced at WWDC than the iMac or miniMac, though.
Really, the vast majority of the WWDC keynote will be iOS 6, OS X 10.8 and iLife, and probably in that order of importance. Remember who this conference is for, developers. Hardware is great, and they like hardware too, but mainly they are interested in OS changes that they can use in their software. With so many hardware models needing updates, it wouldn't surprise me to see Apple use the captive audience of media for a hardware announcement or two, but don't expect a lot of time spent on it.
Really, the vast majority of the WWDC keynote will be iOS 6, OS X 10.8 and iLife, and probably in that order of importance. Remember who this conference is for, developers. Hardware is great, and they like hardware too, but mainly they are interested in OS changes that they can use in their software. With so many hardware models needing updates, it wouldn't surprise me to see Apple use the captive audience of media for a hardware announcement or two, but don't expect a lot of time spent on it.
By this point, Apple have an embarrassment riches they could show off at WWDC:
Mountain Lion preview
iOS6 Preview
New iMacs
New MPBs
New Mac Pros
New Mac minis
Although I'd love to see all those announced, we can probably rationally expect three things.
I'd be willing to bet that we see a 'catch up', then Mountain Lion intro, maaaaybe MBP update, then a 'surprise' iOS6 intro.
Although Mac Pros are important hardware to developers, I doubt it’s enough of a big ticket to trump an intro of a MBP. That being said, perhaps the MBP is significant enough to get it’s own event? “the future of laptops” can if anything pull that off, leaving space in their WWDC line up for a Mac Pro.
Mountain Lion preview
iOS6 Preview
New iMacs
New MPBs
New Mac Pros
New Mac minis
Although I'd love to see all those announced, we can probably rationally expect three things.
I'd be willing to bet that we see a 'catch up', then Mountain Lion intro, maaaaybe MBP update, then a 'surprise' iOS6 intro.
Although Mac Pros are important hardware to developers, I doubt it’s enough of a big ticket to trump an intro of a MBP. That being said, perhaps the MBP is significant enough to get it’s own event? “the future of laptops” can if anything pull that off, leaving space in their WWDC line up for a Mac Pro.
Why would there be a "surprise" iOS6 intro? It is the overall Apple developer conference. The largest number of applications and developers are on iOS. There is going to be a large segment of the keynote devoted to iOS. Period. That is where the money/revenue, developers, and applications are. It would be a rather dubious presentation structure to 'hide' the largest representative issue till the last 5-6 mins of a presentation. Last quarterly results call Tim Cook drive home the point that it took the Mac 20 years to get to where iPad is now (done in 2) in terms of volume. Apple isn't going to spend a large amount of time on that aspect at WWDC???? They are not going to put 45-60 mins of largely unrelated content in front of that .
A "one more thing" Mac intro would more likely go like this
1. "catch up" (millions and billions ) segment.
2. iOS6 new major features , demos by 3-4 app vendors. (developer's release announced for download)
3. Mountain Lion ( gatekeeper in context of Java/Flashback situation this Spring , some new features ) 3-4 app demos. Announce launch date (probably August something)
4. "one more thing " MBP if there is some ML tie-in ( e.g., "Retina Displays" or USB 3.0 support ... whatever). Essentially, the new Mac is somehow a prop to do yet another ML demo with.
However, I suspect "4." will actually be more iCloud stuff. Apple would show how iOS6 and ML and newer updates to iCloud associated components/apps are an even more compelling option. Between iOS6 , ML , and iCloud and associated demos that is more than enough to fill 70-80 minute presentation. It is also developer specific stuff. Developers shouldn't be limited to new bleeding edge hardware to make better apps. (the number of people who have bleeding edge hardware is relatively small. So the opportunity is small. )
First, iCloud is a significant piece to Apple's strategy (Apple has openly said as much). Second, "mobile me" shuts down in June... they need to make a bigger push to show that the transition is "done". If there are more flushed out iCloud APIs to talk about all the more important to get them into the Developer conference keynote. Demos of how 3rd party apps can integrate with iCloud is far more strategically critical than a 3-5 minute new Mac demo.
No Mac updates at WWDC keynote. Probably because there will be a Mac "announce" on the Tuesday before the show (either 5/29 or more likely 6/5). So the whole "Apple has to announce something Mac" will have evaporated. On Tuesday the 12th they could do another 'press release' drop of some more Macs if they are ready to go. More likely the 19th (or 26th if ML is targeted for late August). Another "press release" news bounce a couple weeks after WWDC would give Apple another round of relatively widespread free publicity.
No.
Apple already did that when rolled out new Air's at end of "Back to Mac" event. Jobs already announced the future of laptops.
It is far more important that Apple simply release the Macs when ready than weave them into the WWDC dog and pony show. That is exactly why Apple decoupled Mac updates from major event schedules.
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Sorry about that, 'surprise' totally was the wrong word to use. I just used it since we've not even heard a whisper about it and you can imagine some cheesy "but there's something else you're all here to learn about...." kind of line.
What I was getting at was that iOS will be the end segment, the headliner. I'm hoping there will be a hardware intro at the keynote, but yeah, they are often decoupled recently and I remember there has been hardware refreshes the weeks before events, which do prune down our wish list somewhat. But if they do intro some hardware, I still feel they'll do it before the iOS run through.
Yeah, god I hope iCloud gets some more features. Apple must have been able to implement a better iDisk system with their failure to purchase dropbox!
Sorry this went well off on a tangent .... MORE MAC PROS!!!! Hopefully in that case, on the tuesday preceding WWDC!
In the standard Apple "dog and event" structure the headliners come the first non-induction segment. Each event's presentation has a limited number of major points they want to get across. Apple hits the first point hard after the "please buy Apple stock" initial segment. Mac hardware would be the "oddball" element. The "oddball" elements are last as they are typically a bit more surprising.
Actually the dearth of iOS6 "road show" or leaks to this point makes it more likely to go up front. Aspects about Mountain Lion they have already indirectly introduced back in the one-on-one "road shows" they did with bloggers/tech folks. Rehashing what people have already heard and read about several months ago isn't going to hold folks in their seats. It will lull them to sleep. A refresh after injecting new iOS6 will allow
a. iOS only folks to digest what they heard.
b. OS X folks to think/look for synergies while being retold the OS X highlights more directly by Apple.
The other way around leaves the iOS folks bored out of their skull for a large block of time on information largely alluded to or presented before. (Note: they all already have access to Mountain Lion. It is only if they have been hiding under a rock that they haven't seen it. )
The presentation is going to last more than an 60 minutes. Most folks can't go past 50 mins before their attention starts drifting off.
I wouldn't bet on that. I think Apple will continue to look to differentiate with a focus on file synchronizing (between devices) as oppose to file sharing (between users ) ...... Well besides just sharing photos. In photo sharing, there typically is only one user writing and perhaps many reading. Multiple users concurrently writing the same file to the cloud storage is something I think they are going to avoid for at least another iteration. That allows them to punt on several "race conditions" and "security" issues.
That's a candidate if the parts they choose are all ready at this point. The iMac is another. It has been about a month since Core i quads introduced and the mobile GPUs are tickling out with other system vendors. Technically, Intel would have introduced the dual core Ivy Bridge Core i chips also by June 5th. So at least from solely a CPU perspective the entire Mac line up could theoretically go at that point. From January to early June, Apple wouldn't have introduced anything Mac. So the likelihood is high that something will go out by then.
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I don't think that the Mac Pro will be 'announced' at WWDC or for that matter on any other occasion. It seems far more likely they will simply update the store, update the website and put out a press release, job done. It really doesn't warrant an announcement in a presentation.
It is, however, possible that Apple will announce new MBPs at WWDC, as these represent at least 70% of Mac sales. But to my mind Apple would get better publicity for the new MBPs by having a separate media event for them, with the focus on Retina and new form factor. WDC should be about software development, which means iOS and OS X.
I thought that the Mac Pros were released in August 2006, along with the XServe completing the transition to Intel. Are you sure they were released at WWDC 2006?
It is, however, possible that Apple will announce new MBPs at WWDC, as these represent at least 70% of Mac sales. But to my mind Apple would get better publicity for the new MBPs by having a separate media event for them, with the focus on Retina and new form factor. WDC should be about software development, which means iOS and OS X.
I thought that the Mac Pros were released in August 2006, along with the XServe completing the transition to Intel. Are you sure they were released at WWDC 2006?
New Mac Pros are not coming. I vote for "Silent Discontinuation" in the months after WWDC, until the Mac Pro is but a vague memory in the minds of the Mac community who once believed in power, performance, and expansion. Apple wants to sit you in front of a panel and hand you an iToy to suck on, that's the going fad these days.
All the new hardware is out. Every new Mac could have been released. It seems they are holding everything back for a WWDC announcement. They only thing I think worthy of that is retina support, which will probably be done across the board in the same hardware generation, because once one range has it, anything without it will seem like old tech.
If this turns out to be true, we will know the answer to the Mac Pro fate. If it is isn't there, I think it is the end of line. But I hope it is the rebirth of the Mac Pro.
If this turns out to be true, we will know the answer to the Mac Pro fate. If it is isn't there, I think it is the end of line. But I hope it is the rebirth of the Mac Pro.
The first Mac pro was launched the very same day of the 2006 WWDC Keynote, and they only needed 10 minutes, there is hope for you guys.
Just to be pedantic! it was announced at WWDC 2006, but wasn't actually launched, until August 7th 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Pro
Really, though the key point is that in 2006 Apple transitioned the whole Mac lineup to Intel, this was a very significant event and of great interest and importance to the development community.
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This is 2012 and we are in the "Post-PC era". They are gonna spend the time on far more important stuff like iOS6 and ML and introduce the new retina Macbook Pros perhaps. Maybe they'll give it a quick mention but not actually talk about it - who knows.
But BUT they could use a new Mac Pro as "the best way to develop for The New iPad" or something. Nothing but wishful thinking here.
Yeah, I was in the room when it was announced.
It was more of a "we've fully completed the Intel transition, now start writing Intel apps" sort of thing, so it was more relevant to developers. I'm not ruling out an announcement at this year's WWDC, but it doesn't have the same kind of relevance to developers now, especially in since so many are iOS developers.
The 2006 Mac Pro announcement was odd. You went outside the keynote, and they had some Mac Pros on display, but the Apple people standing with them really had no idea of what features they had. I asked about Crossfire and GPUs and no one could give me a straight answer.