They have been saying there will be a redesign for years on these forums. I don't think they will change it either with new iMac pro having the same design.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The iMac Pro is a marketing machine.
- Thread starter Xeyad
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
They have been saying there will be a redesign for years on these forums. I don't think they will change it either with new iMac pro having the same design.
Read and weep - I agree with the guestimate in this article. At the end they think an 8k ballpark is a reasonable midpoint to a good machine for most people's work. A 4k average for a nicely fitted basic iMac in the past and present is also a good mark for "Most People" assuming you buy your own ram and cool it on the SSD size.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/want-a...sit-down-at-more-than-17k-this-is-gonna-hurt/
I agree. I don't think we're in for a chassis refresh next year if they are dropping this thing in December. Maybe in 2019.
The problem is these Imac Pro's won't have user upgradeable RAM. So, that means if we want to have 64GB instead of 32GB we're probably looking at a 800 dollar charge or more. So, let's say 5,800. That's not even factoring in the desire to upgrade the video card to 16GB and the idea of more ram than 64GB.
For a Maxed out Imac with 64GB of ram (and an 8GV video card) from MacSales we're looking at around $3,700.
So, now we're looking at, at least a 2,000 dollar difference...
And that's where I'm starting to think maybe getting a regular Imac will be enough for my filmmaking needs.
I've been editing on a Mid 2014 15 inch Macbook Pro - so I gather it will be a step up regardless.
For a Maxed out Imac with 64GB of ram (and an 8GV video card) from MacSales we're looking at around $3,700.
So, now we're looking at, at least a 2,000 dollar difference...
And that's where I'm starting to think maybe getting a regular Imac will be enough for my filmmaking needs.
I've been editing on a Mid 2014 15 inch Macbook Pro - so I gather it will be a step up regardless.
It will have two high-volume fans moving significantly more air than the current iMac does.
I think that the iMac Pro, because it's not upgradable, is for people with a ton of money but no idea how (or desire) to tinker with the internals of a computer. In other words, it's for pro graphics designers / film makers who don't necessarily know a lot about computer hardware and just want something that is powerful out of the box.
I give you $5000, you (Apple) give me a kick ass machine that I never have to worry about upgrading or learning how to.
I think that the potential audience for such a machine is quite big. But I'm biased - I live a stone's throw from Hollywood, California.
I give you $5000, you (Apple) give me a kick ass machine that I never have to worry about upgrading or learning how to.
I think that the potential audience for such a machine is quite big. But I'm biased - I live a stone's throw from Hollywood, California.
Exactly - the majority of iMac Pros are going into places with dedicated IT staff who are certified on how to repair them and have the spares on hand.
The way some folks talk, you'd think they actually believe that places like PIXAR are going to run these down to the Genius Bar at the Bay Street Apple Store when they have an issue with them...
Forget those you tubers...they buy the Macs and return it after the review. iMac pro is great and sure it's non-upgradable, but you got very high sierra to take care of egpu.
Spares on hand is nice but not when you have local storage that you can't easily change out even more so when it's high speed pci-e storage that can lead it be used locally.Exactly - the majority of iMac Pros are going into places with dedicated IT staff who are certified on how to repair them and have the spares on hand.
The way some folks talk, you'd think they actually believe that places like PIXAR are going to run these down to the Genius Bar at the Bay Street Apple Store when they have an issue with them...
and then we see an Workprint Pirated movie of there next film.
Also with AMD new chips will apple cut prices in line with Intel?
I have a theory regarding peoples reactions to the iMac pro. A lot of tech people have this thing where they must have the best of the best new model when it comes out even if their work does not justify it. In the past people could find a way to make a financial justification to buying the new model out of want rather then need.
What is happening now is that the specs are so high, the price is high, and the market is very niche and limited that those who before would buy it because its the best and they have to have it are now like ....... "This is insane I can't justify it, it is overkill/too expensive" or whatever.
So people who would normally just open their wallet and buy it with no justification at all are now like "Who is this for?"
What is happening now is that the specs are so high, the price is high, and the market is very niche and limited that those who before would buy it because its the best and they have to have it are now like ....... "This is insane I can't justify it, it is overkill/too expensive" or whatever.
So people who would normally just open their wallet and buy it with no justification at all are now like "Who is this for?"
I expect strong sales into scientific disciplines (watch any serious science show on the Science Channel or NatGeo or Smithsonian - universities and laboratories and aerospace companies are full of late-model 27" iMacs) and video production houses.
Yes there is that issue as well where people can only see their needs and if something doesn't meet it they consider it pointless, even though for someone else it may suit their needs perfectly.
Agreed. Part of that "want" is genuinely wanting to be on the cutting edge out of curiosity/intrigue about the new technologies. The other (more significant, in my opinion) part of it is bragging rights and showing off ... you need only do a search on YouTube to know what I mean ... "Look at what I have !"
It's the same with any kind of toy. You buy a BMW this year, you want a Porsche the next.It is not user upgradeable, but it looks like SSD and memory are in slots so any trained Apple certified repair tech would have no problems upgrading those. Processor may also be socketed. I expect for $100 you can get a trained tech to upgrade it.
It is on my list to buy, pending reviews. I plan on the base unit. Probably don't need it, but I'll forgo upgrading my other Apple stuff this year and sell my existing Mac Pro and monitor to afford it. I think it is worth the $1300 over a similar configured iMac for the extra power.
It is on my list to buy, pending reviews. I plan on the base unit. Probably don't need it, but I'll forgo upgrading my other Apple stuff this year and sell my existing Mac Pro and monitor to afford it. I think it is worth the $1300 over a similar configured iMac for the extra power.
Last edited:
I'm sort of conflicted with this machine. On one hand, it's a beast because they essentially shoehorned modern workstation hardware into an iMac. But on the other hand, it really would have been nice to see a modern Mac Pro replacement instead of this thing...
But I do kind of understand the play here. Apple has never been a company that WANTS its users tinkering with their hardware. The only things you could really upgrade internally on the black Mac Pro were the RAM and the SSD* (*if you want to pay through the nose for proprietary). Oh yeah..and maybe the GPU cards if you're really adventurous. The iMac Pro follows this same principle (with a tougher to upgrade SSD), but also gives you a built-in 5K DCI-P3 display. External 5K DCI-P3 displays cost $1,300+. I think that that feature alone will make the iMac Pro a fair bit more successful than the black Mac Pro ever was. I do predict that guys cutting on FCP X will really like these things.
Why would you need a trained Apple certified tech to upgrade your RAM? They're just SODIMMs and the Mid 2017 iMac (and presumably, the iMac Pro, which appears to use the same basic chassis design) have an access door to get to the RAM. SSD is a different story, but what kind of industry pro relies solely on a computer's internal storage to do everything? Content creators often use external RAID arrays and that stuff can be connected with TB.
But I do kind of understand the play here. Apple has never been a company that WANTS its users tinkering with their hardware. The only things you could really upgrade internally on the black Mac Pro were the RAM and the SSD* (*if you want to pay through the nose for proprietary). Oh yeah..and maybe the GPU cards if you're really adventurous. The iMac Pro follows this same principle (with a tougher to upgrade SSD), but also gives you a built-in 5K DCI-P3 display. External 5K DCI-P3 displays cost $1,300+. I think that that feature alone will make the iMac Pro a fair bit more successful than the black Mac Pro ever was. I do predict that guys cutting on FCP X will really like these things.
Why would you need a trained Apple certified tech to upgrade your RAM? They're just SODIMMs and the Mid 2017 iMac (and presumably, the iMac Pro, which appears to use the same basic chassis design) have an access door to get to the RAM. SSD is a different story, but what kind of industry pro relies solely on a computer's internal storage to do everything? Content creators often use external RAID arrays and that stuff can be connected with TB.
I will say one thing if the iMac pro is a marketing machine then I guess people don't read the print in advertising. People keep saying they wanted a mac pro instead of an iMac pro even though it says in the iMac pro press release that the mac pro is coming.
People are acting like this is the mac pro replacement without realising that there will be this and a mac pro.
[doublepost=1498343070][/doublepost]Another interesting thing to think about regarding the lack of upgradability in an all in one. Is that for a lot of business users, they are not tech tinkerers. In a business environment tinkering with your computer and messing with coding is not a profitable/valuable use of your time.
I am sure the majority of mac buyers just want to turn the computer on, work, make money.
People are acting like this is the mac pro replacement without realising that there will be this and a mac pro.
[doublepost=1498343070][/doublepost]Another interesting thing to think about regarding the lack of upgradability in an all in one. Is that for a lot of business users, they are not tech tinkerers. In a business environment tinkering with your computer and messing with coding is not a profitable/valuable use of your time.
I am sure the majority of mac buyers just want to turn the computer on, work, make money.
Last edited:
There are cooling exhaust vents where the RAM access door on the iMac 5K is located. The RAM is located to the left of them and are inaccessible from the back (the rest of the back is a solid piece of Al). So you will need to remove the LCD and the logic board to get to it unless Apple changes the chassis design prior to launch.
The current top-spec iMac 27 (not iMac Pro) is $5,300. Anyone doubting this can check it themselves on the Apple web site. The entry-level iMac Pro is less than that yet considerably faster. It's true yet faster versions of the iMac Pro will cost more, but the base version is already faster yet less expensive than the top 2017 iMac 27.
God, I hope they decide to change this. Knowing Apple there is 100% chance they will not. I just think it's insane to ask $5000+ for a machine that doesn't have easy access to at least upgrade the ram without completely tearing it down and voiding the warrranty. Crazy.
That's isn't exactly a fair comparison.
You are spec'ing that config out with 64 gigs ram and a 2TB SSD.
The $5000 iMac Pro will have 32gigs ram and I believe it will be a 1TB SSD.
So if we configure the i7 iMac with 32 gigs ram and 1TB SSD it comes out to be $3699. Substantially less than the base iMac Pro.
And, since the regular 27 inch iMac still has user upgradable ram, we can take it one more step and choose the 1TB SSD but pick the base 8GB ram option. It's only $3099 and a user can pick up 32GB ram on there own for about $250. So the new total would be $3349. So an even better deal.
I have no doubt the iMac Pro will be a beast, however saying a fully spec'd iMac costs more than the base iMac Pro isn't an Apples to Apples comparison.
Precisely. The 1TB SSD inside the iMac Pro will run FCPX, whilst my G RAID SHUTTLE XL with house my footage and audio as always, along with my libraries.
The iMac Pro is what every filmmaker has been waiting for that wants the biggest bang for their buck. I had the money to max out the current (new) iMac 27" and was about to pull the trigger until I started to compare specs and realised the minor price difference (once you're at £4K, another £1K is not that much extra) was worthwhile.
I'm hoping for £6K I'll be able to afford a 64GB RAM, 16GB VRAM iMac Pro. We'll see what the upgrades are like though - I expect them to be extremely high like all other Mac upgradables. £8K for the maxed out one is super-cheap when you factor in how much Apple charges for RAM alone.
[doublepost=1498381843][/doublepost]
Me too - but doesn't seem possible - they've managed quite a feat with this iMac Pro provided those fans do their job.
It kind of is if you consider the extra 1TB of storage and additional RAM to equal out the massive difference in GPU that you'll be receiving with the baseline iMac Pro, along with the better RAM (crash-averse). That new VEGA chip looks awesome - my main reason for upgrading to the iMac Pro over a maxed out iMac 27".
There are other comparisons that can be drawn upon too, in terms of the port advantages, cooling system etc. You only have to look at the 27" iMac thread to see how many people are already complaining about the fans. Sure, some aren't, but some are considering returning their model. I'm hoping the iMac Pro runs nicely and quitely.
Last edited:
Businesses who need a serious workstation will probably order the precise spec they need on day 1, get a same-day-callout service agreement and replace the machines every 3 years for tax efficiency - or get it all on a lease. The people for whom user-upgradeability is a dealbreaker are more likely one-man-bands, hobbyists and enthusiasts who don't get invited to Apple's super-secret focus groups.
People really are donning the rose-tinted specs over this "modular" and "upgradeable" thing. Read the transcript of that press conference and try and deduce what the Apple folk mean by those words, not what you'd like them to mean. Schiller uses "modular" to distinguish current offerings from laptops and all-in-ones, while Federighi uses "upgrade" to refer to Apple's ability to keep their product up-to-date. The fault they acknowledged with the trashcan is that it is dependent on a three-way distribution of heat between the CPU and two GPUs so even Apple can't offer a version with a single powerful GPU or a better choice of CPUs. There's certainly no mention of user swappable GPUs or PCIe slots. Now, obviously, I'm just speculating like everything else, but I don't see anything in that interview that would make Federighi or Schiller's pants catch fire (at least by executive-speak standards) if the new Mac Pro was no more user-upgradeable than the trashcan.
Quite possibly. It will probably be priced to avoid cannibalising iMP sales, so we can rule out better-than-iMP specs for ~$5000, or iMP-like specs for < $4000 (you might buy a MP + third-party pro display instead of an iMP). I think the CPU/GPU specs would have to be better than the iMP to justify your $8000 tag, but I wouldn't fall off my chair...
OK, first that $5300 figure is bogus, because it includes 2TB SSD (base iMP is 1TB) and 64GB RAM (base iMP is 32GB) - and those two upgrades are hideously expensive. Price for a 1TB/32GB, but otherwise fully tricked out, iMac is $3700 - and you can shave a few hundred bucks off that by getting 8GB RAM plus a third-party upgrade.
Second, all we know for certain about the iMP processor is that it has 8 cores (all else is speculation) and all that guarantees is that it will spank the iMac's i7 at synthetic multicore benchmarks.
It is perfectly possible that the i7 will give the Xeon a run for its money at single-core and some "real world" benchmarks (this has always been true of the iMac vs. NMP). A lot of the Xeon advantage is stability (from ECC RAM) and i/o bandwidth. So while I'm not suggesting that the CPU isn't "better", whether it is "substantially improved" will depend heavily on whether your workload takes advantage of the Xeon and the GPU.
Yep. That's the model I got, $3,099.00. Significantly cheaper than the base model iMac Pro.
For what it's worth, I think the majority of the iMac Pros sold will not be the base model. I think most users willing to spend 5 grand will trick it out for very specific work slows.
But it will look sexy as hell in an Apple Store!
That is exactly a fair comparison if the goal is try to match the iMac Pro performance with the iMac 27. The very purpose of the iMac Pro is for customers who are running out of iMac 27 performance. You won't make an iMac 27 any faster by removing memory and SSD. Rather that will further open the performance gap to the iMac Pro.
The purpose is not match the *specs*, but equal the *performance* of the iMac Pro. Pushing the iMac 27 high enough to attempt this yields a very expensive iMac which is slower than the *base* iMac Pro. It's true many customers don't need this level of performance but that's beside the point.
I was responding to thedeske's statement that an $8k iMac Pro was needed for "most people's work", and the general sentiment that it's hugely expensive. The high end iMac Pro will definitely be expensive but even the base config will be much faster than the highest-end BTO iMac 27, and it will be cheaper despite delivering more performance.
It's true you can pull RAM and SSD out of the iMac 27 which will make it cheaper and slower, but the goal is try to match the iMac Pro.
Even if you do what you suggested and use 3rd party RAM, a top-spec 2017 iMac 27 is only $500 cheaper than a base iMac Pro, and it will still be slower, plus it won't run Apple Diagnostics.
We don't yet know the actual benchmark performance of the iMac Pro but the base config will be considerably faster than the top-spec iMac 27. It has twice the CPU cores and roughly double the GPU floating point performance.