Every few days someone feels the need to start a new thread about why the Mac Pro is dead. Here are my counterpoints:
"MP hasn't been updated in a long time"
1) Apple is awaiting the processors from Intel.
2) The MP is often behind the other models in updates, this is normal.
3) Historically this long of a wait is not uncommon.
"Look at Final Cut Pro X, they are ignoring Pro users"
1) Apple has stated this is v1 of new code and they are working on getting the other features in.
2) They are listening to pro users; they relented and brought back Final Cut Pro 7.
3) Apple spent a lot of money into rewriting fresh efficient code. That is called an investment. You do not invest in markets you are pulling away from.
4) Yes, I know you are all angry. Yes, Apple screwed up. But it doesn't mean the end of the world... hang in there!
"Apple is leaving Macs behind in favor of consumer iCrap"
1) In a world where PC sales are down across the board, Mac sales are up 24% from last year. Macs are GROWTH market for Apple.
2) It is the PRESS that focuses on iCrap. This creates the IMPRESSION that it is the only thing that Apple cares about. It is also wrong, and Apple had to hold a special "Back to the Mac" event to counter it. They pointed out that Mac business gets them billions and billions of dollars. If you actually watch the "Back to the Mac" event you will see they are investing a lot into Macs.
"Apple is moving to the post-PC era"
People use this as an argument against the MP. This is completely wrong. The post-PC era is actually a world where the MP is perfect. In a post-PC era, you have two classes of computers: one class for content consumers (smartphones, tablets, lightweight notebooks, intelligent TVs), and one class for content creators (workstations). Remember, PC stands for "personal computer", and it is the PC that becomes obsolete in the post-PC era, not the workstations. People still have to make and process the content, and they aren't going to be doing that on iPads. So, in a post-PC era, it is the death of the desktops that will happen (Mac Minis and iMacs), to be replaced by portable computers for content consumers and workstations for content creators.
"Look at Lion!!! OMGWTFLOLBBQ!!!"
1) What about it? It's Snow Leopard with additional features.
2) Stop overreacting and calling it iOS. It's not. Yes, OS X took some features from iOS, but all software borrows good ideas from other software. If Windows borrows some features from OS X we don't suddenly think Microsoft is going to replace Windows with OS X.
"We aren't hearing anything in the rumormill about the next MP"
1) Actually, we are. You aren't paying attention.
2) Apple is good at keeping secrets in case you hadn't noticed.
3) There is solid evidence in Lion of the next MP's video cards. It contains drivers for desktop-class video cards that are of the line most likely to be included in a MP.
So, in the short term we have evidence of the next MP. In the long term, the MP makes sense in a post-PC world. My personal opinion is that the MP is here to stay for a long while.
"MP hasn't been updated in a long time"
1) Apple is awaiting the processors from Intel.
2) The MP is often behind the other models in updates, this is normal.
3) Historically this long of a wait is not uncommon.
"Look at Final Cut Pro X, they are ignoring Pro users"
1) Apple has stated this is v1 of new code and they are working on getting the other features in.
2) They are listening to pro users; they relented and brought back Final Cut Pro 7.
3) Apple spent a lot of money into rewriting fresh efficient code. That is called an investment. You do not invest in markets you are pulling away from.
4) Yes, I know you are all angry. Yes, Apple screwed up. But it doesn't mean the end of the world... hang in there!
"Apple is leaving Macs behind in favor of consumer iCrap"
1) In a world where PC sales are down across the board, Mac sales are up 24% from last year. Macs are GROWTH market for Apple.
2) It is the PRESS that focuses on iCrap. This creates the IMPRESSION that it is the only thing that Apple cares about. It is also wrong, and Apple had to hold a special "Back to the Mac" event to counter it. They pointed out that Mac business gets them billions and billions of dollars. If you actually watch the "Back to the Mac" event you will see they are investing a lot into Macs.
"Apple is moving to the post-PC era"
People use this as an argument against the MP. This is completely wrong. The post-PC era is actually a world where the MP is perfect. In a post-PC era, you have two classes of computers: one class for content consumers (smartphones, tablets, lightweight notebooks, intelligent TVs), and one class for content creators (workstations). Remember, PC stands for "personal computer", and it is the PC that becomes obsolete in the post-PC era, not the workstations. People still have to make and process the content, and they aren't going to be doing that on iPads. So, in a post-PC era, it is the death of the desktops that will happen (Mac Minis and iMacs), to be replaced by portable computers for content consumers and workstations for content creators.
"Look at Lion!!! OMGWTFLOLBBQ!!!"
1) What about it? It's Snow Leopard with additional features.
2) Stop overreacting and calling it iOS. It's not. Yes, OS X took some features from iOS, but all software borrows good ideas from other software. If Windows borrows some features from OS X we don't suddenly think Microsoft is going to replace Windows with OS X.
"We aren't hearing anything in the rumormill about the next MP"
1) Actually, we are. You aren't paying attention.
2) Apple is good at keeping secrets in case you hadn't noticed.
3) There is solid evidence in Lion of the next MP's video cards. It contains drivers for desktop-class video cards that are of the line most likely to be included in a MP.
So, in the short term we have evidence of the next MP. In the long term, the MP makes sense in a post-PC world. My personal opinion is that the MP is here to stay for a long while.
Also count a (hopefully likely) Logic Pro X update in the "pro" mix.
