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Apple Updates The Mac Pro

techcrunch.com

71–80 of 105 posts

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#71
post #15

Looks slick, but I was really hoping for something more modern that could drive lots of displays. A limit of three is pretty mediocre; you can do that with other already-available mac hardware. Oh, well.

[deleted]

Right, I recognize that my use case is particular (driving a pile of projectors from one machine). We looked at adding additional video cards to, say, an iMac, but so far as I know, nobody is selling Thunderbolt graphics cards, and none of the Thunderbolt enclosures support adding graphics cards to OS X. Maybe that's changed, but I don't think so.

Editing to add: and more broadly, part of the virtue of the old pro was that if you wanted to do something weird, you could open it up and shove in whatever you wanted, unlike every other product in the Apple line. It's a shame (though not unexpected) that this new iteration sacrifices as least some of that in the name of size, something I don't think most pro users really care about.

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#72
post #56
post #51

I'm glad to see someone finally making the obvious form factor changes we've been needing for a long time at the high end. An ATX style case just doesn't make sense anymore. ATX gives you lots of volume for cooling the CPU and lots of room to add PCB area in the form of expansion cards. But hardly anyone needs 7 expansion cards, and everyone needs more room for the GPU heatsink. Completely throwing out internal expan…

as far as i know, mac pros have never been in ATX form factor. intel tried to create a new case standard, BTX, years ago. but it seems no one likes change..

The Mac Pro wasn't ATX, but it followed the same general principles of being a large tower case with a lot more expansion slots than anyone needed, and not enough space between the slots for a GPU to have good cooling, and expansion slots that were several inches longer than any PCB that ever needed to be put in there.

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They said it's all external via TB2 (they put in 3 TB2 controllers driving 6 ports)

So cords everywhere then. I do a lot of photo editing an have close to 10 TB storage internal (I repurposed the optical drive bays). I can keep all of my working files internally and only have external drives for archiving and backup and aren't connected all of the time.

Yes. Though considering the volume reduction you can probably get more storage in an external enclosure without going above the footprint of the old Pro.

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#74
post #19

Looks slick, but I was really hoping for something more modern that could drive lots of displays. A limit of three is pretty mediocre; you can do that with other already-available mac hardware. Oh, well.

I expect it's 3 4K displays, likely more "normal" resolution displays.

I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out to be right, but wouldn't be surprised if you're wrong either.

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#75
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple stuff has been saying "Designed in California, made in China" for years now.

I get that, my point is that you could just say "Assembled and designed in the US" and be done with it. Does mentioning California really give them so much more culture cachet?

It's pretty precious, yeah.

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#76

Very impressive specs... Curious to see how soon it will be possible to build your own machine with the same capabilities.

Unless I'm misunderstanding something, you could already blow this thing away at its price point by building your own. It wouldn't be as pretty looking, but you could do better (if specs are the primary concern).

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#77
post #51

I'm glad to see someone finally making the obvious form factor changes we've been needing for a long time at the high end. An ATX style case just doesn't make sense anymore. ATX gives you lots of volume for cooling the CPU and lots of room to add PCB area in the form of expansion cards. But hardly anyone needs 7 expansion cards, and everyone needs more room for the GPU heatsink. Completely throwing out internal expan…

Yeah - I think the subsidy of the high end from the low and middle end of the market is coming to an end.

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#78
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple stuff has been saying "Designed in California, made in China" for years now.

I get that, my point is that you could just say "Assembled and designed in the US" and be done with it. Does mentioning California really give them so much more culture cachet?

Why alter the current pattern? I imagine they like it.

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#79
post #50

Well, it looks like I'm done using Mac Pros for CUDA development.

are the GPUs not upgradeable? also, why are you using CUDA? sure it has more features. but then new hardware comes along made by someone else..

Highly doubtful it's going to be upgradeable.

Re: Apple Updates The Mac Pro

#80
post #76

Very impressive specs... Curious to see how soon it will be possible to build your own machine with the same capabilities.

Unless I'm misunderstanding something, you could already blow this thing away at its price point by building your own. It wouldn't be as pretty looking, but you could do better (if specs are the primary concern).

This is certainly true; but I wonder for how much longer it will be -- it doesn't seem that economics really favor the build it yourself model nearly as much as they used to.
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