Posted on 06/11/2019 11:46:04 PM PDT by Swordmaker
Apple's been teasing a redesigned Mac Pro for years now -- in fact, it's been well over a year since the company said it would be shipping the computer at some point during 2019 after originally promising it would arrive in 2018. Well, today, we're finally getting a look at the successor to that beautifully-designed trash can that Apple introduced in 2013 and then basically failed to upgrade for years. And guess what? It looks a lot like the old, cheese-grater style tower that Apple sold for years.
The Mac Pro has a stainless steel frame built around modularity and easy access to the components, something that should make it a lot easier to upgrade than the older model. The entire external case can be lifted right off after you unlock it.
There's a new Intel Xeon processor on board that has up to 28 cores, and the computer supports a positively insane 1.5 terabytes of RAM. And Apple is bringing PCI expansion back, finally -- there are four double-wide slots, three single-wide slots and one half-width slot that Apple populates with its I/O card. That card features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. There are also two ethernet ports, as well. As for graphics, Apple will support up to two Radeon Pro Vega II GPUs, though that's not the default configuration.
For video editors out there, Apple is including its own custom hardware called Afterburner. It'll make the Mac Pro capable of playing three simultaneous 8K RAW video streams, or 12 4K streams. The card is capable for processing 6 billion pixels per second. To keep things cool, the Mac Pro has three fans and a blower that Apple says shouldn't be any louder than the iMac Pro when it's under load. (We'll have to hear that to believe it.)
Oh yeah, the Mac Pro has wheels! And Apple is even making its own display to go along with it, a 32-inch LCD display that Apple is calling a 6K Retina display with HDR and 6,016 x 3,384 resolution.
The base Mac Pro will include an eight-core Xeon CPU, 32GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and the Radeon Pro 580X graphics card and will start at $5,999. It'll ship this fall... start saving your couch change.
I think mine is a 2007! It is really built. The Camry of computers.
You’re kidding yourself.
Oh, CodeToad, you have “xenon (sic) processor computers”? What, exactly are “xenon processor computers”? The processor used in workstation grade computers are Intel XEON™ processors which sell for quite a bit more money than any Intel i9 series processors which require specialized logic boards and ECC RAM for a REASON.
Tell professionals they don’t need Error Correcting Code (ECC) RAM when their livelihood depends on producing work perfectly and consistently and NOT LOSING their work product due to errors introduced by random events that can be disastrous and compounding in large work flows.
Servers actually do not need ECC RAM as much as workstations do where data is being frequently modified in RAM, as servers generally just serve files in and out from storage to workstations and do little critical on-server processing themselves. In some instances, they where the server does do processing, then yes, ECC can be important, but when servers are acting as librarians, it is not that important, as checksums do the server correction of files that are sent and received.
For example, in my office we need ECC RAM in our Mac Pro for processing the digital radiography from the panelipse x-ray machine to assure that no errors are coming through so we don’t have to submit a patient to another exposure to the x-rays due to an error in processing. They are already getting approximately 1000 slices of x-rays images through them. We don’t want to have to do it twice because an error in RAM cascades through the data. ECC prevents that from happening.
Frankly, you expose yourself as not knowing what you are talking about with talking about “xenon (sic) processors” and ignorance of the purpose of ECC RAM.
Let’s try this and remember when has apple ever undersold the competition. https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-ultrasharp-32-8k-monitor-up3218k/apd/210-alez/monitors-monitor-accessories
Good find. This is a specialized “reference monitor, but at 4K, it is far lower in specs than the Apple 32” 6K, and it does not offer the ability to pivot 90º for six times less money.
Also, in publishing, especially glossy large format magazine publishing, you want to see what the final product will look like exactly true to print. Only a true color reference monitor can show Pantone color palette colors exactly as they will print. They are so accurate you can take a colorimeter reading from the monitor screen and it will match exactly the same colorimeter reading from the final print magazine product. . . Perfect match.
Similar usage of reference monitors in professional level photography. . . The kind that uses dyes to do production work or go to publishing.
Uh, that 32” 8K Dell monitor is NOT a reference grade monitor, Okie, not even close. There is a HUGE difference. Here’s one. Brightness.
Apple: 1000 NIT brightness with a peak to 1,600
Dell: 400 NIT
Oops. That Dell’s pretty dim.
How about another? Contrast ratio:
Apple: 1,000,000:1
Dell: 1,300:1
Oooh, that Dell has pathetic contrast.
Dimming zones:
Apple: 576
Dell: 1
List price without Dell’s ad hoc discounts:
Apple: $4,995, $5,995 w/nano etched screen
Dell: $4,999
Accountedge has all of those. . . Check it out.
Here’s an exemplar workstation with six monitors for video editing:
I’ve seen others. Enough said.
What part of the Apple monitor exceeds the specifications of the Sony monitor do you fail to comprehend? The Sony is only 4K, the Apple is 6K and offers more functions than the Sony, such as being able to Pivot 90º. The Sony cannot do that. AND Apple monitor retails for only 18% of the price of the Sony.
Here’s another Sony reference monitor that’s available: it’s only a 24.5” 3K (1080P), but it is a reference monitor from Sony for professional use. . . And it is still $16,500, three times the price of Apple’s 32” 6K monitor.
It’s only 100 NIT. . . Abysmally dim.
And the contrast ratio is only 10:1! Say what????
‘xenon’ was an autocorrection. The fact that you want to harp on such a thing says your argument for expensive Apple products all the time is just fanboy nonsense.
I highly doubt an Apple product is being used by very many doctors offices. The imaging machines might use ECC systems, but the products in the doctor’s office are common Windows computers. Seems to defy your demand that ECC is used within medical imaging.
“Oh, right. Sure. That’s why movie production and printers use them and pay the money for them. “
Movie studios need printing and production systems, so they need close to perfection, but to claim the common person is going to benefit from expensive monitors is a joke. I stand by my statement that no human can tell me if a perfect blue is appearing on the screen. Those monitors are about color matching and selection.
A Radeon Pro 580X is a mid-range card for such an expensive price tag.
“Today you get a bleeding edge Mac Pro for same price.”
Except it is not bleeding edge. It is a mid-range computer that can be bought for far less otherwise. Even the graphics card is considered mid-ranged.
For $6,000 you can buy a real high-end machine running Linux or Windows.
“No i9 processor is a workstation grade processor”
That’s just your opinion because you’e trying to defend Apple ripoff machine of $6,000 for mid-range parts. The only thing an i9 lacks is ECC memory, which very few applications need.
“we need ECC RAM in our Mac Pro for processing the digital radiography from the panelipse x-ray machine to assure that no errors are coming through so we don’t have to submit a patient to another exposure to the x-rays due to an error in processing.”
What kind of lousy software are you using that doesn’t provide checks?
I create safety critical aviation software and we don’t assume even ECC memory is correct. The software must always provide validations of memory before and after use, so ECC isn’t even part of the hardware. We have to deal with solar radiation at altitude causing memory errors.
It just seems to me your comments about ECC memory is just because you don’t have good software and you rely on the hardware, which your should never do if you truly are running safety critical software.
Have you ever looked into what a professional monitor can do?
Here are some specs that the Apple will never achieve. You even have to load software into these.
Main Features Supports DCI P3 and ITU-R BT.2020 Wide
Color Spaces
HDMI (HDCP2.2) and 3G-SDI Quad-link up
to 4096 x 2160/48p 50p 60p, YCbCr 4:2:2
10-bit
Rear connector panel
• BVM Grade OLED Panel
• Full 4K 4096 x 2160 Pixel Resolution
• Accurate black and color reproduction
• Extremely wide viewing angle
• Supports DCI P3 and ITU-R BT.2020 wide color spaces*1
• Gamut Marker (ITU-R BT.2020 colors outside 709 or DCI-P3)
• Auto White Adjustment
• Quick input setting recall (Color space, EOTF, etc.)
• Quick Response
• High Dynamic Range (S-Log 3, S-Log 3(Live HDR)*2, ITU-R
BT.2100(HLG)*3
, SMPTE ST.2084)
• Sony S-Log Gamma Support
• Multi-format capability
• New Input Setting recall (Input, Color and Luminance setting)*4
• Flexible Marker*4 and Area & Aspect Marker
• Versatile 4K/QFHD Input Capability
• 3G-SDI Quad-link up to 4096 x 2160/48p 50p 60p, YCbCr
4:2:2 10-bit
• HD-SDI Dual-link and 4K/2K XYZ signals
• Faster access to the status menu page*2
• Relative Contrast 1/2, 1/3, 1/4*2
• HDMI*2
• Flicker free mode
• Interlace mode
• Time code display*4
• Power-on Setting
• User Presets
• Password Lock for User Preset
• Key Inhibit
• User-friendly Built-in Control Pane
• BKM-16R and BKM-17R control
*1 The BVM-X300 does not cover the BT.2020 color space in full.
*2 Supported from V.2.0.
*3 Changed from V.2.1.
*4 Supported from V.2.2.
BVM-X300
4K OLED Master Monitor
30“ 4K OLED Reference Monitor - For Color Critical, Quality Control Operation of HDR/SDR
4K&HD production
SDI 2 IN (SDI2 input)
connectors (BNC)
SDI inputs
SDI Outputs (Switched out)
LAN (10/100)
(Future support)
Audio output
(Stereo Mini Jack)
HDMI
Specifications
Picture Performance
Panel OLED panel
Picture size (diagonal) 750.2 mm (29 1/2 inches)
Effective Picture size (H x V) 663.6 x 349.9 mm (26 1/4 x 13 7/8 inches)
Resolution (H x V) 4096 x 2160 pixels
Aspect 17 : 9 (1.89 : 1)
Pixel efficiency 99.99%
Panel drive 10-bit
Panel frame rate 48 Hz / 50 Hz / 60 Hz (48 Hz and 60 Hz are also
compatible with 1/1.001 frame rates)
Viewing angle
(panel specification)
89°/89°/89°/89° (typical)
(up/down/left/right contrast > 10:1)
Color temperature D55, D61, D65, D93, DCI*5
, and user 1-5
(5,000 K to 10,000 K adjustable), DCI XYZ
Standard luminance 100 cd/m2 (100% white signal input)
Color space (color gamut) ITU-R BT.2020*1
, ITU-R BT.709, EBU, SMPTE-C,
DCI-P3, BVM-X300 Native*6
, S-GAMUT3,
S-GAMUT3.cine
Transmission Matrix ITU-R BT.2020 (Non-constant luminance is
supported), ITU-R BT.709
EOTF 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, CRT, 2.4 (HDR), S-Log3 (HDR),
S-Log3 (Live HDR), S-Log2 (HDR), SMPTE ST 2084,
RGB(SG 1.2), ITU-BT.2100(SG 1.2)
Input
SDI (3G/HD) BNC (x4)
Input impedance: 75 ohms unbalanced
HDMI HDMI(HDCP2.2) (x1)
Serial remote (LAN) Ethernet (10BASE-T/100BASE-TX), RJ-45 (x1)
Output
SDI (3G/HD) BNC (x4), switched out*7
Input impedance: 75 ohms unbalanced
Audio monitor Stereo mini jack (x1)
Headphones Stereo mini jack (x1)
General
Power requirement AC 100 V to 240 V, 2.8 A to 1.2 A, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption Approx. 280 W (max.)
Approx. 150 W (average power consumption in
the default status)
Operating temperature 0°C to 35°C (32°F to 95°F)
Recommended: 20°C to 30°C (68°F to 86°F)
Operating humidity 30% to 85% (no condensation)
Storage / transport
temperature -20°C to +60°C (-4°F to +140°F)
Storage / transport
humidity 0% to 90%
Operating / storage /
transport pressure 700 hPa to 1060 hPa
Dimensions (W x H x D) 742.4 x 479.5 x 205 mm
(29 1/4 x 19 x 8 1/8 inches)
Mass 16.2 kg (35 lb 12 oz)
Supplied accessories AC power cord (1), AC plug holder (1),
CD-ROM (1), Before Using This Unit (1), HDMI cable holder (1), European Representative (1)
*1 The BVM-X300 does not cover the BT.2020 color space in full.
*5 DCI: x=0.314 y=0.351
*6 The BVM-X300 individual chromaticity points. The widest color space setting of the signal is reproduced by the BVM-X300.
*7 The last selected SDI form SDI 1 or SDI 2 input signal are output.
Version: 042018-AR-V3
©2018 Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
Features, design, and specifications are subject to change without notice.
The values for mass and dimension are approximate.
No, that is NOT just my opinion. It’s a fact.
Find a professional workstation that uses a consumer computer processor. We’ve shown you builds of workstations from HP and Dell WORKSTATIONS, both of which use XEONs, not Intel i9s. They take specialized logic boards that support ECC RAM. You want that to be the case that an i9 is the same, but it isn’t. Those specialized XEON supporting logic boards are more expensive than consumer level logic boards. More facts. No serious professional relies on home built or consumer level gear.
XEONs have much larger caches than any i9 processors, allowing them to take data in much larger chunks at a time, thus even though the XEON may operate at a slower clock speed, they can process data faster than a consumer level processor due to the ability to handle more internally.
Your assertion that “very few applications need” ECC shows your ignorance of professional requirements. You base your assertion that the i9 is still a workstation grade processor even though it doesn’t support Error Correction Code is just flat out wrong. I’ve demonstrated the reason why a true workstation requires ECC and you’ve ignored it.
Your intel i9 has just 16 memory lanes, the Xeon has 64. That is a huge difference and makes You keep throwing things at the wall hoping something from your ignorance is going to stick, but it just won’t. There are technical specifications of what makes a workstation class machine and these are part of what makes them workstations. If your livelihood depended on a workstation being completely reliable, you’d understand. . . But since it obviously doesn’t, you don’t.
You are definitely talking completely outside your field of any expertise now, CodeToad. You are pulling facturds out of your rear end. You have no idea what you are talking about when you make wild assed assertions about where and when ECC should be used. You are making stuff up as you go along and trying to tell people who WORK in the industry facts you don’t know a thing about.
Where has anyone here except you deranged Apple Hate Brigade members claimed that these Apple Mac Pros are aimed at common persons as a target audience? Certainly not me. If I were still maintaining a large client base with multiple platforms, I would consider one for my previous life. . . Because I would be interested in simultaneously running multiple Virtual Machines with different operating systems so i could remote into my client’s machines. On my old Mac Pro I used to run up to nine different operating systems at the same time in virtual environments. This machine would be far better at it than that older model. For me it would be a good investment were I still doing that client consulting work day-in-and-day-out. Now that I am semiretired and down to just managing the one office, I don’t have the need anymore.
Try telling your assertion about color matching to some high end artists and printers. They’d kick you out of their studios. Some of these specialists are tetrachromats, people with four cones instead of the normal three cones in their eyes. They can distinguish over 100 million colors instead of the normal human 2.4 million colors. . . and make their livings doing color timing for films. Again, you don’t know what you are talking about for professional usages, which is what these products are targeted toward. I would have no need for this monitor, as pretty as the images it could reproduce are. I am happy with the 5K monitor on my office 27” iMac which already has one of the best color gamuts in the world.
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