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Apple plots new Mac Pro, eyes desktop innovation (Mac Pro assembled / partially made in USA)
ZD Net ^ | 6/10/2013 | Larry Dignan

Posted on 06/10/2013 12:52:41 PM PDT by Yossarian

Apple plots new Mac Pro, eyes desktop innovation

Summary: Mac Pro looked a bit like something Darth Vader would use to operate the Death Star and is an eighth the size of the previous version.

By Larry Dignan for Between the Lines | June 10, 2013 -- 18:12 GMT (11:12 PDT)

Apple said that it will keep the Mac Pro alive---even though it hasn't been updated forever. In a sneak peak, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller said it rethought what a desktop should be.

The Mac Pro, which caters to video editors and folks that need more horse power, was outlined in a sneak peak from Schiller. The desktop is a black cylinder looking thing. "Can't innovate anymore my ass," said Schiller.

Mac Pro looked a bit like something Darth Vader would use to operate the Death Star and is an eighth the size of the previous version. The latest Pro will have the latest Xeon cores, ECC memory and Flash internal storage with PCIe controller. Expansion is external for RAID and other additions with Thunderbolt 2.

Meanwhile, there are dual workstation GPUs. The Mac Pro more than doubles the performance of the previous model and supports 4K displays. Final Cut Pro 10 will updated for the new Mac Pro.

Schiller said that Mac Pro will appear later this year. Pricing is to be determined. "This is without a doubt the future of the pro desktop."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: apple; macpro; madeinusa
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To: Swordmaker

There’s a song in there...somewhere


41 posted on 06/11/2013 12:52:04 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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To: Yossarian
They really could have used a few PCI slots for things like 10GB or 40GB ethernet, and whatever comes down the pike. I wish they still kept the “big box” format around in conjunction with the new “tube” design....

My limited understanding is that Thunderbolt is basically a transport layer for PCI Express, and TB2 should have enough overhead to be just as fast, even with multiple cards. I bet there are engineers at Belkin and Griffin already working on an expansion chassis full of drive bays and PCI slots that looks a lot like the old Mac Pro box; maybe even with room to put the black cylinder inside it.

42 posted on 06/11/2013 9:22:51 AM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: kevkrom

“Of course, this is a specialty machine, really designed for science, engineering, and software development - plus high-end photo and video processing.”

FTFY. :-)


43 posted on 06/11/2013 10:05:20 AM PDT by PreciousLiberty
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To: Yossarian

Physically unwieldy? I’m not sure I agree. Considering the size of the previous MacPro line - a behemoth by today’s standards, the much smaller MacPro design, even with a few external peripherals, it will occupy less space. Indeed, in a way - it makes your work more portable - as you can tote that external drive with the big project from station to station (or to your home office).

But I do grasp the benefits of having lots of INTERNAL expansion. That is why I haven’t let go of my old Dual G5 PowerMac at home.


44 posted on 06/11/2013 11:07:17 AM PDT by TheBattman (Isn't the lesser evil... still evil?)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
thunderbolt like capability via wifi or better. now you can put your peripherals pretty much anywhere you like.

With the implementation of 802.11ac in Apple's portable line-up, we see things moving that very direction!

45 posted on 06/11/2013 11:09:30 AM PDT by TheBattman (Isn't the lesser evil... still evil?)
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To: Yossarian
Do you know how much the Intel Xeons go for, alone? Not to mention the AMD FirePower GPUs? Or PCI-E SSDs?

Pretty evident he doesn't have a grasp on reality... but then again, many of those who are Apple-detractors fall into two categories - either the ignorant who speak out of their stink-hole, or those who actually have encountered issues or situations where a Mac wasn't the right tool for them.

46 posted on 06/11/2013 11:12:05 AM PDT by TheBattman (Isn't the lesser evil... still evil?)
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To: Yossarian

The Mac Pro, coupled with the old 30” Cinema Display? The stuff of my computing dreams. Can’t bring myself to pony up the bucks, so I’ll just admire from afar and enjoy my base model iPad (and my Sams’s close out rack HP PC).


47 posted on 06/11/2013 12:07:27 PM PDT by avenir (I'm pessimistic about man, but I'm optimistic about GOD!)
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To: Yossarian
(That's about the only thing my G5 is doing these days....)

Can I hab it?

48 posted on 06/11/2013 12:09:23 PM PDT by itsahoot (It is not so much that history repeats, but that human nature does not change.)
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To: matt04
My only problem with that is no ports on the front. None. Need to plug in a USB flash drive, etc. spin the whole thing around, bulky power cable and all. Not smart.

First somewhat legitimate gripe I have read on this thread. I suppose the "spin and illuminate" idea is Apple's "solution", but I'm not sold. I agree - need at least a port on the front...Of course, I suppose one could just plug in hub and cable... But that is not up to Apple's usual "graceful design" idea...

49 posted on 06/11/2013 12:53:39 PM PDT by TheBattman (Isn't the lesser evil... still evil?)
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To: ctdonath2

Maybe a box that can be grown with Lego like (or analogous) components. If it only has a little inside, it’s small and skinny. If it has a lot, get the extra panels & posts, expand it and it’s large and/or fat.


50 posted on 06/11/2013 1:34:05 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Whatever promise that God has made, in Jesus it is yes. See my page.)
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To: ReignOfError

I believe the speed of PCIe is pretty much the same as Thunderbolt 2.0: 20 gigabits per second. As such, connecting an external mass storage drive means no loss of access speed to and from the external storage device.


51 posted on 06/11/2013 1:38:59 PM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
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To: RayChuang88
I believe the speed of PCIe is pretty much the same as Thunderbolt 2.0: 20 gigabits per second. As such, connecting an external mass storage drive means no loss of access speed to and from the external storage device.

A sixteen-lane PCIe v4.0 slot maxes out 31.51 GB/s. Note the uppercase "B". That's 12.5 times faster than Thunderbolt 2.0.

I think this mostly hurts in being able to upgrade to a better graphics card down the road.

52 posted on 06/11/2013 5:29:56 PM PDT by Yossarian ("All the charm of Nixon. All the competency of Carter." - SF Chronicle comment post on Obama)
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To: Yossarian

Wonder if it’s the right caliber to fit in a pneumatic tube.


53 posted on 06/11/2013 5:43:54 PM PDT by Yardstick
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To: Yossarian

It really is easy to picture Star Wars characters having a light saber duel around this thing. Especially in the second pic, it looks like a control kiosk in the central corridor of the Death Star.


54 posted on 06/11/2013 5:49:45 PM PDT by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick

The Death Star had a fatal weakness. A port that led to the center where it could be destroyed. This design of the Mac Pro has me concerned. Can you imagine something spilling into the top fan port? An errant drink, grandpa’s cigarette butt, or a child dropping who knows what candy into it. Shudder!

I do like the design, reminds me of the simplicity of my Apple Cube (Power Mac G4) that has a center vent arrangement.


55 posted on 06/11/2013 7:40:46 PM PDT by roadcat
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To: avenir
e Mac Pro, coupled with the old 30” Cinema Display? The stuff of my computing dreams. Can’t bring myself to pony up the bucks, so I’ll just admire from afar and enjoy my base model iPad (and my Sams’s close out rack HP PC).

That 30" display was a beaut, but I figured out a while ago I like multiple monitors rather than huge ones. I have the 21.5" iMac with two external monitors flanking it. My 20" Dell monitor started leaking magic smoke, so I replaced it with a 19" Samsung. You can get amazing deals on smaller LCD monitors at thrift shops these days.

There's a company called DisplayLink that makes USB video adapter chips. A lot of companies use their chipset, which has Mac and Windows drivers. They usually run about 50 bucks, and while I wouldn't want to use one of those screens for gaming, they're great for browser windows and Photoshop palettes. I'm thinking about adding a fourth screen next time I see one of those adapters on sale.

56 posted on 06/11/2013 8:49:52 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: roadcat

LOL — good point.


57 posted on 06/11/2013 10:13:23 PM PDT by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick

I was thinking about my 1-year-old granddaughter, who I often babysit. She loves to shovel cat food into different containers. Ignores fancy toys. I can picture her thinking the new Mac Pro is another container for her to fill with cat food. Perhaps a mesh fabric cover would help. She plays with my Mac Mini Server but it’s pretty much indestructible.


58 posted on 06/11/2013 10:43:33 PM PDT by roadcat
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To: SunkenCiv

Had its own website:

http://www.apple.com/mac-pro/


59 posted on 06/11/2013 10:48:02 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: ReignOfError

Thank you.


60 posted on 06/12/2013 12:45:37 AM PDT by avenir (I'm pessimistic about man, but I'm optimistic about GOD!)
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