I don't often start a topic here, but I had a really interesting conversation at lunch today revolving around "the next Mac Pro," and found my mind wandering into uncharted territory. So here's my predictions for this long awaited machine:
There won't be a next MacPro. If I read Apple correctly, they really don't have an interest in tower configurations anymore, and they might not even have enough sales volume to justify a separate "Pro" computer based on it. They did, after all, recently kill the XServe for just that reason. My prediction is that the next MacPro will be the iMac - but a radically reconfigured iMac, one with a built in bus-level expansion system, perhaps based on LightPeek technology as the interconnect. This would permit Apple to manufacture one form factor, one machine, with standard internals and features, perhaps with different screen sizes, as they do now. Expansion modules would be made available by both Apple and third parties for specific industry needs: PCIe slot modules for things like GPU and special purpose video cards (often the same thing), co-processing modules for adding CPU power and/or clustering, interface modules for things like FibreChannel or 10GigE connections, video I/O modules (perhaps built by companies like AJA and Blackmagic, providing the same functionality as today's PCIe cards, but in a self contained breakout box), and plenty of other things I can't think of. The key is the interconnect, and Apple loves to innovate and lead the industry in these things. Today, bus speed expansion is usually accomplished by either a PCIe connector, or in the case of some Linux based systems, either Infiniband or 10GigE connections. LightPeek could theoretically replace all of that, and do it using very thin, very inexpensive optical fiber. The use of optical fiber also eliminates some issues with the larger interconnects like PCIe and Infiniband, namely, cable length limitations. But the bottom line is that Apple would completely eliminate the need for separate, expensive case manufacture and assembly, as well as the need for a separate motherboard design and manufacture. The form factor of the current iMac is basically identical to the form factor of a typical monitor/keyboard configuration with a conventional computer. SSD's are becoming faster, cheaper, and can be manufactured in smaller form factors than current hard drives, allowing for multiple drive capability in the main case via "pop in" slots on the side of the case, much like the current DVD slot. In short, with Apple's history of innovation and design, I think it makes complete sense that they would eliminate the traditional PC tower design, centralize manufacturing on one desktop form factor, but implement new technologies to allow that form factor to serve all markets, from basic consumers to high end professionals, without compromise - and probably do it before everyone else. This would also explain the long delay in announcing any new "Pro" machines, both to allow for a redesign of the core iMac and also to allow Intel time to complete the optical interconnect technology they might use to make it all work. If they do all of this right, all current software and hardware (including things like Autodesk Smoke and DaVinci Resolve, which currently require third party hardware in specific slot assignments) will continue to work, although it might require some additional modules to house them. And it would allow for performance enhancements for these things that are currently impossible.
That's just my own prognostication, based on nothing other than my own observations, and with absolutely no basis in any announced actual fact. Apple has a history of throwing away the rule book when they've deemed it necessary or desirable. Hell, they even changed their entire design to a new processor, requiring a completely new motherboard design, new peripherals, and a complete rewrite of the operating system. And they did that twice. You don't get any more radical than that. They completely replaced a working operating system and all of its development tools with a BSD Unix system that required an object oriented development approach and an entirely new interface - and they made it able to run programs from the old system. Apple really loves introducing things that are not only unexpected, but have never been seen before and will likely not be implemented by other manufacturers very quickly. Personally, I would find it all pretty exciting, but I'm curious to hear what others think.
There won't be a next MacPro. If I read Apple correctly, they really don't have an interest in tower configurations anymore, and they might not even have enough sales volume to justify a separate "Pro" computer based on it. They did, after all, recently kill the XServe for just that reason. My prediction is that the next MacPro will be the iMac - but a radically reconfigured iMac, one with a built in bus-level expansion system, perhaps based on LightPeek technology as the interconnect. This would permit Apple to manufacture one form factor, one machine, with standard internals and features, perhaps with different screen sizes, as they do now. Expansion modules would be made available by both Apple and third parties for specific industry needs: PCIe slot modules for things like GPU and special purpose video cards (often the same thing), co-processing modules for adding CPU power and/or clustering, interface modules for things like FibreChannel or 10GigE connections, video I/O modules (perhaps built by companies like AJA and Blackmagic, providing the same functionality as today's PCIe cards, but in a self contained breakout box), and plenty of other things I can't think of. The key is the interconnect, and Apple loves to innovate and lead the industry in these things. Today, bus speed expansion is usually accomplished by either a PCIe connector, or in the case of some Linux based systems, either Infiniband or 10GigE connections. LightPeek could theoretically replace all of that, and do it using very thin, very inexpensive optical fiber. The use of optical fiber also eliminates some issues with the larger interconnects like PCIe and Infiniband, namely, cable length limitations. But the bottom line is that Apple would completely eliminate the need for separate, expensive case manufacture and assembly, as well as the need for a separate motherboard design and manufacture. The form factor of the current iMac is basically identical to the form factor of a typical monitor/keyboard configuration with a conventional computer. SSD's are becoming faster, cheaper, and can be manufactured in smaller form factors than current hard drives, allowing for multiple drive capability in the main case via "pop in" slots on the side of the case, much like the current DVD slot. In short, with Apple's history of innovation and design, I think it makes complete sense that they would eliminate the traditional PC tower design, centralize manufacturing on one desktop form factor, but implement new technologies to allow that form factor to serve all markets, from basic consumers to high end professionals, without compromise - and probably do it before everyone else. This would also explain the long delay in announcing any new "Pro" machines, both to allow for a redesign of the core iMac and also to allow Intel time to complete the optical interconnect technology they might use to make it all work. If they do all of this right, all current software and hardware (including things like Autodesk Smoke and DaVinci Resolve, which currently require third party hardware in specific slot assignments) will continue to work, although it might require some additional modules to house them. And it would allow for performance enhancements for these things that are currently impossible.
That's just my own prognostication, based on nothing other than my own observations, and with absolutely no basis in any announced actual fact. Apple has a history of throwing away the rule book when they've deemed it necessary or desirable. Hell, they even changed their entire design to a new processor, requiring a completely new motherboard design, new peripherals, and a complete rewrite of the operating system. And they did that twice. You don't get any more radical than that. They completely replaced a working operating system and all of its development tools with a BSD Unix system that required an object oriented development approach and an entirely new interface - and they made it able to run programs from the old system. Apple really loves introducing things that are not only unexpected, but have never been seen before and will likely not be implemented by other manufacturers very quickly. Personally, I would find it all pretty exciting, but I'm curious to hear what others think.
