Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

As we get closer Mac Pro - peoples thoughts

M

Michael Dalton

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 9, 2009
Messages
1,108
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
Toronto Canada
Website
www.digitalcrossing.ca
With OSX Mavericks getting closer to release, and staff needing to be trained before Oct 11, I think that would signal the new Mac Pro is not that far off. Before I hit the buy button, I was wondering if people have changed their minds on this computer based on all they have read, figured out. What are the major limitations for our kind of work, and what are the pluses for this computer.

Working with Red file (4k)
Editing software - Avid, FCX, Premiere.
Davinci Resolve


I'm not a Mac fanboy. I like Macs because in the 5 years I've used them they have been rock solid. I have never need to reinstall my OS because the computer was running crappy, I've never had problems because of viruses. It just worked, something my PC's never did well without constant maintenance which always seemed to happen toward tight crucial deadlines. For that alone, I will not go back. I don't need the fastest machine, just a reliable one with thunderbolt and USB 3.0.
 
Michael Dalton said:
Before I hit the buy button, I was wondering if people have changed their minds on this computer based on all they have read, figured out. What are the major limitations for our kind of work, and what are the pluses for this computer.
Click to expand...


Nobody has tested it. No one who has tried it can talk about it. Nobody has "figured out" anything. That's the reality. Until it exists, nobody can tell you anything that's meaningful beyond what's on Apple's web site. I would suggest a bit of patience, and I would also suggest largely ignoring any prognostication prior to release.
 
PC continues to have more CPU options, more GPU options, more software, and cost less. New Mac Pro is another attempt at a walled garden by Apple. Do not want.
 
Michael Dalton said:
With OSX Mavericks getting closer to release, and staff needing to be trained before Oct 11, I think that would signal the new Mac Pro is not that far off. Before I hit the buy button, I was wondering if people have changed their minds on this computer based on all they have read, figured out. What are the major limitations for our kind of work, and what are the pluses for this computer.

Working with Red file (4k)
Editing software - Avid, FCX, Premiere.
Davinci Resolve


I'm not a Mac fanboy. I like Macs because in the 5 years I've used them they have been rock solid. I have never need to reinstall my OS because the computer was running crappy, I've never had problems because of viruses. It just worked, something my PC's never did well without constant maintenance which always seemed to happen toward tight crucial deadlines. For that alone, I will not go back. I don't need the fastest machine, just a reliable one with thunderbolt and USB 3.0.
Click to expand...

I'm not a Mac or a PC fanboy, I've got both but more PC's overall. I've not had to reinstall an OS to fix stability problems in maybe 10 years, it's just not an issue anymore if you've bought decent hardware. I've had some system failures... but they've been the usual suspects, hdd's mostly with the odd video card and one mobo failure (laptop). The least stable system I've touched in many many years was a hackintosh box (but it was still fun to play with). I've also not had a virus on any of my machines since around 2000 - I think folks who are constantly getting infected are generally their own worst enemy.

I like the performance of PC's, and the flexibility... but I like the smooth software environment of MAC's (and prores), and I like Apple's focus on form as well as function. PC's are ugly (though some of the new laptop options from Asia are getting sexy). I'm definitely digging the new MacPro design at least from the 10000 foot level... we'll soon know if the function lives up to the form.
 
M Most said:
Nobody has tested it. No one who has tried it can talk about it.
Click to expand...

Not completely true. On WWDC there was an artist from Mari showing the software on a Mac Pro, and said although the software was running on an ALPHA OSX build of Marri which they just had completed on six weeks ago or something (I would need to review it), he never saw the software running smoother then on the new Mac Pro.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuAsOyzawNY

Grant Petty, the CEO of Black Magic Design said this about it:
"Hi,

I think this new MacPro is amazing and those 2 GPUs are incredibly powerful. I am not sure what I can say however there is a whole new OpenCL and DaVinci Resolve 10 is having lots of performance work done to integrate it and its really really fast. Those GPUs are very high performance and each GPU has lots of graphics memory so this is the Mac we have been waiting for! We have lots of Thunderbolt products too so video in and out is taken care of.

We will have more details once the engineering guys get back from WWDC and we know more.

Overall we could not be happier!

Regards,

Grant Petty
Blackmagic Design"

That are the only 2 sources that I know of that have had hands-on to a prototype demo and both had very high claims about it.

EDIT: re-reading the post of Grant I'm not sure if they had hands on to the Mac Pro prototype, or to those graphics cards...

We'll see how it plays out. Personally, I think it's going to be like with the Retina Macbook Pro. Everyone also said how you couldn't update this or that, and they were right. But on the other hand, Apple's tight engineering on all the components and the software made sure that was a hell of a fast laptop with a premium build, premium screen in a package (battery, weight) where you would least expect it. Now I hear a LOT of REDUSERS say how it's their favorite laptop they've ever had.

I'm also very curious to the rumored big FCPX update that would probably go along with that Mac Pro release.
 
I have a friend who works for a company providing one of the key components of the new MacPro - and what I do know - is that the volume that APPLE expects to sell - based on initial orders - is rather insane. Apple is very, very confident of the new MacPro.
 
I've touched the new Mac Pro. It's shiny.

I will just say that it is a very misunderstood system. I can't really qualify it better than that right now. It's the system that most people want, they just don't know it yet.

As for the Mac v. PC religious debate, I just don't get it... I own dozens of PCs. Have built hundreds of them, probably close to a thousand... I still prefer Macs. It hasn't always been that way. It may not stay that way forever. There are times when a PC is the better tool for a certain job. There are times when the Mac just makes a heck of a lot more sense. PC's are only cheaper if you build them to be so. ...And if your time is worth less than the little bit of money you think you're saving. Of course, there's that gaping hole in the Mac product line where they don't offer any true desktop class systems with desktop class CPUs.

I couldn't live without Macs or PC. Not sure I understand how so many in this industry can get by with sticking to one platform with religious conviction.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
I couldn't live without Macs or PC. Not sure I understand how so many in this industry can get by with sticking to one platform with religious conviction.
Click to expand...

Agreed
 
I don't need or want several computers; two or three do nicely for me personally and for the way I operate in a business environment. Having been a Mac user since 1984 - yes, literally, the first Macs, I see no reason to make the switch now. I have listened to people proselytize in either direction for years but, I have to say, Jeff's commentary above is enough to make me confident and calm about my decision to retain my preference for the Mac for the foreseeable future.

As for the new machine, it's easy to caution people to hold off on evaluating it since "no one knows." But, as others have pointed out, that isn't strictly true; there are several sources that have had hands on and seem to be impressed. Folks have every right to be skeptical if that is they way they are leaning now, but I wouldn't dig in too hard on that front because I think the new machine is likely to surprise and delight. As Jeff said, you want it; you just don't know it yet. :smiley:
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
I've touched the new Mac Pro. It's shiny.
It's the system that most people want, they just don't know it yet.
Click to expand...

I never thought I would ever see the day I would replace my tower with a laptop. Well, as I waited for the new MacPro, I got the MacBook Pro Retina as a stop-gap, and WOW was I surprised. I can only guess that the new MacPro will blow the doors off my expectations again. I will have NO hesitation to click on the BUY button when that day comes.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
I will just say that it is a very misunderstood system. I can't really qualify it better than that right now. It's the system that most people want, they just don't know it yet.
Click to expand...


That's an intriguing statement!
You should copy right it and sell it to Apple ;-)

Pat
 
just got the latest iMac (27", 3.5ghz, 4gb vram) and was definitley on the fence about getting this or waiting for the mac pro....i think that jeff is spot on with his statement....about not knowing how much we will want it....i needed something now and i am pretty sure the mac pro will be in a different price range....
all i can say that the performance of the imac is pretty amazing....the new rcx and resolve betas are definitely a step up as well and things will get even better....i am not a fan boy, just a happy user...and hardware and software go together...and with the mac both kind of get out of your way so the work gets done....
 
M Most said:
Nobody has tested it. No one who has tried it can talk about it. Nobody has "figured out" anything. That's the reality. Until it exists, nobody can tell you anything that's meaningful beyond what's on Apple's web site. I would suggest a bit of patience, and I would also suggest largely ignoring any prognostication prior to release.
Click to expand...

Great to see there are a bunch of people excited. Jeff your comments have peaked a lot of interest, thanks for that.

I think people can a lot by specs and benchmarks if they know what to look for... I don't. I think the graphics card is existing at the moment in card format? People may know how well it handles what we need it to do. I'm sure it will be good for resolve? But I suspect it's no Titian? I had a second generation Mac Pro, which died last Nov, I've been using a mac mini which transcodes in Avid great. Essentially a pro without a moderate graphics card. I can't wait for power. I'm very intrigued by the wallpaper being 4 or 5k. Hopefully an amazing new screen.
 
i can't even imagine having a xeon with no pci slots...like what the hell do you do to add ports as your machine is rapidly out of date? yes i can go make everything live externally in a rat nest of cords...but as an apple fan boy the only machine that isn't soldered together was the mac pro, and now that its a soldered, it leaves it an island to itself...IE like their entire product line. I am not down with this concept, no matter how much i like the OS and stability... and i don't see how people can get down with this idea...


sure its unreleased now and has super good specs, but what about when they don't release the next one for 5 long years AGAIN, and ur shiny new toy is unexpandable and can't even have faster ports added to it with a pci card... it just seems short sighted to buy a non upgradable "workstation". one that you know going into it is soldered like hell, and you can't add new ports ever
 
I agree with Jeff - it's what you want you just don't know it yet. It's at least what I thought when they announced it. I can see the potentials, just not be sure that what I believe is what it is - time will tell, but I think it's the step into the new future.
 
I'll get it when it comes out. Looking forward to simplifying my system. No e-Sata nonsense, I decide how to expand based on my personal needs now and in the future.

I love it, sign me up!

Brian, there will be no rat's nest of cords, can be very elegant, well understood and clean.
 
After reading Grant Petty's comments from Blackmagic about the new MacPro being a great Resolve machine, I'm sold. Plus now we have GPU support for RedCineX...it might just make the whole Thunderbolt RedRocket unnecessary. The 12GB of GPU ram is going to be amazing working in Resolve.

I'm glad to hear that Apple is planning to build a lot, because we'll be ordering 4, plus the 4K cinema displays if those come out.
 
I had damned it out of hand due to the inability to host Rocket without kludgey external boxes.

Then Red go and release an RCX with meaningful R3D acceleration using just the GPU...

And I've read rumours that the shiny dustbin will be priced 'competitively'.

So as of now, I don't know. Less negative than I was at the announcement. But I'm profoundly, deeply suspicious: you do NOT need such a weird proprietary non-standard cylindrical form factor unless your name is Seymour Cray. Goddess only knows what weird proprietary non-standard GPUs, SSD, memory etc. are going to cost.

Oh and Michael? What you really mean is that you like *OSX* - that's the rock-solid bit. A Hackintosh might indeed be the best option, for thee and me both :-)

Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top