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  • 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 :)

New Mac Pro

I love the Apple user experience, but it´s been sooo long since any new hardware products from Apple got me excited!

I am keeping my 8core Mac Pro (2.8Ghz) with custom installed blu ray burner for now, and seems like I will keep it for a long long long time the way Apple keeps updating.

I miss the old days when Apple uncompromisingly put out tools that I would drool over, I haven´t given up completely just yet, although I don´t spend too much time hoping either.

What really puzzles me is that Apple doesn´t seem interested in anything pro anymore, can´t they do two things at the same time? To me it seems like they are in a better position than ever to build the most kick-ass Mac Pro known to man, and make a nice profit at it too, but they just don´t bother!

(Apart from Commodore 64, all my computers have been Macintosh, up until now)
 
Tom Lowe said:
To me, this is an extremely important and valid issue to discuss. Right now, Red is favoring Mac heavily when it comes to software development, which leaves PC users out in the cold, to a certain extent. If PCs gain momentum (which they very much seem to be at the moment), that could mean increased attention to PC software support from Red, not to mention increased options for post-prodruction of Red footage on all PCs, which outnumber Macs almost ten to one. So, in my mind, this conversation could have real-world ramifications, just like the discussion here some months ago about potential USB 3.0 support in the DSMC program.
Click to expand...

I promised I wouldn't get sucked in... but... the "ten to one" argument just doesn't fly any more than if I included every iPod, iPhone and iPad in the discussion if I claimed that "everyone uses Apple." When you discount all those Windows PCs sitting in the cubicles of every form and sort of corporate user, from sales assistants to CEOs, and look instead at the specific applications we are talking about in this forum, then "ten to one" is no longer anywhere near 10 to 1. :banghead:
 
Terry VerHaar said:
I promised I wouldn't get sucked in... but... the "ten to one" argument just doesn't fly any more than if I included every iPod, iPhone and iPad in the discussion if I claimed that "everyone uses Apple." When you discount all those Windows PCs sitting in the cubicles of every form and sort of corporate user, from sales assistants to CEOs, and look instead at the specific applications we are talking about in this forum, then "ten to one" is no longer anywhere near 10 to 1. :banghead:
Click to expand...

Actually, it seems the number is closer to twenty-to-one, even if you toss in the iphone:

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=8
 
Ok this is just my take on things but it will be interesting to see if it comes to pass.

USB 3 will not be supported on Macs, Apple and Intel have invested four years or more including millions in funding and developing Light Peak and we will see it in the next Pro Mac in 2011.

The next Pro Mac will be a complete redesign to facilitate this new technology and have a combination of drive configurations 3.5 and 2.5" and different pcie ports and graphic cards.
I think we will see a complete case redesign and form factor.

The next Final Cut Studio will be a major upgrade and have full 4K support with a new interface, Color Re-Design, and features that will compete with CS5 and probably go even further.

I have a feeling Apple and Red are working together on something big. I don't know why, but reading between the line of various threads certain topics such as displays have
been greeted with complete silence. Maybe its something to do with this new 4K codec we hear Apple is working on ... something's cooking in the Kitchen, just not sure what?

We may see Apples first 27" Retina display in late 2011 or 2012 this will be fed by Light Peak which will be needed to handle the resolution.

I think it's a bit premature to say Apple are taking a back seat when it comes to the Pro Mac. I just think they are waiting for Light Peak technology before investing further.
I dont think USB 3 is on the Apple Roadmap, why spend four years or more investing in a technology and not want to make it the industry standard.

I think Light Peak will change a lot more than people are giving it credit for. It will drive new storage capacity and speeds, home entertainment, tv's, ipad, iphone, all Apples computers, Higher Resolution Displays.
This is just my take on things, it will be interesting to see what happens.
 
tillHavis said:
Ok this is just my take on things but it will be interesting to see if it comes to pass.

...(snip)...
Click to expand...

I am not sure why either, but I completely agree with your assessment. I couldn't really explain it - probably half intuition and half wishful thinking - but what you describe makes a lot of sense to me.
 
well, whatever they are cooking, they better serve it up soon. I've been on Mac computers since my dual floppy drive Mac SE days, but now I feel like kicking Apple to the curb for their seeming indifference to profound innovation in the hardware space...there are so many things I can't implement with this upgrade.

oh no, I feel it boiling over, here it comes...

*rant mode on*

And as for the state of FCP these days, pbbbbbbt, you've had all the advantages and are lapped by Adobe. why don't you spend a few bucks from your $26 BILLION DOLLAR CASH HOARD TO OPTIMIZE YOUR FRICKIN HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE with my RED camera?? I don't really care that the market is small - this is the edge, this is the biggest imaging breakthrough in our century, in my entire generation, and where are you, Apple? selling iSlate apps for $3.99??? :party:

pull your finger out and sell me something that I can feel really excited about, for a change. I'm waaaaiting...

*rant mode off*

feel free to prove me wrong, Apple, and show the same degree of loyalty to me and my needs as a film and video professional as I have to you as a consumer...
 
Meryem, you've just said what so many of us are feeling right now. It seems that these new machines are great for those in the print sector, where Apple already lost out when Adobe ported to Windows. Now, instead of feeding the video sector where they have(had) an edge, they're back to beating that dead horse. Makes no sense to me whatsoever. And, whilst I understand the Lightpeak focus, it's not as though USB3 would be costly to implement. Do Apple think that, if they don't support it in their 10% of the market, USB3 will just wither and die leaving Lightpeak to rule? Stoopid!
 
tillHavis said:
Ok this is just my take on things but it will be interesting to see if it comes to pass.

USB 3 will not be supported on Macs, Apple and Intel have invested four years or more including millions in funding and developing Light Peak and we will see it in the next Pro Mac in 2011.

The next Pro Mac will be a complete redesign to facilitate this new technology and have a combination of drive configurations 3.5 and 2.5" and different pcie ports and graphic cards.
I think we will see a complete case redesign and form factor.

The next Final Cut Studio will be a major upgrade and have full 4K support with a new interface, Color Re-Design, and features that will compete with CS5 and probably go even further.

I have a feeling Apple and Red are working together on something big. I don't know why, but reading between the line of various threads certain topics such as displays have
been greeted with complete silence. Maybe its something to do with this new 4K codec we hear Apple is working on ... something's cooking in the Kitchen, just not sure what?

We may see Apples first 27" Retina display in late 2011 or 2012 this will be fed by Light Peak which will be needed to handle the resolution.

I think it's a bit premature to say Apple are taking a back seat when it comes to the Pro Mac. I just think they are waiting for Light Peak technology before investing further.
I dont think USB 3 is on the Apple Roadmap, why spend four years or more investing in a technology and not want to make it the industry standard.

I think Light Peak will change a lot more than people are giving it credit for. It will drive new storage capacity and speeds, home entertainment, tv's, ipad, iphone, all Apples computers, Higher Resolution Displays.
This is just my take on things, it will be interesting to see what happens.
Click to expand...

I agree, makes sense.
 
Shane I think Apple are only interested in their own roadmap, they will watch other developments sure, but ultimately they will only implement what they feel is right for Apple.
Apple has proven in the past they are willing to ignore developments if it's not on their roadmap.
If I had invested millions in a standard that will drive all other future developments from Apple TV's to storage to ipad/iphone etc... why would I support a competing standard ?
USB 3 has not yet been implemented by Intel; this is a major tell and a sign they are buying time for Light Peak, their is no other reason they would not have produced a USB 3 motherboard when other manufacturers already have.
In my view it makes sense for Apple not to adopt USB 3. I think they are looking at the bigger picture by not doing so.
 
Here are some other thoughts to consider...

- If Apple had announced this update to the Mac Pro 4 months ago, would you all feel the same way? Sure, I know we all want more slots and a rack-mountable case, etc.. But we have been asking for that for the past 4 years now.

- The Intel 5520 chipset is still currently the best choice out there for this particular arrangement. It supports a maximum of 40 PCIe lanes, which Apple is giving us via 2 slots at x16 and two slots at x4. If they installed a 5th slot, where would you like to compromise?

* I'll answer the above and say that I would want a lane configuration utility like we had on the 2006 Mac Pro. Give us 5 slots to configure how we choose. I would give myself 1 x16, 2 x8 and 2 x4 slots.

- Apple was not going to do any major hardware update with this upgrade, I really don't know why people were thinking that they would. Why do a major redesign around a chipset and CPU architecture that is going to be replaced by the next iteration of Xeon CPUs and supporting chipsets? Scheduled to release Q3/Q4 this year...

- This is a simple spec bump and nothing more. This is not a major update. People have been wanting a major update to the Mac Pro for over a year. Well, Apple offered the best there was (other than outdated GPUs and one or two fewer PCIe slots than most of us wanted). The only thing new that has come along since January '09 has been the 6-core "Gulftown" Xeon CPUs. Released into OEM channels in March of this year with them really becoming available in April. Apple seems to be 4 months behind, assuming they do ship next month.

- Where Apple needs to step up most for us pro users is with their software. I honestly couldn't care less about a 12-core Mac Pro right now when FCS can barely use 2 cores efficiently. Sure, there's QMaster and such, but none of the core software within the suite makes use of multiple CPUs. Adobe is kicking Apple's ass in this department. Mercury engine seems to scale very well up to 12 CPUs and even a bit beyond. It's only a matter of time before that same engine makes it into AE, Encore, etc..

- Apple is heavily tied to Intel. Intel is not supporting USB3. It does not surprise me that USB3 was not implemented on the new iMac systems. With the current state of USB3, it's probably for the best anyway. But there is no reason for Apple to not give us a couple eSATA ports or something we could truly use. Waiting for LightPeak might look good from their point of view, but to a consumer point of view, it sucks. Once again, the Mac Pro didn't really receive an update here. So no reason to expect USB3.

- I'm upset that Apple is dragging their feet on development of their pro apps. And I'm upset that this minor update should have been here 4 months ago. And to top it off, there has been no price adjustment to the Mac Pro line, which is in dire need of one. Not only that, but we get to pay a huge premium for those Gulftown Xeons next month.

- I'm afraid that Intel will push their next generation out on schedule or even a bit ahead of schedule, which has been the trend lately. And yet, Apple will probably try to squeeze 5 months or more out of this latest minor update. Which means no possibility of a true update until sometime early next year from Apple? I hope not, but that's what I'm afraid of.

OTOH, they may surprise us... We can only hope.
 
You're dead right Jeff, these machines amount to a dot update like the last iteration of FCS. Problem is that while we're all gnashing for a version upgrade to both software and hardware, they're giving us dots, for which we have to pay.

Hackintosh; they have to...
 
One thing to throw in on this is Nvidia has more up their sleeve with Quadro series so dont rule out seeing a Quadro 4000 in the fall for Mac Pro's.
 
yeah, its pretty clear Apple no longer want professionals...

Hackintosh is the only way forward as you can have a dual boot and run Mac OS and Linux so slowly make the move over to Linux as it caters for the high-end
 
Well I have some time on my hands guys
let me know if this helps

I will get in my car and go stand out front Apple inc.
With a sign that says-

Please give me a Mac Pro with " "
-
-
you guys please fill in the blank for me
with what you think should be there

I will also put on the bottom of my sign
that I am standing there for all the professionals
that are busy working and cannot be there with me
I will hang a dry erase board with a number on it around my neck
that number being the amount of people who have asked to be added
to those wanting the Mac Pro to be Saved
This way I can stand alone if need be

All I need is for someone to make a place for people to click
and show the number of people who want/need this to happen

Maybe Im crazy, but it just feels crazy to sit here and do nothing and wish for the Mac Pro to be dealt with.....:badputer:
 
Shane Betts said:
And, whilst I understand the Lightpeak focus, it's not as though USB3 would be costly to implement. Do Apple think that, if they don't support it in their 10% of the market, USB3 will just wither and die leaving Lightpeak to rule? Stoopid!
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what they think. It's hubris, IMO.
 
roryhinds said:
yeah, its pretty clear Apple no longer want professionals...

Hackintosh is the only way forward as you can have a dual boot and run Mac OS and Linux so slowly make the move over to Linux as it caters for the high-end
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but that is such a weak excuse. If you can't edit or grade or mix using a Mac for the majority of projects then the problem is not a mac... it's the operator.

Yes, granted there's Pablo and Lustre etc, et al for the biggest stuff but what you can do on a Mac these days certainly dwarfs what you can't.

Stop blaming the tools and just get on with it. Where there's a will, there's a way.
 
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