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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 :)

Redcine + 8 Cores

AppliedVisual said:
The more I look at it, this 8-core update from Apple is nothing more than a marketing stunt or something they're doing just because they can. They have an exclusive for a few weeks on the 3GHz chips so they're going to use them. I would still bet we see a bigger Mac Pro update in another 2 to 3 months as Apple will do doubt ship newer systems with the upcoming Stoakley/Seaburg chipset. I wouldn't even be surprised if such a system is *announced* at NAB. The updated Intel chipset gives 44 PCI-E lanes, PCI-E 2.0, faster FSB options and a more efficient memory controller. Intel's new chipset should be shipping to OEMs by the end of April to sometime in May. In typical Apple fashion, that translates to late June, maybe even mid July for incorporation into a system. Intel will be shipping updated CPU models by then too.

I'm eager to see what Apple comes out with when the real update hits. But I won't buy until they do something to fix the dismal graphics options.
Click to expand...

Amen to everything you said. But, if you look at Apple's G5/Mac Pro upgrade cycle they've never broken the normal timeline before. However here's the insider's quote, "The last Mac Pro updates only introduced an 8-Core Mac Pro, leaving the rest of the line untouched. Updates to the regular Mac Pros may still be coming." Let's hope so. The shortest update cycle was around 5 months with the longest being about 10 months. The most frustrating thing about this "upgrade" is it comes after a fairly long cycle. We should've seen more. I hope it's coming and maybe it is since Apple might've needed to capitalize on the exclusive they had on the Intel 3.0 Quad Xeons. But after 8 months Apple can't coordinate a real upgrade to the entire line with the release of the new Intel chip? I'd love to know what's going on. Maybe someone forgot to order the new video cards from Nvidia:help:
 
I think Apple is just capitalizing on their exclusive chip deal with a spec-bump. There is no reason for Apple to do a re-design or major update to the Mac Pro right now because the soon to be released Intel chipset just isn't here yet. But even with a a CPU bump, I'm still baffled about Apple not at least adding a new video option or two. And why no price adjustments? 500GB hard drives are $125 these days... WTH???

I think we're just seeing a glorified spec-bump to take advantage of their CPU position and to get 8-core on the market before a major event (NAB). This way at NAB they're not announcing 8-core systems as something new (considering every PC workstation vendor has had them for months), but rather they can brag about having the only 3GHz 8-core systems. Then they can get on to the real substance of the show. Hopefully it's good....

I still think we'll see updated Mac Pros using the new Intel chipset within the next couple months. OTOH, they may wait until August/September with the new Intel CPUs to update. Which wold be fine by me... I won't get my RED until around then and I'd rather wait until I can buy a system with true unified quad core CPUs instead of dual on-die Woodies. nVidia will be shipping the 8900 and 8950 variants by then, hopefully Apple offers one of those. Dual / SLI 8950GTX would be icing on the cake. But I'm not going to get my hopes up... They'll probably wait until August to start offering the 8800GT :/
 
Jeff, I totally agree with you. I am going to go even further though - I am going to wai until near the end next year - Apple, please give us a 45nm Nehalem 16-core with saucy graphics card options. Or maybe just a quad-core Macbook with eSATA and a higher-res sceen. It'll be my first Mac ever!

Problem is, I'm hoping to shoot on a Red before that. Damn!

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
 
why not wait 3 yeas for the the 32 core ?
-A
 
Nathan Troutman said:
Amen to everything you said. But, if you look at Apple's G5/Mac Pro upgrade cycle they've never broken the normal timeline before.
Click to expand...

I agree on the upgrade cycle, but I think we're going to be seeing more irregularities in cycle as Apple now has to flow with the Intel based PC market. This should just be considered what it is, a spec bump, not an update. The same was done with the first generation Macbook Pro. Everyone expected a big update with the release of Core 2 Duo. Instead we got a spec bump about 2 months before the Core 2 CPUs hit. Then Apple appeared to be dragging their feet while rabid customers waited to order a C2D Macbook [Pro]. It seemed as if Apple was late to the party, but they really weren't... They obviously just waited until they could secure quantities of the 2.33GHz mobile chips and they were one of the first to ship notebook computers with that chip.

Intel has new chipsets that offer vast improvements in options and performance just around the corner. I would not be surprised if Apple announces new Macbook Pro systems at NAB. Hopefully they will update the tired X1600 GPU and give us a higher resolution screen -- at least on the 17" model.

Anyway, trying to guess what Apple is going to do is usually futile.
 
I was kidding about the 32 core.
I don't think " much faster machines " exist, maybe a little faster but not
" much faster ".
Aloha
-A
 
Poi Boy said:
I was kidding about the 32 core.
I don't think " much faster machines " exist, maybe a little faster but not
" much faster ".
Aloha
-A
Click to expand...

16 core systems are usual stuff, since over over one year.
They were double the speed of the max 8 cores which are coming to the market now in 2006 already.

you can even easily custombuild one, starting with 2 cores and then expand over time.

http://tyan.com/product_board_detail.aspx?pid=247 and add the m4881, 8 dualcores now, 8 quadcores later this year. so its 16 now, 32 when AMD delivers their quadcore.

but those system rather make sense for hardcore-loading them with rendering several jobs paralell.

using them as workstations won´t double your performance, as disk i/o will become a bottleneck and most softwares for NLE & VFX aren´t really optimised for >4 cpus.

what is nice about apples 4 & 8 core pcs is that they have a well trimmed sweet performance/price spot in the market. for the 16core pcs windows in a quite costy edition is needed, and the series 8xx opterons which are required for 16 core system are rather expensive as well.
 
Totally agree; there will always be an extreme option but price and practicality usually makes it an unreal solution for most of us.
Aloha
-A
 
Poi Boy said:
Totally agree; there will always be an extreme option but price and practicality usually makes it an unreal solution for most of us.
Aloha
-A
Click to expand...

to be honest, we (and most "classic" houses) are used to have to pay $$$.$$$ per NLE/VFX workstation.

discreet/sony/avid/quantel nel&vfx - pc & storage 100-250K$ including software,
20-60K$ image & soundmonitoring
20-100K$ VTR

were and are pretty much the usual prices film & tv production houses were used to pay per seat.

so it is pretty funny, that our premiere and fcp licenses now will be used for the highest quality digital production chain in our house (we have a complete hdcam/cinealta workflow since 2002 as well).'
 
Also don't forget that soon the 8800's and will have drivers such that the Graphics cards can do more then just make graphics but also do math in tandem with the main CPU(s) as the GPU's with 8800's can exucte "C".
 
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