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Apple hardware Q4 and 2014
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Bernie, I’d say you hit the nail on the head. Well said
Tim
Apple XRAID, XServe, 2008 2×3 GHz Quad-Core MacPro, Macbook Pro, XSAN, FCP Studio (7), AVID Media Composer, Adobe Production Premium, Maxon Cinema 4d, AJA Kona 3, Flanders Scientific Monitors, Panasonic HPX250’s, Kessler Crane, Glidecam…..
Beer fridge fully loaded. -
WWDC in June would be the logical time to release a MP replacement. Cook is a numbers guys though. There could either be a supply chain issue or they’ve run the numbers and decided the potential sales are too soft. It could also be that they’ve had greater success than expected in selling iMacs into the target pro market and are rethinking the need for a new MP.
Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Matthieu – Cook didn’t say a non specific amazing hardware. He referred to a new Mac Pro in 2013. Here’s the entire email below via appleinsider
Franz,
Thanks for your email. Our Pro customers like you are really important to us. Although we didn’t have a chance to talk about a new Mac Pro at today’s event, don’t worry as we’re working on something really great for later next year. We also updated the current model today.
We’ve been continuing to update Final Cut Pro X with revolutionary pro features like industry leading multi-cam support and we just updated Aperture with incredible new image adjustment features.
We also announced a MacBook Pro with a Retina Display that is a great solution for many pros.
Tim
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Hi Andy,
I know about that mail. But in this conference call with investors he talked about amazing new hardware and software in the fall of 2013 and in 2014. So not only in 2014.
This, combined with the mail you refer too, makes me guess that a new Mac Pro in 2013 is still very much in the works. -
I’ve heard September for new Mac Pro. I think it’s driven by Intel’s chip delivery. And note that literally Cook said in his email : “later next year.” If it comes before September, we’ll all be happier.
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On the other hand if a more expensive higher margin computer cannibalizes a lower cost lower margin computer, you’d think they’d be motivated to get it out the door if possible.
Granted if the supply chain can’t get it out fast enough, they’d end up losing sales on both as people enter a holding pattern waiting for delivery.
My wild guess is that they’re waiting on Intel for chip yields.
I’d also note the number of MacPro GPUs coming to market recently given the OS now supports them. Consider the business ramifications to Apple by opening this up in the OS. I actually don’t have an answer since there’s several ways to look at this.
Newer GPUs allows us to keep our older MacPros alive a bit longer… which actually slows sales for Apple. on the other hand finally having multiple GPU options would bode well for the new MacPro since limited GPU options was, for many, its Achilles heal. From the GPU maker perspective, why make a GPU for an aging computer that, at best, would result in very low volume sales, given not many were sold to begin with? My hunch is that these GPU makers are banking on sales for the new MacPro.
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[Paul Jay] “No Xeon/thunderbolt support.
Ivy bridge needs more cores.
Nobody talks about this fact.”I’ve certainly mentioned this. Whatever the time frame, the new MacPro will likely be a “leader” if it includes Xeon Thunderbolt support. I’ve also mentioned the challenge around the GPUs which, to date, have all been socketed on the motherboard and used by Thunderbolt.
My guess is the next MacPro may have a socketed GPU as well as 16x slot(s) for additional GPUs. All this probably requires working very closely with Intel and this is where the challenges and delays may be. I’d also note that Intel said they’re winding down their motherboard business. That may mean Apple is doing a lot of the motherboard design work for this.
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[Greg Andonian] “If you ask me, everyone who thinks Apple is waiting on some sort of new technology before they upgrade the Mac Pro is only kidding themselves. 20 Gigabit Thunderbolt sounds amazing, but It’s been, what- three and a half years now or something? That’s AT LEAST two full refresh cycles! Surely they could throw SOMETHING appealing together in the meantime…”
I think this sort of logic misses quite how, well, crazy Apple is in some respects. With no apparent solution to the Xeon/Thunderbolt problem, most companies in Apple’s position would indeed have just gone on updating ‘traditional’ Mac Pros. But Apple isn’t most companies. Holding a product off the market for a couple of extra years because it doesn’t match up with your new vision of exactly what that product should be is not something that can be dismissed in Apple’s case.
If they were going to cancel the Mac Pro, they’d have said so. That’s what they did with the Xserve. They haven’t said so here (in fact, Cook has said the opposite), so they’re up to something in this market. When it will show up, what it might be, and whether everyone will be happy with it, it’s hard to say. But they’re absolutely up to something.
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Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.
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[Chris Kenny] “If they were going to cancel the Mac Pro, they’d have said so. That’s what they did with the Xserve. They haven’t said so here (in fact, Cook has said the opposite), so they’re up to something in this market. When it will show up, what it might be, and whether everyone will be happy with it, it’s hard to say. But they’re absolutely up to something.”
IMO there’s no room for MacPros, iMacs and Macminis anymore in Apple’s vision. They’re about to be consolidated into one product. Plus a 4K LED. And by the time their laptops get “fast enough”, they will kill it too.
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I think people need to look at this statement from Tim in it’s context.
Apple has been taking it in the shorts from people throwing out wild, unsubstantiated rumours. And when those rumours DON’T come to pass, it’s seen as a “delay” or “failure” by Apple. Cook has been more aggressive than Jobs about trying to kill some of this stuff quickly, but obviously he can’t answer every idiotic rumour that comes along.
All you have to do is look at Apple news over the last month to see tons of “people in the know” reports by bloggers saying there’s going to be new iPhone or iPads launched this spring or perhaps at WWDC. I think Tim Cook’s statement is a direct stab at those rumours, “No new iPhones iPad until the fall, jackasses!”
Of course, it will never be clear enough for some people. I remember reading an article from a guy who came away disappointed that there wasn’t a new product announcement at the SHAREHOLDER’S MEETING!
Of course WWDC would be a great time to announce the new MacPro. But as I’ve said before, it’s all about the guts. If the MacPro is still going to tie itself to Xeons, then Intel’s roadmap says FALL. So it will be Fall.
If they have something else up their sleeve, then anything can happen.
But Apple isn’t going to wait for the next-gen TB. Why? Cause they’ve already had to wait 2 years for Thunderbolt I/O to make it to the Xeon processors. Who knows how long it will be before the next version would appear on the server-class chips.
If the new MacPro is a big refresh for the device, then I think we can reasonably expect the refresh cycle to go back to something more in line with the rest of the Macs. So if this year’s MacPro ships with 10Gbps, then so be it. And if they can offer 20Gbps next year, then they will.
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