Future of the Mac Pro platform

[Jay Ryde]

Mac Pros are not dead.. And I’d be very surprised if they do die. Why? Because it is the only Apple computer one can completely configure and reconfigure from processor board upwards. Simple as that! I’m surprised to see so called pro users using iMacs as a critical components to their production suits.. I would have thought this a no brainer!

[Devin Crane]

[Patrick Murphy] “For instance, the feature set of the Dell Alienware Area 51 ALX compare quite favorably with an comparably priced Mac ($3.5k).”

Dell Alienware is a gamer’s station, need to look at their Precision Workstations for a better comparative.

Besides you can install several graphics cards into the Mac Pros, however most editing applications only see 1 card at a time.

[Keith Rocheck]

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/335/7930

I laid some of this out over there. The MacPro’s days are numbered though … how many years that will be is in question, but there’s no doubt in my mind it will die off with no replacement.

[John-michael Seng-wheeler]

[Devin Crane] ” Thunderbolt? So much more than what USB3 will ever be.”
That’s ignoring the fact that USB3.0 and Thunderbolt are built for entirely different uses.

Thunderbolt is kinda useless for single external drives. It doesn’t provide enough power, and the tech is so expensive that your options will be limited and overpriced. For connecting a RAID, that’s another story. That’s what Thunderbolt is for. For all of us who use a tapeless workflow, dumping footage from P2 or SxS or CF cards to External Harddisks, USB3 is far more suitable then any other connection. I’d love to be using bus powered 2TB HDDs for my P2 footage. Only USB3 can do that.

Sata has been in Macs since the Power Mac G5s.”

But it isn’t hot swappable, which kinda makes it useless for eSATA.

[Devin Crane]

[John-Michael Seng-Wheeler] “Thunderbolt is kinda useless for single external drives. “

USB3 is pretty much pointless with Single HDs when you have USB2 as well, there just isn’t much of a future with it.

I think in the next year you will see some very innovative peripherals come out with Thunderbolt Technology. Just like with most new tech you will see the cost go down after the first year. TB runs on PCI-Express which opens the door for more powerful and faster external uses.

[John-michael Seng-wheeler]

[Devin Crane] “USB3 is pretty much pointless with Single HDs when you have USB2 as well, there just isn’t much of a future with it. “

Are you aware of the speed diference between USB2 and 3? Um, Your point would have made more sense if you’d said: “USB3 is pretty much pointless with Single HDs when you have Firewire as well, there just isn’t much of a future with it. “

If you don’t think there’s a future in USB3, by all means use 2.0 and have all your file copies take 3 times as long. Heck, as soon as we all go Solid State, it won’t be three times, it’ll be ten.

[Aristides Tiropolis]

i7’s are much cheaper than Xeons, I urge to you look at the pricing of an 930 or 980 Xeon equivalent. The same will also go for the 2600k’s.

Prices in server grade equipment are much higher (they follow different specs and go through much more testing) and that what is Apple is using on the Mac Pro.

I agree though on the USB3 thing. No reason to ditch USB3 because of Thunderbolt. However the same could be said for the supposedly upcoming Firewire S1600 and S3200, I doubt though the industry is looking at them seriously. USB3 Cards can however be had from lacie for the Mac Pro.