Mac Pro Petition on Facebook

[Walter Soyka]

I’ve found the different responses to this thread on the different forums absolutely fascinating.

Here on the FCPX or Not forum, the response has been largely hopeful. On the the FCP7 forum, the response was pretty fatalistic. On the Premiere Pro forum, the response was largely, “So what? Buy a PC.”

Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle: I’ve gone cross-platform. I’m exposed to the best of both the PC and Mac platforms while mitigating my exposure to platform-specific risks.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Jim Wiseman]

I believe those knotted ropes were mine. Hyperbolic sarcasm to say the least. But why would I want to spend at least 5 to 10k (or much more) on an HP workstation (who just laid of 27,000 employees and makes the only PC I have seen that has engineering quality of build even approaching a Mac Pro) running an operating system I truly don’t like when my Mac Pro 5.1 2010 with NVidia card runs one that I do? Why wouldn’t I root for it to continue to be upgraded to future performance standards? Why would I want to give up thousands of dollars of Mac specific software to purchase thousands more of Windows software? Sure, CS6 is cross platform, maybe a couple of others I use, but not many I wouldn’t have to pay for. Media 100 Suite 2.1, an often overlooked but extremely stable and easy to use editor, that will do RED 4K RAW, that I know well for one. Also Avid MC 6 which seems to run perfectly on the Mac as well as Windows, and who knows, I’m open to FCPX if Apple gets serious about it. Smoke is coming. In my financial position, my point in my career, the fact that I don’t do effects heavy work (3D, etc.) and given my obvious preference for OSX, it is a no brainer. Sticking with the Mac here. Hoping they continue to develop it because I think the Mac OS/hardware model is clearly superior. Probably pass on the flagellation.

Jim Wiseman
Sony PMW-EX1,Pana AJ-D810 DVCPro, DVX-100, Nikon D7000, Final Cut Studio 2 and 3, Media 100 Suite 2.1, Premiere Pro 5.5 and 6.0, AJA ioHD, AJA Kona LHi, Avid MC, Hexacore MacPro 3.33 Ghz 24Gb RAM GTX-285 120GB SSD, Macbook Pro 17″ 2011 2.2 Ghz Quadcore i7 8Gb SSD, G5 Quadcore PCIe

[Bernard Newnham]

“But why would I want to spend at least 5 to 10k (or much more) on an HP workstation? ”

Indeed – why would you? You can buy a Bugatti Veyron and go to the shops with it if you want, but something a little cheaper will do just as good a job – and HP workstations are the PC equivalent. You just don’t need the “build quality” to get the job done. And that’s probably why they’re laying off staff – wrong product for the market.

As for OSX v W7 – personally, like lots of other here, I just switch back and forth these days. Like using my wife’s car instead of mine to go to the shops. No big deal, and not much difference. 1995 was a good long time ago now.

B

[Tim Wilson]

As noted in an earlier thread, HP’s layoffs represent 7% of its total workforce, and will be spread across the next two and a half years. most of them are in the printing division. This is far from catastrophic.

My own theory is that EVERY company with 369,000 employees (compared to about 60K at Apple) would do well to trim 7% of them in the next two and a half years.

I still believe Apple will release a new Mac Pro, and am frankly mystified by the people who are sure they won’t. When will you people relax and realize that I’M ALWAYS RIGHT??? LOL

here’s something I AM right about. Apple will not add two more card slots, two more drive bays, TWELVE more RAM slots, and high end graphics. Okay, the last one is a maybe, as is Apple adding 4 more cores….ALL of which they’ll have to do to match an HP Z820.

And add next business day shipping of replacement parts, even if you’re in a different country than you bought it in, and cover accidental damage, for less than the current price of Applecare. Not gonna happen.

I’m just saying, OS is OS, money is money, but if you want the baddest computer with the best coverage, from the only company with a workstation division devoted to media and entertainment, you aren’t holding your breath waiting for Apple.

PS. Sorry about any spellings stupider than usual, or autocorrect humiliations. Typing on a phone…

Tim Wilson
Associate Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Creative COW Magazine
Twitter: timdoubleyou

[Jim Wiseman]

It isn’t just the layoffs. HP Profit was down 44% in the first quarter, 31% in the second current quarter. Stock down substantially, thus the layoffs. Previous CEO almost shut down the PC division because of lack of profitability. “The overall PC industry is stuck in neutral, but HP (HPQ, Fortune 500), the world’s largest computer maker, is traveling in reverse at high speed. The company’s PC sales fell 15% during the holiday season, with consumer computer sales tumbling 25%”. Quote CNN Money. HP stock is down 40% over the last year, Apple is up 168%. That’s if you are interested in financials. Apple is growing revenue and stock price at a huge rate. Very profitable. Even if it is mostly in the consumer area, it does mean the company will be in the computer business well into the future. Macs, especially laptops, and iPads, are selling extremely well.

I agree, I think there will be a new Mac Pro. Rumors have it that it will be Ivy Bridge EP/EX with duals up to 6, 8 and possibly 10 cores (probably too expensive). An E version single processor could be out sooner. The other rumor is NVidia Kepler/Tesla GPU. All rumors, but supposedly well sourced with code for new NVidia graphics in builds of Mountain Lion. It may not equal the ultimate specs of that particular HP workstation line at that time in all subsystems, but I am sure it will be more than enough. Over 12,257 likes on Facebook seemingly anxious for the Mac Pro upgrade. If you like Windows, I have no interest in trying to change your mind. If it does what you need, use it. I obviously like the Mac and it’s OS, and will continue to prefer it. We will obviously know about the future of the Mac Pro in the next 6 months. Either way my 2010 5.1 will serve me well for quite a while.

Jim Wiseman
Sony PMW-EX1,Pana AJ-D810 DVCPro, DVX-100, Nikon D7000, Final Cut Studio 2 and 3, Media 100 Suite 2.1, Premiere Pro 5.5 and 6.0, AJA ioHD, AJA Kona LHi, Avid MC, Hexacore MacPro 3.33 Ghz 24Gb RAM GTX-285 120GB SSD, Macbook Pro 17″ 2011 2.2 Ghz Quadcore i7 8Gb SSD, G5 Quadcore PCIe

[Walter Soyka]

[Jim Wiseman] ” It isn’t just the layoffs. HP Profit was down 44% in the first quarter, 31% in the second current quarter. Stock down substantially, thus the layoffs. Previous CEO almost shut down the PC division because of lack of profitability. “The overall PC industry is stuck in neutral, but HP (HPQ, Fortune 500), the world’s largest computer maker, is traveling in reverse at high speed. The company’s PC sales fell 15% during the holiday season, with consumer computer sales tumbling 25%”. Quote CNN Money. HP stock is down 40% over the last year, Apple is up 168%. That’s if you are interested in financials. Apple is growing revenue and stock price at a huge rate. Very profitable. Even if it is mostly in the consumer area, it does mean the company will be in the computer business well into the future. Macs, especially laptops, and iPads, are selling extremely well. “

Did you abandon Apple during the 1990s and early 2000s when their stock was low and their prospects bleak?.

If you look at independent workstation research like Jon Peddie’s reports, you’ll see that workstations are an area where HP does very, very well. If you look at Apple’s own financials, you’ll see that the consumer business is the driving force behind those massive profits you referred to. You could argue from either direction which is better for users like us.

This notion that [insert-a-PC-vendor-here] is doing poorly is beside the point. Since PCs are relatively open, any Windows PC vendor can fail tomorrow and its users will still have options. Apple just has to elect to stop supporting their workstations and that’s that.

This is not to say that another Apple workstation wouldn’t be nice, but without some serious recommitment to the market place, it’s just hitting the reset button on the death watch countdown timer. We’ll all be wondering if there will be another Mac Pro in 2015.

Apple doesn’t just have to manufacture some workstations. They also have to earn back some trust.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Devin Crane]

My theory is if they were going to kill it they would have done so already, I would imagine that there will be a newly redesigned machine released during WWDC. Possibly one that can be rack mountable and serve as a desktop or server.

[Jim Wiseman]

“Apple just has to elect to stop supporting their workstations and that’s that”.

And that is precisely why 12,500 and growing people have made themselves heard on Facebook and why I posted the link to that page here in the first place. The Mac has always been unique, in the lean years, that was quite clearly a disadvantage (I was the only Avid Reseller in Hawaii at the time, also Media 100). But it has turned out to be it’s biggest advantage. Full integration of hardware/software and OS. But to say the workstation business at HP is doing very well will only help you if they spin it off, not kill it as they almost did last year. Nothing is certain in this business.

BTW, I get 24 hour onsite with Applecare even on remote Kauai, Hawaii.

I agree with you on the trust part. FCPX launch was a botch.

Jim Wiseman
Sony PMW-EX1,Pana AJ-D810 DVCPro, DVX-100, Nikon D7000, Final Cut Studio 2 and 3, Media 100 Suite 2.1, Premiere Pro 5.5 and 6.0, AJA ioHD, AJA Kona LHi, Avid MC, Hexacore MacPro 3.33 Ghz 24Gb RAM GTX-285 120GB SSD, Macbook Pro 17″ 2011 2.2 Ghz Quadcore i7 8Gb SSD, G5 Quadcore PCIe

[Tim Wilson]

24 phone support, sure. Next business day replacement? Coverage if you accidentally pour water on it? Really?

Tim Wilson
Associate Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Creative COW Magazine
Twitter: timdoubleyou

[Jim Wiseman]

24 hour on site parts and repair. Replacement 48 hours if no repair possible. Good dealer here, and you can’t get much more remote in the US. Maybe Alaska. For 15k$ I’d expect the other HP services although accidental is very nice.

Jim Wiseman
Sony PMW-EX1,Pana AJ-D810 DVCPro, DVX-100, Nikon D7000, Final Cut Studio 2 and 3, Media 100 Suite 2.1, Premiere Pro 5.5 and 6.0, AJA ioHD, AJA Kona LHi, Avid MC, Hexacore MacPro 3.33 Ghz 24Gb RAM GTX-285 120GB SSD, Macbook Pro 17″ 2011 2.2 Ghz Quadcore i7 8Gb SSD, G5 Quadcore PCIe