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More rumors to scoff at.
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So quickly everyone forgets that Apple designed their own rack system back in the day, but it just didn’t do well. Remember this keynote?
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[Walter Soyka] “I agree with you that good design is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. I am suggesting that the Mac Pro does not show good design, because though it may be aesthetically pleasing, it is not as functional as it should be. Apple sacrificed the ability to rack mount the machine (a reasonable thing that professionals would want to do with their workstations) for an inch and a half of looks-good height.”
Replying to myself, I don’t think that the Mac Pro case is an example of poor design, either. There are a lot of things that are really elegantly designed in the Mac Pro case. It’s modular, well-built, and pretty easy to work on.
In the context of all the thought and effort that went into making the Mac Pro case, the lack of rack-friendliness is a silly oversight.
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 -
[Walter Soyka] “In the context of all the thought and effort that went into making the Mac Pro case, the lack of rack-friendliness is a silly oversight.”
It may be that at the time of the MacPro (PowerMac) external case design, the Xserve served that purpose. All the more reason for the MacPro to get a case redesign. If whatever replaces the MacPro is to be viable, it’ll have to “serve” in a variety of environments.
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[Craig Seeman] “It may be that at the time of the MacPro (PowerMac) external case design, the Xserve served that purpose. All the more reason for the MacPro to get a case redesign. If whatever replaces the MacPro is to be viable, it’ll have to “serve” in a variety of environments.”
As a server — sure.
For creative pros in video and audio studios — I doubt it. XServe had only 2 PCIe slots.
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 -
[Walter Soyka] “For creative pros in video and audio studios — I doubt it. XServe had only 2 PCIe slots.”
and that’s what Craig and Andrew seem to be fighting for (along with some thunderbolt connections that make internal 4x PCIe redundant).
I personally don’t think Apple is going to “remake” the XServe with updated guts, but who knows.
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[Jeremy Garchow] “and that’s what Craig and Andrew seem to be fighting for (along with some thunderbolt connections that make internal 4x PCIe redundant).”
They’re arguing that TB would obviate the need for more internal expansion. Although I’d personally like to have the option of more internal expansion, they’re right that TB could move a lot of peripherals outside the box.
[Jeremy Garchow] “I personally don’t think Apple is going to “remake” the XServe with updated guts, but who knows.”
I’m with you. Sounds like there will be a new Mac Pro, but I’d be surprised if it were dramatically different. Maybe the 3RU tower rumor will be true, but I’d be really surprised if it were a pizza box.
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 -
[Walter Soyka] “For creative pros in video and audio studios — I doubt it. XServe had only 2 PCIe slots.”
Sounds like what I think the Mac Pro replacement will be like. 2 PCIe slots (16x I’d hope) and 3 or 4 Thunderbolt ports, obviously something the XServe did not have. The new box will be able to work in both environments. It’ll be a step up from the iMac for some, a server to others.
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[Craig Seeman] “The new box will be able to work in both environments. It’ll be a step up from the iMac for some, a server to others.”
Craig, I love you man, but do you think Apple would really “go back” to some sort of server based model?
Sure it isn’t a blade type of situation, but don’t you think they’ve pissed off that side of the market enough at this point?
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[Jeremy Garchow] “Craig, I love you man, but do you think Apple would really “go back” to some sort of server based model?”
I do think it’s not beyond Apple to rethink something remotely similar to a paste design much as the MacMini is what the Cube wasn’t, an elegant squarish box.
[Jeremy Garchow] “Sure it isn’t a blade type of situation, but don’t you think they’ve pissed off that side of the market enough at this point?”
It seems pissing off markets doesn’t seem to stop Apple in a given area. After all this has been an FCPX forum of sorts.
I think if the MacPro replacement is going to sell well, it’ll have to fill more roles. If it’s simply a redesigned workstation it faces the same small declining market. Not that the server market is big either but if you consider they have a MacMini Server variant, if you start thing of a box that would be both attractive to Mini and iMac users as a step up, address server and power users, have a price entry point within reach if stripped bare, it’s a box that can fit many roles. No one niche is large, but filling all of them can expand sales.
The issue with the server market was that XServe was a targeted niche product which wasn’t very profitable for Apple. Apple needs a box that can hit several niche markets in order to be viable. They can’t exclude any market nor can they target any one. Of course one might think it won’t satisfy any of the niches but I think this is Apple’s gamble.
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[Craig Seeman] “It seems pissing off markets doesn’t seem to stop Apple in a given area. After all this has been an FCPX forum of sorts.”
I hear you, and I see what you’re saying. I think they wanted out of the server game like they wanted out of the high end compositing game.
Although they killed off a grand portion of the Suite, they did it by offering another completely different product (for better and worse). With the MacMini and MacPro they offered in the place of XServe, they repurposed existing tech, much to the chagrin of people who actually needed the XServe form factor.
If there were going to run another rackmount style case, wouldn’t the XServe D-Day have been a better place and time to do this? I guess this is more of a rhetorical question as I can think of reasons why they didn’t.
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