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The Mac Pro we dream about?
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The more I work in Motion 5 and FCPX, the more I believe Apple is going to evolve the Mac line and not end it…and soon.
There’s too much potential in these 64 bit apps they just released to relegate them to an amorphous hardware future.
Like they’re obviously not immune to criticism regarding their choices with the FCPX release, they’re not deaf regarding their hardware development. I don’t think they’re going to sit back let this thing atrophy.
I think you’ll see a pretty defined view of their creative apps in concert with a new Mac line to support it.
Not that the direction will follow the heavy iron model that a lot of pros still want, but it won’t be a retreat either. These apps are simply too powerful in their potential to be developed and then left on some barren Hackintosh landscape.
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[Jim Giberti] “The more I work in Motion 5 and FCPX, the more I believe Apple is going to evolve the Mac line and not end it…and soon.”
They are resource hogs and, given Apple uses software to sell hardware, you’re going to want a hogzilla. The hog doesn’t have to be a tower though.
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[Craig Seeman] “They are resource hogs and, given Apple uses software to sell hardware, you’re going to want a hogzilla. The hog doesn’t have to be a tower though.”
Zactly, it’s not going to be a surprise to anyone familiar with these Apple people that the future is not going to be based around a decade old design.
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I stopped by Intel’s booth at NAB. They were showing I believe a Lenovo laptop with Thunderbolt. I thought the Intel person said that this was the first Windows product that will ship with Thunderbolt, with coming later this year.
Kevin
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Jim I agree with you. What’s strange to me is how people seem surprised by the way Apple does things. If you’ve been using their products for a while, then any of the steps (and missteps) shouldn’t be a surprise. And believe me, I get sooo frustrated with Apple sometimes. Though too often I realize (in hind site too) that Apple change the way we do things rather than stick with the status quo. In doing so they create new markets, new followers, new [business] opportunities, and foster new ways of thinking of how we interact with our technology. That is their hallmark I believe.
There’s so much they’ve been doing over the years that points to some amazing things to come; some amazing OS X technologies, database implementations, hardware and software workflow features. ya know, Leopard to Snow Leopard was a lot about cleaning-house – streamlining code, reducing instructions, optimization, etc. I think that this extends into their post apps. though we’re all upset over many of their recent decisions (FCP X, Shake, Soundtrack), I’ve been following the breadth of their work (Quicktime X (AV foundation) being a massive undertaking by the way that is yet finished) and think we’re in for some really nice surprises.
I will say when the G5/Mac Pro body came about I was pretty disappointed. I thought if anyone can fit all of that muscle and upgradeability in a box the size of the old G4’s, Apple could.
Still waiting.
I’m thinking an Apple Cube 2 with thunderbolt and built in projector like those snazzy smart phones. Ok, maybe that’s a bit much.
Tangier
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[Tangier Clarke] “I’m thinking an Apple Cube 2 with thunderbolt”
I loved the Cube!!! But a perfect example of designing by “we think it’s cool” rather than “people can really use this.” We’ll call it “form over function” and be generous. More like “form stole function’s lunch money, pulled down its pants and shoved it in the girls locker room.”
BTW, I was in the press pit no more than 30 feet from Steve when he unveiled it at MacWorld NY in 2000. It looked like something that had come down from heaven. The only time since then that I’ve seen so many people gawking at a device MAY be the Blackmagic Cinema Camera…but I’m actually not sure I’ve ever seen so many people so enthralled.
But it appeared to crack almost immediately. (Apple swore that they weren’t cracks – just LOOKED like cracks, but, as Steve said at the time, “You’re looking at it wrong.” He didn’t really, but he might as well have.) Put a CD in, and it sounded like a rocket about to take off. Power supply problems, hard drive problems, boot problems….lotta problems.
Sales were so far below expectations that, when the report came out, Apple stock lost nearly 50% of its value in a matter of hours. Of course, the stock was at $50 at the time, so dropping to $26 overnight is what we call “a buying opportunity.”
One lesson learned is that people using lower-end iMacs didn’t step up to the G4 cube. G4 tower owners stepped down. While I continue to maintain that a new Mac Pro is coming…someday…I can easily imagine a nifty new form factor that allows Apple to all but crater its existing customer base and their needs for something that’s much more modern, while pushing the price for the new “pro” option way down to create something that will appeal to a potentially exponentially bigger audience.
Insert punchline here.
Tim Wilson
Associate Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Creative COW Magazine
Twitter: timdoubleyou -
[Walter Soyka] “Do you need OS X, or do you need application support?”
I need things like QuickLook plugin for DPX and ARRIRAW files and the ability to search for timecode in them in Spotlight
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[Lance Bachelder] “The thing I like about the Dell over the HP etc is the actual design of the T7600 – for the first time EVER Dell will actually have a nice looking box.”
Dang. That is a nice looking box.
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Every time I use my MacPro 2008 8 Core for intense tasks, like video editing using Premier Pro CS5.5 with native AVCHD files, I wish Apple would release a new Mac Pro. I’m willing to plunk down big bucks for a modern Mac Pro. It doesn’t have to be in a new chassis, it would be nice if it had Thunderbolt and if Apple does release a new Mac Pro, it will.
I am hopeful that Apple’s delay in producing a Mac Pro is the need to be able to run the newest modern server-class Intel CPUs, the Xeon E5-2600 server class chips that can be chained together in dual CPU mode. From the very beginning the Mac Pro line’s mid to higher end models had dual-cpu capability.
It is hopeful to me that even Dell and HP have not yet produced towers with these dual CPU chips yet, this means that Apple might be in the same situation, having just received the first shipments of these in March or perhaps prototypes prior to that, even if they had pre-designed new Mac Pros for these chips based on specs, they still needed to install them and test them and manufacture new Mac Pros. Who knows what issues these new chips introduced and had to be worked out by all the manufactures that use them.
What is a bit frustrating is that Apple, at least on the Mac Pro line, has been silent as to their plans. They seem to be occasionally willing to ‘pre announce’ devices in their iOS line, such as new iPads, iPhones but not their computers, never have, and probably never will.
So I, and probably thousands, or tens of thousands of people like me, are patiently waiting for Apple to come out with their new Mac Pro line. I am hoping Apple is waiting for actual releases of the Dell T7600 and similar PCs from other manufacturers to announce shipping of Mac Pros, this would be a shrewd business strategy, considering their enmity since Michael Dell said that the best thing Apple could do for their shareholders would be to sell cash in Apple and return the money to investors. Releasing a new ultra Mac Pro would really undercut other PC manufacturers. When Apple releases new models of Mac Pros they tend to be a pretty good deal and quite powerful relative to PCs of the same build. It is just a bit perplexing why Apple didn’t release interim Mac Pro’s for the past 2 years, as chips have gotten a bit faster and better. That part is disturbing.
Anyway, this is my last hope for a Mac Pro an if they don’t come out with one in the next couple of months my next Mac pro might be a (perish the thought…) PC!
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