Unfixable, Unhackable, Untenable. An iFixit Op-ed.

[Jeremy Garchow]

In this thread, how many people own and operate Windows desktop machines for your video editing business?

How long have you been doing so?

[Olof Ekbergh]

[Clint Wardlow] “I think the fear is not so much in the laptop arena, but that Apple will start applying this model to their desktops. I mean does anyone really buy an imac or macpro with max ram from Apple? It is sooo much cheaper to get minimum ram and upgrade from a third party. Or also the idea that if a ram chip fails or some such you have to replace the whole motherboard.

The idea that someone would really spend like $8,000 for a tricked out Mac Pro that couldn’t be upgraded seems ludicrous. But maybe this isn’t the future of MAC desktops. We won’t really know until Apple plays its desktop cards 6 to 16 months from now.”

I just replaced my main editing MP 4 year old 8core, with maxed out iMac. It runs circles around my MP. And it is quiet. I still have the 8core system with its 12 drive promise SAS raid that sounds like a jet taking off and is banished to another room. My new 6TB raid is tiny and just as fast and it is quiet.

The cost of the system was $2,600.00 2GB Vram and 16GB Ram 2TB internal. The LaCie 6TB RAID $700.00. The speed of the raid is about the same as the old ATTO 380 PCIe setup that cost over $4,000.00.

I can’t remember exactly how much the MP and 30″ screen was, but it was much more than the iMac and the iMac is way faster. It works perfectly for what I do FCPX with a MX02 for SDI monitoring.

The MP is still running fine as a M100/FCP7 suite with AJA LHe (also EOL’d). And I will use it for years to come, but the new iMac is now my fastest and main edit suite.

So for me the 8core MP my third one will probably be my last tower. I look forward to see what Apple has in store for us.

I really like quiet without a lot of extra architecture.

Olof Ekbergh

[Bret Williams]

I would wager Steve was planning on killing it. It wasnt even in the stores. My theory is that Tim has found a way to work it or some semblance of a Pro machine back into the lineup. It’s probably all on paper and a team won’t be working on it until the iMac is out, the iPhone 6 is deployed, and mountain lion is running smoothly.

[Clint Wardlow]

[Craig Seeman] “Maybe you don’t think MBPr will do well in the market but the lengthening back orders coupled with some anecdotal stories of some pros I know selling their current models to partially finance MBPr purchases, seems to say it will be a viable business model for Apple and something some Pro are willing to embrace.”

While I agree this may work with laptops, I still am not so sure it will work with “big iron” towers. And yes a lot of folks are lining up to buy the mbp (this always seems to happen with new apple products) it is the longevity of sales that matter — though I admit I think the MBP is going to be a big success. There are those that will always embrace the Apple model whatever it may be.

But, as this forum is an indicator, over the last couple of years Apple’s behavior has also caused a lot of formerly loyal users to jump ship or at least embrace cross-platform workflows.

However it plays out, I don’t think it will hurt Apple’s bottom line no matter if the Pro market rallies behind Apple or abandons it completely.

[Andrew Richards]

I think Mr. Wiens is vastly overestimating most people’s interest in servicing their own electronics.

Best,
Andy

[Chris Harlan]

[Davee Schulte] “The laptop is a crappy product because it can’t be easily upgraded?”

Can’t be easily upgraded? It can’t be upgraded at all. But that is not the issue. The issue is that if any part fails, the entire unit fails. Considering that this unit is nearly 3 to 4 grand in a useable configuration, that seems to me to be a point worth discussing. I don’t think anyone has called this unit “crappy,” but don’t you think this is a potential pitfall that people should know about when they put their money down? Or is even mumbling about potential Apple downsides taboo?

[Clint Wardlow]

[olof ekbergh] “The cost of the system was $2,600.00 2GB Vram and 16GB Ram 2TB internal. The LaCie 6TB RAID $700.00. The speed of the raid is about the same as the old ATTO 380 PCIe setup that cost over $4,000.00.”

I am curious, I have pretty much the same imac set-up which works fine with straight editing. However, since I have begun delving into AfterEffects over the last year I find it is often not enough machine when my effects start getting complicated. That is why I am looking to purchase more power.

Do you do a lot of effects compositing? I admit I am kind of green at this and may be doing something wrong. However, I am longing for something that takes more advantage of cuda and the mercury engine.

[Bret Williams]

I thought your 8 core is still a faster machine in all tests I’ve seen available. However, for FCP 7 the iMac would be faster since FCP only utilizes one processor. You would have seen a speed bump going to the old 6 core 3.67 ( I think) ghz. But apps like AE, Compressor, Motion would not. It seems FCP X is pretty tuned to the i7 so it probably runs smoother on the iMac.

In any case, I personally would be happy with some sort of super iMac. Maybe 8 core with nvidia graphics capability. Right now AE ray tracing is a dead concept on my iMac due to the radeon 6970m card. I have to set aside a day or two for rendering. It’s 1996 again! I could get a PC, but they’re not REALLY much cheaper when get into what I’d want.

A new MacPro at this point should of be as simple as an apple branded hackintosh.

[Chris Harlan]

[Andrew Richards] “I think Mr. Wiens is vastly overestimating most people’s interest in servicing their own electronics.
“

I’m not sure about that. Certainly not among our crowd. Or among the people who are aware of his site. And, I think it is an important idea to get out there and understand. I was looking at the low end price tag the other day, and in the back of my head, as is always the case, I was thinking I can always upgrade. Its sort of a reflex. Who’d think you can’t put in more memory? Who’d think you can’t put in a bigger hard drive? It was ban enough when Apple dropped the easily replaceable battery. So, no, I’m glad for his article. Everybody should know what they’re getting in to. And, that’s all he’s really saying.

[Chris Harlan]

[Jeremy Garchow] “In this thread, how many people own and operate Windows desktop machines for your video editing business?

How long have you been doing so?
“

Does the past count? I edited on Windows for six or seven years.