[Frank Gothmann]

[Walter Soyka] “I know there are several other cross-platform users here, so if anyone is seriously thinking about taking the plunge and has some questions or concerns, I’m sure we could continue the conversation in some depth about cross-platform workflows or Windows 7 from a Mac user’s perspective, with minimal Apple-bashing or tea leaf reading.”

Amen! Happy to help if I can.
Maybe it’s time to not focus so much on what company xyz is or isn’t doing but to see how each and everyone can move forward with whatever they need or want to do without breaking their backs.

——
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[Frank Gothmann]

[Craig Seeman] “oking at it, it’s not Xeon based. Not a workstation. Not something that would fit in Apple’s product line at the moment. Apple probably has their own solution in the works (or Intel) given the 2013 date given by Pogue. Apple still could have moved MacPro to Sandy Bridge Xeons and skipped Thunderbolt for the time being.”

No, it’s not Xeon based. But that wasn’t my point, it was to illustrate that it’s perfectly possible to integrate TB with dedicated GPUs via PCIe3. I have also very little doubt that Xeon based MBs will show up in the not too distant future.
In the same way as USB3 has been part of virtually all PC motherboards for years although not directly supported by previous Intel chipsets, the same is possible for TB and dedicated GPUs. Apple just couldn’t be bothered.
And yes, they could have just moved to E3s, USB3, PCIe3 etc. without TB and without much engineering involved and it would have been a decent upgrade a lot of people would have been very happy with. Certainly a lot happier than with the “new” they got now.

——
“You also agree that you will not use these products for… the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.”
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[Frank Gothmann]

[Tim Wilson] “So yeah, I’m looking forward to Thunderbolt eventually, but I’m also in no hurry to buy devices that only use Thunderbolt.

Why? It’s dandy. It’s adorable. Seriously, cute as a button. And fast enough for being as cute as it is. But it doesn’t solve any problems that I have that can’t also be solved other ways.

I’m usually missing something — what am I missing here?”

Not sure if you miss anything. I am with you, which is why I don’t care if the HPs have TB connectivity or not. And I guess a lot of people here could have lived with a decent Mac Pro update that left out TB but went with E5s, USB3, PCIe3 and modern GPUs.

——
“You also agree that you will not use these products for… the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.”
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[Frank Gothmann]

[Craig Seeman] “Please post a link to such Asus desktop.
It’s nothing I’ve heard of.
Thunderbolt carries the GPU out as well.
“

I said motherboard.
Here we go:
https://event.asus.com/2012/mb/P8Z77_Series_Motherboards/Thunderbolt_landing.htm

And no, gpu out via TB isn’t that easy if there is also PCIe connectivity on the motherboard. But Asus did it. There is an add on card if you need video out via TB, without this card TB will simply connect at full speed to other external IO but not support display.

——
“You also agree that you will not use these products for… the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.”
iTunes End User Licence Agreement

[Frank Gothmann]

[Craig Seeman] ” I was thinking if there’s no MacPro, I’d be looking at the next iMac update. If that’s not going to happen then I have no desktop to update to.”

So you’ve essentially moved from “waiting/hoping for potential Mac Pro update” to “waiting/hoping for potential iMac update”.

——
“You also agree that you will not use these products for… the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.”
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[Frank Gothmann]

[Ben Holmes] “It’s not true to say that everything is there for a new type of Mac Pro. There is no solution to the ‘monitor out’ requirements of Thunderbolt for machines with high end gfx cards. Smaller alternatives to SATA drives are still a little too expensive to be widely used – and warrant a shrinking of the drive bays (unless you want to put notebook drives in a Mac Pro), and most people still want to run cards on a PCIe bus. In addition, new generation server chips (which have a much larger die than desktop equivalents) are not available yet in large quantities as the yields are lower on these chips. Apart from USB3 – what compelling new technology exists to warrant a change to the Mac Pro? And given the slow update cycle of large server grade chips – what newer chips exist to put in what has always been a server class machine? If you want desktop chips, Apple are happy to sell you an iMac. I think they’re very good value.”

Asus offers a motherboard with Thunderbolt and PCIe3 including support for video out via TB. If they can do it I am sure Apple can, too (and even if there had been no TB, the outdated rest has nothing to do with that). No need for smaller drives, Sata 6G would have been just fine. Xeon E5s are out there and shipping in quantity. We can buy the entire range of HP’s z820s including the biggest model with dual 3.1 E5s today with 24 hour delivery from our VAR. With USB3 and lots of PCIe3 slots. And they cost pretty much the same than the “new” Mac Pro.

——
“You also agree that you will not use these products for… the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.”
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[Frank Gothmann]

[Ben Holmes] “Contrary to the usual hysteria, I think the message from Apple is “the Mac Pro is not going away – but it is in a holding pattern whilst we replace it.” The technology is coming together to make it.”

There is nothing technology wise that needs to come together. It’s out there, shipping. Wether the Mac Pro is dead, to be phased out, in a holding pattern, to be re-invented in 2013 or whatever: fact is that HERE and NOW and “NEW” is a “workstation” which should fill the spot of the most powerful and versatile machine Apple is shipping. Not only is it currently among their weakest, with outdated components and ridiculous io but also the most expensive machine in their line-up that qualifies to be among the worst workstation choices out there.

Simply judging it as a product, price/performance wise and in light of what the competition does: it’s an embarassing product and I feel bad for anyone who needs to buy one of these machines for whatever reason in the months ahead. They have every reason to be hysterical and pissed off because they’ve been pissed on.
Again, flawed logic as with FCPX, the promise of great things to come someday (maybe) doesn’t do anything, zero, zilch, for someone who wants and needs a Mac tower with certain functionality today.

——
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[Frank Gothmann]

[Craig Seeman] ”
Thunderbolt on MacPro is a challenge given it also carries the GPU which would mean building it in the board (like iMac or MBP) rather than a separate GPU card.
“

Why? If ASUS is perfectly capable of building a motherboard (p8Z77-V) with Thunderbolt AND PCIe3 supporting FOUR GPUs via Crossfire at a price of only 180 dollars (including USB3 and eSata and dual GB Ethernet and HDMI and….) I am damn sure Apple could do the same – if they wanted.
Seriously, USB2 and FW800 only in 2012 is just completely pathetic and a ripp-off.

——
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[Frank Gothmann]

It makes little sense unless going all mobile is what they want and that’s what they’re pushing.

——
“You also agree that you will not use these products for… the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.”
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[Frank Gothmann]

It is a good card. And at that price point you won’t get the bigger Quadros. Also, most workstations come pretty much standard with a Q4000.
Don’t know if you can turn a PC into a Mountain Lion Hackintosh. Don’t want to, I haven’t even touched LIon. You could with Snow Leopard and some systems so I guess someone somehow someday will figure out a way. Premiere works faster under windows though.

——
“You also agree that you will not use these products for… the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.”
iTunes End User Licence Agreement