New Mac Pro design. Thoughts? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TimNJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 07:30:51 pm
content: WWDC was today. Didn't watch it, but I saw they added a fancy new page for the Mac Pro.I'm not entirely sure why they thought it was a good idea to make these changes. While it seems "cool", from a professional standpoint I don't for see it being more beneficial. Does a professional care if he has a big clunkin computer versus a slick black can: I don't think so.How about optical drives? Or more than one to burn copies or something?Alright idea but I'm failing to see the true purpose.Here's the link:http://www.apple.com/mac-pro/

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 07:34:55 pm
content: I tried to get a look at it but got sick of waiting for their web site to finish masturbating to the pictures of the thing. It looks like what I'd imagine the iTrashCan would look like.Quote from: TimNJ on June 10, 2013, 07:30:51 pmBecause even something that would be very useful to a "professional" doesn't have to exist in a Mac "Pro". It just has to give you a reason to turn your nose up at all the other computers.

author: TimNJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 07:38:29 pm
content: Quote from: c4757p on June 10, 2013, 07:34:55 pmLMAO!Yeah I think Apple's trying to be a bit too "revolutionary" for their own good.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 07:46:39 pm
content: It's hideous. Oh, and doesn't look like you can upgrade much, or any of it? Where's the power supply -- what if that fails? Congratulations Apple -- two more reasons for me not to get a Mac Pro.

author: TimNJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 08:15:04 pm
content: c4757p put it well with the "trashcan" remark. That's exactly what it looks like. Why make it cylindrical? That's just stupid for a variety of reasons..And they could have done a centralized cooling system without making it a cylinder. I've seen a bunch of bench power supplies that do that nicely.

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 08:29:23 pm
content: I like the design a lot. It is quite innovative. It is clearly configured for efficient cooling - like a chimney tower. I missed the event too (was watching the Xbox One event), but the specs on the web site look great. 12-core Xeon? Dual GPU w/ 6G memory on each? PCIe Solid-state storage? 4K video support (on three panels)? 802.11ac (most routers don't even have this yet)? They are also using ECC memory it looks like. I haven't seen that in anything except for top-end server class hardware for years. You'd have to dump a boatload of cash into a custom gaming rig or cad workstation to come close to those specs in a non-Mac.You don't need multiple DVD drives. I almost never even need a single one. Everything these days is downloadable in 10 minutes or less in ISO format. The worst I have seen lately is Xilinx ISE, but even that 7G file is still less than a 20 minute download. I have an external Superdrive for my current Retina MBP, and it rarely gets used. I've no idea what I would do with a second drive. I cannot recall the last time I needed to duplicate a disc - maybe around year 2000?And I don't see the concern about upgrading. The info page clearly shows the cover of the machine lifting and individual boards being accessible - if anything, it looks to be highly serviceable when you compare it to the typical steel PC cube. Everything appears to be directly accessible instead of needing to move boards and cables out of the way to get to what you care about.The web site doesn't mention a price though. I'm betting it will be far out of reach, at least for my budget, especially since I just got a new Retina MBP this spring.

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 08:32:21 pm
content: But haters are always gonna hate, I suppose.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 08:36:05 pm
content: I agree it doesn't look completely unserviceable, at least, as far as I can tell from the amount of time I'm willing to fart around with their website for, and the specs are good. (I disagree that the specs areunique, though - the only thing they seem to have that's new is ECC RAM, which as far as I have ever seen is useless in a desktop.) I just think it looksstupid. I know that's completely subjective - feel free to buy one if you like it, I won't criticize you for it. I just don't want something that looks like a trash can and a computer screwed sitting on my bench...The website is indefensible though. It looks like one big marketing and graphic design circle jerk. Completely useless.

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 09:53:00 pm
content: The old one had ECC RAM as well. It's a workstation, not a desktop. But now they seem to want to build it with desktop tradeoffs and desktop design goals. Seems a bit silly to me. I'm not the target market for this, but are people spending this much money on this much computer really more concerned about aesthetics than upgradeability/serviceability? It seems like a product targeting the iMac crowd, but at MacPro prices. Maybe that's exactly what it's supposed to be doing.Also who wants a computer with rounded edges? I want something that doesn't look out of place pushed against a desk wall or into a corner, not something that commands free space around it because of its non-linear shape.I'd say this is a pretty neat design if it were a normal desktop. For a workstation though it seems they've made the wrong tradeoffs. But then that tends to be what I think about pretty much every product Apple makes...

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 09:53:12 pm
content: No internal storage worth mentioning and non-locking cables to connect to external storage (or LAN, but that's slow as it's not not 10GbE). Not a workstation.And ECC's not new, the previous Mac Pro had ECC.I do like the massive amount of bandwidth presented by the Thunderbolt 2 ports, though.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 09:55:42 pm
content: Not a fan.A cylinder does not seem to be a very efficient shape for a computer.... seems like it takes up more space than necessary while also having a bunch of necessarily proprietary parts, and interconnects between parts that would otherwise be unnecessary.To me, it looks like they compromised a lot just to have a cool looking case - and it doesn't really even look very cool. A small aluminum cube or rectangle shape - thin in profile, would be much nicer.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 09:58:31 pm
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 10, 2013, 08:29:23 pmAs opposed to dumping an equal or greater boatload of cash into the less capable Mac?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 10:07:01 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on June 10, 2013, 09:58:31 pmThe cash doesn't gointhe Mac. That's where the hamburger wrapper goes.Edit: I feel bad for overlooking the opportunity to make a terrible joke about apple cores in with your Apple's (processor) cores.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 10:08:06 pm
content: I really do like the "trashcan" remark over it's appearance.Highly compromised design IMHO, and seems more of a push to bring prosumer users back than designed purely as a real workstation. Mass storage via Thunder Bolt to add it on isn't the best solution IMHO (all TB chips switched to the same 8x PCIe lanes), and the current crop of external TB storage devices aren't enterprise grade (Promise Pegasus R4 & R6 models are using consumer grade drives). Potential to choke throughput, higher cost, and less reliable. Yuck.4 DIMM's would make large RAM capacities more expensive as well when forced to use 16 or 32GB sticks.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 10:17:57 pm
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 10, 2013, 08:29:23 pmI've priced out Mac's a few times before (since the hardware is no different than PC hardware). But they have always been more expensive than a comparable PC (like Dell or workstation) with the same hardware.Apple does a good job of putting everything together in a single package for you - and this new Mac Pro has great specs today. But in a year it will be outdated again, and it will take Apple a long time to catch up (as it did with this machine).

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 10:27:37 pm
content: Quote from: Corporate666 on June 10, 2013, 10:17:57 pm'More expensive' doesn't quite cover $2000 for $850 of RAM.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 11:06:10 pm
content: It's an ash tray, right?

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 10, 2013, 11:57:04 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 10, 2013, 11:06:10 pmAdd a carbon filter, and it can double as one of those smoke eater types.

author: peterthenovice
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 01:08:19 am
content: looks more like a toilet with a extra trash can feature for an extra 10 grand.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 01:11:11 am
content: Quote from: peterthenovice on June 11, 2013, 01:08:19 amIf you think this looks like a toilet - dude... that's not a toilet. Stop shitting in the trash can, your mom musthateyou.

author: peterthenovice
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 01:14:59 am
content: no! i Have the new toilet they just made for birds

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 01:17:36 am
content: Quote from: peterthenovice on June 11, 2013, 01:14:59 amYou are a strange bird.Oh wait, it makes sense now.

author: peterthenovice
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 01:24:46 am
content: Quote from: c4757p on June 11, 2013, 01:17:36 amyep! I am a penguin.

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 02:20:45 am
content: What I like about the case design is that it is going to be significantly more efficient at cooling the hardware than any traditional box or tower design can be. This should be obvious. The fact that it is cylindrical is just form following function - the same reason we don't complain about our boxy bench PSU's and scopes. And using a large squirrel-cage fan with low RPM and high surface area means that it will be significantly more quiet than standard case fans at equivalent airflow levels. In a professional environment, workstation noise is a major problem. If your computer is in an electronics lab where damn near everything hums all the time, then it wouldn't matter. But in a professional office setting (such as where you might find a designer, video editor, or CAD engineer), silent operation is a huge selling point.The thought did occur to me that one could wedge a high-quality particulate filter into the base of it, and the machine would serve as a HEPA air filter tooI didn't realize that the current model had ECC memory. It's certainly not commonplace in the PC world.QuoteI'm not sure where that comment comes from. One of the key features they are touting is the PCI Express Flash storage, which they are claiming is several times faster than the maximum you can get from SSD on SATA (1.2 GB/s). To be fair though, they don't say anything about how much internal storage will be available.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 02:24:04 am
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 11, 2013, 02:20:45 amIt is in the workstation world, which Apple apparently think this thing is fit for.QuoteIt's meant to be aworkstation. Where's the mass storage? You can't do any serious data handling and there's no RAID, nor removable drive for backup.Don't say external: Thunderbolt uses non-locking connectors and it doesn't even have 10GbE.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 04:18:54 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 10, 2013, 11:06:10 pmiSmoke (when something goes wrong)

author: peterthenovice
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 04:23:06 am
content: to me it looks like one of those cheap phoney (bullet speakers) for cell phones

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 05:00:18 am
content: That's amusing. They lost a socket on their workstation and must have forgotton to put 4 extra dimms.Still kind of wondering what they're doing. Dunno why they went prosumer over compute.If I was a user coming from a previous mac pro, I'd sort of expect 2 sockets and 24 dimms.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 06:48:41 am
content: QuoteIt doesn't seem to have ANY optical drive, even if I agree about not needing two.Nor any place to put magnetic media. I have about 6TB of disk in my current Mac Pro. Even if it would fit, I don't think I can afford 6TB of flash storage, even at non-apple prices.The new Mac is more like a better "Mac Mini" than an adequate replacement for the Mac Pro.By the time I add all the external boxes that will need to go with it, it won't look so pretty any more.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 07:44:13 am
content: Quote from: Fsck on June 11, 2013, 05:00:18 amTrying to generate growth I suspect. They've gotten spoiled with their other products, and want to reproduce it here too.Quote from: westfw on June 11, 2013, 06:48:41 amDon't even want to think about the cost of all of it vs. a more traditional workstation config, particularly regarding storage.

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 08:30:53 am
content: The cooling tower approach is an interesting one but my first reaction was it is ugly and inconvenient to site.I have the existing mac pro (at work) and a Dell workstation at home and so I've been following the much delayed Mac Pro development news for a while.The major thing is it seems badly designed from the utility and configuration point of view. There are many types of workstation users, and this is designed for only one type and so addresses a tiny part of a tiny market. For example, as a computer scientist I want lots of cores and RAM but don't care about the graphics card much as long as it does 2D rapidly. A graphics designer working in 3D CAD might want two very powerful graphics cards with lots of graphics RAM and not need much processing power. Some one into CUDA and GPGPU processing will want a bank of coprocessors/graphics cards and perhaps a less powerful standard processor. Someone running a database but not wanting to go for a server might want lots of disk drives without having trailing wires to external enclosures.The new mac pro "comes with two graphics cards as standard" because it requires three cards to form the cooling tower and has ordained that two of them are non-CUDA graphics and just one processing. It is an awkward shape and requires expensive peripherals with trailing cables to allow decent storage. They have designed it to fit the rest of their line in being unnecessarily slim/small, non-upgradable but well made and expensive. It seems to be aimed at users who currently work on a mac pro laptop and so are used to having drives etc external and perhaps just want to swap between the two.It is interesting scanning the forum at Macrumors where some people really like it but most, those who are actual workstation users, don't like it at all.It might sell well, but mainly to well heeled graphic designers who upgrade their machines by buying new ones - exactly what Apple wants. Scientists, engineers, programmers and other existing MacPro users might be switching to Linux/Windows and dull but expandable Dell/HP/etc workstations. Commercially they are not a large market so Apple won't care and they will still have a flag ship product to show off.

author: ddavidebor
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 08:58:42 am
content: Apple is do what they always do. Put the newest tecnology (usually too new) in a nice case.I like this trash. Like the design and the spec.I don't like the fact apple is pishing on their other product by removing spec, like for the thunderbolt.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 11:12:53 am
content: Hilarious design... "trash can" was my first thought too.

author: firewalker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 11:25:31 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 10, 2013, 11:06:10 pmSmokeless ash tray!Alexander.

author: Dave
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 11:57:02 am
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 11, 2013, 02:20:45 amAn optional extra for the exclusive price of only $699.Don't really see why and self-respecting professional would want to buy an Apple "workstation". You can get a way better HP/Dell workstation for the price.

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 01:27:25 pm
content: Quote from: jpb on June 11, 2013, 08:30:53 amWell, I don't think they are aiming for databases here. It's graphic design and 3D modelling, in my opinion. They won't cover all the markets that need high performance computing, they are just aiming for the market they have always dominated (or at least tried to) since the first Mac: graphic design, publishing, video editing, audio editing and CAD.And for god's sake, it's not a workstation!Expansion is a bit tricky to say the least. At least the Thunderbolt thing is basically PCIe over a cable. I wish they made some sort of PCIe bay in a separate that can be placed below the computer and connected via Thunderbolt.Also, who uses optical disks anymore? The only exception I can think of is having your clients giving you DVDs with family videos for you to edit. If you are in a small/medium business setting you can rip the DVDs in the front counter and get the ISOs into a NAS and be done with it. Mac supports ISOs natively and mounts them as drives. And if I remember correctly there are machines designed to batch read and burn DVDs (like 8 at a time) if you really need it.

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 02:46:26 pm
content: Quote from: ivan747 on June 11, 2013, 01:27:25 pmThe new one may not be a workstation, but the existing one is designed that way except for the default graphics cards. Hardware wise there is little fundamentally different between my Dell T5500 workstation and my Mac Pro, both use Xeons and ECC RAM and can be configured for dual processors (my Dell has dual processes while my Mac has just one).The choice of graphics cards under OSX is limited and the drivers are not as good as under Windows but you can fit any graphics card and run the Mac under Windows if you like and some people do.The amount of RAM is also rather limited but not to such an extent that it ceases to be a workstation.The Mac Pro can be configured with scsi drives and RAID though solid state is beginning to make such things redundant.The new Mac Pro will be a powerful machine provided that use is made of GPGPU through openCL and the internal graphics cards are sufficient. Thunderbolt is sort of PCIe over a cable but the bandwidth is less so for very powerful graphics cards it may not be sufficient.Where the new Mac Pro falls short is for people like me who want to make use of lots of standard CPU cores to run multiple cores on multiple data (GPGPU is designed for multiple cores on one set of data generally). The new Pro will allow 12 cores in its single processor but there are only 4 RAM slots and 16GB modules are expensive so realistically you might have just 32GB of RAM which is less than 3GB per core. I think it will look a bit feeble in a year or twos time if Dell is selling workstations with dual 12 core processors and with 12 ram slots instead of 4 and power supplies beefy enough to run 4 Tesla co-processors and so on.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 03:42:45 pm
content: i was confused by this "ashtray" comments then i go to the site, ok i get it. the new thing that i dont get is... "to take major step forward you have to completely change direction" how is that possible if we are already at the "forward vector direction"? anyway reading further, its cool idea, one day i will want a custom PC that will look like this...i guess this is the "step forward" they are talking about without infringing their "cylinder with round corner" patent.

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 04:24:29 pm
content: Quote from: jpb on June 11, 2013, 08:30:53 amMaybe that's why I like it. I use a loaded-out Retina MBP currently, and it suits me well for 90% of my work. Every now and then I find myself wishing for a hefty amount of extra horsepower though."Traditional" high-power workstations don't interest me much because I work from a home office 90% of the time, and noise level is very important to me. So I get by with a MBP that has slightly less horsepower than I would like, but scores an A+ on everything else. I fully recognize that (many) other people would have different valuations on those features though.Quote from: Dave on June 11, 2013, 11:57:02 amIf you rely on software that only runs on OS X (or that runs much better on OS X), then you don't really have a choice. Apple has the graphic and UI design markets locked up tightly in this way.Also, if you just happen to prefer OS X. Even though I work on software development for the Windows platform 10 to 12 hours every day, I absolutely hate the current version of Windows (Windows 8 ). I much prefer running everything I can on OS X - even including MS Office (I find Office 2011 for Mac to be significantly more productive and stable than Office 2013 for Windows). Pretty much the only things I run on Windows now are my compilers and Xilinx ISE / Atmel Studio, which run in a Windows virtual machine.

author: jpb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 04:29:13 pm
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 11, 2013, 04:24:29 pmYou were caught out by the 8 ) without the space givingtrap - I've fallen for this before, sneeky emoticons or what ever they are get in everywhere!

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 04:29:31 pm
content: I do wonder if the most popular "upgrade" might be party streamers taped to the top, or maybe one of those Mr Gumby inflatable tube things.Like this, but smaller:

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 04:30:31 pm
content: Quote from: jpb on June 11, 2013, 04:29:13 pmHah, thanks for catching that! Just one more reason to dislike Windows 8

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 05:21:25 pm
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 11, 2013, 04:24:29 pmWhy don't you put one in a closet somewhere else in your house?

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 05:54:13 pm
content: Quote from: TimNJ on June 10, 2013, 07:30:51 pmThe market segment apple are targeting are the graphic designers etc, which is why it has to really look the part to them and not a bunch of electronic engineers. ;-)(edit: having said that, it does look a bit like a bluetooth controlled toilet roll dispenser ;-)

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 06:15:41 pm
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 11, 2013, 04:24:29 pmTraditional workstations are generally well built and pretty quiet when not running at full tilt. Probably quieter than an MBP with its fan running at maximum to try (and fail) to prevent it from thermal throttling.But yeah, the more I think about it, this is for the swap between a laptop and workstation crowd. I just don't quite get it. If you're at a desk with a high powered workstation why would you want to plug your laptop in instead?

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2013, 10:46:34 pm
content: This is $#@%$#$%%!@ retarded for these reasons:-the dimensions are not innovative-the impeller will be noisy as fuck-the psu is not user replaceable-hdmi-two video cards-only one video port-using a pci express spec as a marketing tool-not rectangular-iec is on the same panel as usb-thunderboltThe things that make it good:-switch to remove the top cover-glossy black coating

author: Ferroto
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 12:26:39 am
content: Steve Jobs would take that out behind the shed and shoot it with a 12 gauge.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 12:36:47 am
content: Steve Jobs would push that just like the rest of his crap.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 12:42:18 am
content: It's probably what his head is resting on right now. It looks like a funky pillow you toss on your lounge

author: Hydrawerk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 12:42:38 am
content: Where is the DVD drive???

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 12:45:54 am
content: Quote from: Hydrawerk on June 12, 2013, 12:42:38 amFrom the looks of it, in the store on the shelf next to it.

author: peterthenovice
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 03:20:25 am
content: Quote from: Hydrawerk on June 12, 2013, 12:42:38 amYou mean you don't know. all computers levitate all disks on their cylindrical heads as of ten minute ago

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 07:13:34 am
content: One of the prototype units was spotted in a New York subway terminal:

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 09:51:01 am
content: I wonder if cray will sue apple for patent infringement?

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 11:15:21 am
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 11, 2013, 04:24:29 pmIs that really still true? I have a lot of friends who work in high end CGI/graphics doing stuff like movie animation or working with huge image files and it seems PC's or even Linux is overtaking Apple. I know that Photoshop 64-bit was out for the PC long before it was for the Mac, which was a big deal for me when I am working with multiple big images out of a high-end dSLR.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 11:53:05 am
content: Quote from: Corporate666 on June 12, 2013, 11:15:21 amI think that was true in the early days, but not anymore; Photoshop has been available for Windows since Nov. 1992. I remember using Photoshop 1 on the Mac back in the early 90's, but most of the design work I've ever done has been done on PC based systems.

author: Hypernova
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 11:59:20 am
content: The first thought that came to me was one of those fake vagina thinge, am I too perverted for my own good?

author: don.r
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 01:43:37 pm
content: Looks very innovative to me but time will tell if its another "form over function" or not. Stack cooling has been around for awhile in PC cases but in the traditional box sense. Silverstone are the leaders in that. Apple seems to think that TBolt (which is also a display connecter via displayport, btw smashedProton) is the new PCIe thus slots are no longer necessary. Storage is the issue for me. Would have been smart, IMO to have a bay for a few 3.5" drives underneath to keep the cable clutter down. It will be an expensive proposition to option up with external drives and such. My kids used to have iMacs but the expandability issue drove me to small case PCs.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 02:46:04 pm
content: don listen to them, listen to the expert...http://www.fxguide.com/quicktakes/the-new-mac-pro-the-cube-comes-of-age/whatever, i'm not buying it for many reasons. but thats just me, for now.

author: Hydrawerk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 03:18:28 pm
content: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brno_astronomical_clock

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 05:18:42 pm
content: Quote from: Corporate666 on June 12, 2013, 11:15:21 amGraphic design and CGI are totally different markets. Yes, it's still true that graphic design is dominated by Macs. For example, ad agencies bought lots of the old Mac Pros, and I guess they'll buy the new ones as well.

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 10:30:31 pm
content: somebody please lock this thread

author: baljemmett
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 11:45:56 pm
content: Quote from: smashedProton on June 12, 2013, 10:30:31 pmWhy?

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 12, 2013, 11:57:25 pm
content: and people wonder why there are not female engineers

author: baljemmett
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 01:12:56 am
content: Quote from: smashedProton on June 12, 2013, 11:57:25 pmI think the reasons for that might beever so slightlydeeper than "someone posted a picture of a sex toy in a forum"...

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 01:18:10 am
content: Quote from: smashedProton on June 12, 2013, 10:30:31 pmSomebody please keep it open just to piss you off(Besides, isn't that hunting rabbits with atom bombs? The mods can just delete the picture and say "please don't do that" if it's a problem...)

author: smashedProton
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 01:46:31 am
content: I guess so.. Making fun of apple is too fun to pass up

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 01:49:56 am
content: Hot air rises but everything else falls.Looks like no grill or filter on the top and a paper clip dropped into it will go straight into the fan blades.I can already see a new office ritual of vigorously shaking inverted mac pros.All connections and mains switch on a single panel also looks very dumb to me. It says "As you rotate Mac Pro to plug in a device, it senses the movement and automatically illuminates the I/O panel."When you want to turn it on or off or plug in a usb stick or headphones you are supposed to turn it round dragging the mains, ethernet, video, and any other cables with it? I think most people will end up looking at a bunch of ugly cables sticking out of it or tip it over or grovel round the back to plug things in.It is tiny - a double edged sword - makes it easy to steal

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 01:57:58 am
content: ... and if you don't hide it someone might throw their lunch wrappers into itEdit: or a cleaner might pick it up to empty its contents

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 02:28:24 am
content: Really, rotate the machine whose primary form of high bandwidth I/O uses non-locking connectors?Apple...

author: don.r
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 02:36:50 am
content: Quote from: Rufus on June 13, 2013, 01:49:56 amA fan grill or fine mesh grill will most likely have to be there in the final product.The rotating input panel really confounds me. Will the TBolt and USB3 cables simply plop out when stretched? Maybe they will have a coiled power cord, just in case...Jack access has always been an issue with Apple products as the form takes over the function.It appears to have a kensington lock on it but that would ruin the appearance with another ugly cable out the back so most will not use it. You could easily tuck a couple in a backpack and away you go...

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 02:39:19 am
content: Quote from: Monkeh on June 13, 2013, 02:28:24 amBut.. but... it looks really cool if you don't think about it...

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 05:50:46 pm
content: I don't know. This is an early preview of the machine, so new that nobody was allowed to touch it. Normally Apple never shows off upcoming products - you don't know for sure if they are real or rumor until the launch and they are available right away. The things most people are complaining about (rotating for port access, danger of things falling into the top, etc) are rather obvious. Apple engineers may lack humility but they aren't stupid. I can't imagine they wouldn't resolve those issues prior to availability.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2013, 05:58:01 pm
content: Quote from: MacAttak on June 13, 2013, 05:50:46 pmThe "important cables falling out" issue is old and they haven't done jack shit about it. I had a Mac Mini years ago, and thepower connectordid that. The USB ports are on the back, and I had to slide it forward to access them. Pop! Out came the power cable! And during an update.That one required a full OS reinstall.(Apparently they'd never heard of transactional installation, either. If I lose power during an update on my Debian system, I can fiddle about with dpkg a bit and fully repair whatever damage was caused. My only gripe is that it's not automated.I did some digging around in the internals of the OS a while ago. The "Hackintosh" bug had bit me - though it buggered off really fast... I was surprised at how primitive a lot of it was.)

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2013, 03:39:56 am
content: Yeah that's a problemBut their displays and wired keyboards come with extra USB connectors and thunder-bold is daisy-chainable so I can't find many reasons to flip it over.