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New Mac Pro Doubles As Trash Basket


nwstudios

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I have a 2009 iMac as my main computer. After the one year warranty (and because i missed the extended warranty) I have maintained it all these years, and i refuse to be led to throw this one away (even selling it wont get me even 25$ of the price). 

 

(In fact I also self-maintain my 2010 MacBook Pro 15" - last year i changed the internal hdd which almost died.) 

 

I have put in more RAM, i can put in a bigger HDD or even an SSD if i want to. I replaced the power board when it blew, i replaced the audio board because of the sub-standard EP jack on it. 

 

I would have had to spend about 50$ each time if i took it to the dealer's 'authorised Apple service'. I once took a look at their 'service center'. I have better tools than them. I have a better ESD-safe temp-controlled solder station should the need arise. 

 

As for the internal DVD, whether you use it or not, it always conks out in some time. So did mine. I have an external 5 1/4" case with a DVD writer in it (OWC). Advantage - you just need to buy a 5 1/4" DVD writer (20-30$) every now and then - far cheaper than getting a slim-line writer that will not last a year... 

 

I guess i will keep this machine running for as long as i can. Everything i need works on it - Pro Tools 9, 10, any other software, even if required - Windows. For more space, i have a 4-bay HDD RAID enclosure with 4 x 2 TB on RAID0+1. No problems. 

 
If Apple is going to stick their glass to aluminium, solder in the memory, etc, they are definitely making the new machine inaccessible to upgrade and self-maintenance. Of course, this is in the name of eco-friendship and more so for advancement. 
 
I wait for a world that is no so wasteful and companies that design and manufacture that would not contribute so much to the production of waste. Maybe not in my lifetime... 
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I really don't like the fact that it doesn't have an optical drive..unless I missed something. It's just like they are saying "here is a brain, you need to connect a bunch of stuff that you will have to pay more money for and then find space for and then deal with all the cables for that you used to not have to deal with but now you do". 

 

I get what they are doing. They want the end user to be able to configure things the way they want, but doing that is still possible while giving us the basics. 

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Apple is giving "the basics" and more with processing power, storage options and connectivity that go way beyond what was available in the previous Mac Pro tower. Remember as well that this new "brain" (if you want to call it that) is really small, even when you picture it (as others have done) with all these cables coming out of it. Personally, I think many here may not understand the advantages of internal storage having direct PCIe buss that is over twice as fast as SATA, Thunderbolt 2 connection with a single cable support for up to 36 external devices operating at the fastest throughput, or the use of a single purpose built fan as part of a unique and highly effective cooling system. Compare the cooling system on the new Mac Pro to the elaborate array of fans and ducting required in the old Mac Pro as it tries to keep things cool with so many other devices right inside the tower. I think it makes perfect sense to have all the peripherals and storage and other devices outside the box now that there is no data throughput penalty via Thunderbolt 2.

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I really don't like the fact that it doesn't have an optical drive..unless I missed something. It's just like they are saying "here is a brain, you need to connect a bunch of stuff that you will have to pay more money for and then find space for and then deal with all the cables for that you used to not have to deal with but now you do".

I get what they are doing. They want the end user to be able to configure things the way they want, but doing that is still possible while giving us the basics.

Yeah and I miss a floppy drive... I think the last time I used an optical disc was in 2009. Call me progressive but that's what I like about apple; see the future and force it upon us.
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I think it makes perfect sense to have all the peripherals and storage and other devices outside the box now that there is no data throughput penalty via Thunderbolt 2.

 

 

If you have to lay out a $1000 for a chassis just to use one PCI card its going to hurt.

Data storage also has the potential for costing a lot more depending on your needs.

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Yeah and I miss a floppy drive... I think the last time I used an optical disc was in 2009. Call me progressive but that's what I like about apple; see the future and force it upon us.

I still like to burn DVD's and Blu-Ray dvd's, and for real backup, I prefer to burn disks instead of relying on a hard drive. 

 

I really hope this machine is no more than $1500. If it is, then getting a system up and running is going to be very expensive and take up a lot of room and eat a bunch of power. If I were to buy this machine for a professional audio workstation, I'd have to buy at least four external drives of varying varieties for working, then another for backup. Then there will be the necessary thunberbolt hubs and USB hubs that will need to be purchased, along with spares, since those things fail pretty fast. That's a lot of power cables right there, most of which I didn't need with my older G5, and even G4. 

 

I guess we'll see when it finally starts shipping. I'll definitely check it out when it is in stores. 

 

This whole thread is starting to look like the Cantar vs. Deva V thread from years ago before those machines actually started shipping....

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An issue for racking these things, (and they WILL be racked, because that's how server and machine rooms are made anymore) is that you'll need to leave double the height+ some above each unit to allow for air circulation and to be able to get the shroud off it for maintenance etc.  You'll also have to shut it down and pull all the cables before you take the shroud off.  So it's actually just as rack-inefficient as the old mac-pro.  Maybe they'll use really heavy duty pull-out drawers for them.  In seismic CA, mission critical computers are usually firmly anchored, I hope someone finds a way to tie down this thing without preventing it being opened up.

 

philp

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An issue for racking these things, (and they WILL be racked, because that's how server and machine rooms are made anymore) is that you'll need to leave double the height+ some above each unit to allow for air circulation and to be able to get the shroud off it for maintenance etc.  You'll also have to shut it down and pull all the cables before you take the shroud off.  So it's actually just as rack-inefficient as the old mac-pro.  Maybe they'll use really heavy duty pull-out drawers for them.  In seismic CA, mission critical computers are usually firmly anchored, I hope someone finds a way to tie down this thing without preventing it being opened up.

 

philp

 

 

First off, I don't believe that "server" is this computer's intended use. Secondly, I don't think you realize how small this thing is. It is less than HALF the height of the previous model.

And if my experience with PowerMacs and Mac Pros is any indication, I have my doubts as to how often the shroud will have to come off for "maintenance". The only thing that failed with any regularity was the optical drives...

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An issue for racking these things, (and they WILL be racked, because that's how server and machine rooms are made anymore) is that you'll need to leave double the height+ some above each unit to allow for air circulation and to be able to get the shroud off it for maintenance etc.  You'll also have to shut it down and pull all the cables before you take the shroud off.  So it's actually just as rack-inefficient as the old mac-pro.  Maybe they'll use really heavy duty pull-out drawers for them.  In seismic CA, mission critical computers are usually firmly anchored, I hope someone finds a way to tie down this thing without preventing it being opened up.

 

philp

2 words come to mind for Rack-mounting the new Mac Pro.  "Hose Clamps"  

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That photo is actually of the 1990s late-night dailies staff of Complete Post. 

HA!

 

There is no doubt in my mind the new Mac Pro will be a screaming machine that will perform well and just work. 

 

I can see it now...I've criticized it here, and it'll come out, and then I'll have to have one, and I'll beg Brenda to get me one for my "production" machine. 

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An issue for racking these things, (and they WILL be racked, because that's how server and machine rooms are made anymore) is that you'll need to leave double the height+ some above each unit to allow for air circulation and to be able to get the shroud off it for maintenance etc.  You'll also have to shut it down and pull all the cables before you take the shroud off.  So it's actually just as rack-inefficient as the old mac-pro.  Maybe they'll use really heavy duty pull-out drawers for them.  In seismic CA, mission critical computers are usually firmly anchored, I hope someone finds a way to tie down this thing without preventing it being opened up.

 

philp

 

Rack mounting will be a 3rd party solution that some clever people figure out. I guess they could lay it on it's side, so you are looking at the bottom, and the hot air is blown back into the rack. You could probably put 2 or 3 of them side by side on a rack shelf. 

 

I remember going to MacWorld in NYC in 2000 (when they released the Cube) and some clever company had a slide out rack that worked with the El Captain case (G3 and G4 towers). The case was laying on its side. You unscrewed the handles from the 4 corners, and the rack screwed into those thread spots, holding it securely. 

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Even with all my criticisms, I'm still going to run to the Apple store to check it out when it is released. I used to think iPods were really stupid, and now I own one. 

 

Look how many Apple fans blasted the iPod and declared that Jobs had lost it. The original iPod had limited storage and was expensive, but it was the first step. Same for the iPhone. CNN, Time etc couldn't get enough quotes from Nokia and Blackberry blasting Apple saying the iPhone would put Apple out of business. 

I think 3rd party hardware will make or break the new Pro. It's also up to the actual Pro users to give Apple feedback about concerns (like non-upgradable video cards or processors). A LOT of people that traditionally were using Mac Pro towers have switched to iMacs. I know people that are editing indie films on an iMac, and you didn't see that 10 years ago. They don't care about having to use external HDDs or lacking an optical drive. They can add extra monitors, and anything else they may need. The Mac Pro cheese grater has been so far between updates, that it's not totally clear who still needs the actual Pro machine. I would assume people that are doing a lot of heavy lifting and the fastest computer will pay for itself by saving time, but I think a lot of the old Pro users have found that the iMac, or MacbookPro, is fast enough. 

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. I would assume people that are doing a lot of heavy lifting and the fastest computer will pay for itself by saving time,

 

Read one of the limitations of Thunderbolt is it will only work with single processors.

That will limit any new Mac Pro from ever being a top contender in the "fastest" category.

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