If we don't see new mac pros at NAB, then I'll very grudgingly and reluctantly purchase the current model-- I simply cannot wait any longer.
To Steve Jobs:
Just give us a mac pro update! I and thousands of others will give you our money-- most of us will even buy leopard when it comes out.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
I have been waiting too, but with Intel's recent release of info about Penryn and the posts about the Seaburg chipsets, I don't see what big changes could possibly be included in an upgrade for next the six-to-eight months.
I don't care about having an 8-core machine. The only other upgrades I would be interested in are e-SATA ports on the back of the box, video cards and new displays.
That said, I will wait until the April 15th NAB event to see what Apple has in store for us, but unless someone can tell me what significant changes could possibly be made to the Mac Pro prior to Penryn, I'm going to be bringing home a new 2.66 GHz baby.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
I have been waiting too, but with Intel's recent release of info about Penryn and the posts about the Seaburg chipsets, I don't see what big changes could possibly be included in an upgrade for next the six-to-eight months.
I don't care about having an 8-core machine.
I think people are expecting 8-core Mac Pros (2 processor X 4 cores) at either 2.66 or 3.0 Ghz. I have a funny feeling we won't see a 3.0 8-core Mac Pro until the 2H of 2007, but who knows. People are also probably expecting it to come with Blu-ray or a Blu-ray/HD-DVD optical drive, a better higher-end graphics card as an option and new low priced Cinema Displays with better features.
Also expecting video compression hardware chips. If NAB is to be the release point, then that promised (rumored) hardware accelerator dedicated to video compression is where they will unveil it. Final Cut Suite, Shake, etc will all benefit from it. As a Mac Pro owner, I'd like to see a PCI version from Apple as well.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
Waiting for what I assume will be an 8-core machine... course its a bit more complicated in reality.
Here's a "flow chart"
1) If there is a single quad-core processor machine (expandable later to dual quad-core processors), then purchase this one.
2) If no single quad-core configuration, then if price on the dual quad-core processors is "reasonable" then purchase this one.
3) Fall back plan, purchase the dual-dual core machine and be done with it.
Most software that I'd like to run will benefit immensely from multi-core machines, so 8-cores just makes me drool. It will be my own little desktop supercomputer.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
Just a guess, but I think he may mean design wise. You're right though, there isn't any revolutionary hardware right now that would warrant a refresh. With the exception of the Macbook, all the other lines maintained their design through the Intel transition. So most of us are looking forward to something fresh.
Could it be with self imposed deadlines for iPhone and Leopard they've hardware on the back burner? Apple doesn't have unlimited resources.
Apple's been rapidly expanding though, and is sitting on a tidy pile of cash. If a long term project needs a certain number of qualified people to do a project in a given time frame, then they should be able to hire them if they see the need far enough ahead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonard
The next chipset which I believe is codenamed Seaburg looks like it will be shipping in the 2H of 2007, but it could be earlier with the way Intel has been moving these days.
Look at the RAM slots on that motherboard:
Current Xeon chipsets can have sixteen slots, as can Opterons.
Quote:
Originally Posted by donebylee
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
I don't care about having an 8-core machine. The only other upgrades I would be interested in are e-SATA ports on the back of the box, video cards and new displays.
At least you can put in a card for eSATA for not too much money. The others aren't necessarily upgradeable for cheap: The above mentioned shipset is faster and might be cooler running. Getting a faster model for cheaper would be good too, if the top model is an Octo, then the 3.0 Quad might go for $2500. Available display cards could change too.
At least you can put in a card for eSATA for not too much money. The others aren't necessarily upgradeable for cheap: The above mentioned shipset is faster and might be cooler running. Getting a faster model for cheaper would be good too, if the top model is an Octo, then the 3.0 Quad might go for $2500. Available display cards could change too.
From your response I'm guessing that you don't need to upgrade anytime soon as the new chipsets are at least three months away and more likely to be available on a Mac Pro around Christmas.
I can't wait that long. I'm on five year-old equipment and I am upgrading this spring. If Apple doesn't do anything at NAB then I will buy the current Mac Pro, but no displays. I will wait for the new ones (and hopefully better pricing). I can easily upgrade a video card and slap in a SATA card if there is a good reason to add e-SATA ports.
But I can't afford to wait much longer. The trigger for me has always been CS 3 and as of April 20th that will be shipping. So April 15th I find out if Apple is going to have any upgrades and new products and five days later I get CS 3.
I gave up to weeks ago... I had to buy something with that money that was burning a hole in my pocket, so I bought an Xbox 360 with a bit of the cash (totally unrelated to the Mac Pro purchase). I've basically forgotten about the Mac Pros. When they come, I will buy. Until then, I'm playing Crackdown.
I gave up to weeks ago... I had to buy something with that money that was burning a hole in my pocket, so I bought an Xbox 360 with a bit of the cash (totally unrelated to the Mac Pro purchase). I've basically forgotten about the Mac Pros. When they come, I will buy. Until then, I'm playing Crackdown.
i think we'll see many pro apps updated at NAB, so why not the Mac Pro? C'mon Apple, Logic Express 8!
I guess this sort of deserves a thread of it's own, and has been addressed in the past, but what graphics card updates are people speculating? The X1900 hardly measures up to the rest of the Mac Pro. It would be a shame if apple didn't bump up the cards or barely bumped them up.
I should add that I don't know how much weight to give this "rumor". If they are releasing the mac pros Tuesday, then what of NAB-- just software?
Tuesday or NAB, not a big difference to me, release it already I'll buy it. done.
I'm with you. (Just about) For Apple NAB was mostly about software anyway, and Apple has made a big spash with that in previous years. Motion, and FCP updates alone have been show stoppers in the past.
I guess this sort of deserves a thread of it's own, and has been addressed in the past, but what graphics card updates are people speculating? The X1900 hardly measures up to the rest of the Mac Pro. It would be a shame if apple didn't bump up the cards or barely bumped them up.
Radeon X2800XT or the Nvidia 8800(GTX?) are the consumer/gaming cards being speculated. http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=71804 Of course I assume some are hoping for a new workstation graphics card to replace the Nvidia Quadro 4500. And of course the graphics wish list wouldn't be complete without SLI or Crossfire.
Radeon X2800XT or the Nvidia 8800(GTX?) are the consumer/gaming cards being speculated. http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=71804 Of course I assume some are hoping for a new workstation graphics card to replace the Nvidia Quadro 4500. And of course the graphics wish list wouldn't be complete without SLI or Crossfire.
SLI or Crossfire will need a new chip set the mac pro has very few pci-e lanes and some are used for the chip set to chip set link also apple should put the fire wire chip on the pci-e bus to get full fire wire 800 speeds.
Macs are SLI capable now. You can configure the lanes independently. They are not restricted, merely configured to base configuration standard speeds. What they need are the right cards, and drivers, but if you do a search now you'll see that people have been successful in doing this already.
SLI or Crossfire will need a new chip set the mac pro has very few pci-e lanes and some are used for the chip set to chip set link also apple should put the fire wire chip on the pci-e bus to get full fire wire 800 speeds.
Yeah, it's called Seaburg. The Seaburg chipset allows 2 PCIe 16x slots. Of course that chipset being available before NAB in production volumes may be questionable. I told you about it a few posts back... in this very thread.
Comments
If we don't see new mac pros at NAB, then I'll very grudgingly and reluctantly purchase the current model-- I simply cannot wait any longer.
To Steve Jobs:
Just give us a mac pro update! I and thousands of others will give you our money-- most of us will even buy leopard when it comes out.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
I have been waiting too, but with Intel's recent release of info about Penryn and the posts about the Seaburg chipsets, I don't see what big changes could possibly be included in an upgrade for next the six-to-eight months.
I don't care about having an 8-core machine. The only other upgrades I would be interested in are e-SATA ports on the back of the box, video cards and new displays.
That said, I will wait until the April 15th NAB event to see what Apple has in store for us, but unless someone can tell me what significant changes could possibly be made to the Mac Pro prior to Penryn, I'm going to be bringing home a new 2.66 GHz baby.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
I have been waiting too, but with Intel's recent release of info about Penryn and the posts about the Seaburg chipsets, I don't see what big changes could possibly be included in an upgrade for next the six-to-eight months.
I don't care about having an 8-core machine.
I think people are expecting 8-core Mac Pros (2 processor X 4 cores) at either 2.66 or 3.0 Ghz. I have a funny feeling we won't see a 3.0 8-core Mac Pro until the 2H of 2007, but who knows. People are also probably expecting it to come with Blu-ray or a Blu-ray/HD-DVD optical drive, a better higher-end graphics card as an option and new low priced Cinema Displays with better features.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
Waiting for what I assume will be an 8-core machine... course its a bit more complicated in reality.
Here's a "flow chart"
1) If there is a single quad-core processor machine (expandable later to dual quad-core processors), then purchase this one.
2) If no single quad-core configuration, then if price on the dual quad-core processors is "reasonable" then purchase this one.
3) Fall back plan, purchase the dual-dual core machine and be done with it.
Most software that I'd like to run will benefit immensely from multi-core machines, so 8-cores just makes me drool. It will be my own little desktop supercomputer.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
Just a guess, but I think he may mean design wise. You're right though, there isn't any revolutionary hardware right now that would warrant a refresh. With the exception of the Macbook, all the other lines maintained their design through the Intel transition. So most of us are looking forward to something fresh.
Could it be with self imposed deadlines for iPhone and Leopard they've hardware on the back burner? Apple doesn't have unlimited resources.
Apple's been rapidly expanding though, and is sitting on a tidy pile of cash. If a long term project needs a certain number of qualified people to do a project in a given time frame, then they should be able to hire them if they see the need far enough ahead.
The next chipset which I believe is codenamed Seaburg looks like it will be shipping in the 2H of 2007, but it could be earlier with the way Intel has been moving these days.
Look at the RAM slots on that motherboard:
Current Xeon chipsets can have sixteen slots, as can Opterons.
I'm curious what upgrade do you want? Right now, other than two quad-core processors, what hardware upgrade are you looking for?
I don't care about having an 8-core machine. The only other upgrades I would be interested in are e-SATA ports on the back of the box, video cards and new displays.
At least you can put in a card for eSATA for not too much money. The others aren't necessarily upgradeable for cheap: The above mentioned shipset is faster and might be cooler running. Getting a faster model for cheaper would be good too, if the top model is an Octo, then the 3.0 Quad might go for $2500. Available display cards could change too.
At least you can put in a card for eSATA for not too much money. The others aren't necessarily upgradeable for cheap: The above mentioned shipset is faster and might be cooler running. Getting a faster model for cheaper would be good too, if the top model is an Octo, then the 3.0 Quad might go for $2500. Available display cards could change too.
From your response I'm guessing that you don't need to upgrade anytime soon as the new chipsets are at least three months away and more likely to be available on a Mac Pro around Christmas.
I can't wait that long. I'm on five year-old equipment and I am upgrading this spring. If Apple doesn't do anything at NAB then I will buy the current Mac Pro, but no displays. I will wait for the new ones (and hopefully better pricing). I can easily upgrade a video card and slap in a SATA card if there is a good reason to add e-SATA ports.
But I can't afford to wait much longer. The trigger for me has always been CS 3 and as of April 20th that will be shipping. So April 15th I find out if Apple is going to have any upgrades and new products and five days later I get CS 3.
And T.S. Eliot said April was the cruelest month.
Maybe my bank account would agree with him.
I gave up to weeks ago... I had to buy something with that money that was burning a hole in my pocket, so I bought an Xbox 360 with a bit of the cash (totally unrelated to the Mac Pro purchase). I've basically forgotten about the Mac Pros. When they come, I will buy. Until then, I'm playing Crackdown.
i think we'll see many pro apps updated at NAB, so why not the Mac Pro? C'mon Apple, Logic Express 8!
Yeah, I know...it's the Inquirer.
But hey, they could be right. It has happened in the past.
A long, long time ago, in a far, far distant galaxy.....
From The Inquirer
In a shock to no one, the 2S four-core machines will be touted as the next great thing, during Tuesday's dog and pony show.
What does "2S" mean?
I bet the article is wrong.
Sincerely,
Jaddie
Dear donebylee & Friends
What does "2S" mean?
2S = "2 Socket"
IE, 2 processors each with quad-core.
Tuesday or NAB, not a big difference to me, release it already I'll buy it. done.
I should add that I don't know how much weight to give this "rumor". If they are releasing the mac pros Tuesday, then what of NAB-- just software?
Tuesday or NAB, not a big difference to me, release it already I'll buy it. done.
I'm with you. (Just about) For Apple NAB was mostly about software anyway, and Apple has made a big spash with that in previous years. Motion, and FCP updates alone have been show stoppers in the past.
I guess this sort of deserves a thread of it's own, and has been addressed in the past, but what graphics card updates are people speculating? The X1900 hardly measures up to the rest of the Mac Pro. It would be a shame if apple didn't bump up the cards or barely bumped them up.
Radeon X2800XT or the Nvidia 8800(GTX?) are the consumer/gaming cards being speculated. http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=71804 Of course I assume some are hoping for a new workstation graphics card to replace the Nvidia Quadro 4500. And of course the graphics wish list wouldn't be complete without SLI or Crossfire.
Radeon X2800XT or the Nvidia 8800(GTX?) are the consumer/gaming cards being speculated. http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=71804 Of course I assume some are hoping for a new workstation graphics card to replace the Nvidia Quadro 4500. And of course the graphics wish list wouldn't be complete without SLI or Crossfire.
SLI or Crossfire will need a new chip set the mac pro has very few pci-e lanes and some are used for the chip set to chip set link also apple should put the fire wire chip on the pci-e bus to get full fire wire 800 speeds.
SLI or Crossfire will need a new chip set the mac pro has very few pci-e lanes and some are used for the chip set to chip set link also apple should put the fire wire chip on the pci-e bus to get full fire wire 800 speeds.
Yeah, it's called Seaburg. The Seaburg chipset allows 2 PCIe 16x slots. Of course that chipset being available before NAB in production volumes may be questionable. I told you about it a few posts back... in this very thread.