Apple use the 3500/5500 series right now. The next generation up is the 3600/5600 series. Dell are actually shipping these but dates only show up on the confirmation slip. Their free delivery offer ends June 28th but I doubt that's significant.
One of Dell's options is the T7500 Precision workstation:
Don't you just love how they even put a picture of the internals on the site like they have no shame:
Look at the state of that.
It's not all that cheap either.
E5620(2.4GHz,5.86GT/s,12MB,4C)-Memory runs at 1066MHz
3GB DDR3 1066MHz ECC-UDIMM (3x1GB)
320GB (7,200 rpm)
single DVD burner
512MB Ati FirePro V5700
£1720
Apple's last generation option is:
W3520 2.66GHz 4.8GT/s 1066MHz
3GB DDR3 1066MHz
640GB 7200RPM
dual DVD burner
512MB NVidia GT 120
£1940
Obviously the Dell has a better video card and adding a better card brings the Mac Pro to £2103. Dell also has a much cheaper model with 800MHz RAM but Apple probably want to keep common stock of RAM and just decided not to build a cheap desktop model.
We'll just have to wait and see what they do and then complain when it inevitably costs too much, despite probably being quite good value for the parts you get and design.
Looking at the price list, there doesn't seem to be any cheap models in the 3600 series:
The only chip close to the current low-end chip is the E5620 but is still $100 more. AMD has a lot more options and Apple could use the 8-core 2GHz Opteron 6128 in the low-end model and still be slightly cheaper than the current Mac Pro. It's not much faster than the Intel one though, which is 5 steps down:
The Phenom II X6 1090T on the other hand is very impressive. That costs the same as the current Mac Pro low-end chip but is 30% faster. Despite being faster than the 5500 Xeons too, you can only use one in a machine so Xeons or Opterons for the high end (the Xeons more likely).
For what its worth, I needed a new machine "now" - the Mac Pro 1,1 is almost unsupportable outside of the US/UK due to the total non-availability of video cards. I looked at various Dell configurations, as well as a "grey box" PC manufacturer. Came to the conclusion that an iMac 27 with i5 cpu represents excellent value at least in New Zealand.
Brought the machine, and aside from obvious compromises like having to use USB/Firewire external hdds for time machine, have decided that the upgrade was well past due. The screen is beautiful. The machine is fast. Mac games run at least as well as in my MP (with 8800gt).
In short, I have obviously evolved from "prosumer" to "consumer" in the last 4 years, am happy enough with that.
(:->)
The Mac Pro in New Zealand is essentially unaffordable.
For what its worth, I needed a new machine "now" - the Mac Pro 1,1 is almost unsupportable outside of the US/UK due to the total non-availability of video cards. I looked at various Dell configurations, as well as a "grey box" PC manufacturer. Came to the conclusion that an iMac 27 with i5 cpu represents excellent value at least in New Zealand.
Brought the machine, and aside from obvious compromises like having to use USB/Firewire external hdds for time machine, have decided that the upgrade was well past due. The screen is beautiful. The machine is fast. Mac games run at least as well as in my MP (with 8800gt).
In short, I have obviously evolved from "prosumer" to "consumer" in the last 4 years, am happy enough with that.
(:->)
The Mac Pro in New Zealand is essentially unaffordable.
Yeah the high-end 27" iMac is sweet. If I needed a new computer RIGHT NOW, and was spending my own money instead of someone else's budget, I'd probably go for it too. The CPU and GPU is probably good enough for most things, the main problem for me is... the absolute best disk I can use on it is an internal SSD. I can't RAID SSD internally or externally, because the only options are USB2 or FireWire 800, both of which are way too slow.
The only two boxes Apple has left that support eSATA externally are the Mac Pro and the MacBook Pro 17" with a fast expresscard. I don't need/want another MacBook Pro, I'm already swimming in Apple portable devices and my next laptop will be the 13" MBP or concluding that if I'm spending my own money, meh, the iPhone & iPad will do, with a Mac Pro. Dunno yet, so far the iPad is fun, but I'm wandering off-topic in the OhMygawD WHERE IZ THE GNU MAC PRO!@#!?!?!?!? thread.
I don't know about Blu-Ray (maybe an optional BTO), but they just finished their third quarter so I'm thinking that next week might be the week. Both the Mac Pro and iMac are due for an update. I'm betting the iMac gets a speed bump but the Mac Pro feels like it might be a redesign. Most likely smaller. I also think Mac OS X 10.6.5 will be the OS for the new machines, since all the rumoured OpenGL graphics work was taken out of 10.6.4.
I am also a new member. Would a newcomer be warmly welcome here? Good day you guy !
Yes, of course! Especially if you bring with you new 6-core Mac Pros at 2/3 the size and 3/4 the price of the current quad with hdmi out and optional blu-ray burner!!! ...
What if the delay is beacause of light peak? At least I hope it will be available with the next MP release. But from the looks of intel's latest demonstration light peak will not be available at least till the last quarter.
Word on the street is that drivers for the new GPUs for the Mac Pro have been discovered...(which will no doubt be premium priced options on top of a 2K entry price for the mac pro.)
(See Macrumours for details...)
Here's hoping to a smaller Mac 'pro' with gpus that aren't already two years out of date as standard.
A 27 inch monitor is probably a given. (How long since the monitor range received a refresh?)
But smaller design please (it's due a design refresh.)
And a freakin' price cut.
Although given the Mac Mini price here in the UK, I'm not optimistic.
It's been a long time since the last 'pro' refresh. I guess it's pending. But seeing as the probably sell less than a 100k 'pro' units at those prices I can't see the problem in getting enough cpus to fill the line.
Guess they want the i-stuff to shine a bit longer...
Maybe they are waiting for a new obscure RAM module that costs 3x regular memory but performs the same? Or ultra durable Xeons that last 500 years and cost 4x as much? Because regular CPUs, they burst into flames after a year or two. Maybe they are finding a source for rage 128 GFX cards now that ATI discontinued them?
Maybe they are figuring a way to whittle the thing from a block of aluminum?
Word on the street is that drivers for the new GPUs for the Mac Pro have been discovered...(which will no doubt be premium priced options on top of a 2K entry price for the mac pro.)
The Radeon 5870 is a good card with 544 GFLOPs double precision so a good addition but most likely will top the 2k mark.
A small Mac Pro with the Phenom X6 1090T and 5870 for under 2k would be good. Close to £1500 and I might actually buy one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon.
Although given the Mac Mini price here in the UK, I'm not optimistic.
Yeah, it's pretty unfair for them to charge over £100 on top of the price including tax. Unfortunately the best we can probably hope for is that the Mac Pro price doesn't go up again. I think the £1499 price is long gone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1337_5L4Xx0R
Maybe they are figuring a way to whittle the thing from a block of aluminum?
They could have a shortage of magic. Think of all the magic needed for the iPhone and iPads. There's only so much to go round.
Maybe they are waiting for a new obscure RAM module that costs 3x regular memory but performs the same? Or ultra durable Xeons that last 500 years and cost 4x as much? Because regular CPUs, they burst into flames after a year or two. Maybe they are finding a source for rage 128 GFX cards now that ATI discontinued them?
Maybe they are figuring a way to whittle the thing from a block of aluminum?
The Radeon 5870 is a good card with 544 GFLOPs double precision so a good addition but most likely will top the 2k mark.
A small Mac Pro with the Phenom X6 1090T and 5870 for under 2k would be good. Close to £1500 and I might actually buy one.
Yeah, it's pretty unfair for them to charge over £100 on top of the price including tax. Unfortunately the best we can probably hope for is that the Mac Pro price doesn't go up again. I think the £1499 price is long gone.
They could have a shortage of magic. Think of all the magic needed for the iPhone and iPads. There's only so much to go round.
I think you're right. The £1499 is long gone.
My only hope is for a smaller tower design that might have a cheaper entry model.
But look at the UK prices over the last year or so. Mini. Up from £399 to £645. iMac up from £675 entry to £995 entry. Mac Pro up from £1495 to a mind warping £2k.
'We're not in it for the money.' Jobs' Apple.
Sure... At least my iPhone 4 aint going to cost 2k.
Taiwan-based notebook maker Pegatron Technology, the spun-off manufacturing arm of Asustek Computer, has reportedly landed desktop orders from Apple, according to sources from market watchers.
The sources noted that Pegatron's major objective currently is to retrieve its lost Apple MacBook orders and if the rumors about Pegatron landing desktop orders is true then Pegatron is one step closer to achieving its goal.
So we may actually see updates to the Mac Pro this year. Maybe shipping by late August/early September?
I'm very frustrated with Apple's take on the spec of Mac desktops.
'Whatever.'
That's how I feel.
I won't be buying them. I'm sure plenty will.
The specs smack of astonishing arrogance. Especially on the iMac. The i7 is STILL a BTO option a year later(!) and the gpu in the top end is mid-range.
I guess the only consolation is that a year from now...maybe Apple will offer a six core AMD offering for their iMac?
I mean. Dual core? Still? It's been mainstream for 3 years.
Geeze. I can't believe the Mac Press don't call Apple out on this.
Instead...people get more riled about the 'non-attenna' issue on the iP4.
What about the Mac price hikes, crap cpu choices, stingy ram, crap gpu choices and bargain basement bin parts and inflated prices in a recession?
*Looks skyward.
Hopefully when I come to upgrade my iMac in a year or so's time...something drastic will have happened. Because these side grades and rebadging of bargain bin performance with price hikes are insulting.
Comments
It's the most likely scenario but Dell started selling the expected Apple upgrades back in March:
http://en.community.dell.com/dell-bl...rocessors.aspx
Apple use the 3500/5500 series right now. The next generation up is the 3600/5600 series. Dell are actually shipping these but dates only show up on the confirmation slip. Their free delivery offer ends June 28th but I doubt that's significant.
One of Dell's options is the T7500 Precision workstation:
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/pr...bsd&cs=ukbsdt1
Don't you just love how they even put a picture of the internals on the site like they have no shame:
Look at the state of that.
It's not all that cheap either.
E5620(2.4GHz,5.86GT/s,12MB,4C)-Memory runs at 1066MHz
3GB DDR3 1066MHz ECC-UDIMM (3x1GB)
320GB (7,200 rpm)
single DVD burner
512MB Ati FirePro V5700
£1720
Apple's last generation option is:
W3520 2.66GHz 4.8GT/s 1066MHz
3GB DDR3 1066MHz
640GB 7200RPM
dual DVD burner
512MB NVidia GT 120
£1940
Obviously the Dell has a better video card and adding a better card brings the Mac Pro to £2103. Dell also has a much cheaper model with 800MHz RAM but Apple probably want to keep common stock of RAM and just decided not to build a cheap desktop model.
We'll just have to wait and see what they do and then complain when it inevitably costs too much, despite probably being quite good value for the parts you get and design.
Looking at the price list, there doesn't seem to be any cheap models in the 3600 series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...22_.2832_nm.29
The only chip close to the current low-end chip is the E5620 but is still $100 more. AMD has a lot more options and Apple could use the 8-core 2GHz Opteron 6128 in the low-end model and still be slightly cheaper than the current Mac Pro. It's not much faster than the Intel one though, which is 5 steps down:
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_look...D+Opteron+6128
The Phenom II X6 1090T on the other hand is very impressive. That costs the same as the current Mac Pro low-end chip but is 30% faster. Despite being faster than the 5500 Xeons too, you can only use one in a machine so Xeons or Opterons for the high end (the Xeons more likely).
For what its worth, I needed a new machine "now" - the Mac Pro 1,1 is almost unsupportable outside of the US/UK due to the total non-availability of video cards. I looked at various Dell configurations, as well as a "grey box" PC manufacturer. Came to the conclusion that an iMac 27 with i5 cpu represents excellent value at least in New Zealand.
Brought the machine, and aside from obvious compromises like having to use USB/Firewire external hdds for time machine, have decided that the upgrade was well past due. The screen is beautiful. The machine is fast. Mac games run at least as well as in my MP (with 8800gt).
In short, I have obviously evolved from "prosumer" to "consumer" in the last 4 years, am happy enough with that.
(:->)
The Mac Pro in New Zealand is essentially unaffordable.
Something's afoot.... I hope I'll be pleasantly surprised
For what its worth, I needed a new machine "now" - the Mac Pro 1,1 is almost unsupportable outside of the US/UK due to the total non-availability of video cards. I looked at various Dell configurations, as well as a "grey box" PC manufacturer. Came to the conclusion that an iMac 27 with i5 cpu represents excellent value at least in New Zealand.
Brought the machine, and aside from obvious compromises like having to use USB/Firewire external hdds for time machine, have decided that the upgrade was well past due. The screen is beautiful. The machine is fast. Mac games run at least as well as in my MP (with 8800gt).
In short, I have obviously evolved from "prosumer" to "consumer" in the last 4 years, am happy enough with that.
(:->)
The Mac Pro in New Zealand is essentially unaffordable.
Yeah the high-end 27" iMac is sweet. If I needed a new computer RIGHT NOW, and was spending my own money instead of someone else's budget, I'd probably go for it too. The CPU and GPU is probably good enough for most things, the main problem for me is... the absolute best disk I can use on it is an internal SSD. I can't RAID SSD internally or externally, because the only options are USB2 or FireWire 800, both of which are way too slow.
The only two boxes Apple has left that support eSATA externally are the Mac Pro and the MacBook Pro 17" with a fast expresscard. I don't need/want another MacBook Pro, I'm already swimming in Apple portable devices and my next laptop will be the 13" MBP or concluding that if I'm spending my own money, meh, the iPhone & iPad will do, with a Mac Pro. Dunno yet, so far the iPad is fun, but I'm wandering off-topic in the OhMygawD WHERE IZ THE GNU MAC PRO!@#!?!?!?!? thread.
Hello !
I am also a new member. Would a newcomer be warmly welcome here? Good day you guy !
Yes, of course! Especially if you bring with you new 6-core Mac Pros at 2/3 the size and 3/4 the price of the current quad with hdmi out and optional blu-ray burner!!! ...
(See Macrumours for details...)
Here's hoping to a smaller Mac 'pro' with gpus that aren't already two years out of date as standard.
A 27 inch monitor is probably a given. (How long since the monitor range received a refresh?)
But smaller design please (it's due a design refresh.)
And a freakin' price cut.
Although given the Mac Mini price here in the UK, I'm not optimistic.
It's been a long time since the last 'pro' refresh. I guess it's pending. But seeing as the probably sell less than a 100k 'pro' units at those prices I can't see the problem in getting enough cpus to fill the line.
Guess they want the i-stuff to shine a bit longer...
Lemon Bon Bon.
Maybe they are figuring a way to whittle the thing from a block of aluminum?
Oh, Apple.
Word on the street is that drivers for the new GPUs for the Mac Pro have been discovered...(which will no doubt be premium priced options on top of a 2K entry price for the mac pro.)
The Radeon 5870 is a good card with 544 GFLOPs double precision so a good addition but most likely will top the 2k mark.
A small Mac Pro with the Phenom X6 1090T and 5870 for under 2k would be good. Close to £1500 and I might actually buy one.
Although given the Mac Mini price here in the UK, I'm not optimistic.
Yeah, it's pretty unfair for them to charge over £100 on top of the price including tax. Unfortunately the best we can probably hope for is that the Mac Pro price doesn't go up again. I think the £1499 price is long gone.
Maybe they are figuring a way to whittle the thing from a block of aluminum?
They could have a shortage of magic. Think of all the magic needed for the iPhone and iPads. There's only so much to go round.
Maybe they are waiting for a new obscure RAM module that costs 3x regular memory but performs the same? Or ultra durable Xeons that last 500 years and cost 4x as much? Because regular CPUs, they burst into flames after a year or two. Maybe they are finding a source for rage 128 GFX cards now that ATI discontinued them?
Maybe they are figuring a way to whittle the thing from a block of aluminum?
Oh, Apple.
Heh. I wish I'd have written that.
Lemon Bon Bon.
Maybe they are figuring a way to whittle the thing from a block of aluminum?
They could have a shortage of magic. Think of all the magic needed for the iPhone and iPads. There's only so much to go round.
The Radeon 5870 is a good card with 544 GFLOPs double precision so a good addition but most likely will top the 2k mark.
A small Mac Pro with the Phenom X6 1090T and 5870 for under 2k would be good. Close to £1500 and I might actually buy one.
Yeah, it's pretty unfair for them to charge over £100 on top of the price including tax. Unfortunately the best we can probably hope for is that the Mac Pro price doesn't go up again. I think the £1499 price is long gone.
They could have a shortage of magic. Think of all the magic needed for the iPhone and iPads. There's only so much to go round.
I think you're right. The £1499 is long gone.
My only hope is for a smaller tower design that might have a cheaper entry model.
But look at the UK prices over the last year or so. Mini. Up from £399 to £645. iMac up from £675 entry to £995 entry. Mac Pro up from £1495 to a mind warping £2k.
'We're not in it for the money.' Jobs' Apple.
Sure... At least my iPhone 4 aint going to cost 2k.
Lemon Bon Bon.
...a little pixie dust sprinkled on the iMac and 'pro'?
or the mythical x-mac?
...or...UK pricing wouldn't go amiss...
Lemon Bon Bon.
Taiwan-based notebook maker Pegatron Technology, the spun-off manufacturing arm of Asustek Computer, has reportedly landed desktop orders from Apple, according to sources from market watchers.
The sources noted that Pegatron's major objective currently is to retrieve its lost Apple MacBook orders and if the rumors about Pegatron landing desktop orders is true then Pegatron is one step closer to achieving its goal.
So we may actually see updates to the Mac Pro this year. Maybe shipping by late August/early September?
(edit: removed sarcasm)
That's all I have to say about the 'pro' and iCrap updates.
Lemon Bon Bon.
No kidding.
I'm very frustrated with Apple's take on the spec of Mac desktops.
'Whatever.'
That's how I feel.
I won't be buying them. I'm sure plenty will.
The specs smack of astonishing arrogance. Especially on the iMac. The i7 is STILL a BTO option a year later(!) and the gpu in the top end is mid-range.
I guess the only consolation is that a year from now...maybe Apple will offer a six core AMD offering for their iMac?
I mean. Dual core? Still? It's been mainstream for 3 years.
Geeze. I can't believe the Mac Press don't call Apple out on this.
Instead...people get more riled about the 'non-attenna' issue on the iP4.
What about the Mac price hikes, crap cpu choices, stingy ram, crap gpu choices and bargain basement bin parts and inflated prices in a recession?
*Looks skyward.
Hopefully when I come to upgrade my iMac in a year or so's time...something drastic will have happened. Because these side grades and rebadging of bargain bin performance with price hikes are insulting.
Lemon Bon Bon.