Apparently two (different) sources are now saying it, BenchlIfe and this DigiTimes story. And it is a return to the original schedule, so maybe not so unusual. "Q2'17" was given for Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X in the roadmap leaked June 2016. The least believable thing about these rumors is the assumption that Intel is doing it because of competition from AMD.
This is the "Basin Falls" project that was shown "in planning" in the well-known May 2015 "Purley" roadmap leak. It also probably confirms that the Basin Falls "Skylake-W" slide that was floating around was fake?
I don't know if any of these are appropriate for an iMac "Pro" update, but they sure seem like they might be.
MacRumors suggests that the higher-end Skylake-X (including the 12-core expected in August) could end up in a Mac Pro. But these will be marketed as Core i7-7000 series, and, while not out of the question, it seems doubtful Apple would choose to use this platform in the Mac Pro redesign. Far more likely for the iMac "Pro" obviously.
No, for the actual Mac Pro we have to be looking at the same choice as that made for the top-end 2013 Mac Pro -- Xeon, using a "2S" processor in a single-socket configuration. There was no hint in the recent blogger session of any problems with that approach.
That prediction made, however, I would still love to see Apple return to a true dual-socket Mac Pro, while following Intel's lead here and putting these high-end "1S" Basin Falls units into the new "iMac Pro." There would be clear differentiation between the iMac Pro and the Mac Pro. There would be no way to see the Mac Pro as a headless/modular version of the all-in-one "iMac Pro."
My ideal end result would be as follows:
iMac = 4K & 5K with non-HEDT Core i5 and i7 options and standard GPUs. No access panels. iMac Pro = 5K with LGA-2066 Skylake-X Core i7-7000 and higher-end GPUs. Access panels for memory and additional storage. [Update to Core i7-8000 with Coffee Lake-X] Mac Pro = dual-socket LGA-3647 Xeons, with access to memory and storage a given. Separate GPU module/monitor(s).
I don't think this is too complex from a marketing standpoint: iPad, iPad Pro; iMac, iMac Pro; Mac (mini), Mac Pro.
Mac mini doesn't quite fit into the progression, so I don't know. In a perfect world, Apple would use the current Kaby Lake Xeon E3 with Intel graphics to turn the Mac mini into an "entry-level" workstation/server. Thereby fitting it neatly into the progression. My sister is an architect in NYC and she uses Mac minis with Dell monitors in her office. They are at the end of their run (at one point the minis were replaced, but not the monitors), and probably she is looking at iMacs going forward. But a powerful yet cost-effective Mac mini would really appeal to her.
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This particular rumor was floated last year about Kaby Lake processors for the MBP too at about this time. Didn't happen.
This is the "Basin Falls" project that was shown "in planning" in the well-known May 2015 "Purley" roadmap leak. It also probably confirms that the Basin Falls "Skylake-W" slide that was floating around was fake?
I don't know if any of these are appropriate for an iMac "Pro" update, but they sure seem like they might be.
No, for the actual Mac Pro we have to be looking at the same choice as that made for the top-end 2013 Mac Pro -- Xeon, using a "2S" processor in a single-socket configuration. There was no hint in the recent blogger session of any problems with that approach.
That prediction made, however, I would still love to see Apple return to a true dual-socket Mac Pro, while following Intel's lead here and putting these high-end "1S" Basin Falls units into the new "iMac Pro." There would be clear differentiation between the iMac Pro and the Mac Pro. There would be no way to see the Mac Pro as a headless/modular version of the all-in-one "iMac Pro."
My ideal end result would be as follows:
iMac = 4K & 5K with non-HEDT Core i5 and i7 options and standard GPUs. No access panels.
iMac Pro = 5K with LGA-2066 Skylake-X Core i7-7000 and higher-end GPUs. Access panels for memory and additional storage. [Update to Core i7-8000 with Coffee Lake-X]
Mac Pro = dual-socket LGA-3647 Xeons, with access to memory and storage a given. Separate GPU module/monitor(s).
I don't think this is too complex from a marketing standpoint: iPad, iPad Pro; iMac, iMac Pro; Mac (mini), Mac Pro.
Mac mini doesn't quite fit into the progression, so I don't know. In a perfect world, Apple would use the current Kaby Lake Xeon E3 with Intel graphics to turn the Mac mini into an "entry-level" workstation/server. Thereby fitting it neatly into the progression. My sister is an architect in NYC and she uses Mac minis with Dell monitors in her office. They are at the end of their run (at one point the minis were replaced, but not the monitors), and probably she is looking at iMacs going forward. But a powerful yet cost-effective Mac mini would really appeal to her.