The funny part is that in spite of all of the attention lavished on “pro” users, the latest, lowly iMac will still have the highest single-thread performance in the entire Mac line. For pro audio, where modern DAW workflows demand minimal I/O latency and can only do so on a single processor core, single thread performance is the overriding concern, and where very little improvement has occurred over the last ten years. So frustrating.
canukstorm said: You seriously think that a stand is worth $999?
Luckily it's optional and every monitor comes with a standard VESA mount.
But yeah, for $1K it better do a whole lot more than hold the monitor up
I wonder how much this beast will weigh and what a good desk or wall mount arm will cost? I suspect the Apple stand at $1K may be a bargain (that screen is HUGE and probably pretty hefty).
And is this the introduction of the third or fourth Apple proprietary connector to combine video and power? The more things change the more....
Proprietary? All I saw was a TB3 port, three USB-C ports, and a grounded AC outlet on the back. Was there something I missed?
Speaking of...
"One Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port, three USB-C ports
One upstream port for Mac Pro or other Thunderbolt 3 host (96W host charging)
Three USB-C (USB 2) ports for charging or syncing3"
For Mac models with Thunderbolt 3 driving Pro Display XDR at 5K resolution, USB-C ports have USB 3.1 Gen 1 data transfer speeds."
So, any other TB3 Mac will only drive this at 5K?
Why did they put "USB 2" for the USB-C ports, if they have 3.1 Gen 1 speeds — wouldn't USB 2 imply 5Gbps? Or are they that when paired with the Mac Pro due to bandwidth limitations or something?
I'm curious if they plan to release 4-5K monitors for the non-Mac Pro market. I would love to replace my 30" ACDs at some point. I also am curious if this nano-etched glass thing is going to trickle down into other products, I have been imagining a solution *just* like this for matte options.
Speaking as a pro user. Professional Retoucher, video editor
and graphic designer for a commercial studio. Yes the new Mac Pro is over kill
for 99% of us. My studios main work stations are IMacs 2011-2012 with icore7s ,
ssds and 16-32GB of ram. Time is money in my line of work. They handle 1-3gb psds
fine all day long. As well as massive video files in 1080 to 4K .
Now is the new Mac Pro expensive yes but so was the Mac IIfx
or PM 9600/350.
Back in the day throw ram in one of those and you would be
way over 6 grand easy !
so who is a pro? Anyone who makes the majority of their income doing whatever it is in their field that they do. If you’re an event photographer, you definitely don’t need this. But if you’re shooting high end fashion, you probably do, if you’re successful at it.
No. A professional is someone trained in a structured formal educational program, with a license, an ethics code and a continuing education program requirement.
A lawyer is a Pro, a doctor is a Pro, an engineer is a Pro. A video editor, compositor or composer is not.
I think you confuse enterprise, pro and high spec.
Amazing what one can do with an argument when one makes up one’s own definitions.
Well (and I've made this argument many times previously)... 'pro' used to be associated as a quality of the equipment, not the user. Something professional grade had higher duty-cycle, faster performance, durability/ruggedness, etc.
But, yeah, a lawyer might be a 'pro' but would be fine with a Chromebook. A high-end 3D graphics person might not be a 'pro' (in the above definition), but need a more robust system than anyone else in that pro category (above), except maybe the engineer if they are doing sophisticated analysis.
For everyone who wants one and can’t afford all that cash up front, Apple does business leasing.
You can easily roll it into a 15k lease with a buyout at the end or let it go back to the leasing company when the lease is over.
Just wait until it comes out before making any judgement on it. Also please have some common sense and only buy it if you are really going to use it professionally and can have a return on investment.
For those of you who are waiting for the old Mac Pro to go down in price and buy it for a consumer model, be prepared for Apple to declare that model end of life and see some small discount on it, but usually you have about a week to buy one and then it’s gone for good.
Speaking of definition of a "Pro" Does Apple even offer next day on-site repair? As a sys admin the way they handle their macbook pros have always made me wonder how anyone can use these as a business machine. In the case of these Mac Pros, I see they offer on-site repair, but how long does it take?!
I have a hard time considering these Pro without the option for Nvidia cards. Kind of telling that their "benchmarks" in their marketing only compares to older AMD cards.
Speaking of definition of a "Pro" Does Apple even offer next day on-site repair? As a sys admin the way they handle their macbook pros have always made me wonder how anyone can use these as a business machine. In the case of these Mac Pros, I see they offer on-site repair, but how long does it take?!
I have a hard time considering these Pro without the option for Nvidia cards. Kind of telling that their "benchmarks" in their marketing only compares to older AMD cards.
Speaking of definition of a "Pro" Does Apple even offer next day on-site repair? As a sys admin the way they handle their macbook pros have always made me wonder how anyone can use these as a business machine. In the case of these Mac Pros, I see they offer on-site repair, but how long does it take?!
I have a hard time considering these Pro without the option for Nvidia cards. Kind of telling that their "benchmarks" in their marketing only compares to older AMD cards.
They have different types of Applecare depending on how quickly you need service. They do offer onsite repair, but you will need to fork over a lot more money than just the standard Applecare cost.
Joined to say I love it! For those who aren't pros, let me say that we paid $52000 for a maxed out SGI Indigo 2 in 1997 running Softimage ( another $28000). its a bargain for those who need it.
I guess the idea is that you make that $6K initial investment, and you can expand from there -- add RAM, add storage, add graphics power. This is not unlike the old Mac Pro. You don't have to buy the Apple display.
Some of you have apparently lost perspective on how much actual "Pro" equipment costs these days. My brother is a news photographer -- his camera body alone costs over $30K, and he goes through them every few years. This is not a new thing -- quality primary equipment is expensive, no matter your field. The XDR display is an example -- equivalent displays are pricey -- that $43K comparison price wasn't a joke.
For me, I want the XDR display. It's something I can use. Apple is going to sell a lot of those.
From what I've read, no one (including me) is against the expensive pro machine. We understand that there are reasonably wealthy professionals that buy machines like this. We're disappointed that the majority of pros were left out with regard to this machine, especially when Apple used to have cheese grater options for us.
Oh, for Pete’s sake! I paid $4,000 in 1984 for an original Mac, on credit because I hardly had a pot to pee in. Best investment I ever made, bar none. Don’t tell me this is a lot of money for this computer! I’m flat not buying it.
Edit: That included a dot matrix printer. Horrible machine! But that plus the two programs that ran on the Mac, MacWrite and MacPaint - man, the freedom! Disc-swapping and all.
Love how amatuers complain about the costs of Mac Pro... it's for Professionals making lots of money... not for amatuers living on a few hundreds.
Not true. There are people who need workstations that are not rolling in money. People like scientists and engineers. The Pro market extends way beyond the media business.
This is another nice engineering exercise but leaves a gaping hole between the Mac mini and this. A version with something less than an 8 core Xeon CPU could be offered for substantially less.
Those folks are likely using Linux already. Also, the current Mac Mini uses desktop processors and can be outfitted with 64GB of RAM. This Pro product is not for the people you are discussing. There isn’t even a server version of MacOS any longer. Can you name any scientific research clients or universities clamoring to run their work on MacOS?
CON: Apple has redefined what a "pro" user is by making a workstation specifically for organizations like Pixar. They left out pretty much every indie app developer, and that's a real shame. I still own a cheese grater Mac Pro. It was pricey but I could afford one. I can't afford this new one.
I find it hard to believe that devs ever need that kind of power.
Exactly. The most processor intense activity most software developers do is code compilation. An out of the box iMac is more than up the the job. But of course, many software developers earn serious $$$ so they’ll but the Mac Pro because they can.
Developers actually do have to TEST their software on the hardware it is targeted for. So, YES, developers also NEED such a machine in their portfolio. – Particularly if they are developing anything that is taxing the graphics subsystem.
Also people who can afford this Mac Pro has the expectation that a wide range of general purpose software also run on their systems, so it is not only developers of "pro" software who have a need to test on it.
Comments
Speaking of...
So, any other TB3 Mac will only drive this at 5K?
Why did they put "USB 2" for the USB-C ports, if they have 3.1 Gen 1 speeds — wouldn't USB 2 imply 5Gbps? Or are they that when paired with the Mac Pro due to bandwidth limitations or something?
I'm curious if they plan to release 4-5K monitors for the non-Mac Pro market. I would love to replace my 30" ACDs at some point. I also am curious if this nano-etched glass thing is going to trickle down into other products, I have been imagining a solution *just* like this for matte options.
Apple: New Mac Pro 28 cores, but will be expensive.
HP: Hold my beer....
But seriously, glad to see Apple making a Professional, expandable and upgradable rig again.
Speaking as a pro user. Professional Retoucher, video editor and graphic designer for a commercial studio. Yes the new Mac Pro is over kill for 99% of us. My studios main work stations are IMacs 2011-2012 with icore7s , ssds and 16-32GB of ram. Time is money in my line of work. They handle 1-3gb psds fine all day long. As well as massive video files in 1080 to 4K .
Now is the new Mac Pro expensive yes but so was the Mac IIfx or PM 9600/350.
Back in the day throw ram in one of those and you would be way over 6 grand easy !
Just saying nothing really changed.
Do want one hell yes !!
But, yeah, a lawyer might be a 'pro' but would be fine with a Chromebook. A high-end 3D graphics person might not be a 'pro' (in the above definition), but need a more robust system than anyone else in that pro category (above), except maybe the engineer if they are doing sophisticated analysis.
You can easily roll it into a 15k lease with a buyout at the end or let it go back to the leasing company when the lease is over.
Just wait until it comes out before making any judgement on it.
Also please have some common sense and only buy it if you are really going to use it professionally and can have a return on investment.
For those of you who are waiting for the old Mac Pro to go down in price and buy it for a consumer model, be prepared for Apple to declare that model end of life and see some small discount on it, but usually you have about a week to buy one and then it’s gone for good.
I have a hard time considering these Pro without the option for Nvidia cards. Kind of telling that their "benchmarks" in their marketing only compares to older AMD cards.
The design reminds me of classic Macs. The monitor looks nice too.
Apple hit it on the nail with this one!
If anybody thinks it's too expensive, then it's obviously not for you.
(To clarify, I'm not unhappy... they finally outdid themselves on the Mac Pro.... Space Grey would have just been a nice touch)
They do offer onsite repair, but you will need to fork over a lot more money than just the standard Applecare cost.
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G0URULL/A/Refurbished-27-inch-iMac-Pro-23GHz-18-core-Intel-Xeon-W-with-Retina-5K-display?fnode=20bf6c3dfdb8e2f61928b1fb858288b6e5f75ab9c0eccdeb94a2938489dc816bcf0a89546528de240051185456be717d93ce39f1986100a472632292397811087fa56138f6fde4db546d6fcc0625bc5a
Edit: That included a dot matrix printer. Horrible machine! But that plus the two programs that ran on the Mac, MacWrite and MacPaint - man, the freedom! Disc-swapping and all.
So, YES, developers also NEED such a machine in their portfolio. – Particularly if they are developing anything that is taxing the graphics subsystem.
Also people who can afford this Mac Pro has the expectation that a wide range of general purpose software also run on their systems, so it is not only developers of "pro" software who have a need to test on it.