Woodcrest to power Apple's next-gen Mac Pro desktops

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  • Reply 21 of 225
    The thing I really like about apple going intel is it will impossible to prevent processor upgrades (from within the same family of CPU's) in the towers. Who knows, Apple might themselves offer upgrades down the line?
  • Reply 22 of 225
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Thereubster

    The thing I really like about apple going intel is it will impossible to prevent processor upgrades (from within the same family of CPU's) in the towers. Who knows, Apple might themselves offer upgrades down the line?



    Oh trust me...Apple can and may solder the CPU to the board. In fact, they may do this now just to spite you. I'll blame you if it happens.
  • Reply 23 of 225
    commoduscommodus Posts: 270member
    I can't see Apple starting Mac Pro prices at more than $1999. That would leave a huge gap between it and the iMac. It'd make more sense to have a lineup split between Core 2 Duos and Xeon 5100s: two of each kind occupying the lower and upper spectrums. As an example:



    $1799: 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo

    $2299: 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo

    $2999: Dual 2.66 GHz Xeon

    $3999: Dual 3 GHz Xeon



    You'd thus have workstations for regular users who just want more flexibility and power than an iMac, and serious iron for the people who need to render 2K video or otherwise handle very scary tasks.
  • Reply 24 of 225
    japplejapple Posts: 91member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AppleInsider

    As Apple began development of the Mac Pro last October, it turned to Intel's Oregon division for the expertise in constructing a logicboard capable of housing a dual-processor Woodcrest configuration (or in other words, a graphics powerhouse sporting a total of four cores of processing power). Initially, it appeared that the two companies had aspirations of developing a radically compact board design, but they later settled on one approximately the same size as those found in Apple's current Power Mac G5 systems.



    If this same-size thing is true, then



    Unless it's the same size with lots more options, then
  • Reply 25 of 225
    bwhalerbwhaler Posts: 260member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mugwump

    Funny how some of you set yourselves up for high prices. For the record, I originally expected quads across the entire line...



    Forget 2.0 ghz anything. That number is older than dirt, back with the original G5. Get that outta here.



    Quad 2.3 Woodcrest $1999.



    Quad 2.6 Woodcrest $2499



    Quad 3 ghz Woodcrest $3299



    This will finally get the ProMac sales above 100K per quarter -- Enjoy!



    PS -- Maybe a single 2.3 in there for $1599.




    I really hope Apple goes for marketshare and for moving as many folks on the legacy PPC platform over to Intel ASAP.



    These prices are fair and reasonable, but similar to the power of the MacBook for a great price, I hope Apple follows suit.



    Specifically, I hope we see:



    $1999

    $2399

    $2999



    Getting the top of the line below 3 grand does a lot psychologically for folks who will spend more, but not a lot more.
  • Reply 26 of 225
    bwhalerbwhaler Posts: 260member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kim kap sol

    Ouch...nobody's gonna buy a products from a lineup with those price tags.



    2x2.33 for 2700?

    2x2.67 for 3500? sheeesh.



    2x2.33 costs Apple at most $1000.

    2x2.67 costs Apple at most $1350.



    With the other components, these things wouldn't be cost Apple more than $2000 and $2350 at *most*.



    The markup would be ridiculous. Nobody would buy these machines. Remember that Apple now competes with other PC manufacturers.




    What's more ridiculous is you're forgetting:



    Manufacturing Costs

    Sales

    Marketing

    Company Overhead

    Software Development

    Testing

    etc, etc, etc.



    Yes, you can build a computer cheaper yourself. That's not the point. Apple makes about 22-26% on a computer from a gross margin perspective.
  • Reply 27 of 225
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BWhaler

    What's more ridiculous is you're forgetting:



    Manufacturing Costs

    Sales

    Marketing

    Company Overhead

    Software Development

    Testing

    etc, etc, etc.



    Yes, you can build a computer cheaper yourself. That's not the point. Apple makes about 22-26% on a computer from a gross margin perspective.




    I haven't forgotten anything. Let me repeat for you...Apple is up against Dell and other computer manufacturers now.



    Apple can get the 2.66 chips for 650 each...1300...plus board and 1GB RAM: 500...plus video card: 200...plus everything else: 400. 2400*1.25=3000



    3500/2400 = 1.46!!! Are you going to pay that much premium?



    I'm being extremely fucking modest with these prices. I'd be fuckin' suprised if Apple didn't get much better prices on the chips and board.



    Remember that the board dev is outsourced. I think the software dev is covered quite well with the 129 bucks Apple is charging every 18 months. Don't forget the poor suckers that buy .mac for 99. The rest can be covered by ridiculously marked up products such as the Cinema Displays.



    Whole different ball game now that Apple is with Intel...remember that.
  • Reply 28 of 225
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kim kap sol

    Whole different ball game now that Apple is with Intel...remember that.



    Often claimed and always proved wrong.



    They said all consumer Macs would get cheaper with the Intel switch. They didn't. Now you're saying the pro desktop will get cheaper with the Intel switch. It won't.
  • Reply 29 of 225
    jtblqjtblq Posts: 86member
    YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
  • Reply 30 of 225
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    Often claimed and always proved wrong.



    They said all consumer Macs would get cheaper with the Intel switch. They didn't. Now you're saying the pro desktop will get cheaper with the Intel switch. It won't.




    I never said they'd get cheaper. I said Apple would become more competitive. Here's a yes or no question for you...is Apple competitive with its iMac Core Duo and MacBooks?
  • Reply 31 of 225
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kim kap sol

    is Apple competitive with its iMac Core Duo and MacBooks?



    Yes, just as competitive as they have been with the iMac G5 and iBooks and PowerBooks.
  • Reply 32 of 225
    mwswamimwswami Posts: 166member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kim kap sol

    I haven't forgotten anything. Let me repeat for you...Apple is up against Dell and other computer manufacturers now.



    Apple can get the 2.66 chips for 650 each...1300...plus board and 1GB RAM: 500...plus video card: 200...plus everything else: 400. 2400*1.25=3000



    3500/2400 = 1.46!!! Are you going to pay that much premium?





    BUT ...... Apple customers already pay these prices. The current PowerMac configurations are priced at $1999, $2499, and $3299. I added $200 on top of that for improved components like better processors and more memory ...
  • Reply 33 of 225
    benroethigbenroethig Posts: 2,782member
    Here's how I think Apple's lineup is going to pan out.



    Desktop All in one

    iMac Integrated Graphics (merom)-low end consumer

    iMac dedicated graphics (merom)-high end consumer



    Desktop headless

    Mac Mini (merom) low end consumer

    Mac/Mac Media (conroe) prosumer

    Mac Pro (Woodcrest) professional



    Server

    xserve (woodcrest)



    Notebook (all merom)

    Macbook 13.4

    Macbook Pro 15"

    Macbook pro 17"



    Displays:

    Apple Cinema with iSight

    17" $349

    20" $599

    24" $899

    30" $2099
  • Reply 34 of 225
    zazzaz Posts: 177member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kim kap sol

    Oh trust me...Apple can and may solder the CPU to the board. In fact, they may do this now just to spite you. I'll blame you if it happens.



    They could get away with that when they were PPC machines, although they haven't ever done it.



    However, now as a "PC" manufacturer (applies 'anti-flame?') I am not sure this would be a good move, if ever.



    Soldering a CPU to a pro-level machine can have severe impact on warranty and service costs. You don't solder your 2 most expensive components together if you can help it.



    Z
  • Reply 35 of 225
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Something like this.



    Desktops

    Mac mini (Merom) $499

    SuperDrive Mac mini (Merom) $699

    17-inch iMac integrated (Conroe) $899 edu / $999 regular

    20-inch iMac dedicated (Conroe) $1399

    23-inch iMac dedicated (Conroe) $1899

    Dual Mac Pro (Woodcrest) $2099

    Dual 2 GB Mac Pro (Woodcrest) $2499

    Quad Mac Pro (Woodcrest) $2999



    Laptops

    MacBook mini in 2007 (Merom) $799

    White MacBook (Merom) $1099

    White SuperDrive MacBook (Merom) $1299

    Black SuperDrive MacBook (Merom) $1499

    15-inch MacBook Pro (Merom) $1899

    15-inch MacBook Pro (Merom) $2299

    17-inch MacBook Pro (Merom) $2599



    Servers

    Dual Xserve (Woodcrest) $1999

    Quad Xserve (Woodcrest) $2999

    Quad Xserve Cluster Node (Woodcrest) $2499

    Xserve RAID $4999



    Cinema Displays with iSight

    20" $599

    23" $899

    30" $1799
  • Reply 36 of 225
    kerrumkerrum Posts: 9member
    A.) My plans to buy a MacBook Pro seem to keep getting pushed back further and further...



    B.) Apple's 20" LCDs are definately going to need to be reduced in price. Viewsonic and Dell both have competative 20" wide screen monitors selling for between $300-400. I'm hoping Apple a % off all of their LCD monitors. They aren't the only ones with 30" LCDs now. Time for them to get more competative.
  • Reply 37 of 225
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kerrum

    A.) My plans to buy a MacBook Pro seem to keep getting pushed back further and further...



    You buy a computer when you need it. Not before, not after. Thinking that there will be a point where you will be completely satisfied with its specs, and where it couldn't possibly get better, is fooling yourself, plain and simple.
  • Reply 38 of 225
    bootsboots Posts: 33member
    Apple has a nice chance here to not screw users over, and here's how:



    make it so every Mac Pro ships with two CPU sockets, and so that the end user can add a CPU or change out the CPU chips, as their needs, wallet and schedule dictate.



    It wasn't possible with G5 due to the exotic and delicate cooling mechanism.



    But the average Joe can pop Woodcrest CPU's into a socket on a PC motherboard.



    If Apple deliberately leaves the second socket off of the low-end or midrange model's logic board - preventing a later upgrade of adding a matching processor or putting in two brand new processors - that's going to look bad.





    Unrelated comment:



    if I'm not mistaken, Woodcrest processors require FB-DIMM memory, which could push up system pricing a bit, but could also really raise the roof on RAM capacity in the box:



    http://www.crucial.com/promo/index.a...p_intel_fbdimm



    Conroe doesn't require FB-DIMM but Conroe doesn't do dual socket either.

  • Reply 39 of 225
    Pls chucker.



    The new intels are cheaper than older ppc macs, if u take in consideration that almost all models are dual processor, lots more power, faster ddr ram and about the same prices....

    And if u load a dell with all the bang and wisthles an Apple have, it will cost u the same or a bit more.

    Not to mention the OX X and iLive by far the best software u can get out there.



    Macs arent expensive. that's a fact.



    Dells are inexpensive but they got damaged soon and the parts are not cheap.

    unless u buy complete care that is extra $$$$$$$$$$.
  • Reply 40 of 225
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Pls plokoonpma



    try to use proper English.
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