Andrew_OSU

lkrupp said:

Two definitions I’d like to see talked about. First is the definition of Pro user. Who is a pro user? I’ve been around long enough to question anyone who says they are a professional user. Like “mechanic” anybody can  hang out their shingle and call themselves a pro. For example I can easily call Alex Lindsay of Pixel Corps a true professional. Some guy in his bedroom using Photoshop not so much. Second is to define what a pro needs vs what a pro wants. Again I’ve been around the track a few times and wonder sometimes at the comment that starts, “I’m a pro and I need this or that.”

So bottom line I hope Apple listens to professionals like Alex Lindsay and others and not someone who built a hackintosh with stuffed in parts from Fry’s and calls themselves a pro user. Don’t fall into the specs trap.

Rest assured, though, that whatever Apple comes up with will be torn to shreds by the Internet technorati and their constant negativity. Can you tell I’m a bitter cynic when it comes to know-it-alls who know nothing?

PJW said:

"we wouldn't be terribly upset of HDMI was removed, as well as two of the USB 3.0 ports."

Well, I would be upset. My two NEC 30" monitors each require a USB port, and the USB port cannot be a port on a USB hub, they each must be a port directly on the 2013 Mac Pro. Also, the Apple DVD drive requires a USB port directly on the Mac Pro. So I'm left with just a single USB port available as it is. If my next computer doesn't have at least 4 USB ports I'll have to buy new monitors just to be able to connect them.

tht said:

The biggest issue is to just keep the machines updated at a 12 to 18 month cadence, preferably 12. They are even fine with keeping the 2013 Mac Pro industrial design as long as it is updated with state of the art parts. This is basically the iOS device model strategy. Instead of upgrading the machines internally, people sell old models to buy new models. Maybe Apple could have a convenient exchange program.

Minimally, 1 Xeon and 1 Vega means 150+300 = 400 W of power for those two alone. I/O, RAM, storage is going to be another 100 W. So the next box needs to be handle 500 W. Give it 50% margin and make a 750 W box. This way, the box could be retrofitted for 2 250W GPUs, or whatever unforeseen new capability the box wasn’t designed for. There was zero excuse for painting themselves into a thermal corner.

The internally expandable box is great for hobbyists and tinkerers, but Apple could just easily fall into the same rut of not updating that type of design with state of the art components. It’s really not the box that is the problem, it’s Apple’s commitment to continually offer state of the art workstation level machines.

jdb8167 said:

For the record, my 2013 Mac Pro is the best desktop computer I've ever owned. It suits my needs in most ways. I never needed a second GPU but other than that, pretty much perfect though very expensive.

But it is getting pretty old at this point. I will probably upgrade sometime in the next couple of years. I want:

1. One moderately powerful, upgradeable GPU. I don't care AMD or NVIDIA.
2. 8-12 Core Xeon possibly with support for 2 CPUs. I might be satisfied with an i9 but I don't think it supports ECC memory which I want.
3. Large amount of ECC memory. At least up to 128 GB for future expansion. ECC is pretty necessary when going with large amounts of RAM.
4. Upgradeable SSD slots, at least 4 for RAID configurations. At least 4 TB.
5. Thunderbolt 3. At least 6 ports, at least 3 independent controllers for maximum bandwidth.
6. Quiet and relatively small case. I love the Mac Pro trashcan but I don't mind larger for more expandability. Enough cooling to never throttle.
7. Dual 10 Gb ethernet.

I run lots of VMs. These requirements are all in service to having 2 or more VMs running simultaneously.

sellerington said:

The smart home is a nice idea but HomeKit accessories are way too expensive and likely to remain so for some time.
Three years ago I bought a WeMo to control my kettle and so long as I remember to fill up the kettle with water it works well. I also bought a Withings smart scale which continues to work well. Unfortunately the Withings wireless blood pressure monitor I bought has failed less than three years after purchase. I do not recommend this product and Nokia refused to replace it.
I am now looking to purchase a second automated switch/plug three years later. I would have expected the price to have fallen significantly yet that is not the case with the WeMo. To gain full HomeKit control I would also need a bridge from Belkin which I have been advised will be available here in the U.K. this month. This will no doubt add significantly to the cost of my small home automation system.
The Belkin WeMo runs on WiFi and I was considering the Elgato Eve Energy Smart Plug which runs on Bluetooth as an alternative. I live in a small house so I would expect that Bluetooth should not be a problem. Has anyone got experience with either of these devices to help me decide which I should buy next? I plan on getting  tv 4 soon so that will be my HomeKit hub.