Miniaturization is the defining trend in consumer technology, but it comes at the cost of power. If Apple can take the power of today's Mac Pro and cram it in a machine half the size, couldn't they instead double the power of today's Mac Pro in the current form factor?
Personally, I'd rather see the next Mac Pro be a quad-socket monster, not today's machine in a smaller package.
If we're going to talk about workstations, we need to keep the conversation broader than video editorial. The machine that you're describing would be great for many segments of the market, but would be a step back for other segments that prioritize performance.
It almost sounds like the return of the Cube, which didn't go so well the first time around. It sat confusingly between the consumer and professional lines -- overpowered and thus too costly for a consumer machine, but not powerful enough for a pro machine.
[Craig Seeman] "Price? The base MacBookAir at $999 has a Thunderbolt port. I don't think the port itself drives up the price that much."
Think about the costs on the device end, though. Every device will be adding a TB controller, an enclosure, an expensive active TB cable, and possibly a power adapter, too, on top of the PCIe hardware they are already building. None of these are extreme costs, but they will demand an increase in price, just as external hard drives do over internal hard drives.
[Craig Seeman] "On the other hand the new computer will have more expansion than a current MacPro and I believe will cost less for the equivalent (or better) power."
The current Mac Pro with 4 slots / 40 lanes of PCIe is not the gold standard of expansion. This is an area that deserves improvement. Looking forward to increased GPGPU, more high-speed slots will be an asset.
[Craig Seeman] "Previous computers with limited expandability now can use peripherals they were locked out of."
This I agree with -- TB improves the capabilities of portable machines drastically.
[Craig Seeman] "Such a box makes far more sense for Apple than a tower with PCIe slots."
It may make more sense for Apple, but that's not my concern. What makes more sense for power users?
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at
Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog - What I'm thinking when my workstation's thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events
