Re: What if there actually IS a new Mac Pro?

[Walter Soyka] "What features would you want to see on the 2012 Mac Pro?
"

I want Apple to surprise me. Every other manufacturer on the planet starts from what the new "generation" of components (busses, processors, drives, etc) do - then simply boxes them up with different name badges, case designs, and maybe an eye to the failure rating of the particular batch of parts they pick out to use.

That's efficient but vastly boring. It's a nearly total "component assembly" design process. It's how dishwashers, stereos, and burgers are all produced today - largely built on the old-fashioned chinese restaurant model of business (pick one from column A, one from column B, etc.)

Apple does this at some level as well - but at least they put some creative energy into looking at the places where they might be able to specify better tolerances and apply more exacting problem solving skills around the board level similarities.

Apple is unique since they, more than most, invent, spec, and manufacturer MORE of their own solutions in more areas than most companies. So they have a chance to innovate rather than exclusively increment their machines.

So that's what I want them to do. Go big. Go bold. Take chances.

Piss people off if you must. But lead by bold example. Just never "go small" -there's a zillion other companies ready willing and able to do that.



[Walter Soyka] "Does Thunderbolt let you consider an iMac or even a MacBook Pro instead of a Mac Pro for your work?
"

Thunderbolt has the promise to change everything. If we ever get to TB level 3 (all optical) - with 100 times the throughput of current buss speeds - then everything changes. Anything hung on the TB chain acts as if it's bolted directly to the processor. So the requirement for one box to hold everything disappears.

The computer becomes the LAN - and vice versa.

Till then, we struggle along watching the incremental changes that lead the way to the big disruptive ones.

My view, anyway.

"Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions."-Justice O'Connor