Re: Why do you think a new Mac Pro ISN'T coming?

Reasons why I firmly believe it isn't coming. Besides the fact that reputable people at reputable companies that deal directly with Apple directly told me to my face:

- Hasn't seen ANY update in over 18 months. Approaching 2 years. Apple has never gone that long without updating hardware.

- Apple stopped making the X-Serve
- Apple stopped making the X-Serve RAID

Two very high end things that only a small few (compared to the iphone/ipad users) used. Profit margin is small.

- Discontinued SHAKE
- Discontinued COLOR
- Discontinued Final Cut Server

All high end apps for high end users. Gone.

- FCP Legacy scrapped in favor of FCX

Let's face it...FCX doesn't do what us high end "Hollywood professionals" need. They now cater to a different professional crowd. One that doesn't need MacPros. They work with iMacs and laptops fine.

- The only reason the MacPro exists is for the PCIe slots. And the only people who use those are video professionals and VFX professionals. And we all know what a small market they are, and given the history of the other things Apple discontinued that catered only to us...why keep this? Print professionals don't need towers, iMacs work fine, as do laptops, and Minis.

- Thunderbolt. Apple seems to think that EXTERNAL PCIe...THUNDERBOLT...is the future. Forget that it's only 4 lane and that us video professionals need 16 lane for many things like graphics cards and certain IO devices. Again, only video professionals in certain areas need that...and as we see Apple is moving away from catering to that market.

Because the MacPro only caters to a "very small niche" market (as Philip Hodgetts often calls us)...even though we represent about, say, 20,000 people...isn't only 2% of Apple's user base, so it only stands to reason that they no longer make very expensive machines to cater to the 2%. Especially since they no longer make an NLE for that 2%. FCX doesn't need a MacPro to run. They cater to a new video professional...so why keep the MacPro?

Shane
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