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The new Mac Pro: What's changed?
The last Mac Pro came out in 2013 and, while opinions on its trash can-shaped exterior were decidedly mixed, we couldn't fault it on its power. It delivered top of the line specs worthy of the most demanding creative projects, but after almost six years it's definitely time for an update, both inside and out. The new Mac Pro is bigger, boxier and looking a bit like the old Power Mac G5. But of course, it's way more powerful than any Mac we've ever seen. Just how powerful? Check out the specs below, stacked up against the 2013 model, to see how much heat this new "cheese grater" is packing.
Why what you think about that "new category" thing may be all wrong
Spectacle. We love it. That moment when technology changes and our minds are blown. It's easy to forget that many "one more thing" things were actually pretty boring: the iPod mini, Safari for Windows, the Power Mac G5. Our current obsession with "new categories" derives from the heroin-like highs of the iPhone and iPad. While every year, Apple's laptop and desktop lines iteratively improve in user features and hardware, it's hard to get past that rush of newness that iOS delivered. Even iPod, the consumer device that more or less revolutionized Apple's marketplace in 2001, didn't produce the kind of magical expectations that iOS mobile did. Is Apple still innovating? Is the Tim Cook catholic...er...in the woods...um...wait, I'm pretty sure there's a metaphor here that means "yes". Yes, Apple is still innovating. Since we haven't had our next holycrapdoodle moment, I'm going to guess that none of these internally developed products have been suitable or mature enough to bring to market yet. There's the whole wearables thing... If you're willing to strap your iPhone 5S to your forehead, it's already here with its new-fangled motion chip supported by literally several apps! It's not what everyone was expecting, but it kind of positions Apple. There's also Apple TV, which keeps getting better but still doesn't "rule the living room" in any meaningful way. And then there's that car thing, which, *shrug*. Back in reality, there are lots of hints in iOS 7 about possible future directions. The latest OS now supports hardware keyboards including control keys, and alt keys, and stuff like that. There's also massively expanded support for document containers like RTF. It all could potentially hint at a toasterfridge merging of iOS and OS X -- or not. The problem is that two major innovations do not a corporate trend make. They were amazing but they may not have been defining as in specifically "Apple is the company whose new products always produce paradigm shift". Sure, we want more amazing but it's not something that it's reasonable to expect on a regular, scheduled basis. You know the meme. Meth, not even once.
Grating cheese on a G5
Ah, the once mighty Power Mac G5. It used to be the envy of film editors and art designers everywhere. With a 1.6 GHz CPU, a whopping 256MB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive, it was once the tower-iest of PC towers. Just seven short years later, it's reduced to grating cheese in some nondescript office environment. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Actually it's just the case doing the grating -- you have to admit, with all of those tiny holes for ventilation, the case works pretty well. It does make a mess, though, and there's quite a bit of cheese still left on the unit. It may not be able to run 10.6, but the old G5 will spruce up your salad if you so choose. Thanks, sivil!
The greatest Apple product leaks of all time
There's been much buzz these past couple of days around the leaked images and videos of the 4th generation iPhone. Despite the current hubbub, secrecy is at the heart of the Apple ethos, and it serves two primary purposes: to protect trade secrets, and to create a buzz. When products leak, it's like finding out about your own surprise party. Most of the fun is gone. Hell hath no fury like Steve Jobs finding out about leaked Apple products. Over the past decade, Steve has had many reasons to unleash his anger about leaked products; let's take a look at the rogue's gallery.
PowerMac panel reused as Nerf backboard
Cult of Mac comes up with yet another classic re-use of an old Mac: they posted about this PowerMac G5 sidepanel that's been turned into an office space Nerf basketball backboard. The cardboard setup apparently broke down, so they replaced it with this Apple logo-labeled sidepanel from an old PowerMac G5 that had been turned into parts. Beautiful! Of course you should always recycle any old Macs you aren't using any more, and Apple has an official program set up for just that. But I would rather reuse a computer for something like this: simple, functional, and pretty darn ingenious.
Power Mac G5 turned time-teller
This is great, and highly appropriate for the tick-tocking away of the year -- Japanese modder Nobon had an old Power Mac G5 (case, it looks like, though this would be cool on a working Mac as well) sitting around, and he wanted to know what time it was, so he installed a little clock in there. As mods go, it's pretty simple, but man that looks great. Like most users, I usually hide my actual boxes under the desk or in a cabinet, but if any of my computer cases were as beautiful and functional as that, I'd put them out front and center. There's a sequence of pictures on his site showing how he did it. It's all in Japanese, so you'll only be able to read it if you happen to be fluent. But it looks pretty simple -- drill a hole in the side of the case, install a battery operated clock, shine a light on it, and voila, instant Mac centerpiece. Apple products don't die, they just change function! [Via Cult of Mac]
MCE's 8x internal Blu-ray burner for Mac Pros now shipping, great for anything but playing Blu-ray movies
Here's some perspective: when MCE first released its internal Mac Pro Blu-ray burner, it boasted 2X speeds for a hefty $699 price tag. Cut to present day, when the new generation of the drive that's a noticeably faster 8X Blu-ray read / write and 16X DVD±R/W, all for a hair under $400. Works with Adobe Premier Pro, Final Cut Pro and Roxio Toast 10 Pro ... but if you want to play studio Blu-ray movies, you'll have to either dual boot Windows or wait until some indeterminant time when Apple adds BD support for OS X. Them's the breaks.[Via Macworld]
MCE intros Blu-ray burner for Mac Pro, Power Mac G5
Japan's Logitec may have been the first to lay claim to a Mac-compatible Blu-ray burner, but it looks like MCE Technologies gets the bragging rights for the first Mac-friendly internal burner, which also has the added benefit of actually being available 'round these parts. As with the Logitec, MCE's Mac Pro and Power Mac G5-compatible drive will give you 2x reading and writing speeds on Blu-ray discs, as well as the usual less-than-speedy burning times for CDs and DVDs. The key to the Mac compatibility is, of course, Roxio's Toast 8 Titanium software, which first declared its Mac Blu-ray support last summer but so far hasn't been able to put it to much use. While you'll have to crack open your case, you will be somewhat rewarded for your effort, with drive setting you back considerably less than Logitec's external offering, available now direct from MCE for $699.[Thanks, Dave]
Apple's Mac Pro case, same as the old case (almost)
According to Apple Insider's latest information, it looks like Apple's upcoming Intel-based Mac Pro desktop is going to end up looking pretty much the same as the current Power Mac G5 that it's replacing, with only a couple of small modifications. The biggest change is the addition of a second optical drive slot (seen in an artist's rendition, above), which Apple Insider rightly speculates will probably ship empty in the initial units, giving users the choice to add a Blu-Ray or HD DVD drive as their wallet permits. The other change comes at the rear of the unit, where the power supply has been moved further to the top, bringing it more in line with Windows PC designs. Of course, this could just be a diversion to make it an even bigger surprise when Jobs unveils a radically redesigned system at a hastily arranged "special event", but we wouldn't bet on it.[Thanks, Bababooie]
Rig of the Day: Thomas Dolby's setup
Yes, that Thomas Dolby. Flickr user randomduck snapped a shot of his on-stage rig which consisted of contemporary and (modded) vintage equipment, all of which is controlled by a dual-processor Power Mac G5. For a more detailed run down of what's pictured, check out Thomas' blog."Thomas Dolby's on-stage Mac rig" posted by randomduck.If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.
New firmware update for single Power Mac G5 model
If you've got a 1.8 GHz, single processor Power Mac G5 (Late 2004), Apple has released a firmware update just for you. Firmware update 1.1, posted Wednesday, "improves the reliability of your Power Mac G5, especially after it has been inactive for two hours." Make sure OS X 10.4.3 is installed before installing this update.
Rig of the Day: A nice home studio
Flickr user, TUAW reader, and slayer of the living dead Zombie Killer is responsible for today's Rig of the Day. His home studio features two 20" Cinema Displays, a dual 2.0GHz Power Mac G5, a couple guitars, a couple of basses and a whole rack of fun stuff. The snapshot has been carefully notated, so you can check everything out."Studio" posted by Zombie Killer.If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.
Rig of the Day: Mind the Mac, Chewie
Last week we posted a rig that prompted reader minty95 to comment, "Loving the rig pictures, but hey guys, what's with being so tidy? How about a few messy desks over the next few days..." Ask and you shall receive.Today's rig comes from narcofiche, and features (among other things) a 20" Cinema Display, a dual 2.0 Power Mac G5, a silver iPod mini, a plastic Chewbacca head, some Ben & Jerry's (I prefer Chunky Monkey, myself) and...well, we're sure there's a mouse and keyboard in there somewhere. This snapshot takes me back to my college days. Ah, youth."messy desk" posted by narcofiche.If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.
