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12-core Apple Mac Pro orders are go
After a brief outage the Apple Store is back with the previously announced 12-core Mac Pro (and revamped quad- and 6-core models) ready to order. Prices start at $4,999 for a pair of 6-core Xeon Westmere processors humming along at 2.66GHz, 6GB of memory, a 1TB hard drive, SuperDrive, and ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics. We configured ours with a pair of 2.93GHz CPUs, 2x HD 5770 graphics cards, 32GB of memory, 4x 512GB SSDs, and pair of optical drives for $16,249 just 'cause we could. Ships in 7 to 10 business days... bankruptcy in 365. [Thanks, Nathan]
Talkcast reminder: 10pm ET, new gear and new month
It's the first of August -- already? -- and we're back live tonight on Talkshoe, so call in and chat with us about the biggest Apple stories of the past week. On the docket this evening, we'll be talking about what iPad owners (and the iPad's detractors) are like, the revised iMacs and Mac Pro, Apple's new battery charger and the Magic Trackpad, running iOS 4 on an older iPhone, and what exactly happened to the Michael Jackson zombie. To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac or your PC, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients or using the Talkshoe client's ShoePhone tool; basic instructions are here. We'll kick things off at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT. See you there!
Mac Pro refresh bumps up the high end: these go to 12 cores
Processor BTO options range from four cores up to the aforementioned 16; the full matrix includes "Westmere" Xeon X5670 chops running at up to 3.33GHz on the single-chip machine and 2.93GHz on the dual-processor model. Only the dual-processor model can achieve dodecacore status. Mac Pros now offer the ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics processor with 1GB of memory, with a BTO option of the ATI Radeon HD 5870 with 1GB of memory. Display output options include two Mini DisplayPorts and one dual-link DVI port. For storage, the 512GB SSD is now an option, and if you're feeling particularly flush you can load up with four of them. As noted above, the machines will ship in August; the Apple Store is currently still shipping the older models.
Apple Mac Pro line overhauled with 12 processing cores, arriving in August for $4,999
So shall it be written, so shall it be done. The Mac Pro has at long last proven rumors of its impending refresh accurate, as Apple has just updated its most powerful hardware with even more grunt. As we'd heard previously, that means you can now get dual-CPU rigs that offer a full dozen cores to play with, courtesy of Intel's Xeon server-class chips, though in order to get in on that game you'll have to splash a cool $4,999 entry fee. The quad-core starting price is still $2,499, though the eight-core machines have jumped up to $3,499, with both variants getting mild speed bumps to 2.8GHz and 2.4GHz, respectively. Perhaps the most welcome upgrade is on the graphical front, where the Radeon HD 5770 takes up the mantle of default GPU, with additional options for a pair of such cards or a step up to a 1GB HD 5870 alternative if you're keen on maxing out those frame rates. Memory isn't neglected either, with choices ranging all the way up to 32GB of RAM, 4TB of conventional HDD storage, or an array of four 512GB SSDs -- though you're probably better off not asking how much that last one will set you back. The comprehensive specs can be found in the full press release after the break.%Gallery-98277%
Apple launching new Mac Pros, speedbumped iMac, new Cinema Display and maybe the Magic Trackpad tomorrow?
Sure, we've been hearing whispers that Apple's got a new Mac Pros and some updated iMacs waiting in the wings, but our friend John Gruber at Daring Fireball seems just a mite more confident about things -- in a post trumpeting the return of his podcast The Talk Show, John coyly says tomorrow "might hypothetically" bring new Mac Pros, speedbumped iMacs (we'd guess the Core i3 will make its OS X debut), and a new 27-inch 16:9 Cinema Display will all arrive tomorrow. John also says the Magic Trackpad might also arrive tomorrow, but he's calling that one a "double-hypothetical," so who knows -- we'd think anything more serious than hardware refreshes would warrant a Jobs introduction, but hey, maybe Steve's all talked out for the month. We'll see what happens -- stay tuned. [Thanks, Travis]
Apple warning retailers of short-term iMac shortages -- new models in the pipeline?
Several sources are reporting that Apple is notifying direct and indirect sales channels of upcoming shortages of stock for the iMac. It appears that Apple is drawing down inventory in anticipation of the introduction of new models of the popular desktop machines. According to AppleInsider, a source says that Apple is informing some distributors not to expect future shipments of the 21.5" 3.06 GHz iMac, indicating that the model may no longer be in production. It's widely expected that a new iMac lineup would include a dual-core Intel Core i5 model in addition to the existing quad-core i5 and i7 configurations. It's not known if the new iMacs will include USB 3.0 support. The new specification has been out for more than a year, and many Mac fans are looking forward to seeing support for the standard. USB 3.0 provides transfer speeds up to ten times what the existing USB 2.0 spec can handle, and is more power efficient. Still missing in action is a new Mac Pro, which hasn't seen an update in quite some time. Some rumors have stated that Apple is working on a 12-core Intel Xeon-based Mac Pro for release later this year.
Winscape: Apple-powered fake windows
Just in time for the weekend, here's a technology that's arrived before its time, I think. Winscape is a set of two plasma televisions set up behind window panes, and hooked up to a Mac Pro. The Pro is running the custom Winscape software, which controls the "view" out of the windows according to a sensor (they show it in the video above attached to a baby, and it actually looks really large and pretty unwieldy). So as the sensor moves around the room, the view changes, as if you were moving angles while looking out of the windows to get a different view. Oh, and the whole thing is controlled with an iPhone app -- there are a few different views, as you can see in the video above. You can buy the Winscape software for $10 over on the website, and the remote app is $2 in the store, but of course you've got to buy the plasma televisions and Mac Pro yourself (and cut a window into your wall and/or install them all the way you want them). So no, it's not a very practical solution -- at least until houses come standard with video windows. But it would be great to wake up every morning and be able to look out the window and see whatever you want to see. Maybe someday we'll see a setup like this as a more accessible investment.
Winscape virtual window features Wiimote headtracking, absolutely made of win
We have not modified the above picture in any way -- Scout's Honor. That's a real baby, wearing a real IR necklace that interacts with a real Wiimote. What's not real, of course, is the view of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. That is generated by Ryan Hoagland's DIY virtual window, a brilliant pastiche of interior design, RED ONE footage and Johnny Chung Lee-style headtracking, all directed to your eyes by a Mac Pro feeding a pair of plasma screens. As the viewer moves around, dual 1080p images move the opposite direction, providing the convincing illusion of looking out a real pane of glass at the incredibly detailed scenery beyond. Exciting? Then you'll be giggling like Jr. when you hear it's for sale. After spending a year figuring out how to mount, drive and cool the whole shebang, Hoagland would like you to have one too; he plans to have basic kits ready by July for under $3000. Watch baby-powered plasma in motion after the break, as well as a sweet time-lapse video of the build process. [Thanks, Andy, ArjanD]
27-inch Cinema Display, 12-core Mac Pro by June
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple is preparing to launch a 27-inch Cinema Display and 12-core Mac Pro by June. The 27-inch Cinema Display is rumored to use the same panel as the one used in the 27-inch iMac and will look similar to the 24-inch Cinema Display launched in October 2008. Internally, the display is referred to as "K59" and AppleInsider's sources believe its been lingering in Apple's labs for some time while Apple waited for the larger LCD panel – which supports resolutions up to 2560 by 1440 pixels – to drop in price. Along side the 27-inch Cinema Display will be the long-awaited Mac Pro update. The tower would get at least one 12-core model using two of Intel's six-core Xeon 5600 processors (that's a dodeca-core Mac Pro, baby!). The 5600 series will be available in 2.66, 2.8, 2.93, and 3.33GHz configurations. A June time frame would be almost fifteen months after Apple shipped the last Mac Pro. The late release would owe itself to Intel not delivering the Xeon 5600's for another month and a half. Apple typically updates their Pro towers in the first few months of the new year. [Cinema Display mock-ups by AppleInsider]
Apple said to be preparing 12-core Mac Pros and 27-inch LED Cinema Displays
AppleInsider has rounded up its stable of "people familiar with the matter" and squeezed them for info on Cupertino's plans for the near term. Firstly, they've heard that a 27-inch version of the currently available 24-inch LED Cinema Display is on its way, sporting a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and targeted for release "by June." The more exciting tip from those in the know, however, relates to the well aged Mac Pro and its future upgrade path. Apple has apparently firmed up plans to offer 6- and 12-core options (to replace the current 4- and 8-core variants), though the star of the show internally is said to be Intel's Xeon 5600, rather than the similarly specced Core i7-980X that had been rumored. This seems to be motivated by the fact the i7 beast can't do dual-CPU configurations, which are necessary to offer a dozen cores. Pricing for the single Xeon CPU model is expected to be close to the current $2,499 starting sticker, but release dates still elude us.
Apple about to drop new hardware, raise prices?
Update: MacRumors now points out that the higher prices are likely an inadvertent rollback to older graphics, as they match up with the original pricing for those machines when they were introduced. Engadget has also pointed out some similar inconsistencies on the Apple Australia and NZ sites, which may mean that Apple mistakenly pushed out old assets to the retailers with incorrect pricing. A reader at Engadget has spotted new Apple ads on the Australian tech site PC Authority that show higher prices for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro. Apple's Australian online store lists the most affordable versions of the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Pro at A$1599, A$1999 and A$3599, respectively, but the ads show significantly higher "starting at" prices of A$1899, A$2399, and A$4499. While Engadget points out that clicking on the ads leads to Apple's currently priced machines, it is possible that this is another case where online ads have predicted imminent announcements. Despite the rumors, no new Mac Pro's appeared yesterday but are still expected soon as they haven't seen a major upgrade in over a year. The rise in MacBook Pro pricing could be attributed to the cost of the i7 chipset, but it seems unlikely that in a recovering economy Apple would increase their prices significantly without having a cheaper baseline model available. Is this ad a sign of things to come? Only time and a "We'll be back soon" sticky note will tell.
New MacBook Pro, Air and Mac Pro pricing potentially leaked by Apple ads and online store (updated)
Could this be another example of online advertising presaging the onset of a hardware upgrade from Cupertino? Apple's ads on Australian tech pub PC Authority have been spotted displaying some rather peculiar price tags for its flagship mobile and desktop computers. Whereas Cupertino's Aussie online store lists the most affordable versions of the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Pro at A$1,599, A$1,999 and A$3,599, respectively, the above, official-looking ads would seem to disagree. Clicking on them still leads to the currently priced (and specced) machines, but looking at them suggests that -- in the absence of some major conspiracy or a splendidly random price hike -- we're getting an early peek at the pricing of the newly updated models of each of those series. The MacBook Air has jumped by A$400 so that what used to be its costliest base price is now its lowest, while the MBP has suffered a A$300 bump in cost of entry. Then again, considering the expectation that the mobile computers will get Core i7 CPUs while the Mac Pro will get all dressed up with Core i7-980X regalia, this development is perhaps not all that surprising. The major thing to take away here is that the long-awaited upgrades might finally be arriving. We're putting our piggy banks on alert, just in case. [Thanks, Matthew] Update: We've come across some other pricing inconsistencies contained within Apple's own New Zealand site. Find out what's happening after the break [Thanks, ScottNYC]. Update 2: The prices above have been corroborated by Apple's Australia site, which now suffers from the same schizophrenic pricing as its New Zealand compatriot. You'll find screenshot evidence after the break.
Apple tops Consumer Reports' tech support survey, second place not even close
On Wednesday, Consumer Reports published the results of its latest tech support survey. Apple was on top for both laptops and desktops, well ahead of the company in second place. Consumer Reports asked 7,000 subscribers about their satisfaction with their computer companies across categories like problem solved, phone waits, phone staff and online support. Each answer was issued a point value, with a maximum of 100 points. Among laptops, Apple scored 86 points. The second place finisher, Lenovo, accumulated up 63 points, for an impressive margin of 23 points. The rest of the leader board includes Toshiba (60 points), Dell (56 points), HP/Compaq (53 points), and Acer/Gateway/eMachines (39 points). Apple scored even better with desktops, racking up 87 total points and leading the field in all categories. Here the 2nd place competitor was Dell which scored 55 points among the participants, a full 32 points behind. Of course, fanboys like you and me are convinced of Apple quality. Now we have some good 'ol empirical data to toss at our PC-thumping friends and relatives. [h/t to cnet & Jim Dalrymple]
Mac Pro 'hexacore' Xeon Core i7 debuts Tuesday?
ZDNet is reporting that the next iteration of the Mac Pro will be unveiled next Tuesday, March 16th. Their sources indicate that Intel's new 'hexacore' Core i7-980x chip, which is also expected to be launched next Tuesday, will be in that machine. Code-named "Gulftown" the 32nm, six-core i7-980X will be labeled as the i7x ("Extreme Edition"). It will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor from Intel. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a dual-configured, i7-980X Mac Pro will sport 12 physical cores and 24 logical cores with a top frequency of 3.33GHz. Excluding the minor speed bump in December, the Mac Pro has not been updated for over a year. In December we reported on the leaked Core i7-980X specs. Two months later, HardMac reported that the new i7x Mac Pros could be delivered in February. With the launch of the i7-980X on Tuesday combined with HardMac's sources indicating a Mac Pro refresh that day as well, the i7x seems like a lock for the updated Mac Pro. However, as MacRumors points out, Apple has typically used server-branded Xeon chips in its Mac Pro line, and Intel is expected to debut a number of new Xeon 5600-series chips on Tuesday as well, notably Intel's 2010 flagship chip – the Xeon X5680.
Mac Pro users reporting performance hit linked to audio use
Nehalem-based Mac Pro users are reporting in Apple's discussion forums and other locations that some audio tasks are causing performance issues. There is up to a 20% drop in performance while doing tasks as simple as listening to music in iTunes. Other users are saying there are similar issues when utilizing Logic and Flash. The issues are also causing internal temperatures to skyrocket. One forum user showed how playing a 4-minute track in iTunes caused the internal temperature of his Mac Pro to increase by 11 degrees. Several users have shown that booting into Windows 7 on the Mac Pro resolves these issues, pointing the finger at OS X as causing the problem. Forum members are saying that pleas to AppleCare are falling on deaf ears. A Facebook group is now tracking the problem, offering advice and performance test suggestions. [Via MacNN]
Rumor: Mac Pro Intel 6-core i7 this month
Apple's top-of-the-line Mac Pro hasn't been updated since the Quad-Core model received support for 16GB RAM in September of '09. The last major revision introduced the Nehalem Xeon 3500 Processor last March. Today, HardMac is reporting that the Core i7-980X and Core i7-970 processors could arrive this month. HardMac notes that the chips are due to become available in March. If, they suggest, Apple still has a tight partnership with Intel, they could have exclusivity in the days or weeks before the official March release. Note that Apple was the first to use the Nehalem Xeon thanks to just such an arrangement. Details of Intel's Core i7-980X Processor leaked in December. Code-named "Gulftown" the 32nm, six-core i7-980X will be labeled as the i7x ("Extreme Edition"), not the i9 as many expected. It will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor from Intel. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a dual-configured, i7-980X Mac Pro will sport 12 physical cores and 24 logical cores. Expect a top frequency of 3.33GHz. In other words, don't replace your old Mac Pro just yet. [Via AppleInsider]
Mac Pro and Xserve firmware, restore CD updated
Mac Pro and Xserve owners, take note -- Apple has released the following updates today: Xserve EFI Firmware Update 1.2 for Xserve (Early 2009) Improved compatibility with virtualization products utilizing VT-d Improved system reliability during the boot process Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.4 for Mac Pro (Early 2009) Improved compatibility with virtualization products utilizing VT-d Improved storage performance under Windows XP for Boot Camp users Improved system reliability during the boot process Firmware Restoration CD 1.8 Restoration CD for the following products: Mac Pro (Early 2009), Xserve (Early 2009). Unitor Family Driver 2.5 Addresses reliability issues, targeting the use of multiple Unitors. The updates are now available via Apple's support downloads page and via Software Update. Thanks for the tip, Jeff!
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Desktops
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Let's face it, not everyone needs (or wants) to carry their computer around on the daily routine. Sacrificing portability can have its advantages -- and while nettops and all-in-one PCs have become a much more dominant force this year, the traditional, highly upgradeable desktop tower is still the reigning bang-for-the-buck champ. Just make sure your certain special someone has enough desk real estate for whatever potentially-enormous chassis you decide to take home and wrap. %Gallery-80501%
Leaked details of Intel's Core i7-980X Processor
You'd think we were on the verge of an old-school Macworld Expo Keynote with all the rumors about this morning. Chinese site PCOnline.com.cn has spilled the beans on Intel's forthcoming Core i7-980x Processor. We're guessing that this processor could reside in future Mac Pros. Code-named "Gulftown" the 32nm, six-core i7-980X will be labeled as the i7x ("Extreme Edition"), not the i9 as many expected. It will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor from Intel. The image reveals that, with 6 cores and 12 threads, a dual-configured, i7-980X Mac Pro will sport 12 physical cores and 24 logical cores. Expect a top frequency of 3.33GHz. It's a guess as to if and when these processors will appear in Mac Pros, so we'll keep our eyes peeled. That's going to be one nasty machine. Earlier this month, the the quad-core Mac Pro was updated to include a 3.33 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor. [Via HardMac]
Apple adds 3.33GHz Xeon, 2TB hard drive options to Mac Pro
We know it can be tough scraping by with a measly 2.93GHz Xeon processor and 1TB hard drives in your Mac Pro, so you'll no doubt be pleased to know that Apple has finally seen fit to add a bit of extra horsepower to its humble little desktop. That includes a new option for a speedy 3.33GHz Xeon processor, which will add a hefty $1,200 to the base price, and a new a 2TB SATA 3Gb/s 7,200rpm hard drive option (also now available on Apple's Xserve server), which is a comparative bargain at just $350 -- though you can, of course, add four of them. Unfortunately, anyone that's thinking about doubling up on those 3.33GHz Xeon processors is still out of luck, as the 8-core rigs still top out at just 2.93Ghz.
