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Apple Mac Pro review (2013): small, fast and in a league of its own
It would be an understatement to say that Apple's Mac Pro workstation was getting a little long in the tooth. As of summer 2012, it was missing Apple's own Thunderbolt ports, not to mention 802.11n WiFi. Finally, though, Apple released an updated version, and it addresses a little more than just the wireless card and I/O options. Redesigned from the ground up, it's now much smaller and lighter, with a space-age cylindrical shape, an overhauled cooling system that's significantly quieter and a spec sheet that includes standard dual GPUs, PCIe SSDs, 802.11ac WiFi, up to 64GB of RAM and the latest Intel Xeon processors, once again going up to 12 cores. In short, these are specs that bring the Mac Pro into the modern age -- and make it ready to handle the coming onslaught of 4K content. If you're a professional photographer, videographer, audio engineer, animator or what-have-you, you might actually be considering spending $2,999 on one of these -- maybe as much as $9,599, if you have the means. Or maybe you're just like my colleagues here at Engadget, who don't need one, and won't ever buy one, but covet it just the same. Either way, you'll want to read on to see how this thing actually performs (though you probably already have an idea).
A closer look at Apple's new Mac Pro workstation (hands-on)
We know, we know: everyone who's seen it says it looks like a trashcan. But surely there's something else to say about Apple's new Mac Pro workstation, right? The thing is, until now, any tech blogger who's spent any time with it has had to take photos through a glass case (read: they didn't really spend any time with it). Finally, though, the Mac Pro is on sale, and we've just come home with a review unit, meaning we've finally had the chance to lay our hands on it. In person, it somehow feels smaller and shorter than I imagined, at 9.9 inches tall. Either way, it should take up minimal space if you're working on location -- and yes, given that it's only 11 pounds, you could certainly schlep it around if needed. Aesthetically, the anondized aluminum is more reflective than any of Apple's other products, which also means it's more fingerprint-prone. (Not necessarily an issue if you plan on having it tucked away, though you'll definitely notice it if you engage in some of that aforementioned schlepping.) It also looks less black than it does on Apple's site -- more like the "Space Gray" that it actually is. As it happens, that case is easy to unlock and slip off, on the rare occasion that you want to replace the RAM, storage or one of the GPUs. Hopefully, of course, you won't need to do this often. And besides, the machine won't actually turn on unless you have the case locked in, so keeping the lid off indefinitely simply isn't an option. Even with the lid on, though, the four USB 3.0 ports, six Thunderbolt 2 sockets, HDMI port and dual Ethernet jacks are easy to access, thanks to a cut-out in the aluminum enclosure.
Jony Ive turns Mac Pro RED for charity
Suddenly, the 20th Anniversary Mac seems downright commonplace. Apple's Jony Ive is teaming up with recent design partner Marc Newson to auction a one-of-a-kind red Mac Pro as part of a Product RED charity fundraiser. It's not clear what's different on the inside versus the regular black model, but look at that outside -- it's guaranteed that this workstation will be the centerpiece of the office. Be prepared to pony up if you like the idea of an ultra-exclusive system, though. Sotheby's estimates that the red Mac Pro will sell for $40,000 to $60,000; while that's a steal next to an Apple I, it's not exactly chump change. Check out both the Mac and some (slightly) more affordable rose gold EarPods at the source links.
Next-generation Mac Pro in various states of undress (eyes-on)
It wasn't behind protective glass this time, so that's definitely a step in the right direction for the next-generation Mac Pro, which was first trotted out at WWDC back in June. Today it was beautifully sprawled out for all the world to see, in various states of deconstruction. The display certainly speaks to just how easy it is to take the pro desktop apart, so you can go in and rejigger the components as you see fit. As mentioned before, the $3,000 workstation is surprisingly compact for such a powerhouse -- you'll likely have no difficulty lifting it up with the handle at top. We got a gallery below featuring a slew of different angles on the Pro, so you can get a close up view of the 3.7GHz quad-core Xeon CPU, 12GB of RAM and, of course, the Darth Vader mask vent. Hopefully that'll be enough to tide you over between now and the product's December launch date. And what about power? Thankfully, this time out there were a trio of Pros actually plugged in. The most impressive of the three demos was 4K video editing in Final Cut. Thanks in no small part to the dual-GPUs, our friendly Apple rep had the tower hooked up to two monitors (you can do up to three in Mavericks, mind), editing 16 angles in 4K with no discernible delay in rending occurring. An impressive feat, to say the least. The new Pro is likely to maintain Apple's spot as a darling amongst pro video editors -- and, naturally, we can't wait to get our hands on the thing for a little benchmarking action.
Mac Pro launches in December for $3,000: 3.7GHz quad-core Xeon CPU, 12GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Apple's latest Mac Pro rolls off United States assembly lines and into consumers hands in December for $3,000. The base model features a 3.7GHz quad-core Xeon CPU ("with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.9 GHz"), 12GB DRAM, two AMD FirePro D300 GPUs, and a 256GB SSD. Apple senior VP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller announced as much during an event this morning on the company's Cupertino, CA. campus, where he went into some finer details about the upcoming cylindrical computer. For one, the machine starts at the above configuration, but expands to 64GB DRAM and 1TB flash storage. Should you prefer the whole cloth route, there's a $4,000 option with a 3.5 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon E5 processor ("with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.9 GHz"), dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs with 3GB of VRAM each, 16GB of memory, and 256GB of PCIe-based flash storage. Considering Apple's touting this as the computer you'll have for "the next 10 years," perhaps some expansion beyond the base model is worth a thought. The machine is apparently as quiet as a Mac Mini -- perhaps owing to its single fan design -- and leaves a light carbon footprint as well (it uses 70 percent less energy than the previous generation Mac Pro, Schiller said). As promised, the new Mac Pro is being assembled and designed in the United States. Schiller ended today's Mac Pro section of the talk with a video showing the new machine in production in American factories. We've got our own video for you just beyond the break going eyes-on with the new Mac Pro back at WWDC 2013 if you'd like to join us!
MacStadium to provide new Mac Pro hosting and colocation
For the Mac faithful, it won't do to share space on just any server -- you want to use a Mac server. Likewise, we like to have our own Mac servers colocated at a place that specializes in Macs. That's why hosting providers like MacStadium are so popular. Now MacStadium has announced that as soon as the new Mac Pros arrive, they'll be ready to rack 'em and stack 'em in their hosting and colocation center. The company expects to be able to fit 270 Mac Pro servers per POD on only 12 square feet of floor space in their datacenter. That's what that Lego-like image above represents, with Mac Pros sitting on their sides stacked 15 tall, nine wide and two deep. That MacStadium facility provides redundant cooling, power and security systems, and each of those Mac Pros will be connected to the world with Gigabit Ethernet through a 50 GB/s network backbone. The existing Mac Pro, according to MacStadium, has never been popular in the hosting and colocation world because of their huge physical footprint and high power draw. MacStadium will be able to provide Mac Pros as a monthly rental or purchase, or you can send in your configured Mac Pro for collocation.
Next-generation Apple Mac Pro eyes-on at WWDC 2013 (video)
Historically, Apple hasn't been one to offer sneak peeks of anything. That changed today with the next-generation Mac Pro -- likely a function of the fact that teasing such a machine couldn't possibly weaken sales of a desktop that hasn't been updated in a technological eternity. Waiting just outside of the concourse walls was one of the prototype cylinders, and it's perhaps the sexiest workstation this world has ever seen. All we know for now is that it'll make its debut "later this year," boasting four USB sockets, six Thunderbolt 2 ports, a full-size HDMI connector, a 3.5mm headphone port and a pair of gigabit Ethernet ports. And yes, it's almost certainly a fingerprint magnet. Have a gander at the eye candy below (plus a vid after the break), and our apologies for the clear case surrounding it. We attempted to remove it, and we're now being forced to type this post with just a single hand. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190917% %Gallery-190929% Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Apple confirms new Mac Pros will be assembled in the USA
Springsteen will be proud. Today, Apple has confirmed that the company's new Mac Pro line of desktops will be assembled in the US before they arrive later this year. While we were promised it a fair while back, Tim Cook was certainly right when he said it would involve an existing line of devices -- even if it arrives with a completely new look. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Apple announces new Mac Pro with cylindrical design, 12-core Intel Xeon E5 CPU, flash storage, Thunderbolt 2.0 and support for up to three 4K displays
It's been brewing for a while, and now Apple has finally redesigned its flagship cheese grater pro desktop. The 2013-era Mac Pro has been totally redesigned with a new, cylindrical chassis and vastly upgraded internals that have been designed to last for "(another) 10 years." At the center of the new Mac Pro is a 12-core, 256-bit Intel Xeon E5 processor with 1,866MHz DDR3 RAM capable of 60GB/s data transmission. Following the trend of the MacBooks, the new power tower uses PCIe-based flash storage, and so pro users will be relying upon four USB 3.0 and six Lightning 2.0 ports (that can take up to 6 devices per port with 20Gbps throughput) for expandability. Fortunately, for those of you who intend on placing the hardware beneath your desk, the expansion ports light up to help you find your connections in the gloom. Other connections include HDMI-out 1.4, dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 and the usual pair of 3.5mm audio in and out ports. This machine is also the first Mac that'll ship with dual AMD FirePro GPUs as standard, which'll support 4K displays. Of course, the most striking change is in the design, which occupies 1/8th the volume of the current Mac Pro and stands 9.9-inches tall and 6.6-inches wide. The change is thanks to a new thermal core, a triangular air duct that runs through the center of the hardware -- with one huge fan mounted at the top. Presumably, this new model has also been tweaked to conform to new regulations concerning electrical shielding, meaning that the hardware can finally return to European shores when it arrives later in the year -- at a (probably high) price that's still to be decided. %Gallery-190875% Update: You can now check out our eyes-on of the new machine here! Follow our liveblog for all of the latest news from WWDC 2013.
