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I've given up hope of a replacement for my 2008 Mac Pro. I'm really not sure what to do, once this thing inevitably seizes up. I've maxed the RAM, upgraded all

I've given up hope of a replacement for my 2008 Mac Pro. I'm really not sure what to do, once this thing inevitably seizes up. I've maxed the RAM, upgraded all four bays to SSD, replaced the video card three times. And now I'm hacking in the latest OS because it's no longer "supported". I'd really like to know what they plan on accomplishing, by sticking it to the people who are developing all the software for their flagship mobile devices.

sporkenfang 10y ago
You can still buy the older years' models. 2014 was a good year for Mac laptops.
- tzs 10y ago
  He's talking about Mac Pro (desktop), not Macbook Pro (laptop).
ianai 10y ago
I really think they decided the desktop is dead. They're assuming developers are using MBPs.
- hbosch 10y ago
  Apple has also catered heavily to the professional artist/creative field. Large scale movie editing, massive audio projects, and especially 3D animation or arch vis will definitely leave the Apple ecosystem if they kill the desktop-grade Mac. Workflows in these fields are often pegged to the latest hardware, and the GPU/CPUs in notebooks - not to mention storage, RAM, inputs - aren't often up to the task. Not to mention, these sorts of projects are rarely done "on-the-go" so portability isn't necessary. Things like visual design, print design, and UX are not very heavy tasks and could all be done without even a dGPU... but the entertainment industry, as far as I know it, has been Mac heavy in the past. Maybe I'm wrong though. Remote render farms are becoming more affordable, however.
  - lurkinggrue 10y ago
    I think apple had really stopped caring about the high end professionals. The real shot over the bow was the nerfing of Final Cut. The middle ground user is probably far more profitable and less of a headache for them.
massysett 10y ago
Isn't an iMac sufficient to develop software for an iPhone?
- overcast 10y ago
  I don't want a monitor with a laptop tacked onto it. At that point, I'll just buy a laptop, to plug into my existing monitors.
  - nawtacawp 10y ago
    > I'd really like to know what they plan on accomplishing, by sticking it to the people who are developing all the software for their flagship mobile devices. >> Isn't an iMac sufficient >>> At that point, I'll just buy a laptop I think you answered your own question.
    - overcast 10y ago
      No, because what I really want is a proper desktop. NOT a laptop. That's the whole point of this article.
      - massysett 10y ago
        This is why I'm confused. Hasn't Apple provided laptops and desktops that are sufficient to meet your needs? The size and robustness of the App Store indicates that sufficient hardware is there. So what is the problem exactly? Is the idea that Apple should be providing an interchangeable parts desktop like a Windows PC I can build off Newegg? Sales of mobile devices and laptops seem to indicate that those sorts of machines are now a tiny niche market.
        overcast 10y ago
        No, they haven't provided anything to sufficiently meet my needs in the last eight years. I want a desktop, with expansion capability. Not a static device, that just gets thrown away for the next iteration. I'm not asking for Apple to turn into a Newegg, but a desktop that allows you to upgrade basic components isn't out of left field. What do you expect me to do if I'm looking to expand something as simple as storage space in the current offerings? String up an array of external disk drives? When you don't offer anything but mobile devices, it's kind of hard to show sales otherwise. The high end desktop market exists for people that need it. Mac OS users get no option. They spent a shit ton of R&D to create a fancy trash can. How about just canning the silly space age innovation, and upgrade the standard Mac Pro chassis. I'm not sure why you're trying to justify Apple's decisions by claiming that what they offer should just be good enough. Clearly it's not for myself, and others. You think I enjoy working on a soon to be nine year old machine?

sporkenfang 10y ago

You can still buy the older years' models. 2014 was a good year for Mac laptops.

tzs 10y ago
He's talking about Mac Pro (desktop), not Macbook Pro (laptop).

ianai 10y ago

I really think they decided the desktop is dead. They're assuming developers are using MBPs.

hbosch 10y ago
Apple has also catered heavily to the professional artist/creative field. Large scale movie editing, massive audio projects, and especially 3D animation or arch vis will definitely leave the Apple ecosystem if they kill the desktop-grade Mac. Workflows in these fields are often pegged to the latest hardware, and the GPU/CPUs in notebooks - not to mention storage, RAM, inputs - aren't often up to the task. Not to mention, these sorts of projects are rarely done "on-the-go" so portability isn't necessary. Things like visual design, print design, and UX are not very heavy tasks and could all be done without even a dGPU... but the entertainment industry, as far as I know it, has been Mac heavy in the past. Maybe I'm wrong though. Remote render farms are becoming more affordable, however.
- lurkinggrue 10y ago
  I think apple had really stopped caring about the high end professionals. The real shot over the bow was the nerfing of Final Cut. The middle ground user is probably far more profitable and less of a headache for them.

massysett 10y ago

Isn't an iMac sufficient to develop software for an iPhone?

overcast 10y ago
I don't want a monitor with a laptop tacked onto it. At that point, I'll just buy a laptop, to plug into my existing monitors.
- nawtacawp 10y ago
  > I'd really like to know what they plan on accomplishing, by sticking it to the people who are developing all the software for their flagship mobile devices. >> Isn't an iMac sufficient >>> At that point, I'll just buy a laptop I think you answered your own question.
  - overcast 10y ago
    No, because what I really want is a proper desktop. NOT a laptop. That's the whole point of this article.
    - massysett 10y ago
      This is why I'm confused. Hasn't Apple provided laptops and desktops that are sufficient to meet your needs? The size and robustness of the App Store indicates that sufficient hardware is there. So what is the problem exactly? Is the idea that Apple should be providing an interchangeable parts desktop like a Windows PC I can build off Newegg? Sales of mobile devices and laptops seem to indicate that those sorts of machines are now a tiny niche market.
      - overcast 10y ago
        No, they haven't provided anything to sufficiently meet my needs in the last eight years. I want a desktop, with expansion capability. Not a static device, that just gets thrown away for the next iteration. I'm not asking for Apple to turn into a Newegg, but a desktop that allows you to upgrade basic components isn't out of left field. What do you expect me to do if I'm looking to expand something as simple as storage space in the current offerings? String up an array of external disk drives? When you don't offer anything but mobile devices, it's kind of hard to show sales otherwise. The high end desktop market exists for people that need it. Mac OS users get no option. They spent a shit ton of R&D to create a fancy trash can. How about just canning the silly space age innovation, and upgrade the standard Mac Pro chassis. I'm not sure why you're trying to justify Apple's decisions by claiming that what they offer should just be good enough. Clearly it's not for myself, and others. You think I enjoy working on a soon to be nine year old machine?