[Lateralus]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

If the refresh isn't out soon, I bet it will be out around February or March.

The funniest thing about this is that when the switch to Intel processors was announced, it was hailed as being something that would result in more frequent updates to Mac models and lower prices.

When in fact, we've seen the opposite on both counts.

[Simon]

It was also hailed that we'd actually get performance updates and clock updates rather than sitting at the same CPU for years or at the same clock for seasons. And in fact, all of that has actually happened.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Simon 

It was also hailed that we'd actually get performance updates and clock updates rather than sitting at the same CPU for years or at the same clock for seasons. And in fact, all of that has actually happened.

Hasn't the Mac Pro sat at the same clockrate for more seasons than any prior PowerMac?

[Lateralus]

Yes.

[mduell]

Then again, the G5s are still stuck at 2.7Ghz single core/2.5Ghz dual core.

Apple had the opportunity to update the Mac Pro in May when Intel dropped dual core prices and started offering quads, but I guess the profit margins on the Mac Pro weren't very good at launch.

[Lateralus]

G5 development died the moment Apple let IBM know they had found a new dance partner. At what clock frequency the G5 sits now is as irrelevant as where the G3 sits.

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Hasn't the Mac Pro sat at the same clockrate for more seasons than any prior PowerMac?

True, but to be fair we should note that the world finally wised up to the relative insignificance of "clock rate" and is now designing for performance rather than silly clock rate numbers. When the new MPs are out and we look at meaningful, overall performance over time from the quad G5s to the coming MPs we will see nice gains.

-Allen Wicks

[zacharykrannert]

please apple just give a mac pro update soon and dont make us hold out till macworld!

[Simon]

Well actually the MP went from 4x3.0 to 8x3.0 in the meantime, so there is no such thing as a CPU performance stall during the last 15 months.

I'm not arguing the MP doesn't need an upgrade ASAP (because it really does!), but any PPC romanticism is entirely inappropriate when it comes to over-promising and under-delivering. Power Mac G4 50 MHz speed dump, PowerBook G5, G5 @ 3 GHz, etc. The vapor list is long. The Intel Core CPU platform has evolved a lot since its introduction and if you look at Penryn, Nehalem , and the Intel roadmap (Intel is now pretty much where they said they'd be back when Core launched) there is absolutely no doubt Apple made the right call when they dumped the PPC. Their own upgrade schedule is of course another thing.

[Reggie Fowler]

reliable source said November 29th. it's good news for all of us.

[Johnny Niles]

Originally Posted by RCT 

Who's wasting time? I came here hoping for more information, and all I found was wild stabs in the dark.

I think this is what people are having a problem with, RCT, it's not wild stabs in the dark, for the most part it's been educated guesses, which is quite a bit different than random guessing.

You want facts, here are some facts:

#1: Apple does not disclose future hardware release dates to the public until they're ready. So the information you're asking for is quite literally not available to give to you. That's not our fault so don't take it out on us. The only people that could conceivably give you that information would be people that are under NDA, or Steve Jobs himself.

#2: Intel has recently launched the aforementioned Penryn chips, so it is a foregone conclusion that Apple will be releasing Mac Pros with those chips inside. Traditionally Apple has moved fairly quickly to produce machines when new chips are available, so it's also reasonable to assume that there will be new Mac Pros released in a relatively short timeframe.

#3: Apple has a history of releasing new Pro hardware at MacWorld Expo. It would fall right in line if Apple were to announce these new Mac Pros at MWSF.

Conclusion: You can expect new Mac Pros to be announced by Apple sometime between now and January 14th, the first day of MWSF. This is not a shot in the dark, it's practically guaranteed. It's also the best anybody can do without breaking NDA, assuming there is a release date actually set at all.

The only thing that can't be accurately guessed at is whether the new Mac Pros will be released very soon, as in the next couple weeks, or whether Jobs will decide to wait until Macworld Expo. My instincts, honed by watching what Apple has done for the last 22 years, say that Apple will try to get these new Pros out sooner rather than later. However, it is possible that they're being held up by lack of a specific component (a new video card maybe, for example), and that may cause them to push it back to MWSF. It's happened before.

I would recommend that you plan on waiting at least till the announcements have been made at MacWorld. These new chips represent a significant leap forward in technology and efficiency, and it sounds like you need every ounce of power you can get. One other option you may want to explore is to get a Mac Pro right now, and then if a new one is announced soon, sell the first one on eBay and buy the new one. I believe it will be worth it for you to go through that hassle, based on how much better the new chips (and surrounding architecture) are.

[Big Mac]

Apple has moved away from pro line introductions at Macworld. In recent years, IIRC, they usually come out a bit afterward like in February or March.

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by Simon 

Well actually the MP went from 4x3.0 to 8x3.0 in the meantime, so there is no such thing as a CPU performance stall during the last 15 months.

A computer is much more than its CPU. Simply doubling the available cores for an additional cost of +US$1500 CTO did not provide a meaningful overall increase in performance/value of the MP box. MPs have for 15 months been losing value relative to the continually improving state of the art.

-Allen Wicks

[Simon]

Well I can tell you that the octo cores did provide a meaningful increase in performance/value for our work. Rather than buying six MPs, we just bought three octo core models and filled them up with enough RAM. It turned out to be great in terms of cost reduction and for shared memory codes, we are actually also getting significantly better performance. Your business might be different, but in my line of work (computational accelerator physics) these machines were a godsend: saying they aren't a meaningful increase in terms of performance/value is just plain wrong.

But that's really not the issue either. The point is that the performance increases we're seeing with these machines has been enormous. This is an entirely different situation than when we went from 1.4 GHz G4s to 1.8 GHz G5s. The Core based Xeons have performed extremely well and the platform has developed nicely. The ball is now definitely in Apple's court.

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by Simon 

Your business might be different, but in my line of work (computational accelerator physics) these machines were a godsend: saying they aren't a meaningful increase in terms of performance/value is just plain wrong.

I do not doubt that for computational accelerator physics the opportunity to pay an extra $1500 for octo cores turned out to be great value. What I was observing was the overall platform evolution, and for 99% of users, the simple ability to pay +$1500 for twice the cores (no graphics or hard drives or FSB improvements) was not an overall major performance/value improvement of the platform.

I was simply contrasting to the kinds of across-the-architecture improvements we are likely to see with new MPs.

-Allen Wicks

[Reggie Fowler]

you don't seem to understand. i was told November 29th by a reliable source. this source is always right on.
proved true with the release date of AppleTV and the iPhone.

[ninahagen]

Originally Posted by Reggie Fowler 

you don't seem to understand. i was told November 29th by a reliable source. this source is always right on.
proved true with the release date of AppleTV and the iPhone.

Hi Reggie,

Just want to thank you for sharing with us. Of course, since we don't know you personally or your source, it does not wipe away the anxiety completely, but it is a ray of hope which I choose to believe, and that you took the time to share it is much appreciated. Ten more days. Fingers crossed!

nina

[MallyMal]

You know, I still have a stick of 1GB RAM that has never been installed into a Mac Pro because I was waiting to buy one. I wonder if the RAM will be the same.

[stwf]

Originally Posted by Reggie Fowler 

you don't seem to understand. i was told November 29th by a reliable source. this source is always right on.
proved true with the release date of AppleTV and the iPhone.

OK, I'll bite... as this is now officially the 100th time I've gotten my hopes up! I suppose they wouldn't release new MacPros without releasing new Cinema Displays also, right? With cameras in them? MultiTouch?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[mduell]

Originally Posted by MallyMal 

You know, I still have a stick of 1GB RAM that has never been installed into a Mac Pro because I was waiting to buy one. I wonder if the RAM will be the same.

The new chipset supports up to DDR2-800 FB-DIMMs (old chipset only supported up to 667), so it probably won't do you any good (Apple tends to ship only the fastest memory supported). And you'd need two anyway, since the Mac Pro requires matched pairs.

[cube-dude]

Originally Posted by stwf 

I suppose they wouldn't release new MacPros without releasing new Cinema Displays also, right? With cameras in them? MultiTouch?

Sounds more like MWSF than a Thursday in November - doesn't it? - but I'd love to be proven wrong about this.

[RCT]

Computer Warehouse here in UK are currently offering Mac Pro's not just at discounted prices (at the spec I wanted, the total I'd save is around £300 ($600) compared to the Apple store), but also with a completely free installed 500GB 2nd internal hard drive... does this look like clearing out old stock in readiness, or what?

[Westfoto]

I would say that each time I get my hopes up it usaly does not work out. The one time was when I waited for an update on the MacBooks for a computer for use by one of my kids.

Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy Your Mac, iPod or iPhone

This shows how long things have been out ... that is about it though as only Apple knows if and when they will do an upgrade.

[stwf]

Originally Posted by cube-dude 

Sounds more like MWSF than a Thursday in November - doesn't it? - but I'd love to be proven wrong about this.

well, it certainly won't be snuck out in a website update, but a press conference announced a few days before wouldn't be out of the question I think. I can't imagine that if the hardware and software were ready (big if) they would miss the holiday season just for the effect.

Especially if MWSF is going to be the launch pad for the ultraportable!

[shabbasuraj]

At this point, i think it is safe to say that Apple has forgotten about this line of computer, as the iPhone has officially sucked all of Apple's resources dry.. LOL

[Dionosaur]

Ok, nobody has said it, so I will:

Hooray! HOORAY!!! It's November 29th, and just *look* at that magnificent brand new lineup of Mac Pros! Released right on time, as predicted in this very thread! I'm going to rush out and buy one right now, oh boy! I can't wait any longer! LOL

[John566]

There is still an hour and forty five minutes left. Come on Dinosaur have a little faith in Reggie. I mean come on! "you don't seem to understand". I want it to be true so it must be true.

[Dionosaur]

In all fairness, there is still 46 minutes to go... in the Hawaii time zone, that is. It could still happen!! In the meantime, I will be drumming my fingers on my desktop, waiting... (in between the times when I am watching the spinning beachball)...