Videomaker.com has acquired one of the new MacPro computers for review, and is offering a tantalizing unboxing video before they even get a review online.
There has been a great deal of discussion online in the video and graphics world about the benefits and potential problems of this completely new system from Apple. The chief complaint seems to be the inability to upgrade the system to add more video GPU cards directly into the unit, or other forms of expanding or upgrading the system.
On the other hands, there’s been a sigh of relief over Apple offering a complete and compact powerhouse of a machine for users who are dedicated to rendering graphics and video, with 6 highspeed Thunderboard ports and eternal memory and card slot cages available, these users optimistically state that expansion is, indeed, possible through a stable system with a wide enough bus to handle the flow.
The unboxing in the video is completely straightforward, and there’s no “plug in, power up” moment on camera, which might be a let down to users who are itching to see the screaming processing speed, or, if nothing else, the silence promised from the new design which eliminates the noisy fans that plague high-powered CPU laden machines, regardless of the brand. Note that the computer comes with no peripherals at all, so make your choice now over the high-level completely self-contained iMacs with Retina display, keyboard, mouse/trackpad and locked box with no upgrade path, or the Mac Pro with no upgrade but a slew of plug in connector options. It’s a new paradigm, either way.
If you have opinions on the new machine, particularly if you’re already a dedicated Mac user and you’re ready to make the move to the new Mac Pro, I’d love to hear from you about the benchmarks and real world differences in speed/capability you’re shopping for.
The 4K-graphics world that’s coming is waiting to see what this machine can really do, especially at the pro price tag that Apple has established for either version of a base-level machine.
