MP 7,1 Low ~ mid range Mac?

[Pro7913]

I feel bad when Apple made Mac Pro only for high-end professionals by starting at $6000 instead of $3000. I understand the price since the computer itself is expansive such as PCIe slots.

But Apple made low~mid range Mac Pro for a long time and now there is a huge gap. iMac Pro is still $5000 which is still high for low-end desktop and you cant even clean or upgrade. Also, they didn't even update it since 2017.

I think it would be nice if they make a modular desktop like Mac Pro 2019 with fewer features such as less PCIe slots. The price might be still high but at least a low-mid range modular Mac can satisfy most people. I wonder if they wanna make it?

 

[thisisnotmyname]

I feel bad when Apple made Mac Pro only for high-end professionals by starting at $6000 instead of $3000. I understand the price since the computer itself is expansive such as PCIe slots.

But Apple made low~mid range Mac Pro for a long time and now there is a huge gap. iMac Pro is still $5000 which is still high for low-end desktop and you cant even clean or upgrade. Also, they didn't even update it since 2017.

I think it would be nice if they make a modular desktop like Mac Pro 2019 with fewer features such as less PCIe slots. The price might be still high but at least a low-mid range modular Mac can satisfy most people. I wonder if they wanna make it?

no, they don't want to make it.

 

[casperes1996]

I think it would be nice if they make a modular desktop like Mac Pro 2019 with fewer features such as less PCIe slots. The price might be still high but at least a low-mid range modular Mac can satisfy most people. I wonder if they wanna make it?

This has been discussed a lot, often dubbed the Mac Pro Mini or Mac mini Pro. I'd love one as well, but I doubt Apple has any intentions of developing such a device

 

[Flint Ironstag]

It's called the xMac.

 

[bsbeamer]

It really doesn’t matter what you call it, there is clearly an appetite for something between a MacMini and the MP7,1. Can argue specs and details, but generally i9 or Xeon CPU, upto 128GB RAM+, 1-2 PCIe or an expansion chassis option for it, and most want $2500-3500 starting or with options.

Apple could also effectively kill the entire Hackintosh market with a T2/TX OS requirement. I’m sure that would anger enthusiasts, but seems like it’s going to happen eventually.

 

[goMac]

I don’t think Apple cares about Hackintoshes. Seriously. I think they’d rather let people keep building Hackintoshes than build an xMac.

Tim Cook probably thinks of Hackintoshes exactly zero times a day.

 

[profdraper]

Headless iMac Pro, 3 slots.

 

[Moonjumper]

The mythical xMac would be great for many businesses. The cooling, modularity, and flexibility of the Mac Pro don’t need to be restricted to the high end. I’d love one as an app developer.

 

[casperes1996]

I prefer the name PowerMac for this mythical device. Though I'm not arguing for it to use a PowerPC CPU . Just think it'd be a cool revival of the name. Or the Mac Plus. That'd both be a throwback and fit in with the naming of the iPhones... Before they changed it to Max anyway. Or an option that'd never happen. The Apple IV. Or the Lisa 2. Or the Mac Pro Cube.... And it'd be a cube... Or the Performa 92241240e... Because the names of Apple computers in that era were ludicrous...
Anyways that aside aside..... Haha.... The name is irrelevant indeed. We'd all like the product, but I sincerely doubt it'll happen. Apple feels like it covers all relevant markets. The iMacs for desktop users, iMac Pro for desktop prosumers and some professionals. Mac Pro for high end pros and the obvious laptop range. Oh yeah, and the Mac mini for the BYODKM consumer crowd.

 

[Korican100]

decked out mac mini + egpu. closest you are going to get

 

[iAssimilated]

decked out mac mini + egpu. closest you are going to get

I wish it wasn't true, but I have to agree. I love my 8,1 mini! I know it does not fit the people's desire for an AIO* modular Mac (* not referring to an included monitor).

 

[Moonjumper]

I wouldn’t mind if Apple repurposed the cylindrical Mac Pro. Simplify internally and change materials to bring down the chassis cost. Have a choice of i5/i7/l9. 1 replaceable GPU. 2 NVMe and 4 RAM slots, all user accessible. It may not have had the cooling it required for top end, but should be good for the purpose I suggest.

 

[DoofenshmirtzEI]

I don’t think Apple cares about Hackintoshes. Seriously. I think they’d rather let people keep building Hackintoshes than build an xMac.

Tim Cook probably thinks of Hackintoshes exactly zero times a day.

They don't have to support Hackintoshes. They would have to support an xMac with every damn stupid thing people would try it kit it out with. Financially, that's a big win for Apple.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

They don't have to support Hackintoshes. They would have to support an xMac with every damn stupid thing people would try it kit it out with. Financially, that's a big win for Apple.

The support requirements would be exactly the same as cMP & 7,1.

Cards on the approved list are supported, other stuff may work but is unsupported.

 

[DoofenshmirtzEI]

The support requirements would be exactly the same as cMP & 7,1.

Cards on the approved list are supported, other stuff may work but is unsupported.

That doesn't stop people from trying to get support and hiding what they are trying to do. I had a rather illuminating conversation this summer with an expert in pricing warranties and support costs. The absolute worst segment of customer a seller can have is the "I want your best, but cheaper" customer, aka the Premium Cheapskate. "We don't support/warranty that," is no barrier to the Premium Cheapskate attempting to get support or expecting the seller to warranty their mistakes. The trick is to support other customers in the same price tier with clearly differentiated product and then tolerate knockoffs/lookalikes as flypaper to get rid of the Premium Cheapskates.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

That doesn't stop people from trying to get support and hiding what they are trying to do. I had a rather illuminating conversation this summer with an expert in pricing warranties and support costs. The absolute worst segment of customer a seller can have is the "I want your best, but cheaper" customer, aka the Premium Cheapskate. "We don't support/warranty that," is no barrier to the Premium Cheapskate attempting to get support or expecting the seller to warranty their mistakes. The trick is to support other customers in the same price tier with clearly differentiated product and then tolerate knockoffs/lookalikes as flypaper to get rid of the Premium Cheapskates.

What?

 

[deconstruct60]

I feel bad when Apple made Mac Pro only for high-end professionals by starting at $6000 instead of $3000. I understand the price since the computer itself is expansive such as PCIe slots.

But Apple made low~mid range Mac Pro for a long time and now there is a huge gap. iMac Pro is still $5000 which is still high for low-end desktop and you cant even clean or upgrade. Also, they didn't even update it since 2017.

There is pretty good chance that the 2020 iMac (plain) will have 10 cores . So even if Apple doesn't update the iMac Pro or keeps it at the same $5,000 ( perhaps starting at 10 cores in Intel price cut for those kind of CPUs) then still have a mid range Mac.

I think it would be nice if they make a modular desktop like Mac Pro 2019 with fewer features such as less PCIe slots.

Folks have asked for the likely high fratricide model versus the iMac for a long time. Apple has done little and likely going to stay on that path. The new Mac Pro seems to be selling quite well. So are the iMacs.
The iMac Pro has but will likely run into some problems in upcoming horizon with competitors, but it could would some updates . If the iMac Pro crumbles and fails even with updates then maybe. If it returns to levels it saw in 2018 then probably not.

More Likely Apple may bump the Mac Mini in internal volume a bit. ( maybe (inches ) 8.7 x 8.7 x 1.4 or 7.9 x 7.9 x 2.4 ) to close some of the bottom of that xMac gap ( now that they opened up the top end range more with the Mac Pro base price increase ). If they bump the volume there is a decent chance they can bump the Mini to 10 cores in 2020 also (at some price higher than many would like to pay.)

There has been an xMac gap for well over a decade and the Mac production division is way bigger now in both revenue and units than the start of that over decade period. Apple isn't loosing money doing what they are doing. It highly successful.

 

[Pro7913]

There is pretty good chance that the 2020 iMac (plain) will have 10 cores . So even if Apple doesn't update the iMac Pro or keeps it at the same $5,000 ( perhaps starting at 10 cores in Intel price cut for those kind of CPUs) then still have a mid range Mac.

Since 2015, they are updating iMac every 2 years. I highly doubt that.

 

[sigmadog]

decked out mac mini + egpu. closest you are going to get

yep. That's my upgrade plan in the near future. I'll miss the 5,1 Beast, but not when I'm lugging it around to a trade show for digital painting demos.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

It really doesn’t matter what you call it, there is clearly an appetite for something between a MacMini and the MP7,1. Can argue specs and details, but generally i9 or Xeon CPU, upto 128GB RAM+, 1-2 PCIe or an expansion chassis option for it, and most want $2500-3500 starting or with options.

Apple could also effectively kill the entire Hackintosh market with a T2/TX OS requirement. I’m sure that would anger enthusiasts, but seems like it’s going to happen eventually.

Not trying to be pedantic, but sticking with a common name helps people find information on the topic. xMac has long been the accepted term in enthusiast circles.

 

[bsbeamer]

In case you're not aware, xMac is a product released by Sonnet for MacMini. This product being discussed in this thread is a non-existing or new product somewhere between the MacMini and MP7,1 (NOT the same xMac product from Sonnet).

Does not matter what enthusiast circles are calling it and many enthusiasts have moved to Hackintosh machines to "solve" this "problem" with lack of available product.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

This is the Mac Pro forum, people looking for xMac here are familiar with the context and won't confuse it with Sonnet's offerings. I'll leave it at that.

I'm one of those folks happily using HP Z8xx hackintoshes.