NVIDIA's Kepler-powered Quadro K5000 GPU will be making its way to Apple's Mac Pro systems, the company announced today at IBC. The professional graphics card made its debut earlier this summer and is slated to ship beginning in October for $2,249. Timing for the Quadro K5000 for Mac isn't quite so firm, with NVIDIA simply stating that it'll ship "later this year," though pricing is expected to be in line with the previously announced flavor. The next-gen GPU is said to offer up to 2x faster performance over the Quadro 4000, while also delivering 4K display support, quad display capability through two DVI-DL and two DisplayPort 1.2 connectors, and 4 gigs of graphics memory. Furthermore, each Mac Pro will be able to support up to two separate cards, should you need the extra power. You'll find full details in the press release after the break.
NVIDIA announces Quadro K5000 for Mac Pro, brings 4K support, 2x performance over Quadro 4000 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
Along with the introduction of new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro computers, Apple yesterday introduced a new swath of Mac Pro desktops. The introduction was a quiet one for sure, and WWDC attendees of Tim Cook's keynote were none the wiser. It's hard to fault Apple for the decision, as the upgrade was modest at best, but that's exactly what has most upset Andy Hertzfeld, one of the Mac's original designers. Now an employee of Google, Hertzfeld directed harsh criticism at Apple. The following is an excerpt from his Google+ profile:
"The specs for the "new" Mac Pro had hardly changed, except for a tiny, inconsequential processor clock bump. Still no Thunderbolt, still no USB 3.0, no SATA III or RAM speed improvements -- it seems like it's stuck in time in 2010. The only thing that's still high-end about it is the bloated price."
Yesterday's speed bump to the Mac Pro might've come as a disappointment to many power users, but we're given reason to believe that a more substantial upgrade is on the horizon. While it's somewhat uncharacteristic of Apple to comment on unreleased products, company representatives have confirmed to both David Pogue and Forbes that a new Mac Pro and iMac "will likely be released in 2013." Naturally, the wording intentionally leaves the possibility that we may see refreshes come a bit earlier -- and we'll certainly cross our fingers -- but for the moment, both systems seem like safe buys for those needing to upgrade their desktop Macs. For those willing to wait, however, we'd like to believe that Apple has a few tricks up its sleeve for 2013.
Update: Apple has since circled back to Forbes to clarify that only the Mac Pro is targeted for an update in 2013. As for the iMac, we're merely left to hope that an Ivy Bridge refresh is already in the pipeline.
Mac Pro refresh irks Andy Hertzfeld, Apple confirms revisions 'likely' in 2013 (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 20:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink
MacRumors (1), (2) | 
The New York Times, Forbes, Andy Hertzfeld (Google+) | Email this | Comments 
We're still unsure as to whether or not Apple's rumored Mac update smorgasbord will come to pass at WWDC, but if any of it pans out, it looks to be the almost mythological Mac Pro update. A trio of model numbers for a "K5BPLUS" have popped up that 9to5 Mac claims are the base, mid-range and high-end configurations for the long-sought workstations. The part numbers don't include details, though talk of similar pricing to what we know today would point to Intel's Xeon E5-2600 (itself a long story) taking the reins as the processor. If there's any truth to the talk, the new Mac Pro could be ready to sell just as WWDC kicks off next week -- a mention supported by rumors of Apple recalling what little Mac Pro stock it keeps at retail stores. Not that a few extra days would matter, knowing how long prospective buyers have had to wait.
Update: Just when we thought we were clear, another Apple laptop spec sheet of unknown provenance has appeared. Posted by 9to5 Mac (2), it suggests a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2560x1600 Retina display, 16GB of 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM plus an AMD Radeon HD 7770M graphics core with 2GB of RAM and auto switching to integrated Intel video. Droolworthy bullet points to be sure, but until we have more concrete evidence prospective upgraders should keep their credit cards set to stun.
Possible new Mac Pro part numbers tip up, WWDC attendees raise eyebrows (Update: 15-inch MBP specs too?) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |9to5 Mac (1), (2) | Email this | Comments