I’m stoked about what Apple has done during their last App Developer’s conference for 2019. The brand is regaining the trust from photographers, 3D developers, videographers and music makers.
For a few years, they gave the impression that their design process and thinking was mainly so that anyone and everyone could use it. It was like Facebook, cool at the beginning, but once our parents started poking, the coolness went glitchy. We blamed it on the idea of them being a cash-hungry company who needed to comfort their investors. Things have changed now.
We all know that one of the best parts of being a creative is the process of making something. As video-makers, we always had to be ok with using proxies, editing at a quarter of the resolution so the machine we were editing on could handle it. It was the compromise of being able to edit videos professionally on machines that weren’t cutting it as tightly as we would’ve liked. Currently, the joy of the creative process is only reached once the file is exported and made viewable on a high-resolution screen.
We’ve got a lot to be happy about. A whole new Mac Pro, with a modular system that can allow you to edit 3 streams of color-graded 8K video at the same time, at high resolution, without the need of proxies. So for the creator, it’s becoming more fun to develop great work. Not only that, the creator can now experience the footage, in detail, like the viewer would, which allows them to have the ability to fine-tune their video without having to export first.
You can call me a fan boy or whatever you like. All I can say is that there is no other company that does what Apple has done for the creative industry in the past 20 years. For creating, editing, and general business life, it’s the go-to for millions of people, and they’re that for good reason. It just works.
I can’t afford the new Mac Pro. But, I might own their new monitor one day, and I think these monitors will become the color standard if their market analysis is correct and the product does what they anticipate it it will do.
In fact, they’ve introduced us to equipment with the technological capability that the world doesn’t even use yet. 8K cannot be shown on our televisions or computer monitors yet, but, like good design, it’s the art of anticipating what new windows we as creatives and viewers want to move forward. The fact that there is so much focus on us as playing such a big role moving forward that Apple has developed the monitor and the Mac Pro makes me excited. It’s a great year for the creatives, and it’s going to become even better in time.
Apples next trick should be to allow us to upgrade the memory and RAM in the £1500 laptop we have bought from them.
Sooo basically everything a PC can do already but just more expensive.
I’ll give credit where it’s due, my 2010 MBP was fired up for the first time in months at the weekend, aside from some updates it worked pretty much straight away and is still fast and reliable, not sure many Windows based machines can boast the same story.
What is hugely annoying is their new design model of soldering in the memory and RAM then charging a fortune to have it upgraded when buying. They need to get away from touchpad gimmicks and start building machines that they used to be lauded for.
The thing that sets that era apart (circa 2010) was Intel's CPU's. The improvements since Sandy Bridge CPU's have only ever been piecemeal until just this past year. There are plenty of people using PC's who still use computers from then because they were just that good.
I'm one of them... build all my Workstations myself... only time its down is if I turn it of or because of the "one time in month" Windows update... and even then I decide when to reboot...
Only thing I change regularly is HDD/SDD, RAM and when I want a better GPU... no need to solder anything... just 5 min and the new parts is in...
I'll bite. Why wouldn't a Windows machine boot right up after a period of inactivity?
BTW, memory and RAM are the same thing.
In my speaking Memory is the Hard Drive and RAM is the Random Access Memory, i dont need correcting just because my use of English is slightly different to yours.
And im speaking from experience of using Windows machines at work, all day. There are very few examples of Windows machines in my experience that are still running at an acceptable speed with no issues. Please bear in mind i am not talking about modified computers but base models (which my MBP is).
Before you go ahead and call me a fanboy etc, i happily use both platforms with no particular preference to either, my post was speaking from my own experience of owning an old MBP and managing to install the latest version of DJ software, Affinity 1.7 and Capture One Pro 12 and have them still running normally.
S3 hibernation state allows you to do that since windows vista
Psssst...the new design doesn't solder the memory. Most main components are highly modular. You can upgrade it yourself....granted, it's going to cost.
Ummm... their Macbooks from the last few years have definitely had soldered RAM and pretty much all components are not user-upgradeable or replaceable. Same is true of the new iMacs, I believe. Even the old iMacs could be upgraded if you could open them (which is pretty easy) and some had a door on the back for the RAM. But now everything is soldered in.
My comment was in reference to Stuart's "their new design model", hence, my "new design" reply. And, the fact this article is in regards to the NEW 2019 Mac Pro.
So you are basically saying they are soldered in but if you spend loads of money you can have them changed, what is the point in that? They should offer standardised connections for HDD and RAM at the very least, with the ability to easily upgrade.
What? Go back and re-read slowly what I said. Then, count the number of times I said they were soldered in. If you counted correctly, the number would be 0 (zero).
On modern Macbooks, are the hard drive and RAM cards hard wired/soldered, its a fairly simple question, yes or no?
Ahhh, I see. This article is about the new 2019 Mac "Pro", and you were griping about the new Mac"book" Pro's. So, nevermind. I dunno, I don't care.
My wife's Dell from even earlier than 2010 was finally retired not because it did not work but because she received a new and much lighter Lenovo. Other than that it worked brilliantly.
My Dell Dimension 4100 from 2000 that went through a flood still works.
Did you watch the Keynote? If not you aren't paying attention, the new Mac Pro and monitor are trailblazing!
Sorry, but for something that's over 6k, I can get a better PC and a fantastic monitor like a high-end BenQ or Eizo. "Trailblazing" is a stretch. On top of that, I can customize how it looks and feels for way cheaper.
How exactly is Apple doing great things for creatives? I don't think the typical creative is going to afford this new Mac Pro, especially, with it's meager specs for $6K. 256gb SSD...LOL! The ripoff price and upgradeability is more set for those with million dollar clients.
Most of what you write about have been possible on PC's with Linux and Windows for atleast a decand...
For video and 3D professionals, yes. For photographers and audio professionals, the new Mac Pro makes zero sense.
I may be wrong but:
That's what he wants. He is happy that as an Apple user he can finally find himself in an elite exclusive club that we, lowly photographers (and other mainstream users), do not belong :-)
He says:
"...For a few years, they gave the impression that their design process and thinking was mainly so that anyone and everyone could use it. It was like Facebook, cool at the beginning, but once our parents started poking, the coolness went glitchy"..."Things have changed now."
Basically, when the average Joe could afford it it is not cool, anymore.
BUT now things will be different :-)
I may be wrong but that's what I think he meant.
No, I think his point is that there is now a dedicated very high-end machine. It's like the Nikon D5 of Macs... serves a dedicated purpose extremely well but is overkill and expensive for most people.
For everyone else (photographers included) there are the iMacs and iMac Pros, the latter of which has basically replaced what used to be the base model Mac Pros.
For a good number of years, MANY MANY professionals (especially video pros) were complaining that Apple had abandoned pros to cater to everyday people. That was one of the most common complaints I heard from pros until the iMac Pro came out.
So, he's entirely correct.
His wordings sound different, as I said, I could be wrong. Regardless, from what I understand (and I read a lot of articles and comments regarding the new Apple editions), many of those high-end users and animation studios have long ago switched to full tower fully expandable PC's.
Mac OS has no advantage when it comes to powering up 3D and animation apps so it is all about hardware. Apple was not interested in the gaming market (too juvenile?) and PC components and manufacturers just ran with it and put Apple completely behind.
Apple might attract those users with their more affordable XDR screens but the machine themselves are not as attractive, and that from people in the industry.
As for their base model, it is useless for those elite users and seems to be more for the average power user. However, at least one thing needs to be upgraded, the HD and you can have the same power at half that much. Average users like me prioritize price since we pay for it and not the studio we work for.
--" It's like the Nikon D5 of Macs."
Lol, no. wtf. It's not even close. With the D5, you get a lot for $6.5K. It's the max specs. Nothing to upgrade. Same can't be said with this new Mac. It's a $2.5-3K machine pretending to be a 6K machine. For serious video work, you're going to have to upgrade. You might want to read up on the base specs.
I've read the base specs. It's a lot of machine. You may need to upgrade if you're doing editing of 8K video or half a dozen streams of RAW 4K video. As for it being overpriced, that is entirely up for debate. Macs, generally, are lesser spec'ed for their price, yes. People don't buy them because they're the cheapest option, though.
I recommend you read this: https://gizmodo.com/is-the-new-mac-pro-worth-the-apple-tax-1835216170
...wherein it examines that, at first glance, the Mac Pro is overpriced, but actually, you'd need to spend over $9k with HP or $6300 to match the base model.
My statement about the D5 still stands. It's the most expensive (one *could* even argue overpriced) Nikon camera - it's overkill for 99+% of people, but what it does, it does incredibly well. All of that also describes the new Mac Pro.
No, for $6K, it's NOT a lot of machine. Don't kid yourself.
You're still on that D5 analogy. You're just not getting it. Smh, ok, I'll try one last time. When you buy a D5, you're already paying for their flagship. No internal upgrades necessary/possible. You're getting the best of the best they offer right out of the box. When you buy this $6K Mac Pro, you're getting the LOWEST spec. You'll have to fork out more and more money for a decent set up. And, if you wanted their top specs, best of their best, it's speculated it'll be in the upwards of $33K. https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/6/3/18651208/apple-mac-pro-...
Jesus Christ you're dense. I don't care about upgraded specs. You can't upgrade a damn camera, so that's irrelevant to the discussion.
The analogy is between the top tier Mac line (Mac Pro) and top tier Nikon camera.
You are not getting the lowest spec Apple computer when you buy a $6000 Mac Pro.
Furthermore, the PRICE is not relevant to the analogy. Even if was $33,000, the analogy would stand because all it shows is the specialized nature of each tool.
Holy hell, man. Learn what an analogy is. It's not literal.
--"The analogy is between the top tier Mac line (Mac Pro) and top tier Nikon camera. You are not getting the lowest spec Apple computer when you buy a $6000 Mac Pro."
LOL! And you say I'm dense. You're the nit-wit that just can't put down that Apple Kool-Aid. That is their lowest spec in that line. That is an entry level spec. The D5 is NOT entry level. What part of that don't you understand. Dude, it's like me trying to explain water is wet. How do you not get that.
-"Furthermore, the PRICE is not relevant to the analogy. Even if was $33,000, the analogy would stand because all it shows is the specialized nature of each tool."
Oh, really, price is not relevant? And, yet you bring up the most expensive Nikon camera? Are you kidding me. Nothing you say stands when they've got you on your knees.
As someone working in VFX ∕ CGI / 3D, I can guarantee almost nobody uses macs for this.
For big production companies - sure, no one uses mac for this. But for many freelancers - they probably use mac or windows for this (blender).
You know what creatives could use the most? Affordability.
If they were more creative they could afford it.
Thank you for setting an example on creativity.
All righty then fellas...My comment was more directed at the current buzzword bingo use of "creative" as a noun rather than an adjective. It grates on me, sort of like "influencer".
I have worked with creative people, Creative Directors (actual job title!) I have been called creative and I sometimes do creative work, but I seriously doubt I will ever call myself "a creative". Nope, I don't have anything in the Fstop profile, I don't really see a need. But feel free to google me and look at my website.
'Creative': noun. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard! Anybody calls me the 'C' word and I'll wish a thousand years of cockroaches in their living room. The term deserves a quick and painless death.
Thanks :)
It's doing what now? Stealing your money? Don't drink the coolaid... How are these articles even allowed to appear here?! Written by fanboys, with zero fact checking, or understanding. 3D artists, the cgi and games industry have abandoned macs a long time ago and for sure we aren't going back now, to machines that cost more than half a year's salary with usable specs and offer an OS with very limited compatibility in return.
Adobe, as much as everyone loves to hate on them, is probably the real MVP of the last few decades. Imagine 2D digital art without Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom. Or creating an open source RAW file format now used by camera manufacturer. How about Wacom, creating a hardware interface that really allowed artists to go paperless? Even in hardware I would argue that the Microsoft Surface line is more innovative in blending the lines between touch and traditional interfaces.
Apple makes nice products but have they done anything in the last 20 years that creatives truly couldn't live without? These new products are just more horsepower, something that's been widely available in other systems for ages.
One thing i always love about the “build it yourself” folks here.. you assume that we want to waste time building a machine, that our time doesn’t have a value, and you disregard the fact that wanting to use your machine and enjoying it are factors too. I don’t want to build a machine who’s OS i hate, that doesn’t integrate with most of my other tech and who’s aesthetic i don’t like. I know the hate that’s about to come from this comment but photographers forgot that the joy of using some tools or their ease of use matters as well.
No doubt that the joy of building such tools is as much, if not even more, satisfying. I still marvel the very simple power PC I built 2.5 years ago (no LED lights, no water cooling) and I would absolutely love to do it again soon.
I also love tweaking and creating my own web site. I am proud of it and it's a source of delight for me. I put hours (many hours :-) into it but I loved every minute of it.
For you, it might be a waste of time but for many here is a source of joy. My time creating a new background or a new way of doing something has a lot of value even if it does not directly make me money.
I don’t disagree with your sentiments at all. My point is to those who always say “ i can build a cheaper PC” and who dismiss the things i mentioned. You value the tinkering; i value the ease of use and straightforwardness. Neither is right or wrong. I sell Apple products for a living and never tell anyone “i can buy a nicer or better looking Mac for that much $$” yet pc users always love that same tired argument. Besides it’s like me saying don’t buy the {insert legendary lens here} buy the {insert third party lens maker here} it’s much cheaper and just as good or better technically.. doesn’t mean I’d enjoy it as much. Great tools are aplenty these days.
I wouldn't go out of my way to tell an Apple user that there are more powerful PCs out there. But writing a piece about how Apple is a blessing to the creative community because they finally made a powerful and expandable desktop PC is inviting quite a bit of ridicule.
Well, we all like to poke fun at the other side every now and then but you are right, we all value different things. As long as we enjoy it and get pleasure out of it that's what matters. In the end, although they are just tools, we have to enjoy using them or we could not stare at them (or through them) hours at a time.
It literally takes a hour or 2 to build and install Windows/Linux on a PC. OH the Horror!!!
You're right. Although it took me quite a few hours of watching Youtube videos on different components, compatibilities and different methods of cooling, all of it was done with great anticipation and fun. Like you said, putting the PC together and installing Windows took about two hours.
OK, how about buying a Z820/Z840 or even a Z8 second hand, generally it will give you a lot of bang for your buck especially if you can find a half decent specced Z8 on Ebay when you have a clearance sale.., I've seen them going for half the cost of a new rig.
What about warranty I hear you ask? I'm glad you did, HP will even allow you buy a care pack/warranty even on second hand enterprise kit. I do this for my server (which I got from a company that was liquidated).
Speaking of specs, both HP and Dell have Workstations that are far more expandable, user friendly and more powerful. HP/Dell often have sales on which you can save thousands on upgraded components and there's Enterprise discounts available. Plus Apple releasing a Xeon processor at this point in time when we are seeing an inflection point towards AMD Threadripper and Epyc CPUs that simply outgun much of Intel's offerings at far more reasonably costs. With Ryzen 2 it becomes harder to justify the ludicrous prices that Xeon/HEDT rigs that Intel are asking let alone Apple's own costs. Unless you need lots of RAM and/or RAM bandwidth Ryzen is good enough for a lot of video work especially if you offload to a Quadro/Vega GPU.
The case is pretty I'll give them that, but for system specs I'd pass. Unless you depend on MacOS you're better off with Linux or Windows, especially as many of the major video/CGI applications are OS independent and multi-threading is better under Linux at this point in time (unless you're using Win 10 1903 and relevant CPU drivers).
Having a hatred over an OS limits you and harms your viewpoint. Apple is going to kill MacOS probably within the next 5-10 years going by the decimation of their OS team and the push towards iPAD OS/mobile.
That's what worries me about Apple they are going to ARM processors and iOS. This might be fine and might be more powerful in the future but that means they will be able to lock the system down more.
Microsoft keeps adding Linux things makes me wonder if they are going to move towards a Microsoft Linux/Unix OS in the future.
I really wish Linux would actually make an OSX clone and reduce the amount of distros.
Ummm. They have made it easier to bring iPad/iOS apps to the Mac and are investing heavily in the REAL pro market. I think your assumptions about their roadmap may be off target as they clearly have not wanted to do what MS did with windows 8. Nevertheless many of the points stated above prove my point that options are aplenty and users have a plethora of choice. I don’t like the “there’s a cheaper way” argument because it assumes that there are no differences between the OS, resale value, security, usability, ecosystem, etc. Earlier i gave the lens example as one where dollars alone don’t tell the whole story. Now I’ll give another. I can build a really fast car and save money or i can buy the high end car I’ve always dreamt of owning. Neither is wrong