05/24, 8:51pm
Facebook petition finds worldwide support for new pro-level Mac
An Apple fan dissatisfied with the attention the company has paid to its Mac Pro line of recent has taken to Facebook, posting a fan page petitioning the computer maker to refresh its line of professional-level desktops, or at least to let Mac Pro fans know what is going on with the line. The page has subsequently taken off, with more than 4,100 Likes and a number of shares from users around the world.
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05/18, 10:05am
Deals on Mac Pros, speaker systems, and more
Today's deals from DealNN include price breaks on Mac Pros, speaker systems, and more. Macmall.com is now offering discounts on multiple Mac Pros, one of which is the 2.4GHz Mac Pro with a quad-core Intel Xeon Westmere processor, 6GB of RAM, 18x SuperDrive, and 1TB Hard Drive. Currently featured at DealNN, this computer has now dropped $280 in price and can be purchased for only $3,219.
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04/16, 5:25pm
Computer may be nearing update or obsolescence
Orders and shipments of the Mac Pro are beginning to see significant delays, says AppleInsider. One person tells the site that he ordered a higher-end Mac Pro in late March; initially it was slated to ship within three to five business days. After the order was placed the shipping date extended to April 11th, but as of April 16th, the computer still hasn't been delivered. The person says an Apple representative explained that his choice of a 12-core system meant the computer would have to be shipped directly from China.
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04/06, 11:10am
Deals on Mac Pros, USB drives, and more
Today's deals from DealNN include price breaks on Mac Pros, USB drives, and more. Apple's online store has recently lowered the cost on multiple refurbished Mac Pros, including the refurb. 2.66GHz Mac Pro with a quad-core Intel Xeon processor, 3GB of RAM, 640GB Serial ATA hard drive, and three open full-length PCI Express 2.0 expansion slots. Currently featured at DealNN, this Mac Pro has now dropped to $2039 in price and offers savings of up to $460.
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03/22, 10:00am
NVIDIA GeForce 600 Kepler graphics official
NVIDIA formally brought its Kepler graphics core to the market Thursday, starting with its desktop line. The GeForce GTX 680 introduces new multiprocessing core groups known as SMX; they reportedly provide twice as much performance for the same energy as the GeForce 500 series. With three times as many cores as its ancestor (1,536), 2GB of 256-bit GDDR5 memory, and a 1GHz base clock, it's purportedly 43 percent faster in a game like Skyrim than AMD's Radeon HD 7970, even as it uses 28 percent less power.
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03/20, 10:50am
Current forum topics
Yesterday in the MacNN forums Professional Poster shifuimam asks "can a G4 play HD video?" click here to read more and join in. Also yesterday one Junior Member was inquiring about what video card they should use as a replacement in their Mac Pro from early 2008 in this thread.
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03/08, 12:35am
Carlow, Poulson, Romley all planned to launch
Intel will expand its push in server platform, chipsets and processors into the second quarter of the year, DigiTimes reports. The chip company recently unveiled the E5-2600 series processors, which some believe will end up in refreshed Mac Pros in the near future, as well as three Xeon E5-1600 processors. It's set to debut a new server platform called Carlow that combines the USB 3-supporting Panther Point (C216) chipset with Ivy Bridge processors.
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03/06, 5:00pm
Intel Xeon E5-2600 given official arrival
Intel ended one of the longest waits for one of its processors in recent memory on Tuesday by launching and detailing the Xeon E5-2600. Its mid-range server and workstation chip is a superset of the much newer Sandy Bridge-E architecture and can carry a full eight cores (up from six) and handle a much larger 768GB memory ceiling. The extra cores, along with a shrink from 45 to 32 nanometers and new AVX support, should make it about 80 percent faster than the Xeon 5600 it replaces.
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03/06, 12:35am
HP Z420, Z620, Z820 hint plans for others
HP confirmed that Intel was launching its long-in-the-making Xeon E5 workstation processors after it introduced a trio of new Z workstations. The regular Z420, mid-tier Z620, and flagship Z820 can all use the new E5-2600 chip line, which scales up to eight cores in one chip and has new ceilings for memory. At its extreme, the Z820 can have 16 cores across two processors, 14TB of storage, and a very large 512GB of error-correcting memory.
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03/01, 3:10pm
Intel Xeon E5 ready to go
Intel's elusive, publicly accessible Xeon E5 processor is now known through a preview on Thursday. Workstation builder Supermicro gave The Inquirer a look at an upcoming E5-based workstation with two of the processors. Performance couldn't be publicly disclosed, but the Boston PC builder proved that they weren't hot and were stable enough to be production-ready.
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02/27, 1:25am
Intel supports rumors of Ivy Bridge delay
Repeated talk of Intel delayng Ivy Bridge to June was supported by a conversation with executive VP Sean Maloney. HE told the FT that it had been moved back eight to ten weeks, from April to June. Contrary to some claims, though, it wasn't due to low demand but rather out of time getting the 22-nanometer chip manufacturing process up to speed.
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02/24, 8:00am
Intel Xeon E5 gets tentative launch window
Intel's long-expected Xeon E5 processor may have a narrower launch window. A rumor floated by Digitimes' industry contacts had the E5-2600 series and their matching C600 mainboard chipsets arriving in March. About 15 processors would start the line, beginning with the quad-core, 1.8GHz Xeon E5-2603 at a $202 bulk price and scaling up to the range-leading eight-core, 2.9GHz Xeon E5-2690 at $2,057.
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02/21, 1:20pm
Save on refurbished Macs
At Apple's online store today save big on refurbished Macs, like this $300 price break on the 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage, now $799. For $999 is the refurb. 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.5GHz Intel Quad-Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.
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02/14, 2:45pm
Apple seen hopping back to NVIDIA for workstations
Apple's long-rumored Mac Pro update could signal a return to NVIDIA for graphics based on claims about production progress on Tuesday. The company had reportedly been soured based on is experience with drivers and hardware failures, MIC Gadget heard. Instead, it would use NVIDIA's Kepler hardware, although which exact parts weren't mentioned.
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02/10, 10:50am
Deals on Mac Pros, Flash memory cards, and more
Today's Deals from DealNN include price breaks on Mac Pros, Flash memory cards, and more. Apple.com has recently lowered the cost of the refurbished 2.8GHz Mac Pro, which includes 3GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, 18x SuperDrive, and ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics processor with 1GB GDDR5 memory. Currently featured at DealNN, this Mac Pro is now available for the discounted price of $2119 and delivers savings of up to $380.
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01/31, 10:10am
AMD Radeon HD 7950 targets more common gamers
AMD has hoped to corner the more widely accessible range of high-end video cards Tuesday by unveiling the Radeon HD 7950. It trims back slightly from the range-leading 7970 with 1,792 visual processing cores instead of 2,048, 112 texture units instead of 128, and both 800MHz core and 1.25GHz memory clock speeds versus the 925MHz and 1.38GHz of its counterpart. The chipset is still powerful enough to handle 4K video and carries the 384-bit memory bus and 3GB of video RAM.
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01/17, 5:20pm
Current discussion topics from the forums.
Today in the MacNN forums members continue to to discuss rumors that the iPad 3 will be delayed, click here to join in. One forum goer asks about AirPlay in the thread titled "AirPlay won't work on one Mac."
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01/02, 10:20pm
Intel may fill out 2012 Xeons with mix of old, new
Intel's Xeon E5 launch early this year could be matched by a handful of Ivy Bridge-based models soon after based on a tentative roadmap. After releasing 18 E5 chips based on the current Sandy Bridge architecture, Intel would have 11 Xeons arrive in the spring based on the 2012 design, Digitimes heard. Billed as Ivy Bridge-H2, these would include Xeon E3 chips like the E3-1290v2 in bulk costs of $189 to $884 as well as E5s from $192 to $1,440, one of which would be the E5-2470.
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01/02, 3:55pm
Mac Pro shows signs of upcoming refresh
Signs of a long-in-waiting Mac Pro update have appeared in earnest through the Apple Store. Picking either the 12-core stock workstation or most build-to-order changes knocks the shipping time back to between one to three weeks, usually a sign at Apple that supplies are dwindling. A refresh isn't necessarily imminent and might depend on both the sales rate of remaining stock and how soon new components are ready.
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12/30, 11:10am
Mid-range AMD Radeon HD 7000 series uncovered
A detailed leak may have given out details of AMD's mid-range Radeon HD 7000-series desktop graphics. The 7750 and 7750 as explained by Fudzilla would sit on the new mainstream Cape Verde Pro and XT cores and each scale back considerably from the higher-end but more expensive Radeon HD 7970. Both would drop from 384-bit to 128-bit memory interfaces and 900MHz core clock speeds.
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12/16, 10:35am
Deals on Mac Pros, USB drives, and more
Today's deals from DealNN include discounted Mac Pros, USB drives, and more. Apple's online store recently lowered the cost of the refurbished 2.8GHz Mac Pro, complete with quad-core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor, 3GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and 18x SuperDrive. Currently featured at DealNN, this desktop computer has now dropped $380 off its original list price and can be purchased for only $2119.
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12/04, 11:25pm
Mac Pro video details slip out early
Signs of Apple's long-in-waiting Mac Pro update emerged in earnest after a discovery in the latest Mac OS X 10.7.3 beta. Netkas found code references in the ATIRadeonX3000 driver extension to "Tahiti," the known codename for AMD's upcoming high-end desktop Radeon HD 7000 line. The chipsets are expected to be the first 28-nanometer chips and have a completely new, liquid-cooled graphics core meant to improve general-purpose computing tasks like those in OpenCL.
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11/27, 3:00pm
Apple Cyber Monday deals available now
Various online retailers have cut prices on Apple products for this holiday shopping weekend. Amazon.com has a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive, now $1419.99 after a price break of $79.01. Special holiday pricing is available on the fourth generation 8GB iPod touch, now $188 with FREE shipping.
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11/25, 8:30am
Intel Romley may have SAS storage issues
Intel may have moved its Xeon E5 launch for the mainstream due to issues with SAS drives, tipsters claimed Friday. The Romley chipset when combined with current, Sandy Bridge-based processors was said by Digitimes to have problems when using the high speed serial disks. Two of the first wave of Xeon E5 chips, the E5-1600 and E5-2600, had been moved to the first week of March.
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11/15, 5:15pm
Intel shows Xeon E5 in supercomputer tech first
Intel chose the SC11 conference for an unusual preview of its next-generation mid-range workstation and server chip, the Xeon E5. The pre-release chip is now running ten of the supercomputers in the Top500 list and is estimated to be about 2.1 times more pure performance, and 70 percent in high demand workloads, than the Xeon 5600 it replaces. It will also be the first Xeon to support PCI Express 3.0, which doubles the bandwidth and is useful for very high bandwidth connections to the Internet, cluster computers, and high-demand local peripherals like video cards.
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10/31, 4:00pm
Plummeting sales trigger reconsideration
Apple is considering axing the Mac Pro after 2011, sources for AppleInsider claim. While the company has allegedly developed an updated Mac Pro, it may or may not be shipped, and Apple management has reportedly been mulling the fate of the computer since at least May. Sales executives at the company are said to agree that the product's days are numbered, largely because both consumer and enterprise sales have dropped so severely that Apple doesn't make much profit from the hardware.
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10/28, 4:40pm
Intel Xeon E5 model speeds explained
Intel's Xeon E5 processors may have been spoiled in earnest with a detailed listing of every E5-2600 model at CPU-World. Intended for dual-socket computers, they will start off with a quad-core, 1.8GHz Xeon with 10MB of Level 3 cache and no Hyperthreading, but with a $202 price point in bulk. The line will culminate in eight-core models at between 1.8GHz to 3.1GHz, Hyperthreading, power use between 70W and 150W, 20MB of cache, and prices between $1,106 and $2,057.
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10/21, 2:45pm
Intel Xeon E5 could be moved back one quarter
Newly uneatherd details from Intel's roadmap suggest that Intel's long-in-waiting mid-range Xeon replacement, the E5, might not ship until 2012. Previously on tap for late 2011, they're now "delayed by one quarter," CPU World claimed. No reason was given as to why, or whether or not it meant going to the same 22 nanometer process as Ivy Bridge.
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09/30, 11:00am
Deals on Mac Pros, Bluetooth headsets, and more
Today's deals from DealNN include price breaks on Mac Pros, Bluetooth headsets, and more. Apple.com has multiple refurbished Mac Pros on sale today, with the most affordable one being the refurb. 2.66GHz Mac Pro featuring a Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor, 18X SuperDrive, 3GB of RAM, 640GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics processor. Now on sale for only $2039, this Mac Pro has dropped $460 off its original list price and is currently featured at DealNN.
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09/13, 11:55am
Refurbished Macs at reduced prices
Today at Apple's online store save on a selection of refurbished Macs like the 21.5-inch iMac with a 3.2GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, now $1099. A $260 price drop can be found on the refurbished 27-inch iMac with a 2.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, now $1439.
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09/10, 8:30pm
We test Logitech's Apple-ready K750 solar keyboard
After giving Windows users a taste of what a solar keyboard is like, Logitech has swung its attention to Mac users with a native version of the Wireless Solar Keyboard K750. It still promises to forever eliminate charging, but it now has a new Mac-oriented design and a fresh look. We'll see in our K750 for Mac review how well it works on Apple computers, including apps, and whether some earlier quirks have been sorted out.
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09/08, 5:10pm
Intel Sandy Bridge-E may have firmer ship date
Intel's mid-cycle Sandy Bridge-E processors may have received a more definitive timeframe after a Turkish leak. The initial batch of Core i7 processors, their companion X79 chipset, and possible Xeon E5 processors have a general "Platform Launch" window of between November 14 and 27, but DonanimHaber expected a more exact November 15 date. The release should be a 'hard' launch where shipping computers and individual parts are already in stores.
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08/17, 8:00am
Apple Store down on Wednesday
(Update: site failure) Apple has raised speculation Wednesday by taking down the online Apple Store. The company usually does so right before a product launch but is doing so on a Wednesday, not its usual Tuesday. No immediate leaks have also popped up to give a clue as to what it might be.
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07/19, 8:40pm
We review the iOS-influenced Mac OS X Lion update
Some have argued that Apple faced its first major challenge on the desktop in some time when Windows 7 arrived; how do you improve your interface when Microsoft managed to tackle many gripes in one fell swoop and arguably had its best release ever? Apple's answer in Mac OS X Lion is to take a cue from an even simpler interface on the iPad. But is this the way of the future, or an instance of company synergy run amok? We'll see in our Mac OS X Lion review if Apple's made a smart bet and if Microsoft has to catch up once more.
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07/13, 7:40am
SKUs show for white MacBook and Mac mini
A new leak Wednesday has at once expanded and corrected beyond new part numbers. While MacBook Air SKUs were correct, one of the Mac Pro listings was actually for a new white MacBook, the MC914LL/A. The 9to5 tip didn't identify features, though the lone model is likely to use an Intel Core i3 or i5 and a Thunderbolt port along with expanded storage.
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07/11, 4:50pm
New Pros could arrive this week
Part listings have appeared for new MacBook Airs and Mac Pros, according to leaked data. In particular there are four new Airs, divided between two 11-inch and two 13-inch models. Within each size, stock configurations are identified simply as "better" or "best;" custom configurations should also be available. Similarly there are three Mac Pro options cited as "better," "best" and "ultimate." A fourth option is a Mac Pro Server.
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07/08, 9:15pm
Finds current models tying with Mac Pros
The speed and graphics testing site Bare Feats has tested the latest release of Final Cut Pro X on three very different models of Mac -- a 2010 Mac Pro 3.33GHz 6-core Westmere with 24G of ECC DDR3 1333MHz RAM and a Radeon HD 5870 GPU (1G GDDR5); a current-model iMac (a 2011 iMac 3.4GHz Quad Core i7 with 16G of DDR3 1333MHz RAM and a Radeon HD 6970M GPU with 2GB of VRAM onboard), and a current-model MacBook Pro (2011 MacBook Pro 2.3GHz Quad Core i7 with 8G of DDR3 1333MHz RAM and a Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB of VRAM). The results showed a surprisingly tight race.
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07/07, 8:05pm
Apple stores upgrade Macs, stores for Lion prep
Apple is readying its retail stores for the launch of Lion and possibly a new MacBook Air next week, sources said late Thursday. The shops are readying an overnight display refresh for sometime next week and have also been tasked with upgrading RAM on some of the Macs on the floor before July 10 to help them run Lion smoothly. AppleInsider in getting the details had also heard that Apple might actively invite users to download at the store so they can get help as soon as the OS is installed.
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07/05, 4:05pm
Recent forum topics
Today in the MacNN forums one member started in a thread looking for someone who can help out with an iPod hard drive problem. One Dedicated MacNNer started a thread looking for some information on what options to look for in a used Mac pro, click here to read more.
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07/01, 5:30pm
Mac OS X Lion and new Air may ship same day
A pair of new tips have narrowed down the launch of the just completed Lion to July 14 with a possible surprise in store. Although basically finished, the OS should wait about two weeks to at least screen for last-minute bugs. While there weren't any anticipated risks, 9to5 heard it could be pushed back if a significant problem shows up before release day.
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06/24, 7:50am
New Mac Pro to range from 6 to 16 cores
The upcoming Mac Pro could have one of the largest spreads in performance in recent memory based on internal Apple documents obtained late last night. Shown as "Mac Pro (Mid 2011)," it should have four main models using Xeon chips, starting with a single-processor, six-core model and moving to an eight-core system, a 12-core (two times six) system and a 16-core (two times eight) flagship. The tip to 9to5 couldn't prove whether the designs would use a new rackmountable design.
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06/21, 11:50am
Older Mac Pros need $149 video upgrade
The Mac App Store is actively blocking some Mac Pro users from downloading Final Cut Pro X, according to complaints. One person notes that his two-year-old Mac Pro is being blocked based on system requirements, even though it has a 2.8GHz quad-core Xeon processor and 6GB of RAM. The weak link may be video, in this case an ATI Radeon HD 2600 card.
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06/20, 6:00pm
Mac Pro, Mac mini, AirPort rumors detailed
An unusual plethora of rumors Monday night provided possible details of the new Mac Pro and other near-term Apple updates. The pro tower will supposedly get a "unique CPU" along with its more rackmountable case. What that would entail wasn't said by MICGadget's purported informants, though it's more likely to involve early access to the Xeon E5 due this fall than a genuinely rare processor.
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06/19, 1:50pm
Mac mini and Mac Pro may get Sandy Bridge in month
Sources told Brian Tong Sunday afternoon that new Mac minis and redesigned Mac Pros should arrive either in late July or early August. The historically accurate CNET staffer was given only a few details but was told they would use both Sandy Bridge-era Intel processors and Thunderbolt ports. August was more likely for the two, he heard, and both would appropriately come preloaded with Lion.
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06/09, 10:45pm
Apple server lineup supply shortage, to refresh?
Apple looks set to refresh its server lineup with news that supplies for its existing products are constrained. 9to5Mac is reporting that retailers are struggling to get new orders for both the Mac mini server as well as the Mac Pro server, with no new shipment date being supplied. If true, June is shaping up as a bigger than usual month for new Macs. There is also an expected Macbook Air refresh enroute, which will likely launch at the same time or just after the launch of Mac OS X Lion.
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06/03, 9:25am
PC Blu-ray and DVDs moving to thin slot-loaders
The computer industry is moving broadly to a new standard for full-size optical drives, according to a discovery at Computex. The drives would still have the same width but would be half as thick, allowing either more drive bays or more free space inside. AnandTech's questioning on the Taipei show floor also revealed that the drives would also move to slot-loading drives and drop the long-term preference for tray-loaders.
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06/01, 11:50pm
16GB Chips max out at up to 96GB
Other World Computing has launched 16GB RAM chips for Mac Pro 2009 and 2010 models, exceeding factory-shipped maximums by a factor of 1.5x to 3x -- allowing maximums of 48GB or more depending on configuration and available memory slots, with a 12-core 2010 model reaching 96GB of RAM. Kits are available for both 2009 and 2010 models.
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05/31, 11:05am
Deals on Mac Pros, laptops, and more
Today’s deals from DealNN include discounts on Mac Pros, laptops, and more. Macmall.com has recently announced its Mac Memorial Day Sale, which is offering the 2.66GHz Six-Core Mac Pro with 1TB hard drive, 6GB of RAM, 18x SuperDrive, and ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics processor. Currently featured at DealNN, the Mac Pro has dropped to $4739 in price and provides up to $260 in savings.
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05/20, 1:55pm
Latest discussion topics from the forums.
Today in the MacNN forums one Fresh-Faced Recruit started a thread discussing the differences between the Droid 2 and the iPhone 4 in the thread titled "Droid 2 v iPhone 4." Yesterday Andy8, a Mac Elite, started a thread looking for some answers as to why their Mac Pro won't boot past the gray screen.
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05/11, 9:35pm
Early 2009 model essentially becomes mid-2010
An EFI firmware update, detailed on Ars Technica, allows Early 2009 model Mac Pros to accept faster Xeon CPUs, newer and faster RAM and delivers audio-out capability to the Mini DisplayPort interface, AppleInsider reports. The firmware essentially gives Early 2009 Mac Pro owners who are out of warranty an option to bring their machines up to the specs Apple released as the Mac Pro Mid-2010 some 16 months later.
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