New Mac Pro for 2019

The new Mac Pro is finally here. Not yet available on the website but as per newsfeeds will be for sale from tomorrow. Turns out to be a very expensive system even at base config. However, would be interesting to know how the various configs would help us photographers using only PS and LR. 

My old one (2013) is slower than my Macbook Pro and I love the desktop version. The iMac does not work for me since I already have external monitors. 

Any suggestions? 

Thanks in advance.

Pradeep

I answered that in an earlier post - here is the text from that

A totally maxed out Mac Pro with maximum memory, highest physical core count processor and 4TB m.2 storage plus the monitor with stand will likely set you back real close to $50K.  But that is not the configuration I would recommend for still photographers.  For still photography, based on the specs and knowledge of the processors being used, I would recommend the following for the very best performance with still photo programs and all but the most over the top video needs (of course in a price is no object world):
- 16 core 3.2GHz with multiple core turbo-boost to 4.4GHz (The turbo boost speed is the biggest thing after memory/memory speed for still photo).  The 12-core would however give you nearly identical performance but is slightly less future proof.  The worst option is the 8 core largely because it runs memory at a slower speed and secondly because it only runs a single core at 4GHz in turbo mode)
- 96GB of RAM @ 2.933GHz (you can always upgrade to more memory later if needed.  On a budget, get just 32GB and then upgrade from a third party)
- AMD Radeon Pro Vega II (although the base card will perform very well but the Vega is more future proof with 4 times the VRAM).  Absolutely no need for the Afterburner card unless you plan on doing super high rez video - like 8K)
- 2TB SSD - this is configured with 2 - 1TB drive.  Use one of them as your system and program drive along with your catalogue file if using such an app and mirror everything to the second 1TB drive.
- Get fast external storage for your photo files utilizing an actively cooled Thunderbolt 3 housing with whatever capacity you want, then back that up in duplicate, potentially using NAS so that your images are available anywhere in the world as long as you can get onto the Internet.

My guess on the MacPro price for this configuration is somewhere around $12K, if you want the new monitor that increases things to $18K or $19K if you want the non-reflective screen (which I think I would want).  Add to that some fast TB3 storage of say 12TB and you are easily at $21K.

Thanks EJ. Helpful info.
Mike

E.J. Peiker wrote:I answered that in an earlier post - here is the text from that

Yes, I remember that but could not find it, thanks for sharing your thoughts again, this is extremely helpful.

My guess on the MacPro price for this configuration is somewhere around $12K, if you want the new monitor that increases things to $18K or $19K if you want the non-reflective screen (which I think I would want).  Add to that some fast TB3 storage of say 12TB and you are easily at $21K.

Heh heh, and who said digital is cheaper!

However, if you are willing to spend $12K on a lens alone, why balk at a computer that helps process all those beautiful images? Sigh.....

Thanks E.J.

Pradeep

Primus wrote:

E.J. Peiker wrote:I answered that in an earlier post - here is the text from that

Yes, I remember that but could not find it, thanks for sharing your thoughts again, this is extremely helpful.

My guess on the MacPro price for this configuration is somewhere around $12K, if you want the new monitor that increases things to $18K or $19K if you want the non-reflective screen (which I think I would want).  Add to that some fast TB3 storage of say 12TB and you are easily at $21K.

Heh heh, and who said digital is cheaper!

However, if you are willing to spend $12K on a lens alone, why balk at a computer that helps process all those beautiful images? Sigh.....

Thanks E.J.

Pradeep

Pradeep, would you consider a PC machine?  At this point Apple appears to think they can charge anything they want for their equipment and the faithful will buy it.  I'm pretty sure E.J. could spec out a very good windows machine from Falcon Northwest for about half the price of the Mac equivalent. 

signgrap wrote: Pradeep, would you consider a PC machine?  At this point Apple appears to think they can charge anything they want for their equipment and the faithful will buy it.  I'm pretty sure E.J. could spec out a very good windows machine from Falcon Northwest for about half the price of the Mac equivalent. 

I've done exactly that here:
https://www.naturescapes.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=284137

Primus wrote:The new Mac Pro is finally here. Not yet available on the website but as per newsfeeds will be for sale from tomorrow. Turns out to be a very expensive system even at base config. However, would be interesting to know how the various configs would help us photographers using only PS and LR. 

My old one (2013) is slower than my Macbook Pro and I love the desktop version. The iMac does not work for me since I already have external monitors. 

Any suggestions? 

Thanks in advance.

Pradeep

You could consider a well configured version of the new MacBook Pro 16" and use it as your desktop with an external monitor/hub--still not inexpensive.

Steve

So I was close with my $50K estimate but actually underestimated since the max memory config is now more than what they originally announced - the max configuration comes in at over $52,348 and then if you want the monitor and stand you are well beyond $60K with tax.

And the Computer only price for the configuration that I recommended for still photographers is a bit over $12K (+ tax) which is exactly what I predicted months ago when they were first announced.  I built a very similar system to this with Puget systems at a bit over $5K - a virtually identical configuration of the new Mac Pro to what I built is $11,200 + tax.  So, pretty much the Apple premium these days is almost exactly 100%.  It's basically the Leica equivalent in the computer industry - the Leica premium to virtually identical cameras is also about 100%.

signgrap wrote: Pradeep, would you consider a PC machine?  At this point Apple appears to think they can charge anything they want for their equipment and the faithful will buy it.  I'm pretty sure E.J. could spec out a very good windows machine from Falcon Northwest for about half the price of the Mac equivalent. 

Dick, I am so deeply into the Mac eco system that it is going to be impossible for me to extricate myself now. Wife has an iMac, I have a Macbook in addition to the Mac Pro, an iPad, iPhone, iWatch. Everything works seamlessly with each other, emails are so easy to leave on one device and pick up on another. I have gotten used to the quirks and limitations of the software apps.

I am still using Windows machines for my office work and it is painful. I just don't find the system is intuitive enough for me. Don't have a choice there as in the business world everything still runs on Windows, certainly in the medical field it does.

Steve, I tried using my Macbook Pro in exactly the same manner for several weeks recently when my Mac Pro died after a wine spill it was very cumbersome, since I have two external monitors in the system and a whole lot of peripherals hooked up.

The Mac Pro woke up mysteriously after over a month and is now working fine so I am in no rush to buy the new one.

Pradeep

E.J. Peiker wrote:And the Computer only price for the configuration that I recommended for still photographers is a bit over $12K (+ tax) which is exactly what I predicted months ago when they were first announced.  I built a very similar system to this with Puget systems at a bit over $5K - a virtually identical configuration of the new Mac Pro to what I built is $11,200 + tax.  So, pretty much the Apple premium these days is almost exactly 100%.  It's basically the Leica equivalent in the computer industry - the Leica premium to virtually identical cameras is also about 100%.

I agree, my system even with some limitations comes to around $8800 (+tax) without the monitors and without the Vega II upgrade. That is a huge price to pay for what is at the end just a desktop computer. Hopefully it will be future proof for many years.

Having owned a Leica myself, I can say the analogy is close but not quite the same. Leica does nothing 'better' IMHO, but you pay a premium for the brand and the build quality perhaps. Macs are a completely different experience for the user and you either love it or hate it. What is frustrating for everyone is Apple's 'closed system' policy in terms of hardware building and the limited upgradability by the end-user.

In contrast, I used to build my own PCs in the past, sourcing everything from top-shelf makers, not too difficult to put together the MoBo, CPU, RAM etc in a custom built case. Sadly for me, it was the OS that was the problem.

Pradeep

It seems pretty obvious the new Mac Pro is intended for those with really deep pockets and not the general consumer. I guess with the 100% premium they aren't looking for the average consumer anyway.

Scott Fairbairn wrote:It seems pretty obvious the new Mac Pro is intended for those with really deep pockets and not the general consumer. I guess with the 100% premium they aren't looking for the average consumer anyway.

That's true for so many things in life, including the big DSLRs and lenses so many of us own and use. All depends upon how much one wants to spend on a 'hobby'. If it is a professional need then money is secondary to the value it brings, I suspect most pros would then consider the Windows system as a better alternative.

I've always found the Apple products to be overpriced and yet there is a huge market for them, else the company would not be in the Fortune 25. The Mac Pro is very much a niche product of course, but the local Apple store on any given day is packed with people shopping for the other stuff. Every school kid I know now owns a Macbook and an iPad. Many parents that cannot afford these high end products somehow end up indulging their children. In my own office, even the employees at the lowest pay grade always have the latest version of the iPhone. Must say something about our society and successful marketing strategies. 

Pradeep

Primus wrote:

Scott Fairbairn wrote:It seems pretty obvious the new Mac Pro is intended for those with really deep pockets and not the general consumer. I guess with the 100% premium they aren't looking for the average consumer anyway.

That's true for so many things in life, including the big DSLRs and lenses so many of us own and use. All depends upon how much one wants to spend on a 'hobby'. If it is a professional need then money is secondary to the value it brings, I suspect most pros would then consider the Windows system as a better alternative.

I've always found the Apple products to be overpriced and yet there is a huge market for them, else the company would not be in the Fortune 25. The Mac Pro is very much a niche product of course, but the local Apple store on any given day is packed with people shopping for the other stuff. Every school kid I know now owns a Macbook and an iPad. Many parents that cannot afford these high end products somehow end up indulging their children. In my own office, even the employees at the lowest pay grade always have the latest version of the iPhone. Must say something about our society and successful marketing strategies. 

Pradeep

Very accurate, but I think Apple's success boils down to the fact that their products are "fun" to use, for lack of a better word. I enjoy using an Apple OS as opposed to Windows, which usually makes me angry at some point every time I use it. My biggest beef with Apple is they toss out the window, ports, slots, and software(Aperture, iWeb) the moment they decide it isn't worthwhile anymore. I'm looking at Windows laptops right now because I'd like an SD slot and legacy USB port support. 
I used iWeb for my website for years because it was so simple to use, and it had a smooth learning curve. Once they ditched it, I kept the site going for a bit, but decided to pull it and pursue other software options. In the end, I decided my website generated so little sales that I quit the website presence entirely. However, if they'd modernized the application and kept it, I'd have maintained it. Still, the thought of putting thousands of images back on a website, learning new software for limited return, and so on, made me decide not to.

Like I keep saying, programs I wrote for PC-DOS running on an Intel 8088 8 bit processor in 1982 run just fine on an i9 running Windows 10.  Meanwhile, many programs written for just the last version of IOS before the new one, won't run on the new one ... 

EJ, you are so right. Apple does not seem to care much for its long term loyal customers. Their focus has shifted from computing to gadgets and making money at all costs. But one downside of the OS allowing legacy apps to run forever is the bloated code and continued problems with memory leaks and other issues. I am not a coder but I remember having constant problems with the Windows OS and was told by programmers within my family that this was all due to retained versions of the old code in the new versions of the OS simply to allow people with older computers to continue using them. Apple has had a different kind of philosophy I guess, and we have had to pay a good price for it. Nothing is perfect.

Scott, I think you've got it. Apple stuff is fun to use and they are shiny, well designed, well packaged and well marketed. I too was an aperture user and had to, very reluctantly move to LR when they stopped supporting it. There seems to be no end to their money-making gimmicks, what with all new ports and connectors with every iteration of the hardware. However, don't think this is entirely an Apple phenomenon. Any company that can get away with this does it.

I too used iWeb to create my own website, then realized for the slightest change I would have to reprogram the whole thing, so went with a third party solution.I now have my site hosted on Zenfolio and although I don't sell my photos (strictly an amateur) there are plenty of sale options for professionals. Very easy interface and enormous flexibility to create your own look.

Pradeep

Windows is fairly crash proof these days.  Really the only thing that still bugs me is the registry.  But Windows crashes are a complete non-issue.  BTW, I am typing this to you on an iMac

E.J. Peiker wrote:Windows is fairly crash proof these days.  Really the only thing that still bugs me is the registry.  But Windows crashes are a complete non-issue.  BTW, I am typing this to you on an iMac

Now isn't that funny!

So many of us use Macs for 'fun' and PCs for 'work'. I just got done with a long day's work on a PC where every hour or so, for no apparent  reason the program pops up a message saying 'cannot find printer driver' and crashes. Have to log into the system again (networked) repeatedly. This happens every time I am in this particular office and nobody seems to know what is happening. Just one of many issues with a big system. There are two other locations where I work and I have similar issues there as well, programs crash, printers will suddenly become 'unavailable', drivers are 'lost' and then 'found' again. We spend thousands of dollars every month on IT support (have changed companies over the years too) and yet the system remains unchanged.

Agreed, you no longer get the dreaded BSOD any more, but programs still crash routinely and printers are a particular problem over LANs.

My feeling is that as we get more sophisticated in our computing prowess, we end up with newer problems and therefore need constant attention and troubleshooting. It is a given I suppose.

Pradeep

Funny (and interesting) - my Windows friends major complaint is frequent crashes!!!

Primus wrote:

E.J. Peiker wrote:Windows is fairly crash proof these days.  Really the only thing that still bugs me is the registry.  But Windows crashes are a complete non-issue.  BTW, I am typing this too you on an iMac

Now isn't that funny!

So many of us use Macs for 'fun' and PCs for 'work'. I just got done with a long day's work on a PC where every hour or so, for no apparent  reason the program pops up a message saying 'cannot find printer driver' and crashes. Have to log into the system again (networked) repeatedly. This happens every time I am in this particular office and nobody seems to know what is happening. Just one of many issues with a big system. There are two other locations where I work and I have similar issues there as well, programs crash, printers will suddenly become 'unavailable', drivers are 'lost' and then 'found' again. We spend thousands of dollars every month on IT support (have changed companies over the years too) and yet the system remains unchanged.

Agreed, you no longer get the dreaded BSOD any more, but programs still crash routinely and printers are a particular problem over LANs.

My feeling is that as we get more sophisticated in our computing prowess, we end up with newer problems and therefore need constant attention and troubleshooting. It is a given I suppose.

Pradeep

The spinoff industries that Windows creates are enormous between IT people, anti-virus, malware, registry issues requiring operating system re-installs(that's what I used to do versus software to fix issues) and so on. I guess it's good the economy!