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Apple Surveying iMac Pro Buyers About Key Features

Monday September 10, 2018 1:56 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple has recently been sending out surveys to customers who purchased an iMac Pro, asking them about which features drew them to the pro-level machine and what they like or dislike about the iMac Pro.

Some of the survey questions were shared on Twitter, with customers asked to point out some of the most important iMac Pro features, like Thunderbolt 3 ports, Xeon W processors, T2 chip, external display support, and more.

Apple regularly sends out surveys of this nature to customers, but this line of questioning on the iMac Pro suggests Apple is perhaps trying to suss out key features that pro-level users want to see in future pro machines, such as the Mac Pro machine that's in the works.

The iMac Pro was a precursor to a new Mac Pro, which Apple first announced in April 2017. Apple is working on a high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro that will facilitate regular upgrades to meet the needs of Apple's pro user base.

Apple has a dedicated team working on the Mac Pro, and Apple executives have said that Apple is committed to making the machine the highest-end desktop system able to handle VR and high-end cinema production. Apple has even put together a "Pro Workflow Team" to tailor the Mac Pro and other Apple products to professional users, and that team could potentially be behind the iMac Pro survey.

Phil Schiller and Craig Federighi admitted last year that with the 2013 Mac Pro, Apple designed itself into "a bit of a thermal corner" given the restrictive size of the trash can-shaped Mac Pro and its inability to handle the thermal capacity needed for larger single GPUs. Apple learned from that mistake and is this time aiming for a machine that will better accommodate future upgrades and high-end hardware.

Apple plans to release the new Mac Pro at some point in 2019, so a launch is a ways off, but it's possible Apple will be ready to share additional details about the machine this year when new Macs are unveiled either in September or October.

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keysofanxiety
15 months ago
Can’t win huh. Ask the customers what they want or their favourite features of the iMac Pro and Apple are clueless with what direction to go.

Take a different direction and get criticised and Apple are accused of being arrogant and don’t listen to customers.

Look, Apple ****ed up badly on the Pro market. They admitted it. They’re looking to rectify it. Why does everybody have to be some damn negative about every bit of news. If Pros (pretty much everybody here, evidently), are so invested in Apple products and its ecosystem, can’t you be happy they’re genuinely looking to resolve your criticisms?
Rating: 44 Votes
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JayBlueBird92
15 months ago
Anyone filling this in, please tell them we want Nvidia 1080 ti / 2080 GFX cards.

Screw Vega.
Rating: 34 Votes
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centauratlas
15 months ago
In general a pro machine should be upgradable:
Lots of memory, upgradable.
Replaceable disks.
Replaceable video cards.
Current generation CPUs, video cards etc.
Thunderbolt 3.
DDR4 (parity is important).

Forget thinness. This isn't the same market that is looking at the new iPhone or iPad. It is a pro machine. Sure they'll buy those too, but this is for development or graphic design and the like where thinness is irrelevant.
Rating: 31 Votes
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nvmls
15 months ago
Way to play dumb Apple. Surely glue will be the most popular.
Rating: 28 Votes
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zubikov
15 months ago
Apple didn't get to where it is by asking its customers what they want. This is worrying.
Rating: 26 Votes
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Polymorphic
15 months ago

Apple didn't get to where it is by asking its customers what they want. This is worrying.


The time to worry was seven years ago, when the guy who knew what customers really needed died.

Apple has just been guessing ever since.
Rating: 24 Votes
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Count Blah
15 months ago

Can’t win huh. Ask the customers what they want or their favourite features of the iMac Pro and Apple are clueless with what direction to go.

Take a different direction and get criticised and Apple are accused of being arrogant and don’t listen to customers.

Look, Apple ****ed up badly on the Pro market. They admitted it. They’re looking to rectify it. Why does everybody have to be some damn negative about every bit of news. If Pros (pretty much everybody here, evidently), are so invested in Apple products and its ecosystem, can’t you be happy they’re genuinely looking to resolve your criticisms?

Because it takes them two years, from announcement of their newfound "admission" to when we MIGHT sniff a new machine. All the while, they couldnt' give a rats behind about the pro market when the trashcan pro was the laughing stock of the pro world. Tech that was outdated when released and continues to died on the vine while machines less than 1/3 the price, could kick the trashcan to the curb, in performance. All ushering the max exodus of Pro users, away from Apple.

And people STILL want to defend Apple's actions in this segment?!?!?!?!

Unbelievable!
Rating: 19 Votes
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jarred125
15 months ago

Apple didn't get to where it is by asking its customers what they want. This is worrying.


Yeah that seems to be part of the problem, they didn't ask their customers. All the while they removed things that were useful to their customers and creating a world filled with dongles. Yay.
Rating: 19 Votes
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vegetassj4
15 months ago
Read iMac forums?
Rating: 17 Votes
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Freida
15 months ago

Why? Why must a “Pro” machine (whatever that means) be upgradable? Why is that the most important factor?

Woah-oh, dangerous foot to start on. I only ask because most “Pros” I know just want a powerful machine, with great support, great build quality, that they can buy customised with the hardware they want, and they use it until they need a new one.

They wouldn’t spend hours or more dicking about upgrading RAM, drives, installing OSs, replacing CPUs, just so they can save some money on components. If anything the time they spent on that and the money they saved would be less than if they just did their job in the first place.

Now again, these are just some Pros. Graphics designers, music producers, etc. I’m sure there are plenty who need upgradeable components too.

Lumping every single professional in the same brush and saying “the machine must be upgradeable, regardless if it comes with 128GB RAM, an 18 core Xeon, OR IT’S NOT PRO” is utterly ridiculous. It’s a dumb argument. When Apple release a decent modular machine, as they’ve stated on many occasions they have already, then hopefully all users will be satisfied.

In big companies, IT department upgrades those machines on continuous basis!
In small studios its the same except it might be done by on nerd guy
Techie artists want that as it gives them future proof and they can speed up their stuff when a new tech is available.
Those PROs you talk about are the group that are not technically minded and just wanna buy something and not worry about it at all. Those are PRO too but bigger group is those that want to upgrade it even if its just once or twice in its lifetime.

PRO machine MUST BE upgradeable regardless of what you think. There is no way Apple can release a machine that will fit everyones need and some artists/techies need to upgrade in order to save time/make more money. Those in 3D can confirm that how easy swap for faster GPU can save you minutes and a day if not more. If certain tasks take 10 mins vs 5mins in Maya with better GPU for example then that is a lot of time shaved off.
I get it, you are not in this group, but then understand that a lot of people are.

I had 2010 12core mac pro and i loved the upgradeability. Yeah, I upgraded it only 2x or so but it was significant to speed up my workflow. Thats what matters.
Glueing things together is not a definition of PRO machine - thats definition of a TOY
Rating: 15 Votes

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