iPad, MacBook, Mac Pro announcements Oct 2013

[haven]

Today, Apple announced updated versions of its iPad and MacBook products. The new Mac Pro tower got a release date. And Apple said several updated software products, including the new Mac OS "Mavericks," will be free. However, no new products were introduced, leaving some analysts disappointed.

The full size iPad now will be called the iPad Air, to emphasize its new low weight and thinner profile. The A7 64 bit main processor and M7 coprocessor, introduced in the iPhone 5s, now powers the iPad Air. The iPhone's TouchID fingerprint scanner is not found on the iPad, however. The iPad Air will have the same price as the outgoing iPad models, which start at $499 for a WiFi model with 16 GB of storage memory.

The iPad Mini gets all the processor upgrades coming to the iPad Air, plus a new Retina (2048x1536) color LCD display. That raises the starting price from $329 to $399. The Retina Ipad Mini is a little thicker and heavier than the original iPad Mini. The iPad Mini screen is 7.9 inches diagonally, two inches smaller than the iPad Air, which helps make the Mini about 3 ounces lighter than the Air. For $399, the iPad Mini includes 16 GB RAM and WiFi.

Apple will continue to sell the original iPad Mini, with slower processor and lower resolution screen, for $299. The iPad 2 will remain on the order list at $399.
Here's a page that shows the differences in the iPad Air and iPad mini lineups.
http://www.apple.com/ipad/compare/

The new MacBook Pro is lighter, considerably faster and has better battery life than last year's model. Starting at $1299 for the model with a 13 inch screen, it's also $100 cheaper. This matches up well to the current crop of "ultrabook" laptops.

The Mac Pro tower computer, announced last Summer, will be available in December. Starting price will be $2995 for a model with one Xeon processor, 12 GB RAM and 256 GB flash drive. Options to increase the number of processors and memory will be available.

 

[Rallyroo]

And Apple also announced that the newest version of OS X is free to everyone.

We want all Mac users to experience the latest features, the most advanced technologies, and the strongest security. And now they can. Because the newest version of OS X is free. It’s a simple download from the Mac App Store, so it couldn’t be easier to get. OS X Mavericks is another major leap forward for the Mac — and for everyone who uses it.

OS X Mavericks
http://www.apple.com/osx/


(Although I won't be updating immediately. I'll wait a couple weeks for the bugs to get worked out.)

 

[haven]

The new iPads continue Apple's tradition of not providing a GPS receiver in the WiFi-only models. So you have to step up to a model with a cellular modem, adding $130 to the cost of the system.

The four major USA carriers (Verizon, ATT, Sprint and T-Mobile) will offer 3G/4G/LTE data service for the Air and the Mini (but no traditional voice service). T-Mobile is trying to attract customers by offering 200 MB of free data service each month, with rollover. Once you're past 200 MB, you have to pay. But for a lot of people, 200 MB will be enough for occasional use. A monthly allotment of 2.5 GB costs $30; 4.5 GB costs $40, with no contract. There's no data use associated with the GPS, in any case.

 

[haven]

On the software front, the iWork productivity apps (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) and the iLife apps (iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand) for both iOS and Mac OS have been rewritten to run efficiently in a 64 bit environment, and redesigned to match Apple's current flatter and more colorful software motif. The iOS and Mac OS versions share a common file format, so a document created on one platform can be edited on the other. There's an iWork for iCloud web application that allows PCs to share the documents, too.

From the Apple press release:

"iWork and iLife for Mac come free with every new Mac purchase. Existing users running Mavericks can update their apps for free from the Mac App Store.

iWork and iLife for iOS are available for free from the App Store for any new device running iOS 7, and are also available as free updates for existing users.

GarageBand for Mac and iOS are free for all OS X Mavericks and iOS 7 users."

Apple also announced that Mac OS 10.9, aka "Mavericks," will be available for free. Macs currently running OS X Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion can upgrade directly. You can see the full list of hardware requirements here http://www.apple.com/osx/specs

 

[haven]

The iPad Air is improved in many ways, but even with the improvements, it still has serious competition for your tablet dollar. Maybe the best is the Google Nexus 10. For $399, you get a higher resolution screen (2,560 x 1,600) and built-in GPS. The Air does have the latest 64 bit processor, while today's Nexus 10 has a year-old 32 bit dual core model. And the Air is considerably lighter and sleeker in design. The iPad Air with GPS costs ($499 + $130 for GPS) = $629.

But wait until October 24, when Google is expected to announce the next generation Nexus 10. It's likely to be lighter and have a faster processor, and keep the $399 price.

 

[Willman]

The OS 7 software is a big downer....My iphone feels/looks like a windows phone now....

 

[haven]

http://daringfireball.net/2013/10/this_weeks_ipad_event

Here's a lengthy article by Apple aficionado John Gruber about the new Apple products, and some informed speculation about Apple's future plans.

 

[haven]

Looks like the Mac Pro, Apple's top of the line cylindrical desktop computer, will go on sale December 19.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/18/5219306/mac-pro-2013-specifications-release-date-price

 

[haven]

Make that, "will be available for order." The new Mac Pro probably won't ship until February.

There are lots of options available when you order a Mac Pro. Prices range from about $3000 for a base unit, up to about $9500 when you check all the option boxes.

Could you build a Windows system with similar specs for less? According to this web site, the answer is no.

The full boat Mac Pro is about 20% less than the comparable machine built from parts.
http://www.futurelooks.com/new-apple-mac-pro-can-build-better-cheaper-pc-diy-style/

The entry level Mac Pro is 33% cheaper than the windows machine the web site built, although the windows machine has better specs.
http://www.futurelooks.com/can-build-better-entry-level-apple-mac-pro-via-pc-diy-cheaper/

It's likely that a PC manufacturer could produce a similar Windows machine for less than the hobbyist web site, due to economies of scale. (Processors are cheaper when you purchase 10,000 at a time, for example.) But for now, the Mac Pro looks to be a bargain.

 

[haven]

iFixit has disassembled the new Mac Pro. They report that the processor is user replaceable, provided the user knows his/her way around modern electronics. Also easily replaceable are the RAM modules, the graphics cards, and the SSD. iFixit gives the Mac Pro 8 out of 10 for ease of disassembly.

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac+Pro+Late+2013+Teardown/20778

This raises some interesting ways to save money. Buy the base model Mac Pro, and add more RAM, larger and faster SSD, and a faster processor with more cores yourself. This could result in maybe $2000 in savings, compared to retail prices.

 

[haven]

Anandtech has posted their review of the Mac Pro. If your work uses software that supports multiple computer cores and GPUs, the new machine is a winner.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7603/mac-pro-review-late-2013

 

[nwoods]

I priced one out the other day. $13,880.99 with a 32" 4K monitor

 

[haven]

Can you find a Windows machine with similar CPU, GPU, SSD, RAM and monitor for less?

 

[nwoods]

Can you find a Windows machine with similar CPU, GPU, SSD, RAM and monitor for less?

Nope. Anandtech has a great review of the new MacPro, with an interesting price comparison chart as well:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7603/mac-pro-review-late-2013

 

[haven]

A blog and online store called Other World Computing (OWC) decided to find out if it's possible to upgrade the Mac Pro's processor. They succeeded in replacing the stock Intel XEON E5-1650 V2 processor (6-core, 3.50GHz,12MB Cache) with an Intel E5-2667 V2 (8-core, 3.30GHz, 25MB Cache). Initial testing showed a 30% improvement on benchmarks.

OWC is considering whether they should offer to sell faster processors, or offer a service where you ship the CPU board to OWC for the upgrade.

Looking around online, it appears that the Xeon E5-2667 V2 costs about $2100. Apple doesn't offer this particular processor as an option. They offer an 8 core processor clocked 10% slower (3.0GHz) for $1500 extra. I'm not sure it's worth paying more, and losing your Apple warranty, for this mod.

http://blog.macsales.com/22188-owc-confirms-mac-pro-2013-processor-upgradeable