6-MONTHS WITH THE NEW MAC PRO
Aug 18, 2014 | Pro Tips, Video Production
Early adoption of new technologies can be considered chic for consumers but, for professionals, early adoption can be a risky proposition. Take Final Cut Pro X for example –many of those who blindly made the switch upon its debut later regretted their decision. They found themselves back-peddling due to a lack of depth in the initial release.
But risk can have its rewards. Richter Studios traces its origins back to the late-90's when our industry was transitioning from old analog technologies to the modern digital workflow we see today. We recognized this as an opportunity – to break from tradition and build a company that embraced the coming digital age so we could serve clients better, faster and cheaper than the established competition. Ever since, we've strived to stay abreast of the latest technologies and become early adopters of those we considered "game-changers". So, when Apple began taking orders for the new Mac Pro, we signed up for three.
WHY IS THE NEW MAC PRO A GAME-CHANGER?
I won't go into all the technical specifications. You can find those on Apple's website. For us, the features that made us want to become early adopters of the Mac Pro were several-fold:
I/O – The new Thunderbolt 2, co-developed by Apple and Intel, is an incredibly versatile I/O that delivers mind-boggling performance. Up to 20Gb/s of data transfer bandwidth which is 25x faster than Firewire 800. And it's capable of daisy-chaining up to 36 devices.
Graphics – With not one, but two state-of-the-art AMD FirePro GPU's built in, the Mac Pro boasts up to 7 teraflops of GPU performance. That's enough power to connect up to three 4K displays while seamlessly editing native 4K footage.
Processor – A new generation of Intel Xeon E5 processors, available with up to 12 cores, delivers up to 2x the speed of the previous Mac Pro.
Storage – The next generation of PCIe Flash Storage that's built into the new Mac Pro is up to 10x faster than traditional 7200-rpm SATA hard drives.
The bottom line is a quantum leap in performance. With Thunderbolt 2 equipped G|DRIVE's tethered to our new Mac Pro's, we're able to edit EPIC DRAGON footage in real time. We've also been able to decommission two Xserve blades and two Xserve RAID's in favor of a new server configuration that's powered by the Mac Pro and ample RAID storage courtesy of the Thunderbolt 2 equipped PROMISE Pegasus2 Series arrays. For the team at Richter Studios, the Mac Pro has indeed proved to be a game-changer.
MAYBE APPLE HASN'T ABANDONED THE PROFESSIONAL MARKET AFTER ALL?
In my opinion, the new Mac Pro is clear evidence that Apple is indeed committed to us professionals. Yes, it was painful awaiting Apple's announcement of the long rumored Mac Pro. It was even more painful awaiting its official release and then another two months for delivery. While the wait was excruciating, it was worth it in the end. Apple clearly took the time to get it right.
So after 6-months with the new Mac Pro, I can report that becoming an early adopter proved to be worth the risk. And now that we've become accustom to having its miraculous power at our fingertips, it's the little things that I'm beginning to appreciate most. Its incredibly small footprint. Its simple, elegant design. Its whisper quite cooling system. With the new Mac Pro, Apple delivered in a way that only Apple can – with style and innovation.
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