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iOS 7 software release
- Thread starter singveld
- Start date
i rant what i want here in the forum. If you love it, buy one and put your cock in it while it is still hot.
Jonathan Ive head the team that design the psychedelia shit interface. Such a disappointment.
At least previously he show some good taste by copying german design, than the useless new macpro team that copy from a trashbin.
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THE HUGE POWER STRUGGLE THAT LED TO APPLE'S BOLD REDESIGN
The radical overhaul of the iOS software is the result of a huge power struggle within the company, which saw the previous head of iOS, Scott Forstall, outed in favour of Sir Jonathan Ive.
Forstall was Apple's senior vice president of iPhone Software, from 2007 - when the first iPhone launched - until last year when Apple announced he had resigned from his position.
The iOS 7 design is the first major change to the operating system since he was replaced by London-born Jony (as he is known) Ive in October last year.
Ive was already in charge of industrial hardware designs for the iMac, iPhone and iPad and there were rumours that suggested that Forstall was forced to step down as software chief as part of Cook's apparent desire to remove anyone who had a good relationship with previous CEO Steve Jobs.
There were also rumours that Forstall and Ive couldn't be in a meeting together without Cook being there to mediate.
Forstall launched the 'skeuomorphic' design of the iOS software, which uses visual cues that have been designed to look like physical objects, for example the 'leather' on the Find My Friends app, the 'wooden' bookshelves in iBooks and the green felt in the Game Center.
It was a design that Ive is said to have disliked and other people had criticised Forstall for its dated look. In an interview with the Telegraph, Ive apparently 'winced' when the interviewer asked him about Forstall's designs and said he wanted to make iOS 7 more simple.
At last year’s WWDC 2011, Forstall introduced iOS 5 and later launched Siri on the iPhone 4S.
But by October 29, Apple announced in a press release that Forstall had resigned as senior vice president of iOS.
The announcement came after Apple's Q3 results showed revenues and profits grew less than predicted – the second quarter in a row the company had failed to meet expectations.
Forstall had also been criticised after he launched Apple Maps due to them being inaccurate and in some cases, missing entire roads.
When Ive’s appointment was announced, it was clear the company was taking a new direction with the design of the iOS software.
The statement said: 'Jony Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his role as the leader of Industrial Design' in an official statement.
It continued: 'His incredible design aesthetic has been the driving force behind the look and feel of Apple’s products for more than a decade.'
Ive’s first design project was the iMac and this designed influenced the look of many other products such as the iPod and the iPhone.
The new software has a 'flat design', but critics say the dramatic new look could backfire, confusing users - while others claim it simply looks like Google's rival Android system.
Experts warned the radical makeover could confuse some users. Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at Ovum, said it 'represents a massive overhaul of the look and feel of the operating system, which has remained largely unchanged visually since the original version.'
However, he said the changes could be too much. 'The new version is almost unrecognisable, which will make it polarizing. Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.'
At least previously he show some good taste by copying german design, than the useless new macpro team that copy from a trashbin.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE HUGE POWER STRUGGLE THAT LED TO APPLE'S BOLD REDESIGN
The radical overhaul of the iOS software is the result of a huge power struggle within the company, which saw the previous head of iOS, Scott Forstall, outed in favour of Sir Jonathan Ive.
Forstall was Apple's senior vice president of iPhone Software, from 2007 - when the first iPhone launched - until last year when Apple announced he had resigned from his position.
The iOS 7 design is the first major change to the operating system since he was replaced by London-born Jony (as he is known) Ive in October last year.
Ive was already in charge of industrial hardware designs for the iMac, iPhone and iPad and there were rumours that suggested that Forstall was forced to step down as software chief as part of Cook's apparent desire to remove anyone who had a good relationship with previous CEO Steve Jobs.
There were also rumours that Forstall and Ive couldn't be in a meeting together without Cook being there to mediate.
Forstall launched the 'skeuomorphic' design of the iOS software, which uses visual cues that have been designed to look like physical objects, for example the 'leather' on the Find My Friends app, the 'wooden' bookshelves in iBooks and the green felt in the Game Center.
It was a design that Ive is said to have disliked and other people had criticised Forstall for its dated look. In an interview with the Telegraph, Ive apparently 'winced' when the interviewer asked him about Forstall's designs and said he wanted to make iOS 7 more simple.
At last year’s WWDC 2011, Forstall introduced iOS 5 and later launched Siri on the iPhone 4S.
But by October 29, Apple announced in a press release that Forstall had resigned as senior vice president of iOS.
The announcement came after Apple's Q3 results showed revenues and profits grew less than predicted – the second quarter in a row the company had failed to meet expectations.
Forstall had also been criticised after he launched Apple Maps due to them being inaccurate and in some cases, missing entire roads.
When Ive’s appointment was announced, it was clear the company was taking a new direction with the design of the iOS software.
The statement said: 'Jony Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his role as the leader of Industrial Design' in an official statement.
It continued: 'His incredible design aesthetic has been the driving force behind the look and feel of Apple’s products for more than a decade.'
Ive’s first design project was the iMac and this designed influenced the look of many other products such as the iPod and the iPhone.
The new software has a 'flat design', but critics say the dramatic new look could backfire, confusing users - while others claim it simply looks like Google's rival Android system.
Experts warned the radical makeover could confuse some users. Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at Ovum, said it 'represents a massive overhaul of the look and feel of the operating system, which has remained largely unchanged visually since the original version.'
However, he said the changes could be too much. 'The new version is almost unrecognisable, which will make it polarizing. Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.'
Is the Apple redesign a disaster? Tech experts accuse company of ditching unique look for 'almost unrecognisable' interface which panders to company's critics - not its loyal fans
Tech experts have accused Apple's new software of being designed more for its critics than its army of loyal fans.
The bold redesign, which scraps Apple's iconic style in favour of a more generic Android look, was called 'almost unrecognisable' by Jan Dawson, analyst at IT research firm Ovum, and will 'disorientate' customers in a bid to prove the company can still innovate.
Others hailed the redesign as being a step too far with Paddy Smith, online editor at Stuff.tv adding he hoped the 'the biggest update to iOS since iPhone won't also prove to be its most controversial.'
GameSpot UK's Mark Walton even accused Apple of going on the 'defensive' during its keynote speech at its annual WWDC and said the changes show criticism about the company's supposed lack of innovation since Steve Jobs died had finally got to it.
Apple unveiled one of the biggest gambles in its history last night with a radical overhaul of its iOS software.
The new iOS 7 software has a ‘flat design’, but critics say the dramatic new look could backfire, confusing users - while others claim it simply looks like Google’s rival Android system.
It is the result of a huge power struggle within the company, which saw the previous head of iOS, Scott Forstall, outed in favour of British born-designer Sir Jonathan Ive, who oversaw the new software.
Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at Ovum, said it ‘represents a massive overhaul of the look and feel of the operating system, which has remained largely unchanged visually since the original version.’
However, he said the changes could be too much.
‘The new version is almost unrecognisable, which will make it polarizing.
‘Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.'
Apple's new software and products come at a time when its rival Samsung is dominating the smartphone market.
Market research firm IDC estimated that Samsung shipped 70.7m smartphones during the first quarter of this year - up 61 per cent compared to the same time last year.
This means Samsung is capturing around 33 per cent of the market share.
In comparison, Apple sold 37.4m iPhones.
Its market share fell to 17 per cent from 23 per cent a year earlier.
The iOS 7 design - which will be available in the autumn - is the first major change to the operating system since Ive was put in charge of software last October.
He was already in charge of industrial hardware designs for the iMac, iPhone and iPad but took over the software-side of the business from Scott Forstall following a power struggle within the firm.
Forstall was senior vice president of iOS software from 2007 - when the first iPhone launched - until last year when Apple announced he had resigned from his position.
Tech experts have accused Apple's new software of being designed more for its critics than its army of loyal fans.
The bold redesign, which scraps Apple's iconic style in favour of a more generic Android look, was called 'almost unrecognisable' by Jan Dawson, analyst at IT research firm Ovum, and will 'disorientate' customers in a bid to prove the company can still innovate.
Others hailed the redesign as being a step too far with Paddy Smith, online editor at Stuff.tv adding he hoped the 'the biggest update to iOS since iPhone won't also prove to be its most controversial.'
GameSpot UK's Mark Walton even accused Apple of going on the 'defensive' during its keynote speech at its annual WWDC and said the changes show criticism about the company's supposed lack of innovation since Steve Jobs died had finally got to it.
Apple unveiled one of the biggest gambles in its history last night with a radical overhaul of its iOS software.
The new iOS 7 software has a ‘flat design’, but critics say the dramatic new look could backfire, confusing users - while others claim it simply looks like Google’s rival Android system.
It is the result of a huge power struggle within the company, which saw the previous head of iOS, Scott Forstall, outed in favour of British born-designer Sir Jonathan Ive, who oversaw the new software.
Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at Ovum, said it ‘represents a massive overhaul of the look and feel of the operating system, which has remained largely unchanged visually since the original version.’
However, he said the changes could be too much.
‘The new version is almost unrecognisable, which will make it polarizing.
‘Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.'
Apple's new software and products come at a time when its rival Samsung is dominating the smartphone market.
Market research firm IDC estimated that Samsung shipped 70.7m smartphones during the first quarter of this year - up 61 per cent compared to the same time last year.
This means Samsung is capturing around 33 per cent of the market share.
In comparison, Apple sold 37.4m iPhones.
Its market share fell to 17 per cent from 23 per cent a year earlier.
The iOS 7 design - which will be available in the autumn - is the first major change to the operating system since Ive was put in charge of software last October.
He was already in charge of industrial hardware designs for the iMac, iPhone and iPad but took over the software-side of the business from Scott Forstall following a power struggle within the firm.
Forstall was senior vice president of iOS software from 2007 - when the first iPhone launched - until last year when Apple announced he had resigned from his position.
Some of Forstall's responsibilities were then given to Ive and rumours suggested Forstall was forced to step down as software chief as part of Cook's apparent desire to remove anyone who had a good relationship with previous CEO Steve Jobs.
There were also rumours that Forstall and Ive couldn't be in a meeting together without Cook being there to mediate, although none of these claims have been substantiated.
In front of a packed audience of more than 6,000 Apple developers at San Francisco’s Moscone Centre, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: ‘The app store has fundamentally changed the world, and over 50 billion apps have been downloaded.’
Following Apple's announcement its stocks dropped $2.92, sliding to 438.89.
However, during the build-up to the event, the company's stocks rose by $3.36 so the company finished flat.
During its keynote speech Apple the firm also revealed a major overhaul of its Mac software.
Cook said 28 million copies of the latest version of its Mac OS software were in use, taking a jab at Microsoft by pointing out the low takeup of its Windows 8 software.
There were also rumours that Forstall and Ive couldn't be in a meeting together without Cook being there to mediate, although none of these claims have been substantiated.
In front of a packed audience of more than 6,000 Apple developers at San Francisco’s Moscone Centre, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: ‘The app store has fundamentally changed the world, and over 50 billion apps have been downloaded.’
Following Apple's announcement its stocks dropped $2.92, sliding to 438.89.
However, during the build-up to the event, the company's stocks rose by $3.36 so the company finished flat.
During its keynote speech Apple the firm also revealed a major overhaul of its Mac software.
Cook said 28 million copies of the latest version of its Mac OS software were in use, taking a jab at Microsoft by pointing out the low takeup of its Windows 8 software.
APPLE'S NEW SOFTWARE - INITIAL REACTIONS
Apple's new iOS 7 software responds to movement. When a user tilts their handset, the operating system responds with zooms and scrolls
Tech experts hailed Apple's new iOS7 operating system as the company's biggest software overhaul since the release of the first iPhone.
‘Most of the changes since then have been like tinkering at the edges, whereas this is a revamp of the whole thing, especially visually,’ said Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at IT research firm Ovum.
Mr Dawson added: ‘The new version is almost unrecognisable, which will make it polarising.
‘Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.
‘It's very attractive, but it's also different - it doesn't look very Apple-y.’
Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert at website uSwitch.com, said: ‘With many elements of Apple's six-year old operating system showing their age - and stiff competition from the visually arresting charms of Android and Windows Phone 8 - the crow's feet had started to become visible on its range of hugely popular devices.
‘With iOS7, Apple was eager to show this wasn't just a fresh coat of paint, or a few nips and tucks. Jony Ive and his team have really brought the design ethos that have made Apple products so iconic on the outside, and seem to have revamped the innards just as drastically too.
Stuart Miles, founder of technology and gadget site Pocket-lint, said Apple appeared almost more confident than ever before as it announced the new system.
‘I think they came across as being a calm and confident Apple, setting themselves up for the next ten years,’ he said.
‘There were lots of features borrowed, refined and improved with iOS7 that are sure to make everybody love it again.
‘It's a very colourful, playful operating system, from what I have seen so far, which may not appeal to everybody - it is perhaps more fun than geared towards business use - but I think that is what people want.
‘They want the fresh take on something they are familiar with and Apple have certainly given them that.’
Responding specifically to the launch of iTunes Radio, Oleg Fomenko co-founder and CEO of Bloom.fm said: 'We all love Apple; their devices are amazing. What they have achieved through creating a vibrant and successful music download market through iTunes is to be hugely admired.
'However, is iTunes Radio really going to be a game-changer? Streaming radio is not a new concept and, as expected, it’s an ad-funded model.
'Everyone agrees that the £1 per download model is in-decline and that £10 per month streaming subscriptions have failed to gain mass-market traction. Streaming radio, expensive on demand subscriptions and paid for downloads do not reflect how people consume music today.
'They want total control over what they listen to at an affordable price. The combination of restricted streaming radios and paid for downloads doesn’t satisfy this need.'
GameSpot UK's Mark Walton believes that criticism forced Apple's hand when it came to redesigning iOS 7: 'There was a defensive attitude to Apple's WWDC keynote that we haven't seen for some time, the media criticism about the company's supposed lack of innovation had finally got to it.
'iOS 7finally brings the ageing mobile operating system up-to-date visually, features like Control Centre begin to deal with increased competition from Android, and iTunes Radio finally gives Apple the chance to compete with Spotify.
'The changes to OS X were less extensive, but there's something to be said for the improved multi-display support that professional users have been clamouring for.
'Mac Pro's lack of internal upgradability could work against it, though.
'There's an element of the G4 Cube about it, which was similarly restrictive in its expandability, and was one of the few Apple products to fail at retail.
'There's no denying the innovation on display with the new Mac Pro, but its closed off nature might make be a step too far for the pro markets it claims to serve.'
Paddy Smith, Online Editor of Stuff.tv said: 'There was no iWatch and no iTV. Not even a MacBook Air with Retina Display.
'But Apple's measured response to a world clamouring for innovation was a new Mac Pro and a massive overhaul of its iPhone and iPad operating system.
'The former will be expensive and exclusive, but its public launch also showed an Apple keen to show it hasn't lost its ability to 'think different' when it comes to cutting-edge hardware design.
'But iOS 7 will arrive on iPhones and iPads in millions of homes and pockets for free and change the way many people use their smartphones and tablets.
'It's gorgeous but Apple's had a rocky ride with software updates in the past few years - both Siri and Apple Maps had a bumpy introduction to the world - so we hope 'the biggest update to iOS since iPhone' won't also prove to be its most controversial.'
John Donham, CEO of TuneIn added: 'We are not worried about iRadio becoming a threat to TuneIn. People will always crave radio.
'All of this mislabeling of the term 'radio' by players in the personal music collection space is so misleading.
'Hundreds or even thousands of songs on shuffle is not radio; they will never replace the human curator who is able to connect on a real level with people.
'Furthermore, all of these so-called 'radio' services only offer music. They're missing the rich offering radio brings for sports, news, talk and podcasts - TuneIn offers all of that.'
Apple's new iOS 7 software responds to movement. When a user tilts their handset, the operating system responds with zooms and scrolls
Tech experts hailed Apple's new iOS7 operating system as the company's biggest software overhaul since the release of the first iPhone.
‘Most of the changes since then have been like tinkering at the edges, whereas this is a revamp of the whole thing, especially visually,’ said Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at IT research firm Ovum.
Mr Dawson added: ‘The new version is almost unrecognisable, which will make it polarising.
‘Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.
‘It's very attractive, but it's also different - it doesn't look very Apple-y.’
Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert at website uSwitch.com, said: ‘With many elements of Apple's six-year old operating system showing their age - and stiff competition from the visually arresting charms of Android and Windows Phone 8 - the crow's feet had started to become visible on its range of hugely popular devices.
‘With iOS7, Apple was eager to show this wasn't just a fresh coat of paint, or a few nips and tucks. Jony Ive and his team have really brought the design ethos that have made Apple products so iconic on the outside, and seem to have revamped the innards just as drastically too.
Stuart Miles, founder of technology and gadget site Pocket-lint, said Apple appeared almost more confident than ever before as it announced the new system.
‘I think they came across as being a calm and confident Apple, setting themselves up for the next ten years,’ he said.
‘There were lots of features borrowed, refined and improved with iOS7 that are sure to make everybody love it again.
‘It's a very colourful, playful operating system, from what I have seen so far, which may not appeal to everybody - it is perhaps more fun than geared towards business use - but I think that is what people want.
‘They want the fresh take on something they are familiar with and Apple have certainly given them that.’
Responding specifically to the launch of iTunes Radio, Oleg Fomenko co-founder and CEO of Bloom.fm said: 'We all love Apple; their devices are amazing. What they have achieved through creating a vibrant and successful music download market through iTunes is to be hugely admired.
'However, is iTunes Radio really going to be a game-changer? Streaming radio is not a new concept and, as expected, it’s an ad-funded model.
'Everyone agrees that the £1 per download model is in-decline and that £10 per month streaming subscriptions have failed to gain mass-market traction. Streaming radio, expensive on demand subscriptions and paid for downloads do not reflect how people consume music today.
'They want total control over what they listen to at an affordable price. The combination of restricted streaming radios and paid for downloads doesn’t satisfy this need.'
GameSpot UK's Mark Walton believes that criticism forced Apple's hand when it came to redesigning iOS 7: 'There was a defensive attitude to Apple's WWDC keynote that we haven't seen for some time, the media criticism about the company's supposed lack of innovation had finally got to it.
'iOS 7finally brings the ageing mobile operating system up-to-date visually, features like Control Centre begin to deal with increased competition from Android, and iTunes Radio finally gives Apple the chance to compete with Spotify.
'The changes to OS X were less extensive, but there's something to be said for the improved multi-display support that professional users have been clamouring for.
'Mac Pro's lack of internal upgradability could work against it, though.
'There's an element of the G4 Cube about it, which was similarly restrictive in its expandability, and was one of the few Apple products to fail at retail.
'There's no denying the innovation on display with the new Mac Pro, but its closed off nature might make be a step too far for the pro markets it claims to serve.'
Paddy Smith, Online Editor of Stuff.tv said: 'There was no iWatch and no iTV. Not even a MacBook Air with Retina Display.
'But Apple's measured response to a world clamouring for innovation was a new Mac Pro and a massive overhaul of its iPhone and iPad operating system.
'The former will be expensive and exclusive, but its public launch also showed an Apple keen to show it hasn't lost its ability to 'think different' when it comes to cutting-edge hardware design.
'But iOS 7 will arrive on iPhones and iPads in millions of homes and pockets for free and change the way many people use their smartphones and tablets.
'It's gorgeous but Apple's had a rocky ride with software updates in the past few years - both Siri and Apple Maps had a bumpy introduction to the world - so we hope 'the biggest update to iOS since iPhone' won't also prove to be its most controversial.'
John Donham, CEO of TuneIn added: 'We are not worried about iRadio becoming a threat to TuneIn. People will always crave radio.
'All of this mislabeling of the term 'radio' by players in the personal music collection space is so misleading.
'Hundreds or even thousands of songs on shuffle is not radio; they will never replace the human curator who is able to connect on a real level with people.
'Furthermore, all of these so-called 'radio' services only offer music. They're missing the rich offering radio brings for sports, news, talk and podcasts - TuneIn offers all of that.'
yes, thinking the same. Wonder if raid 5 file servers will be available via the thunderbolt interface.
Sawasdee Krup if only they could incorporate a subwoofer into this cylindric design it'll save a lot of space for audio hookup
i told him about your incessant whining, and he promised me that next year he will ask his mech team to specially design a conical core for you. it will be in the shape of a sharp cone, and you can shaft the sharp end up your arse! :oIo:
thank you for the feedback.
While they are at it please add a vibrating feature on it for added ability to accelerate removal of fecal matter.
Once again this illustrates the point I have always emphasised and that is the importance of leadership.
What is happening now is exactly what happened under Scully.
Steve Jobs assembled a core team of extremely talented people. While he was around, he pointed them all in the same direction. Their combined talent was therefore greater than the sum of the parts.
Now that the boss has gone, they're all at each other's throats and the power struggle won't subside till a victor emerges or the company dies.
Singveld, singveld, singveld, you beat many of us to it. I an probably many here thought we're Apple's great fans never know you're the greatest with so many posts showing your concern. Cheers to you applegeek.
woof! woof!
done! it will also cum with a toilet roll dispenser. unfortunately, no water hose for washing. :(
Some think Apple that will release a thunderbolt RAID or maybe they are working with some 3rd party
wow it's fucking ugly
The Brilliant Insanity Behind the New Mac Pro's Design
The last we heard of the Power Mac G4 Cube—a computer everyone loved, but no one could quite figure out—was in a press release from 2001. Twelve years later, we've finally met its beautiful, brilliant, and not altogether sane successor.
Back in July of 2001, the future of the Cube wasn't entirely clear. In a press release, Apple's reps explained their reasoning:
“Apple® today announced that it will suspend production of the Power Mac™ G4 Cube indefinitely. The company said there is a small chance it will reintroduce an upgraded model of the unique computer in the future, but that there are no plans to do so at this time.
‘Cube owners love their Cubes, but most customers decided to buy our powerful Power Mac G4 minitowers instead,’ said Philip Schiller, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.”
And with that, Apple killed one of the most innovative personal computers it had ever produced. Placed between Apple’s entry-level iMac and high-end Power Mac, the Cube was too expensive for consumers and not expandable enough for pros. Still, everyone loved it because it was, for lack of a better description, awesome. And so, for the last twelve years, we hung onto that “small chance" that Apple would reintroduce the Cube, hoping that someday, the product’s concept would finally make sense.
That day came yesterday.
The Concept
Last week, I wrote about the future of the Mac Pro, a time-tested machine that had slowly become the most anachronistic product from Apple’s hardware offerings. As I saw it, the company had four options: kill the Mac Pro, give the current Mac Pro case a spec bump, evolve the design, or completely change the game.
Apple obviously went with the fourth option. It’s important to consider why they would choose this path over the others. Successful revolutions of product archetypes occur when a team realizes that an underlying technology has advanced or been replaced. This is what happened with the iPhone. Every mobile phone company in the world had touchscreen designs they never released; Apple, though, was the first to realize that touch screens had caught up in usability and manufacturability. In cases like this, it pays to be the first to discover and take advantage of the opportunity. Usually, it puts you years ahead of the competition, which is stuck making products the old way.
Conversely, sometimes the archetype is too advanced for the underlying technology. For example, Alan Kay came up with the idea for a thin device with a keyboard that could be carried around like a book back in the 1970s. But it wasn’t until the 90s that computing technology could even approach what he had in mind, and it wasn’t until the 2010s that the tablet truly came of age. You can’t force an idea if the tech isn’t there to support it.
The concept of the new Mac Pro is very similar to that of the old Cube: A powerhouse PC that is very small and externally upgradable. That concept was not viable in 2000, when all we had for I/O was FireWire 400 and USB 1.1. Fast forward to 2013, and the technology has caught up to the archetype. We now have Thunderbolt 2, 802.11ac, and USB 3, not to mention cloud storage options. The expandability limitations are gone.
Put simply, we’ve come to a tipping point where the internals of a tower PC limit upgradability more than the externals do. There will be users who will miss optical media and PCI card slots—just like there were users who missed SCSI and floppy drives—but the vast majority of what gets added on to a pro computer today is done externally.
SEXPAND
The Design
Let me just say this about the Mac Pro: this type of design can only be produced by a company that is first, truly led by its industrial design team, and second, completely nuts. No sane engineer would ever let this leave the design stage because it goes against everything you’re supposed to do with electronics. You’re supposed to arrange boards parallel to each other to maximize space efficiency. You’re supposed to have I/O ports that attach to the board in parallel, not perpendicularly. You’re supposed to end up with something that is roughly the shape of a box, because that's the easiest and most efficient way to manufacture a device.
To get a design that looks like this on the outside, you have to start with the inside. Like the Cube, the new Mac Pro is designed around a thermal core that pulls air from the bottom to the top of the machine. Unlike the Cube, which relied on convection cooling alone, the Pro has a fan located at the top of the machine to accelerate the air moving through it. Apple is using some of the same tricks it first used on the Retina MacBook Pro to ensure the fan runs as quietly as possible with a specially designed blade.
SEXPAND
The triangular thermal core is a single piece of extruded aluminum that has been machined and anodized black. Extruding aluminum is a lot like using the old Play-Doh Extruder, except you’re using aluminum instead of Play-Doh. Large, solid billets of aluminum are heated in an oven and then forced through a small die. That triangular-shaped core comes out of the extruder as one large tube. Here's a video demonstrating the process:
After the tube is cooled, it gets cut into shorter sections and then goes through a series of secondary machining operations, creating mounting fixtures that allow other parts to attach directly to the core. Herein lies the beauty of the thermal core design. Not only does it act as a cooling chamber, it also provides the underlying structure for the entire device. Every component attaches directly to the core—boards, fan, the base, and even the outer housing. It’s an extension of Apple’s "unibody" philosophy: Several parts are replaced by one well-designed part. This allows Apple to reduce complexity and invest money in making the remaining parts much higher quality.
The outer housing is made through a process called impact extrusion, shown in the video above. This process is commonly used to make products like Sigg water bottles. A solid puck of aluminum, called a slug, is loaded into the machine and then punched into shape in one quick motion. After this step, the part goes through a series of secondary operations that cut the holes for the I/O and add the now-trademark Apple polished chamfer. The part is then polished and anodized black, creating a mirrored black finish.
Here again, Apple took the hard way out. A typical sandblasted finish—like you would see on the back of the iPhone 5—hides imperfections in the surface. Polishing makes imperfections more pronounced. Basically, Apple needs to get the housing absolutely perfect before it gets polished.
SEXPAND
Small Details That Caught My Eye
The location of power button could be problematic. Maybe people will be more likely to leave their Mac Pros on their desks now that they are so tiny, but no one will be able to hide them under a desk because the power button is hidden amongst the back ports. Of course, why would you want to hide something that looks this good, but it’s still a pain in the butt. Another point—because the housing is polished, you’re going to leave a ton of fingerprints on the case when you hunt around for the power. A possible solution: What if the top of thermal core, inside the outer housing where I think the antennas are located, was one large power button? It would be hidden from view and would be a cool way to interact with the machine.
Black. Everything—the board, the aluminum inner structure, the fasteners—is jet black. It looks sinister. In a good way.
Backlit ports. The ports on the back are backlit when you turn the machine around to plug in a new device. Of course they do.
Polished chamfer. The detail that was first seen on the iPhone 5 and then propagated over to the iPod line and iPad mini shows up here as well. This is typically an expensive process, but Apple gets away with it because of economies of scale. A classic Ive & Cook mindmeld. If you use an expensive process on your entire product line over the course of millions of products, you’re going to dramatically lower its cost. Aesthetically, I like it much more on the Mac Pro than I do on Apple’s other products. On the Pro it’s a nice detail that makes you want to peer into the core of the beast. On products like the iPhone 5, I think it’s a bit too distracting.
Antennas. After trying to figure out how Apple was sending Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals through the all metal casing, I think I found an the answer. The antennas seem to be located at the very top of the Mac Pro, just inside the opening to the thermal core. It’s likely that the domed part that covers the fan’s motor is a material that allows signals to pass through it. Possibly glass or plastic.
Assembled in the US. To get this designation, you have to meaningfully modify the components to get the product to its finished state. You can’t just ship a product to the US, put it in a box and slap a “Assembled in USA” sticker on it. If I had to guess, most of the electronics were made overseas, while the housing, assembly of the product, and packaging were made in the US. Good for Apple for taking another step down this route.
Beyond the desktop. Can you imagine how cool server farms of these things are going to look? If I had to design a data center I would, without a doubt, arrange Mac Pros like the pod towers from The Matrix.
It’s hard not to gush about the Mac Pro. The conceptual thinking behind the device is equalled by its design execution. If the final product Apple releases later this year matches the promise made yesterday, this is as close to perfect as you can make a pro desktop computer in 2013.
Looking at this machine, you can understand the 8 Mile, “Lose Yourself” moment Phil Schiller had on stage yesterday. “Can’t innovate anymore my ass,” he said, literally losing himself in the moment and looking to pick a fight. If you go back and listen to his introduction you can practically hear the adrenaline rushing through his voice as he shoved the question of Apple losing its touch back in the face of its critics. This machine has swagger—and apparently, Apple still does too.
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