Yesterday, Apple announced a flurry of hardware and software products and enhancements, many which are a boon to thouse of using making professional film and video content. Let's take a closer look at a few of the announcments.
For the first time in over two years, Apple upgraded the Mac Pro, a work horse in post production. The Mac Pronow supports up to 64GB of RAM, and up to a 3.2Ghz Quad-core processor. The 12-core model ranges from 2.4Ghz, up to 3.06GHz. Both come standard with one 1TB hard drive. The Server model features a 3.2Ghz Quad-core, along with dual 1TB hard drives. This means the Mac Pro line lives to see another day, and while not a huge jump in performance, power-users will appreciate the additions. For power-users, and companies who need raw processing power, the Mac Pro is still king of CPU cycles. For servers and render-farms, video encoding & scientific calculations, it is still a positive addition to the lineup. For now those who need slots, large amounts of RAM & multiple hard drives, The Mac Pro certainly fills the bill.
Apple introduced several new MacBook Pro's, including models with a new Retina Display. That provides a mind blowing resolution of 2880x1880! MacBook Pro's can also include two Thunderbolt ports, USB 3, faster RAM, faster graphics and all models come in a new thinner design. Using a 3rd generation Ivy Bridge chipset, the new MacBook Pro has up to a 2.7Ghz processor, and comes standard with 8GB of RAM, running at 1600Mhz. The previous models featured, less RAM, running at a slower 1333Mhz. These units can be configured to have up to 16GB of memory.
For the video professional, this means viewing 1080p video in Final Cut Pro X, in a window, at full resolution. It also means being able to stream 9 cameras in FCP X. The glare has been reduced by 75%, which should appeal to heavy graphics users. Adobe Photoshop and Autodesk AutoCAD are slated to be updated to take advantage of the new display. With 220 pixels per inch, Apple's Aperture will be able to display photos with unprecedented detail.
The new MacBook Pro weighs in at 4.46 pounds, and is 1/4 thinner than the previous models. It's almost as thin as the MacBook Air. The optical drive has been removed, along with Gigabit ethernet and Firewire 800. Apple will provide Thunderbolt to both Gigabit and Firewire 800 adapters.
According to Apple, they also have the "best stereo speakers ever put into a desktop or notebook computer," along with dual microphones. SSD flash memory is now available in configurations up to 768GB, with an increase in speed. Last, noise and heat have both been reduced due to redesigned thermal systems and fans.
There were hundreds of announcment improvements to OSX Mountain Lion and iOS6 all of which will increase productivity in an editing or communication setting. Check back with us later for more details.
For more information on the latest Apple products and how best to use them in post, broadcast and communication workflows, please contact your professional Apple sales team, MelroseTEC.
