4 ms·

> My 10-core test unit prices out at $9,599, and a comparable 18-core unit would be $11,199, a 17% increase in cost. All I can say here is "Wow!!!" That's an a

by jaak 9y ago

> My 10-core test unit prices out at $9,599, and a comparable 18-core unit would be $11,199, a 17% increase in cost. All I can say here is "Wow!!!" That's an amazing price for a computer that is completely user hostile to upgrade or repair.

jcadam 9y ago
I know. This sort of thing is the reason I'm not a mac user anymore. Remember the old PowerMac towers? Expensive, yes, but those things were made to be opened up and upgraded.
bhj 9y ago
Perhaps Apple has market research indicating that most companies don't upgrade or repair these kinds of machines.
- cowsandmilk 9y ago
  Yep, many companies don't upgrade these machines and actually dump them at the end of the warranty. Hacker news actually turned me onto going to ebay to buy used workstations as a pretty good source for inexpensive computers that have Xeons. HP or Dell give you a 3 year warranty, you don't upgrade or change parts because that fucks with warranties, then you dump them onto a reseller. Or, frequently, you actually rented it from HP or Dell for those 3 years, and they are the ones dumping computers onto resellers.
cmrdporcupine 9y ago
Yes, it's insane. It's a lifestyle accessory. But put in the context of _workstation_ prices -- which I guess is what it's sort of in the category of -- check out what a Sun 2 (68010) workstation cost in 1986: "A color 2/160 with 8Mb of memory, two 71 Mb SCSI disks and 60 Mb 1/4" SCSI tape cost $48,800 (1986 US price list)." That's $109,766.16 in today's dollars. Or more modest and perhaps more comparable, an HP 9000 Model 705 PA-RISC workstation (32mhz, HP-UX) in 1991 was priced around $5000. That's $9000ish in today's dollars. People bought stuff like that back then. Low volume, prestige item, specialized market, and I guess Apple must figure they will still do that now. Workstation class machines have always been overpriced.
- jcadam 9y ago
  Yea, you know, if I'm doing work that requires 18+ cores of CPU and gobs of RAM, I'm going to pack that beast into a rack (bet I could build a sweet epyc based system with more capability for less than $10k) and connect to it from a laptop/small desktop. Besides, that thing is going to get hot, and Apple doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to thermal design (see: apple ///)
  - scarface74 9y ago
    Really the Apple /// a computer that came out in 1980? Is that what you are going to base your doubts on the thermal design of the iMac?
    - mgkimsal 9y ago
      could have looked at the more recent thermal paste gpu issues with mbp 2011 (which i was hit by) or the similar imac problems in 2012(?)
    - jcadam 9y ago
      It was the start of Apple's long tradition of form over function.
      - scarface74 9y ago
        How has Apple survived over 40 years if it were just about form over function while most of its contemporaries over the years have disappeared?
        cmrdporcupine 9y ago
        Arguably it's not the same Apple. I don't see a lot of continuity in approach between the company that brought us the Apple IIe and the company that makes the iPhone.
        9y ago
nickpeterson 9y ago
Macs retain value. Buy the spec you need, use it for 2-3 years, sell for 70 percent the original value, then buy the newer version. Besides, I highly doubt Intel CPUs are going to massively improve over the next two years since they haven't for the last 5.
tinus_hn 9y ago
Dell workstations are really easy to open up and replace parts in. Do you think we ever open hem up and replace parts?

by jaak 9y ago

jcadam 9y ago

I know. This sort of thing is the reason I'm not a mac user anymore. Remember the old PowerMac towers? Expensive, yes, but those things were made to be opened up and upgraded.

bhj 9y ago

Perhaps Apple has market research indicating that most companies don't upgrade or repair these kinds of machines.

cowsandmilk 9y ago
Yep, many companies don't upgrade these machines and actually dump them at the end of the warranty. Hacker news actually turned me onto going to ebay to buy used workstations as a pretty good source for inexpensive computers that have Xeons. HP or Dell give you a 3 year warranty, you don't upgrade or change parts because that fucks with warranties, then you dump them onto a reseller. Or, frequently, you actually rented it from HP or Dell for those 3 years, and they are the ones dumping computers onto resellers.

cmrdporcupine 9y ago

Yes, it's insane. It's a lifestyle accessory. But put in the context of _workstation_ prices -- which I guess is what it's sort of in the category of -- check out what a Sun 2 (68010) workstation cost in 1986: "A color 2/160 with 8Mb of memory, two 71 Mb SCSI disks and 60 Mb 1/4" SCSI tape cost $48,800 (1986 US price list)." That's $109,766.16 in today's dollars. Or more modest and perhaps more comparable, an HP 9000 Model 705 PA-RISC workstation (32mhz, HP-UX) in 1991 was priced around $5000. That's $9000ish in today's dollars. People bought stuff like that back then. Low volume, prestige item, specialized market, and I guess Apple must figure they will still do that now. Workstation class machines have always been overpriced.

jcadam 9y ago
Yea, you know, if I'm doing work that requires 18+ cores of CPU and gobs of RAM, I'm going to pack that beast into a rack (bet I could build a sweet epyc based system with more capability for less than $10k) and connect to it from a laptop/small desktop. Besides, that thing is going to get hot, and Apple doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to thermal design (see: apple ///)
- scarface74 9y ago
  Really the Apple /// a computer that came out in 1980? Is that what you are going to base your doubts on the thermal design of the iMac?
  - mgkimsal 9y ago
    could have looked at the more recent thermal paste gpu issues with mbp 2011 (which i was hit by) or the similar imac problems in 2012(?)
  - jcadam 9y ago
    It was the start of Apple's long tradition of form over function.
    - scarface74 9y ago
      How has Apple survived over 40 years if it were just about form over function while most of its contemporaries over the years have disappeared?
      - cmrdporcupine 9y ago
        Arguably it's not the same Apple. I don't see a lot of continuity in approach between the company that brought us the Apple IIe and the company that makes the iPhone.
        9y ago

nickpeterson 9y ago

Macs retain value. Buy the spec you need, use it for 2-3 years, sell for 70 percent the original value, then buy the newer version. Besides, I highly doubt Intel CPUs are going to massively improve over the next two years since they haven't for the last 5.

tinus_hn 9y ago

Dell workstations are really easy to open up and replace parts in. Do you think we ever open hem up and replace parts?