When they were introduced a few years ago, the Apple Xserve RAID was a breakthrough in RAID price and performance. Most other RAID products of the time were significantly more expensive and nothing else even came close to the level of performance offered to Apple users.
Fast forward to today. Untold thousands of Apple Xserve RAID's have been deployed and are in use across the world today. And many facilities still rely on these machines to safely store their critical data and archives.
Its our opinion these devices should be replaced as soon as possible.
One of the most important aspects of using any RAID device is the ability to replace a failed hard drive and restore a RAID 5 volume to full status. You can lose one hard drive in a RAID 5 and have a degraded volume, but if you lose another you have lost all your data. It is not recoverable.
Our recent checks have determined there are no further Apple Drive Modules being manufactured. Further, there are essentially zero remaining drives available as "stock" within the distribution channel (meaning there are none sitting "on a shelf" which can be overnighted to clients...)
Additionally, anecdotal checks have also determined that stocks of Apple Drive Modules available for warranty replacement via AppleCare are fully depleted. If you have an Xserve RAID covered under an AppleCare agreement, there is no guarantee that you can get a replacement drive if you have a failure.
We've talked to a few clients that are still relying heavily on Xserve RAID's and have stocked up on Apple Drive Modules over the last year in order to extend the life of their direct-attached and Xsan-based systems. However, if you don't have multiple spare drives on hand, there will come a time when your drives will begin to fail and you won't have an option for data recovery.
One of our contacts has indicated they have seen failure rates of one drive per week in some of their oldest Xserve RAID systems. These folks are actively looking to migrate to a new storage platform.
What are the best options for replacing these older systems?
We really like the new Active Storage XRAID™ and XRAID™ ES platform. We've highlighted the XRAID platform before, but the XRAID ES is a new product recently released and it has some very compelling features.
The XRAID™ ES is available in 4TB and 16TB configurations, with the 16TB configuration offering $ .67 cents per GB cost. This new, affordable, high-performance storage solution is ideal for business-critical, science, and education use in Apple-based infrastructures, and complements Active’s existing product line with a really low entry cost with future expandability.
The new Active Storage XRAID™ ES employs the same level of per-port performance, reliability and ease of management (using the native Mac OS X storage management suite found in the original Active Storage XRAID™), yet offers a lower-cost configuration taking advantage of a single high-throughput RAID controller and business-class hard drives with smaller read/write cache.
Performance of the Active Storage XRAID™ ES is also impressive — offering up to 744MB/s in a RAID 5 configuration. The Active Storage XRAID™ ES provides redundant power, triple-redundant cooling and redundant Fibre Channel connections and is managed using the same powerful, yet easy to use management tools of the original Active Storage XRAID™. The ES differs from the original Active Storage XRAID™ by utilizing a single high throughput RAID controller and business-class hard drives using a smaller cache size. These changes result in a very cost-effective and robust RAID solution ideal for business-class applications starting at a ground-breaking $6,999 US MSRP.
The Active Storage XRAID™ ES is also available in 16TB configuration providing unmatched value at $9,999 US MSRP.
You can get Active Storage XRAID™ and XRAID™ ES products at Silverado's store here:
Active Storage XRAID™ and XRAID™ ES at Silverado [LINK]
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Government do-gooders strike again: California to consider ban on large TV's
California politicians are crazy. Just mad stupid.
In the midst of an economic crisis, they are simultaneously raising people's taxes while proposing to take away some of the best tools of a retailers livelihood:
California to consider ban on large TV's [LINK]
What does the consumer get in return? Less choice and poorer quality.
Sales of high-end products such as large sets drive revenue. Revenue pays taxes. Taxes fund projects. However, I don't think that politicians see this equation very clearly.
It should be mandatory that these people spend a modicum of time in some sort of business entity before being elected. Lack of understanding about where revenue comes from is currently destroying California state government.
tl
In the midst of an economic crisis, they are simultaneously raising people's taxes while proposing to take away some of the best tools of a retailers livelihood:
California to consider ban on large TV's [LINK]
What does the consumer get in return? Less choice and poorer quality.
Sales of high-end products such as large sets drive revenue. Revenue pays taxes. Taxes fund projects. However, I don't think that politicians see this equation very clearly.
It should be mandatory that these people spend a modicum of time in some sort of business entity before being elected. Lack of understanding about where revenue comes from is currently destroying California state government.
tl
Everything is so quiet...
Is it just me? Or is the silence before NAB positively deafening?
What do you think?
tl
What do you think?
tl
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
2009 Update for Apple Pro Apps 4-Seat
I mentioned this first one in my last blog post. Its been out for a while, but for workgroups using Xsan--the 2006 Apple Pro Apps 4-seat Xsan document is still a fantastic primer for building a small Xsan workgroup:
Apple Pro Apps 4-Seat Xsan [PDF]
However, the tech is pretty old, so we thought we'd take a stab at adding some new tech and including a few things that weren't available when the 2006 doc was released:
Pro Apps 4-Seat Update for 2009 [PDF]
Curious to what else you might want to see in a system like this...
Apple Pro Apps 4-Seat Xsan [PDF]
However, the tech is pretty old, so we thought we'd take a stab at adding some new tech and including a few things that weren't available when the 2006 doc was released:
Pro Apps 4-Seat Update for 2009 [PDF]
Curious to what else you might want to see in a system like this...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Original 2006 Apple Pro Apps 4-Seat Xsan Doc
We're updating the 2006 Apple Pro Apps 4-Seat Xsan document. For reference, you can get the original document here:
Its still an amazing document--even if its a little crusty in terms of old technology. In terms of building your own 4-seat Xsan, you can do no better than this free document.
Stay tuned for our next post. I'll take the components of this doc and fully update them for equipment available now in 2009. There are also a few holes to plug in terms of available support, training, and other items like VPN routers--we'll plug those with the best available gear available today.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Content! Content! Content!
Awesome content trumps technology. Even when its shot on a cellphone:
Unauthorized Trader Joe's commercial
Unauthorized Trader Joe's commercial
Monday, March 2, 2009
Free NAB pass...provided by Panasonic
Our friends at Panasonic would like you to attend their booth at NAB--and they'll spring for the pass:
http://www.nabshow.com/2009/attendee/packagesFees.asp
Exhibitor ID: 524
Pass Code:LV2174
tl
http://www.nabshow.com/2009/attendee/packagesFees.asp
Exhibitor ID: 524
Pass Code:LV2174
tl
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
SSD's in the Real World...or how I plan to save $2000 a year on three minutes a day
Solid-state drives (or SSD for short) are becoming the new rage in computing. You can get a good read on the background of the SSD here:
Wikipedia entry on solid-state drives
Over the last year or so, the capacity of drives has gone way up and the price has come down significantly. They've come down so much that we obtained three of the 80 GB Intel X-25M drives and tossed them into a Mac Pro as an experiment to see how fast they worked.
We were fairly shocked. I've never seen a single internal boot volume working at over 700 MB/s (not megabits...megaBYTES). Ever.
I was so impressed that I set out to conduct another experiment. This would be a real-world experiment: moving my entire MacBook Pro from a regular 2.5" SATA hard drive to an SSD.
Would it be worth the trouble in time and money to make the move? Could someone justify the expense of an SSD now versus waiting till later when the prices fell more?
I had to wait a little while until the 160 Gb SSD's came out from Intel. There was just too much stuff I kept on my laptop to pare down to less than 130 Gb of critical info--so in the meantime I read up on my friend Lloyd Chambers' excellent technical primer on using Intel SSD's in both MacBook Pro and Mac Pro.
I received my 160 Gb Intel SSD earlier this week. I copied off the boot drive to the SSD with Mike Bombich's fantastic tool Carbon Copy Cloner. Then I set about conducting tests with the primary drive before I moved over the the SSD.
Rather than re-invent the wheel with Lloyd's technical analysis, these are my anecdotal thoughts on my own experience with running an Intel SSD in a MacBook Pro.
The test system is my 2.5 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo-equipped MacBook Pro with 2 Gb of RAM running Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.6.
I was tempted to do the tests from a clean installation, but this is a real world test. I didn't have time to un-license and deauthorize all my apps and then reauthorize fresh builds on the new system. I figured most other folks wouldn't have the time to do that either--so I opted to do a clone of my hard drive.
These were essentially boot-time tests. I didn't want to make any major file changes to docs or anything else on the old drive since I was going to start using the SSD permanently--so I only tested the boot times along with conducting some other interesting tests. Here are the apps I booted:
Apple iCal
Apple Numbers
Apple Pages
Apple iPhoto
Apple iTunes
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Apple Final Cut Pro
Microsoft Word
Apple Safari
Apple Mail
I also tested system boot time and shutdown. Finally, I ran AJA System Test to determine drive performance.
Here is the chart of the raw performance I got between my old hard drive and the new SSD. Time is in seconds.
To say that this workflow is fast is a complete understatement. Everything is fast--my Mac finally feels like it works as fast as I think.
Response is instantaneous. Boot times on some of these applications is nothing short of ridiculous (Booting iCal and Numbers in 1-2 seconds?)
However, what really surprised me was the performance tests I ran with the help of AJA System Test.
With the hard drive installed, I ran System Test on a standard 1.0 Gb test using SD sized frames. With nothing else running. I got writes of 43.6 MB/s and reads of 52.2 MB/s. Very respectable all around. I then loaded up iTunes and let it start playing a track. I reran the tests with results of 38.9 MB/s and 41.2 MB/s. A drop of around 20% in performance, but still not horrible.
However, I then started Safari and did a 15-tab load--then I ran the same AJA test. On the hard drive the writes plummeted to 12 MB/s and the reads went to 12.8 MB/s. I thought I did the test wrong because an 80% performance hit didn't sound right. I reran the test--with the same results.
With more apps running, I got the performance down to around 4.2 MB/s sec for reads and writes.
Yuck. No more hard drives for me--that kind of performance sucks.
I swapped the HD for the SSD and performed the same tests.
With nothing loaded, we got writes of 62.2 MB/s and reads of 120.8 MB/s. With this test alone, we had already increased writes by 20% and doubled the read performance. The next test took me by surprise and I had to run it three times.
Performance went up when I did the iTunes test! I expected a performance hit when I launched and played iTunes, but the writes went to 68.7 MB/s and the reads went to 122.1 MB/s. I tried it three times--the reads and writes were all higher while iTunes was running versus when there were absolutely no apps running in the background.
I can't explain it--and I doubt it has anything to do with iTunes--but it was very strange to see drive performance actually increase when placed under increased load.
Finally, I ran the 15-tab Safari test and expected performance to fall apart. It didn't.
While iTunes was playing and Safari was loading 15 tabs, SSD writes were at 63.2 MB/s and reads pegged 121 MB/s. If there is an engineer out there who can explain why the SSD works faster when under load, I am all ears...
I figured all those time savings netted me an additional 3-4 minutes daily. At our lowest hourly bill rate, I figure on recouping nearly $2000 per year on the time I reclaimed.
Okay...okay...that is kind of ridiculous, isn't it?
It would be if the time savings was just from booting apps. However, the kind of performance achieved with this new SSD has added a level of productivity that I haven't had before. I can switch back-and-forth between windows and apps with zero lag time. Opening files is nearly instantaneous. Accessing websites is about twice as fast since the disk caching is way faster. Reading my mail and synchronizing my mailbox between the laptop and my SMTP servers is much faster than it was before.
And the dreaded Spinning Beach Ball has totally vanished.
I conservatively estimate I'll be working 10-20% faster than I was before. That alone is worth the price of the drive for me. Is the speed worth it to you? You have to be the judge of that.
Here are my new recommendations for the fastest possible system (either MacBook Pro or Mac Pro)
1. Get as much RAM as your budget will allow
2. Get the fastest processor possible, too.
3. Equip your system with an SSD-based boot drive (make sure its an Intel X-25...) If you can afford to, put in two or three in the Mac Pro.
These three recommendations will get you the fastest available Mac.
One more note--you can't get it from Apple. They don't have the Intel X-25 drives in their systems. If you want yours X-25 equipped, let me know at info@silverado.cc
tl
We were fairly shocked. I've never seen a single internal boot volume working at over 700 MB/s (not megabits...megaBYTES). Ever.
I was so impressed that I set out to conduct another experiment. This would be a real-world experiment: moving my entire MacBook Pro from a regular 2.5" SATA hard drive to an SSD.
Would it be worth the trouble in time and money to make the move? Could someone justify the expense of an SSD now versus waiting till later when the prices fell more?
I had to wait a little while until the 160 Gb SSD's came out from Intel. There was just too much stuff I kept on my laptop to pare down to less than 130 Gb of critical info--so in the meantime I read up on my friend Lloyd Chambers' excellent technical primer on using Intel SSD's in both MacBook Pro and Mac Pro.
I received my 160 Gb Intel SSD earlier this week. I copied off the boot drive to the SSD with Mike Bombich's fantastic tool Carbon Copy Cloner. Then I set about conducting tests with the primary drive before I moved over the the SSD.
Rather than re-invent the wheel with Lloyd's technical analysis, these are my anecdotal thoughts on my own experience with running an Intel SSD in a MacBook Pro.
The test system is my 2.5 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo-equipped MacBook Pro with 2 Gb of RAM running Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.6.
I was tempted to do the tests from a clean installation, but this is a real world test. I didn't have time to un-license and deauthorize all my apps and then reauthorize fresh builds on the new system. I figured most other folks wouldn't have the time to do that either--so I opted to do a clone of my hard drive.
These were essentially boot-time tests. I didn't want to make any major file changes to docs or anything else on the old drive since I was going to start using the SSD permanently--so I only tested the boot times along with conducting some other interesting tests. Here are the apps I booted:
Apple iCal
Apple Numbers
Apple Pages
Apple iPhoto
Apple iTunes
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Apple Final Cut Pro
Microsoft Word
Apple Safari
Apple Mail
I also tested system boot time and shutdown. Finally, I ran AJA System Test to determine drive performance.
Here is the chart of the raw performance I got between my old hard drive and the new SSD. Time is in seconds.
To say that this workflow is fast is a complete understatement. Everything is fast--my Mac finally feels like it works as fast as I think.Response is instantaneous. Boot times on some of these applications is nothing short of ridiculous (Booting iCal and Numbers in 1-2 seconds?)
However, what really surprised me was the performance tests I ran with the help of AJA System Test.
With the hard drive installed, I ran System Test on a standard 1.0 Gb test using SD sized frames. With nothing else running. I got writes of 43.6 MB/s and reads of 52.2 MB/s. Very respectable all around. I then loaded up iTunes and let it start playing a track. I reran the tests with results of 38.9 MB/s and 41.2 MB/s. A drop of around 20% in performance, but still not horrible.
However, I then started Safari and did a 15-tab load--then I ran the same AJA test. On the hard drive the writes plummeted to 12 MB/s and the reads went to 12.8 MB/s. I thought I did the test wrong because an 80% performance hit didn't sound right. I reran the test--with the same results.
With more apps running, I got the performance down to around 4.2 MB/s sec for reads and writes.
Yuck. No more hard drives for me--that kind of performance sucks.
I swapped the HD for the SSD and performed the same tests.
With nothing loaded, we got writes of 62.2 MB/s and reads of 120.8 MB/s. With this test alone, we had already increased writes by 20% and doubled the read performance. The next test took me by surprise and I had to run it three times.
Performance went up when I did the iTunes test! I expected a performance hit when I launched and played iTunes, but the writes went to 68.7 MB/s and the reads went to 122.1 MB/s. I tried it three times--the reads and writes were all higher while iTunes was running versus when there were absolutely no apps running in the background.
I can't explain it--and I doubt it has anything to do with iTunes--but it was very strange to see drive performance actually increase when placed under increased load.
Finally, I ran the 15-tab Safari test and expected performance to fall apart. It didn't.
While iTunes was playing and Safari was loading 15 tabs, SSD writes were at 63.2 MB/s and reads pegged 121 MB/s. If there is an engineer out there who can explain why the SSD works faster when under load, I am all ears...
I figured all those time savings netted me an additional 3-4 minutes daily. At our lowest hourly bill rate, I figure on recouping nearly $2000 per year on the time I reclaimed.
Okay...okay...that is kind of ridiculous, isn't it?
It would be if the time savings was just from booting apps. However, the kind of performance achieved with this new SSD has added a level of productivity that I haven't had before. I can switch back-and-forth between windows and apps with zero lag time. Opening files is nearly instantaneous. Accessing websites is about twice as fast since the disk caching is way faster. Reading my mail and synchronizing my mailbox between the laptop and my SMTP servers is much faster than it was before.
And the dreaded Spinning Beach Ball has totally vanished.
I conservatively estimate I'll be working 10-20% faster than I was before. That alone is worth the price of the drive for me. Is the speed worth it to you? You have to be the judge of that.
Here are my new recommendations for the fastest possible system (either MacBook Pro or Mac Pro)
1. Get as much RAM as your budget will allow
2. Get the fastest processor possible, too.
3. Equip your system with an SSD-based boot drive (make sure its an Intel X-25...) If you can afford to, put in two or three in the Mac Pro.
These three recommendations will get you the fastest available Mac.
One more note--you can't get it from Apple. They don't have the Intel X-25 drives in their systems. If you want yours X-25 equipped, let me know at info@silverado.cc
tl
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
50% off Sony 4k projectors...
Sony Digital Cinema Systems has an abundance of SXRD® ultra-high resolution 4k projection equipment now available at a tremendous discount - 50% off MSRP.
Each model is fully refurbished, and carries the full Sony warranty and service options available with new A-stock models. B-stock accessories are also available to configure full 4K systems at a great value -- now priced at 10% below MSRP.
If you have considered purchasing a Sony 4K projection system, now's the time. Systems can be purchased outright or leased over time. Here are the available models:
Sony SRX-R105 SXRD 4k Projector
5,000 Lumen
MSRP $68,000.00
Sale Price $34,000.00
Lease as low as $789 over 60 mos.
Sony SRX-R110 SXRD 4k Projector
10,000 Lumen
MSRP $98,550.00
Sale Price $49,275.00
Lease as low as $1145 over 60 mos.
Sony SRX-S105 SXRD 4k Projector
5,000 Lumen W/DVI
MSRP $78,000.00
Sale Price $39,000.00
Lease as low as $905 over 60 mos.
Sony SRX-S110 SXRD 4k Projector
10,000 Lumen W/DVI
MSRP $102,000.00
Sale Price $51,000.00
Lease as low as $1160 over 60 mos.
Members of Silverado's StudioBuilder list are also eligible for the following rebates when ordered before February 13th.
Sony SRX-R105: $1,000
Sony SRX-R110: $2,000
Sony SRX-S105: $1,500
Sony SRX-S110: $2,500
We are able to provide a free replacement Xenon lamp ($1675 for 5,000 lumens and $2100 for 10,000 lumens) for the first two projectors ordered.
These systems require accessories like lamps and lenses which are based on your facility. We'll need to determine which items are needed for your installation, but the discounts on those items are huge, too.
Please contact us directly at orders@silverado.cc for ordering information. More details on each machine can be found below:
Sony SXRD projectors at Silverado
We've been told by Sony that all projectors in this class will be gone by March. There may never again be another opportunity to own Sony 4k gear at such reduced cost.
Torrey
----------------------------
Torrey Loomis
President & CEO - Silverado Systems, Inc.
Outfitter to the World's Foremost Apple Professionals
2600 East Bidwell Street, Suite 280
Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 760-0032 • FAX (916) 404-5258
torrey@silverado.cc
http://www.Silverado.cc
Each model is fully refurbished, and carries the full Sony warranty and service options available with new A-stock models. B-stock accessories are also available to configure full 4K systems at a great value -- now priced at 10% below MSRP.
If you have considered purchasing a Sony 4K projection system, now's the time. Systems can be purchased outright or leased over time. Here are the available models:
Sony SRX-R105 SXRD 4k Projector
5,000 Lumen
MSRP $68,000.00
Sale Price $34,000.00
Lease as low as $789 over 60 mos.
Sony SRX-R110 SXRD 4k Projector
10,000 Lumen
MSRP $98,550.00
Sale Price $49,275.00
Lease as low as $1145 over 60 mos.
Sony SRX-S105 SXRD 4k Projector
5,000 Lumen W/DVI
MSRP $78,000.00
Sale Price $39,000.00
Lease as low as $905 over 60 mos.
Sony SRX-S110 SXRD 4k Projector
10,000 Lumen W/DVI
MSRP $102,000.00
Sale Price $51,000.00
Lease as low as $1160 over 60 mos.
Members of Silverado's StudioBuilder list are also eligible for the following rebates when ordered before February 13th.
Sony SRX-R105: $1,000
Sony SRX-R110: $2,000
Sony SRX-S105: $1,500
Sony SRX-S110: $2,500
We are able to provide a free replacement Xenon lamp ($1675 for 5,000 lumens and $2100 for 10,000 lumens) for the first two projectors ordered.
These systems require accessories like lamps and lenses which are based on your facility. We'll need to determine which items are needed for your installation, but the discounts on those items are huge, too.
Please contact us directly at orders@silverado.cc for ordering information. More details on each machine can be found below:
Sony SXRD projectors at Silverado
We've been told by Sony that all projectors in this class will be gone by March. There may never again be another opportunity to own Sony 4k gear at such reduced cost.
Torrey
----------------------------
Torrey Loomis
President & CEO - Silverado Systems, Inc.
Outfitter to the World's Foremost Apple Professionals
2600 East Bidwell Street, Suite 280
Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 760-0032 • FAX (916) 404-5258
torrey@silverado.cc
http://www.Silverado.cc
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
What do you want to see in the new Final Cut Studio 3?
Apple is on a new rotation with their product releases now that they have purged tradeshows from their calendar with the termination of their presence at Macworld.
With that in mind, its reasonable to think that Final Cut Studio 3 could be released any time between now and NAB. I think it would be silly for them to release it after NAB, but Apple definitely doesn't play by anyone else's rulebook...
So...with that in mind--what do you want to see in the new Final Cut Studio 3?
Please opine gratuitously in the comments below.
tl
With that in mind, its reasonable to think that Final Cut Studio 3 could be released any time between now and NAB. I think it would be silly for them to release it after NAB, but Apple definitely doesn't play by anyone else's rulebook...
So...with that in mind--what do you want to see in the new Final Cut Studio 3?
Please opine gratuitously in the comments below.
tl
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Amazing new Panasonic monitor...
Folks,
Check out this awesome new monitor from Panasonic: the BT-LH2550
Panasonic BT-LH2550 25.5 Multi-Format Color LCD Production Monitor with native 1920 x 1200 IPS Panel
Its got a color gamut larger than 709, so its going to be awesome for HD-color work. Plus, native 1920 x 1200 resolution for 1:1 reproduction of detail without scaling.
Here is all the nitty gritty:
* 1920 x 1200 resolution (WUXGA)
* Six color space settings for use in print to digital graphics to HD video: SMPTE, EBU, ITU-R BT.709, Adobe 2.2, Adobe 1.8, D-Cinema
* Wider color space than CRT models with two new color space modes Adobe gamma 1.8, Adobe gamma 2.2 and D-Cinema gamma 2.6
* Wide 178 horizontal and vertical viewing angles
* New split-screen function plays dual live pictures (1 each: SDI, DVI, Component or Video)
* Calibration hardware interface for chroma and luma (with built-in Application Software)
* Built-in waveform monitor and vectorscope functions from SDI (HD/SD) input (representing all picture lines)
* Exceptionally accurate color reproduction and improved contrast and black levels
* Three-dimensional 10-bit 3D LUT offering virtually the same color
* Offers a variety of professional functions including split-screen/freeze frame (live input vs. freeze frame), marker and blue-only, and cross hatch overlay display
* Time code and closed caption capable (closed caption on video input only)
* Embedded audio decoder on board (via Headphone Jack)
* 8 Channel audio level meters
* Cine-gamma Film-Rec compensation function for use with cameras such as the Panasonic AJ-HDC27 VariCam HD Cinema Camera and the new AJ-HPX3700 and
AJ-HPX2700 P2 HD VariCam camcorders
* Inputs/outputs include: DVI-D input and two HD-SDI/SDI Auto switching inputs with switched output, component video (Y/Pb/Pr), RGB, PC RGB, external sync, RS-232C/GPI remote control terminals, speaker and headphone jack
* Five programmable user buttons for easy access to functions
* Desk stand included; compatible with VESA mounts (100mm x 100mm or 200mm)
* Separate 24 Volt AC Adapter supplied; AC cord (5.58 ft.) and 4-pin XLR DC cord (6.56 ft.) included
* One-year warranty (parts & labor)
tl
Silverado Expansion in 2009--WE NEED YOU
A little history about Silverado. We are now in our 7th year of operations. Every year we seem to grow more and more.
However, in 2009 we're going to take the growth to a completely new level. We've defined a massive core market--the professional broadcast and digital cinema industry--and our vendor relationships are second-to-none. We're going to take that momentum and redouble our growth efforts over the next 18 months.
We're going to be expanding our local presence to upwards of 25 different markets across the country. To do that, we'll need a lot of help. We aren't looking for employees, but people who want to run an entire wing of Silverado in their market.
This will take someone who--by profession--is a broadcast or digital cinema pro. You'll not only need experience, but you'll need to be a savvy marketer and be able to effectively network with the media community in your region.
If you are that type of person--and you are looking for a change of pace from production and editorial to trusted advisor--we want to talk to you. It will be your shop and your territory.
Here are the markets we are working towards in our initial roll-out:
New York
Los Angeles
Chicago
Philadelphia
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
Dallas-Ft. Worth
Boston-Manchester
Washington DC
Atlanta
Houston
Detroit
Tampa
Phoenix-Prescott
Seattle-Tacoma
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
Cleveland-Akron
Denver
Orlando-Daytona Beach
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto
St. Louis
Pittsburgh
Portland
Baltimore
Indianapolis
If you are interested in joining Silverado not as an employee--but as a partner--please send me a note to torrey@silverado.cc and I'll forward more information your way.
However, in 2009 we're going to take the growth to a completely new level. We've defined a massive core market--the professional broadcast and digital cinema industry--and our vendor relationships are second-to-none. We're going to take that momentum and redouble our growth efforts over the next 18 months.
We're going to be expanding our local presence to upwards of 25 different markets across the country. To do that, we'll need a lot of help. We aren't looking for employees, but people who want to run an entire wing of Silverado in their market.
This will take someone who--by profession--is a broadcast or digital cinema pro. You'll not only need experience, but you'll need to be a savvy marketer and be able to effectively network with the media community in your region.
If you are that type of person--and you are looking for a change of pace from production and editorial to trusted advisor--we want to talk to you. It will be your shop and your territory.
Here are the markets we are working towards in our initial roll-out:
New York
Los Angeles
Chicago
Philadelphia
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
Dallas-Ft. Worth
Boston-Manchester
Washington DC
Atlanta
Houston
Detroit
Tampa
Phoenix-Prescott
Seattle-Tacoma
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
Cleveland-Akron
Denver
Orlando-Daytona Beach
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto
St. Louis
Pittsburgh
Portland
Baltimore
Indianapolis
If you are interested in joining Silverado not as an employee--but as a partner--please send me a note to torrey@silverado.cc and I'll forward more information your way.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
CFAA tonight...
Important advocacy meeting tonight at Capital Film Arts:
Please join local filmmakers and friends or an important meeting of the Capital Film Arts Alliance
ADVOCACY AND INCENTIVES FOR THE FILMMAKING INDUSTRY
Tuesday, January 20th at 7:00 PM
Art Institute of Sacramento
2850 Gateway Oaks Dr.
Sacramento (I-5 to west El Camino)
Free for all
Capital Film Arts Alliance
ADVOCACY AND INCENTIVES FOR THE FILMMAKING INDUSTRY
Tuesday, January 20th at 7:00 PM
Art Institute of Sacramento
2850 Gateway Oaks Dr.
Sacramento (I-5 to west El Camino)
Free for all
Capital Film Arts Alliance
Friday, January 9, 2009
Got one thing right...the rest wrong...
I got one thing right about Macworld. Steve Jobs was a no-show.
I was pretty sure that if he looked anywhere near the way he did at the last WWDC, the stock would fall 5% just for spite.
So, I think I was right on that count. I was wrong on everything else.
No new displays, Mac Pros, no iPhone anything...
Nada. Zip. Zilch. The announcements were total buzz kill.
I will say this--Phil Schiller did an excellent job at taking the keynote helm. He had very hard shoes to fill and I think he did a fine job.
That said--two software announcements and a laptop speed bump? Ouch...
But then again...I have to take that back, too. Those were my first impressions when I read about the announcements, but when I watched them being demonstrated I was really impressed.
It was appropriate to show the software. The demo of the new iMovie '09 had me saying a few times "gee, I wish that was a feature in Final Cut..."
And iWork.com is great! The kind of collaboration that product will enable is huge--its a fantastic way to share and work on docs.
So, a mixed bag in all. Neat products were released, but nothing over-the-top and it was definitely a let-down to see Apple leave Macworld with a whimper, not a bang.
tl
Monday, January 5, 2009
Business analysis of Steve Jobs latest health info...
Not that I am a callous person in any way, but I don't really pay much attention to other people's health matters unless they are a close friend or family.
My health is private, so yours should be private, too. In the Internet age, there are way too many things for snoops to pry on these days--and your health should be the last of them.
So, its with business in mind that I comment about Steve Jobs current state:
The letter flat out states Jobs isn't leaving Apple as CEO. Regardless of his weight loss, he probably feels fine.
So, if he feels OK then why did he drop out of Macworld 09? Simple--he probably doesn't look good.
If he has been losing the kind of weight he mentioned, his figure is probably fairly gaunt--so why bother with a repeat of the rampant speculation ala WWDC 2008?
Tons of flacks mentioned that Jobs' cancer looked like it had returned, but Apple attributed his appearance to a "common bug." However, the precedent had been set--if Jobs shows up looking bad, comments will be made. And the stock price may suffer.
Easy solution is to have Phil Schiller take over this year's keynote while Jobs gets his weight back.
But...without Jobs--people simply think Apple doesn't have anything to show. And while that may have been true in the past at a couple of keynotes, it doesn't seem likely for this one. Here are some of the possibilities:
New iMac
New Mac Mini
New LED Display
New 17" MacBook Pro
New Mac Pro
Updates on Snow Leopard
Plus one that Andy Ihnatko is talking about:
So where is Steve Jobs in all the product-release madness? Again, its simple--he's not there and he won't be there.
Times are changing. Apple is not doing trade shows anymore--they see WAY more people in a week at their retail stores than they see at Macworld. Plus, with access to the Internet--even people who can't make it to an Apple Store have access to way more information than anyone could have by making it to a Macworld show.
Jobs can't run Apple forever--this is just part of the separation process for the Apple community. Even if he is there for another 10 years, the community has to accept that it won't be business as usual at Apple going forward. Best to get used to it now.
While Apple is Steve Jobs, and vice versa--it can't always be that way. Part of the mystique that is Apple is the mysteriousness of Mr. Jobs. But while there may have been a time when it was flattering, the cult of personality which has been built up around him can't be a pleasant way to live.
And now this obsession with All Things Steve is so bad that when he gets sick, it affects the stock price?
The board of directors can't allow a company like Apple to externally manipulated by forces outside their control. Apple has to be bigger than one man.
So, MWSF 2009 is Apple taking the leap to show that its more than Steve Jobs. The Keynote? Performed by others. The One Last Thing? Done by someone else.
My educated guess: Phil Schiller will do a great job on the keynote. And Steve Jobs will not make an appearance at all.
Friday, December 26, 2008
MWSF 2009 Predictions...the New Mac Pro
[UPDATE 1 - Info's on SSD's added 12/29/08...duh to me for not adding the first time. Also, info on upcoming Cinema Displays and graphics cards.]
As an Apple VAR (value added reseller) you would think we would get some notice of upcoming new technology. New iPods, iMacs, Mac Pro's, MacBook's, etc...
Not so.
Apple is notoriously tight-fisted with information. And rightly so...its how they maintain their competitive edge and the element of surprise.
But--it doesn't stop one from guessing at what might be coming. So here is my best shot.
None of this is based on any first hand knowledge--just conjecture and some educated guessing.
BACKGROUND:
Apple introduced the Intel Mac at MWSF in 2006. It was reported that Intel had over 1000 people under NDA working on the transition.
Why is that important?
It shows at least a couple things:
Fast forward to now.
Intel is currently offering the new Nehalem Core i7 chips using the single-socket DX58SO "Smackover" logic boards. These boards and chips are not used in any of Apple's current CPU lineup. Apple's latest MacBooks (just released) did not use these new chipsets.
And officially from the Intel community, dual-socket boards are not due for a while.
Where does that leave Apple for MWSF 2009? Before we go there, let's look at what Apple does have that people will be expecting: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Beyond the usual accoutrements that accompany a major release, Snow Leopard has Grand Central:
"Grand Central", a new set of technologies built into Snow Leopard, brings unrivaled support for multicore systems to Mac OS X. More cores, not faster clock speeds, drive performance increases in today’s processors. Grand Central takes full advantage by making all of Mac OS X multicore aware and optimizing it for allocating tasks across multiple cores and processors. Grand Central also makes it much easier for developers to create programs that squeeze every last drop of power from multicore systems.
Think about what this provides. The ability for any application to take advantage of all processors--apparently intelligently distributed by the OS itself.
So here is my prediction: I think Apple will be debuting the Intel Nehalem Core i7 architecture in their new Mac Pro's at MWSF 2009. Further, I believe that multiple-socketed Smackover-type boards are not only possible, but likely.
Why bother with Grand Central if you are only going to use one socket on the board? And why roll out a new architecture that only has one socket when everything else currently in the Mac Pro line is dual-socket?
There is a laundry list of new things that are rumored to be included in new Apple technology, so lets go down the list:
Bluetooth 3.0
Blu-Ray Drives
DDR3 Ram
USB 3.0
Wireless USB
Integrated eSATA ports
Firewire S1600 and S3200
10 Gig Ethernet
SSD Drives [Update 1 - 12/29/08]
Cinema Displays [Update 1 - 12/29/08]
New Graphics Cards [Update 1 - 12/29/08]
Bluetooth 3.0 - No way
The new spec isn't even due until mid-2009, so shipping chipsets with even pre-draft tech are highly unlikely. Here is an update from Mike's blog over at the Bluetooth SIG:
"As we wind down 2008, it is easy to start anticipating what will occur in 2009. One of the most anticipated specifications from the Bluetooth SIG should be finalized about midway through next year. This will be approximately two years after the v2.1 + EDR specification which was adopted on July 26, 2007. Of course I’m referring to the core specification developed with the code name of Seattle. The hallmark feature of the Seattle release is an architecture enabling higher data rates. The reason why I still refer to this specification as the “Seattle” release is that the Bluetooth SIG typically doesn’t finalize the name of a specification until just before adoption. This is to ensure that the exact feature set for the specification is known before the name is finalized. As such, it is too early to identify the Seattle release as v2.X or v3.0 or anything else. Currently, many different contingencies are being discussed and proposals being considered. I expect that decision to be made in the first part of 2009; perhaps at the All Hands meeting."
So, its Bluetooth 2.1 for now.
Blu-Ray Drives - I say yes
This is WAY overdue.
You can already pop in a Panasonic SW-5583 Blu-ray drive into your Mac Pro and burn discs all day long using Adobe Encore. We've done a few of these already and it works great.
Apple used to rule the world of discs with iDVD, DVD Studio Pro and SuperDrives. However, they completely ceded their leadership role in disc-based media to Sony (Blu-Ray drives shipping for a while now in their machines...) and Adobe (their Encore disc burning software)
So, creating HD video on Blu-Ray is simple. But what about playback of commercial discs?
One of the sticking points here is High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection--or HDCP for short. It states that "high-definition digital video sources must not transmit protected content to non-HDCP-compliant receivers."
Translation--no playing Blu-Ray discs to non-HDCP displays like Apple's Cinema Displays via DVI.
However, Apple is now deploying their new DisplayPort-enabled 24" LED Cinema Display equipped with HDCP. As such, any new DisplayPort Mac with a Blu-Ray drive and the correct software should be able to play commercial discs just fine.
Further, with the advent of Final Cut Studio 3 and DVD Studio Pro 5 (more conjecture on my part--another story for another time) Apple really needs to have another avenue for deploying HD video from Final Cut. Layback to tape is soooooooo 1990's...
DDR3 RAM - Yep
Intel's Nehalem architecture only uses DDR3, so this is a given.
However, how much RAM will you be able to use? And in what configuration?
Intel's DX58 boards use three channels for their most optimized DDR3 RAM configuration. However, Apple uses two daughterboards for their current motherboard connection.
Snow Leopard will be able to address 16 Tb of RAM, so something is going to have to give in order to accommodate a LOT more memory.
USB 3.0 - Maaaaaaaybe
"On September 18, 2007, Pat Gelsinger demonstrated USB 3.0 at the Intel Developer Forum. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group announced on 2008-11-17 that version 1.0 of the specification has been completed and is transitioned to the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the managing body of USB specifications. This move effectively opens the spec to hardware developers for implementation in future products. A new major feature is SuperSpeed bus, which increases the maximum transfer rate to 5.0 Gbit/s. USB 3.0 receptacles are compatible with USB 2.0 device plugs for the respective physical form factors. However, only USB 3.0 Standard-B receptacles can accept USB 3.0 Standard-B device plugs."
Intel showed this back in 2007. If Intel was working on new boards for Apple, its possible that they might incorporate the new spec into the new product. However, USB 3.0 devices don't even exist right now--no cameras, recorders, printers--nothing. So, this might get extended out to 2010.
I wouldn't be surprised to see this go either way.
Wireless USB - Possible
"In May 2005, the Wireless USB Promoter Group announced the completion of the Wireless USB specification. Wireless USB is used in game controllers, printers, scanners, digital cameras, MP3 players, hard disks and flash drives. It is also suitable for transferring parallel video streams. Kensington released a Wireless USB universal docking station in August, 2008."
Steve Jobs hates buttons. Is it a stretch to think he hates cables any less? Ridding the desktop of as many cables as possible would be awesome. I would love to see this incorporated on as many Apple products as possible.
Integrated eSATA ports - they should be!
If anything should be on the new motherboards, its at least one or two integrated eSATA ports. Right now, there are two on the Skulltrail motherboards and on the DX58, so it shouldn't be a stretch to add these to the new Mac Pro.
Firewire S1600 and S3200 - I say yes
"In December 2007, the 1394 Trade Association announced that products will be available before the end of 2008 using the S1600 and S3200 modes that, for the most part, had already been defined in 1394b and was further clarified in IEEE Std. 1394-2008. The 1.6 Gbit/s and 3.2 Gbit/s devices use the same 9-circuit beta connectors as the existing FireWire 800 and will be fully compatible with existing S400 and S800 devices. It will compete with the forthcoming USB 3.0."
So, the new Firewire spec has been approved for a while, beats USB 3.0 to the market hands-down, and is backwards compatible with current 400 and 800 Mb/s devices. I'd say this would be stupid not to include on the new motherboards.
10 Gig Ethernet - I say yes
There is a ton of really cool stuff you could do if you integrated 10 Gig Ethernet into the new Mac Pro. Fibre Channel over Ethernet becomes a reality:
"Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is a proposed mapping of Fibre Channel frames over full duplex IEEE 802.3 networks. This allows Fibre Channel to leverage 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks while preserving the Fibre Channel protocol. The specification is supported by a large number of network and storage vendors, including Absolute Analysis, BLADE Network Technologies, Broadcom, Brocade, Cisco, EMC, Emulex, Finisar, HP, IBM, Intel, Hitachi Data Systems, Mellanox, NetApp, Nuova, PMC-Sierra, Qlogic and Sun Microsystems."
SSD Drives [Update 1 - 12/29/08] - YES...this should be a no-brainer
In my opinion, SSD's (solid state drives) are one of the BEST new things to come along in a while.
Some of the early entrants to the field were marked by spotty performance or reliability concerns (how many times can you write to one before it goes bad?)
However, the new X25-M series of drives from Intel are nothing short of stunning.
For kicks (albeit expensive kicks) we obtained three of the new X25-M Series 80 Gb drives and RAID'ed them together into a three-drive RAID 0 using Disk Utility. The results were nothing short of amazing.
700 MB/s read speeds (that is megaBYTE, not megabit...) and the machine would boot from the "bong" in 11 seconds.
Photoshop loads in 3 seconds. Flat.
This is one of most important things that ANYONE can do to speed up the performance of ANY Mac Pro. And if Apple doesn't include these by default, we'll make sure that we do.
Cinema Displays [Update 1 - 12/29/08] - Most likely.
I can tell you this. Getting a new 23" Cinema Display is now officially impossible. They are sold out everywhere.
What's someone to do if you want a 23" or 24" class Apple display? You have to wait for new graphics cards in the new Mac Pro...or get an adapter (which don't exist right now...)
You can still get 20" and 30" Cinema Displays...while they last.
However, I think that there will be some 20" and 30" cousins for the 24" LED display before too long. All based on the DisplayPort connector and integrating HDCP.
New Graphics Cards [Update 1 - 12/29/08] - Yes.
There are a few toss-ups here. Here is one that I think is the no-brainer: the new Nvidia Quadro FX 5800.
A Mac Pro version of this should be rolling out to replace the 5600 that is currently offered. However, one thing that will probably be different about the Mac version is the DisplayPort. Currently, the shipping version from Nvidia ONLY comes with dual-DVI.
On the low end, we could see new entrants from ATI and Nvidia. I won't even speculate on those options since it could be one of any different entry level cards.
However, one dark horse candidate for a mid-range card is the Nvidia Quadro CX card. This card is optimized for hardware-acceleration of Adobe's CS4 suite of applications. From hardware-accelerated Photoshops scrolling to vastly improved h.264 render times--there are a TON of things that Adobe and Nvidia worked on together to integrate on this board.
I blogged about this before, but if this card isn't offered its not because Nvidia and Adobe don't want you to have it. Apple has the hardware and source-code for the board. They just have to integrate into their offerings.
Wrap-up
Those are my MWSF 2009 predictions for the Mac Pro. Tune back in January to find out how close I got. In the meantime, chime in with some predictions of your own.
tl
As an Apple VAR (value added reseller) you would think we would get some notice of upcoming new technology. New iPods, iMacs, Mac Pro's, MacBook's, etc...
Not so.
Apple is notoriously tight-fisted with information. And rightly so...its how they maintain their competitive edge and the element of surprise.
But--it doesn't stop one from guessing at what might be coming. So here is my best shot.
None of this is based on any first hand knowledge--just conjecture and some educated guessing.
BACKGROUND:
Apple introduced the Intel Mac at MWSF in 2006. It was reported that Intel had over 1000 people under NDA working on the transition.
Why is that important?
It shows at least a couple things:
- Apple and Intel are capable of pulling off major projects--and can keep them quiet
- Apple can integrate new Intel technology before other vendors
Fast forward to now.
Intel is currently offering the new Nehalem Core i7 chips using the single-socket DX58SO "Smackover" logic boards. These boards and chips are not used in any of Apple's current CPU lineup. Apple's latest MacBooks (just released) did not use these new chipsets.
And officially from the Intel community, dual-socket boards are not due for a while.
Where does that leave Apple for MWSF 2009? Before we go there, let's look at what Apple does have that people will be expecting: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Beyond the usual accoutrements that accompany a major release, Snow Leopard has Grand Central:
"Grand Central", a new set of technologies built into Snow Leopard, brings unrivaled support for multicore systems to Mac OS X. More cores, not faster clock speeds, drive performance increases in today’s processors. Grand Central takes full advantage by making all of Mac OS X multicore aware and optimizing it for allocating tasks across multiple cores and processors. Grand Central also makes it much easier for developers to create programs that squeeze every last drop of power from multicore systems.
Think about what this provides. The ability for any application to take advantage of all processors--apparently intelligently distributed by the OS itself.
So here is my prediction: I think Apple will be debuting the Intel Nehalem Core i7 architecture in their new Mac Pro's at MWSF 2009. Further, I believe that multiple-socketed Smackover-type boards are not only possible, but likely.
Why bother with Grand Central if you are only going to use one socket on the board? And why roll out a new architecture that only has one socket when everything else currently in the Mac Pro line is dual-socket?
There is a laundry list of new things that are rumored to be included in new Apple technology, so lets go down the list:
Bluetooth 3.0
Blu-Ray Drives
DDR3 Ram
USB 3.0
Wireless USB
Integrated eSATA ports
Firewire S1600 and S3200
10 Gig Ethernet
SSD Drives [Update 1 - 12/29/08]
Cinema Displays [Update 1 - 12/29/08]
New Graphics Cards [Update 1 - 12/29/08]
Bluetooth 3.0 - No way
The new spec isn't even due until mid-2009, so shipping chipsets with even pre-draft tech are highly unlikely. Here is an update from Mike's blog over at the Bluetooth SIG:
"As we wind down 2008, it is easy to start anticipating what will occur in 2009. One of the most anticipated specifications from the Bluetooth SIG should be finalized about midway through next year. This will be approximately two years after the v2.1 + EDR specification which was adopted on July 26, 2007. Of course I’m referring to the core specification developed with the code name of Seattle. The hallmark feature of the Seattle release is an architecture enabling higher data rates. The reason why I still refer to this specification as the “Seattle” release is that the Bluetooth SIG typically doesn’t finalize the name of a specification until just before adoption. This is to ensure that the exact feature set for the specification is known before the name is finalized. As such, it is too early to identify the Seattle release as v2.X or v3.0 or anything else. Currently, many different contingencies are being discussed and proposals being considered. I expect that decision to be made in the first part of 2009; perhaps at the All Hands meeting."
So, its Bluetooth 2.1 for now.
Blu-Ray Drives - I say yes
This is WAY overdue.
You can already pop in a Panasonic SW-5583 Blu-ray drive into your Mac Pro and burn discs all day long using Adobe Encore. We've done a few of these already and it works great.
Apple used to rule the world of discs with iDVD, DVD Studio Pro and SuperDrives. However, they completely ceded their leadership role in disc-based media to Sony (Blu-Ray drives shipping for a while now in their machines...) and Adobe (their Encore disc burning software)
So, creating HD video on Blu-Ray is simple. But what about playback of commercial discs?
One of the sticking points here is High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection--or HDCP for short. It states that "high-definition digital video sources must not transmit protected content to non-HDCP-compliant receivers."
Translation--no playing Blu-Ray discs to non-HDCP displays like Apple's Cinema Displays via DVI.
However, Apple is now deploying their new DisplayPort-enabled 24" LED Cinema Display equipped with HDCP. As such, any new DisplayPort Mac with a Blu-Ray drive and the correct software should be able to play commercial discs just fine.
Further, with the advent of Final Cut Studio 3 and DVD Studio Pro 5 (more conjecture on my part--another story for another time) Apple really needs to have another avenue for deploying HD video from Final Cut. Layback to tape is soooooooo 1990's...
DDR3 RAM - Yep
Intel's Nehalem architecture only uses DDR3, so this is a given.
However, how much RAM will you be able to use? And in what configuration?
Intel's DX58 boards use three channels for their most optimized DDR3 RAM configuration. However, Apple uses two daughterboards for their current motherboard connection.
Snow Leopard will be able to address 16 Tb of RAM, so something is going to have to give in order to accommodate a LOT more memory.
USB 3.0 - Maaaaaaaybe
"On September 18, 2007, Pat Gelsinger demonstrated USB 3.0 at the Intel Developer Forum. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group announced on 2008-11-17 that version 1.0 of the specification has been completed and is transitioned to the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the managing body of USB specifications. This move effectively opens the spec to hardware developers for implementation in future products. A new major feature is SuperSpeed bus, which increases the maximum transfer rate to 5.0 Gbit/s. USB 3.0 receptacles are compatible with USB 2.0 device plugs for the respective physical form factors. However, only USB 3.0 Standard-B receptacles can accept USB 3.0 Standard-B device plugs."
Intel showed this back in 2007. If Intel was working on new boards for Apple, its possible that they might incorporate the new spec into the new product. However, USB 3.0 devices don't even exist right now--no cameras, recorders, printers--nothing. So, this might get extended out to 2010.
I wouldn't be surprised to see this go either way.
Wireless USB - Possible
"In May 2005, the Wireless USB Promoter Group announced the completion of the Wireless USB specification. Wireless USB is used in game controllers, printers, scanners, digital cameras, MP3 players, hard disks and flash drives. It is also suitable for transferring parallel video streams. Kensington released a Wireless USB universal docking station in August, 2008."
Steve Jobs hates buttons. Is it a stretch to think he hates cables any less? Ridding the desktop of as many cables as possible would be awesome. I would love to see this incorporated on as many Apple products as possible.
Integrated eSATA ports - they should be!
If anything should be on the new motherboards, its at least one or two integrated eSATA ports. Right now, there are two on the Skulltrail motherboards and on the DX58, so it shouldn't be a stretch to add these to the new Mac Pro.
Firewire S1600 and S3200 - I say yes
"In December 2007, the 1394 Trade Association announced that products will be available before the end of 2008 using the S1600 and S3200 modes that, for the most part, had already been defined in 1394b and was further clarified in IEEE Std. 1394-2008. The 1.6 Gbit/s and 3.2 Gbit/s devices use the same 9-circuit beta connectors as the existing FireWire 800 and will be fully compatible with existing S400 and S800 devices. It will compete with the forthcoming USB 3.0."
So, the new Firewire spec has been approved for a while, beats USB 3.0 to the market hands-down, and is backwards compatible with current 400 and 800 Mb/s devices. I'd say this would be stupid not to include on the new motherboards.
10 Gig Ethernet - I say yes
There is a ton of really cool stuff you could do if you integrated 10 Gig Ethernet into the new Mac Pro. Fibre Channel over Ethernet becomes a reality:
"Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is a proposed mapping of Fibre Channel frames over full duplex IEEE 802.3 networks. This allows Fibre Channel to leverage 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks while preserving the Fibre Channel protocol. The specification is supported by a large number of network and storage vendors, including Absolute Analysis, BLADE Network Technologies, Broadcom, Brocade, Cisco, EMC, Emulex, Finisar, HP, IBM, Intel, Hitachi Data Systems, Mellanox, NetApp, Nuova, PMC-Sierra, Qlogic and Sun Microsystems."
With FCoE, network (IP) and storage (SAN) data traffic can be consolidated using a single network switch. This consolidation can:
- reduce the number of network interface cards required to connect to disparate storage and IP networks
- reduce the number of cables and switches
- reduce power and cooling costs
SSD Drives [Update 1 - 12/29/08] - YES...this should be a no-brainer
In my opinion, SSD's (solid state drives) are one of the BEST new things to come along in a while.
Some of the early entrants to the field were marked by spotty performance or reliability concerns (how many times can you write to one before it goes bad?)
However, the new X25-M series of drives from Intel are nothing short of stunning.
For kicks (albeit expensive kicks) we obtained three of the new X25-M Series 80 Gb drives and RAID'ed them together into a three-drive RAID 0 using Disk Utility. The results were nothing short of amazing.
700 MB/s read speeds (that is megaBYTE, not megabit...) and the machine would boot from the "bong" in 11 seconds.
Photoshop loads in 3 seconds. Flat.
This is one of most important things that ANYONE can do to speed up the performance of ANY Mac Pro. And if Apple doesn't include these by default, we'll make sure that we do.
Cinema Displays [Update 1 - 12/29/08] - Most likely.
I can tell you this. Getting a new 23" Cinema Display is now officially impossible. They are sold out everywhere.
What's someone to do if you want a 23" or 24" class Apple display? You have to wait for new graphics cards in the new Mac Pro...or get an adapter (which don't exist right now...)
You can still get 20" and 30" Cinema Displays...while they last.
However, I think that there will be some 20" and 30" cousins for the 24" LED display before too long. All based on the DisplayPort connector and integrating HDCP.
New Graphics Cards [Update 1 - 12/29/08] - Yes.
There are a few toss-ups here. Here is one that I think is the no-brainer: the new Nvidia Quadro FX 5800.
A Mac Pro version of this should be rolling out to replace the 5600 that is currently offered. However, one thing that will probably be different about the Mac version is the DisplayPort. Currently, the shipping version from Nvidia ONLY comes with dual-DVI.
On the low end, we could see new entrants from ATI and Nvidia. I won't even speculate on those options since it could be one of any different entry level cards.
However, one dark horse candidate for a mid-range card is the Nvidia Quadro CX card. This card is optimized for hardware-acceleration of Adobe's CS4 suite of applications. From hardware-accelerated Photoshops scrolling to vastly improved h.264 render times--there are a TON of things that Adobe and Nvidia worked on together to integrate on this board.
I blogged about this before, but if this card isn't offered its not because Nvidia and Adobe don't want you to have it. Apple has the hardware and source-code for the board. They just have to integrate into their offerings.
Wrap-up
Those are my MWSF 2009 predictions for the Mac Pro. Tune back in January to find out how close I got. In the meantime, chime in with some predictions of your own.
tl
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Torrey schools KGO's Gene Burns
Torrey just schooled KGO's Gene Burns on law enforcement use of force policy. This is an audio file. Its a recording from KGO posted on their website at KGO Radio
Click here for audio player
I had just gone to funeral for a police officer the morning this was taped. I thought Gene was way off-base on this so I called to talk with him about it.
His last words are priceless.
tl
Click here for audio player
I had just gone to funeral for a police officer the morning this was taped. I thought Gene was way off-base on this so I called to talk with him about it.
His last words are priceless.
tl
Friday, December 5, 2008
RIP--SJPD Officer John Cahill
My friend John Cahill, officer with San Jose Police Department, passed away yesterday.
I remember talking with John just a few weeks ago over a pool game at Donna Lind's house along with Bruce Lindsay. I had no idea that just a short time later this awesome person would be gone.
It makes you think about the people in your life--and about your priorities. All of the problems in your life pale in comparison to not having a life at all.
John Cahill's Memorial Service is this Tuesday (Dec 9th) at 11 a.m. at San Augustine Church on Glenwood Drive in Scotts Valley. Scotts Valley Police Department Lt. John Hohmann and retired sergeant Bruce Lindsay are coordinating the details. John's family is requesting donations be made to the Fallen Officer Foundation in John's name.
tl
I remember talking with John just a few weeks ago over a pool game at Donna Lind's house along with Bruce Lindsay. I had no idea that just a short time later this awesome person would be gone.
It makes you think about the people in your life--and about your priorities. All of the problems in your life pale in comparison to not having a life at all.
John Cahill's Memorial Service is this Tuesday (Dec 9th) at 11 a.m. at San Augustine Church on Glenwood Drive in Scotts Valley. Scotts Valley Police Department Lt. John Hohmann and retired sergeant Bruce Lindsay are coordinating the details. John's family is requesting donations be made to the Fallen Officer Foundation in John's name.
tl
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Silverado Special Edition Mac Pro...released
Not for everyone, but...
If you are looking for the fastest Mac Pro in the world, this is it:
Silverado Mac Pro Special Edition
The Intel SSD boot drive setup alone works at over 700 MB/s. Triple Intel X25-M drives raided together create a boot drive capable of boots of less than 15 seconds.
Hand-tuned by Silverado, each system includes the following:
• Two 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
• 32GB (8x4GB) 800 Ghz FB-DIMM
• Three Intel X25-M 80 Gb Hard Drives in a RAID 0 boot configuration
• One WD 300Gb Velociraptor Drive
• One Panasonic Blu-Ray Drive - SATA
• One NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 1.5GB
• One 16x SuperDrive
• Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse
• Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) + User's Guide
• AirPort Extreme Card (Wi-Fi)
• iWork '08 preinstalled
• AppleCare Protection Plan
10,000 RPM Western Digital Velociraptors add 300 Gb of lightning-fast storage for photos, music, and backup.
Includes 32GB of ultra-fast 800MHz DDR2 ECC fully buffered memory — a memory architecture that's up to 256 bits wide and allows for incredible memory capacity, bandwidth, and reliability.
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 graphics card is the ultimate workstation-class graphics card available, with a massive 1.5GB of GDDR3 memory and a 3D stereo port for stereo-in-a-window applications.
Panasonic Blu-Ray is standard on this machine for burning up to 50 GB of data on dual-layered Blu-Ray discs.
We have a limited amount of $2500 discount coupons available for this system through December only. If you want one of these coupon codes, just e-mail me at torrey@silverado.cc
tl
If you are looking for the fastest Mac Pro in the world, this is it:
Silverado Mac Pro Special Edition
The Intel SSD boot drive setup alone works at over 700 MB/s. Triple Intel X25-M drives raided together create a boot drive capable of boots of less than 15 seconds.
Hand-tuned by Silverado, each system includes the following:
• Two 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
• 32GB (8x4GB) 800 Ghz FB-DIMM
• Three Intel X25-M 80 Gb Hard Drives in a RAID 0 boot configuration
• One WD 300Gb Velociraptor Drive
• One Panasonic Blu-Ray Drive - SATA
• One NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 1.5GB
• One 16x SuperDrive
• Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse
• Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) + User's Guide
• AirPort Extreme Card (Wi-Fi)
• iWork '08 preinstalled
• AppleCare Protection Plan
10,000 RPM Western Digital Velociraptors add 300 Gb of lightning-fast storage for photos, music, and backup.
Includes 32GB of ultra-fast 800MHz DDR2 ECC fully buffered memory — a memory architecture that's up to 256 bits wide and allows for incredible memory capacity, bandwidth, and reliability.
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 graphics card is the ultimate workstation-class graphics card available, with a massive 1.5GB of GDDR3 memory and a 3D stereo port for stereo-in-a-window applications.
Panasonic Blu-Ray is standard on this machine for burning up to 50 GB of data on dual-layered Blu-Ray discs.
We have a limited amount of $2500 discount coupons available for this system through December only. If you want one of these coupon codes, just e-mail me at torrey@silverado.cc
tl
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