New Mac Studio + Studio Display + black & silver keyboards, mouse & trackpad

[zplane]

I try to avoid exclusively using the latest hardware/software until it's been out for a while to be debugged and updated in the field; most of the creative audio/video people I work with are always 1 or 2 revisions behind running the latest revision of MacOS on their machines (and still use Logic 10.6.X). MacOS Monterey still has issues with correctly sensing the video resolution of external (high res 4K) monitors connected via USB-C cables. A sometimes remedy is to connect with the monitor side of the cable using HDMI instead of USB-C, i.e., buy a monitor with connections that include an HDMI port.

[David Nahmani]

By the way will the normal Apple keyboard still working with the M1 Macs?

Yes, your old normal Apple keyboard works just fine with M1 Macs, not to worry.

[danyg]

for musicians only... do we need a 64-core GPU. I think it's more for those who are into photo and video.

what do you think?

[des99]

You do not, unless you want to run 6 monitors...

[LoganS]

I don't think the GPU upgrade will benefit us much, but I'm wondering if the 64-128 gig integrated memory might be a good idea for future proofing. I don't think I could use the full 128 memory currently though

[Glenn L.]

If it had come out last year, I would've gone for the Studio with 1tb ssd. As is, my M1 mini is quite sufficient for my needs.

I'm curious as to whether the thing stays as silent and cool as my M1.

No chance I'd spend that money on a monitor. I bought a 32“ LG monitor with the mini last year. Less than ⅓ the cost of the Apple Display.

[redgreenblue]

Will the new Mac Studio be compatible with my old lovely Apple Thunderbolt 27 display? if so, I think I am in for the base model.

 

I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work with a TB2-TB3 adapter, I'm using one on my work 16" M1 Pro machine.

[kerochan]

Will the new Mac Studio be compatible with my old lovely Apple Thunderbolt 27 display? if so, I think I am in for the base model.

 

I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work with a TB2-TB3 adapter, I'm using one on my work 16" M1 Pro machine.

 

 

Oh thats great to know, though a TB2-TB3 adaptor isnt gonna work, the Thunderbolt 27 Display is TB 1 ?

[redgreenblue]

 

I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work with a TB2-TB3 adapter, I'm using one on my work 16" M1 Pro machine.

 

 

Oh thats great to know, though a TB2-TB3 adaptor isnt gonna work, the Thunderbolt 27 Display is TB 1 ?

 

I'm confident it it will considering I'm using one on a 2021 MacBook Pro. The TB2 adapter is backwards compatible.

[kerochan]

 

 

Oh thats great to know, though a TB2-TB3 adaptor isnt gonna work, the Thunderbolt 27 Display is TB 1 ?

 

I'm confident it it will considering I'm using one on a 2021 MacBook Pro. The TB2 adapter is backwards compatible.

 

Thanks again, just to confirm, a TB2 plug and TB1 Plug look the same?

[triplets]

a TB2 plug and TB1 Plug look the same?

 

Yes they do.

[kerochan]

a TB2 plug and TB1 Plug look the same?

 

Yes they do.

 

great stuff, thank you.

I totally love my TB Display. Should be fine with the Mac Studio

[redgreenblue]

 

I'm confident it it will considering I'm using one on a 2021 MacBook Pro. The TB2 adapter is backwards compatible.

 

Thanks again, just to confirm, a TB2 plug and TB1 Plug look the same?

 

yes, the connector is identical, it only changed with TB3

[Dewdman42]

Questions:

 

Anyone know how we can connect some non-apple displays to this new Mac Studio? I have DisplayPort and DVI displays I'd rather not have to replace.

 

anyone know how many SSD's we can put inside? Are they SATA or what type of storage?

 

Anyone know anything about thunderbolt PCI harnesses?

[lookatthisguy]

Questions:

 

Anyone know how we can connect some non-apple displays to this new Mac Studio? I have DisplayPort and DVI displays I'd rather not have to replace.

TB3/4 to DP or DVI adapters.

 

anyone know how many SSD's we can put inside? Are they SATA or what type of storage?

Have to wait until some outfit like iFixit does a teardown on the device, but it's likely going to be hardwired/soldered, and not user-upgradeable.

 

Anyone know anything about thunderbolt PCI harnesses?

What do you mean; what about them? There likely isn't really any expandability on these units, based on the photos and nature of the presentation/talking points…

[enossified]

The Mac Studio with the 27 inch display replaced the 27 iMac Pro.

Apple said in the presentation there's only the Mac Pro left for the Apple Silicon transition.

 

sure, but seems logical to expect a more-pro imac at some point this year; the current imac is very 'consumer-oriented...

 

IMHO it only makes sense if they were selling lots of iMac Pros and thir marketing surveys suggested people preferred the all-in-one design. Not being a mind reader, I have no idea whether or not that's true. How much cheaper than the $3600 price for a base Mac Studio with display could a new iMac Pro be? Personally, if I was going to pay that much (I'm not) I'd go with the separates. Like the Mini, the Studio has a small foot print and the front panel port access is a lot more convenient than reaching around the back to plug in a thumb drive, camera, etc. The display also adds a few more USB-C ports. I doubt a new iMac Pro would come with as many ports.

[enossified]

I'm using one on a 2021 MacBook Pro. The TB2 adapter is backwards compatible.

 

Thanks again, just to confirm, a TB2 plug and TB1 Plug look the same?

 

Yes. I'm using a TB2 SSD with my TB1 iMac (at TB1 speeds, of course).

[des99]

Anyone know how we can connect some non-apple displays to this new Mac Studio? I have DisplayPort and DVI displays I'd rather not have to replace.

 

Sure - you can connect more or less anything. You generally just need the right cable/adaptors etc.

 

anyone know how many SSD's we can put inside? Are they SATA or what type of storage?

 

These aren't designed to be opened to put things in. That's why they have so many ports. Peripherals, including SSDs are external devices.

 

You can't generally change or upgrade the internal SSD's on modern Macs, not just because they are non-removable, but also because they are secure-boot bonded to the system - even if you could physically replace the internal SSD, it wouldn't boot the machine.

[fisherking]

 

sure, but seems logical to expect a more-pro imac at some point this year; the current imac is very 'consumer-oriented...

 

IMHO it only makes sense if they were selling lots of iMac Pros and thir marketing surveys suggested people preferred the all-in-one design. Not being a mind reader, I have no idea whether or not that's true. How much cheaper than the $3600 price for a base Mac Studio with display could a new iMac Pro be? Personally, if I was going to pay that much (I'm not) I'd go with the separates. Like the Mini, the Studio has a small foot print and the front panel port access is a lot more convenient than reaching around the back to plug in a thumb drive, camera, etc. The display also adds a few more USB-C ports. I doubt a new iMac Pro would come with as many ports.

 

am not talking about an 'imac pro', but a 'more professional' imac; ie something more powerful, with more ports, than the first-gen silicon imac. no reason to think the imac is on it's last iteration...

[Dewdman42]

Anyone know how we can connect some non-apple displays to this new Mac Studio? I have DisplayPort and DVI displays I'd rather not have to replace.

 

Sure - you can connect more or less anything. You generally just need the right cable/adaptors etc.

 

I haven’t been able to find a dvi adapter thus far

 

anyone know how many SSD's we can put inside? Are they SATA or what type of storage?

 

These aren't designed to be opened to put things in. That's why they have so many ports. Peripherals, including SSDs are external devices.

 

I was afraid of that

 

Guess I will still be waiting to see next gen macpro. Anyway I feel apple silicon software updates are still working their way through everything.

 

I’m happy to see that apple is at least acknowledging and addressing the need for a mid tier machine which they have patently overlooked for maybe 15 years. This will make a lot of musicians quite happy despite the closed box paradigm. I do not like the closed box paradigm though and that saddens me because I have a feeling the only way I will be able to have a Mac with affordable ssd storage bays inside, plenty of ram and god forbid at least one pci slot, will be some kind of $15,000 thing I can’t justify or else inhale to accept the small box and numerous other boxes attached to it via various cables, including an external pci box for my lynx audio card that interfaces with my x32 low latency. Or replace a lot of external gear , another expensive and undesirable choice. Guess I will keep running my 5,1 for the time being until I see what more apple may offer up in the next few years. Sooner or later I will have to do something, but for me; this isn’t it. But I do think an awful lot of musicians are going to like this mac studio model in a $4000 varíant

[Dragonwind]

This was the one I've been waiting for and decided, after all these years, to put everything (sample libraries, etc) on the biggest drive they offer.

 

So it won't be for 10-12 weeks till it ships, but did the Ultra with 48 core GPU and the 8tb drive, trading in the MacPro6,1.

[triplets]

I haven’t been able to find a dvi adapter thus far

 

Did you try DVI to Hdmi? There won't be for USB-C.

[Dewdman42]

perhaps an HDMI adapter might work, but I really wanted to connect a completely seperate monitor on HDMI anyway.

 

Doesn't matter, I'm gonna wait to see what the next macPro will be.

[des99]

I'm gonna wait to see what the next macPro will be.

 

I can tell you what it almost certainly will be - it will be expensive! Designed mostly for facilities, sticking in the price range of the current Mac Pro (ie above the high end Mac Studio). It’s not going to overlap with the Studio, because that would confuse the market.

 

If you’re ok with current Mac Pro prices, then you’ll be ok with the newer ones.

 

Honestly, I think the tower metaphor where you can put a bunch of cards and components inside is a metaphor from the old days of computing. It will continue to live on in the pc community for a while yet, because a lot of that user base are people that like tinkering with their computers, just like some people like tinkering with their cars. But for people that just want to get work done, a small, powerful, quiet and cool computer is just very seductive, and that old metaphor is already dead in todays Mac market. Probably the largest Mac user base that still has old Mac towers is the audio community still running older machines, mostly because of the investment back then of cards, drives and so on. But even they will move on eventually, I think, Particularly if they are invested in the Mac platform, and want to run current and future software…

[Dewdman42]

Apple is trying to make their computers disposable so that we consumers will recycle them like we do our iPhones. the PCI slot concept is still very much alive and well, but prevents Apple from pushing the recycled computer agenda. The 5,1 is still around because it was expandable, changeable, upgradable, modular and all the rest. You're probably right that Apple will never make another computer like that which doesn't cost well more then $10,000 and its also possible this will drive some people like me to windows, but we shall see, I'm still waiting to see what they will do with the M1 Mac Pro. The Mac studio is really not for me at this time. It breaks compatibility with too much of my external stuff and I will be into well over $5000 to buy a Mac studio get it working in my studio again. I'm waiting.

 

I suggest also that Apple will be pushing out new CPU models every year and driving upgrade hysteria for the foreseeable future, just as they have done with iPads and iPhones. Patience is a good virtue to have at this time. Don't get me wrong, I think the Apple Silicon platform is terrific and sooner or later I will have one. But in the meantime my 5,1 is still doing quite fine. ironically, that is why Apple doesn't want to make an affordable tower again, and I don't disagree with you...the 5,1 may be the last affordable tower they ever make. but we shall see.

 

My future very well may be using my 5,1 a few more years and picking up used M1 Mac Pro for a more reasonable number down the road. but we shall see. I bought my 5,1 used also...because prior to 2010 I could not stomach the idea of spending $5000 for one of those.

[Ashermusic]

I just ordered a Mac Studio M1 Max with 64 GB.

 

Anyone want to buy my late 2018 3.2 six core i7 Mac mini with 64 GB RAM and 500 GB SSD?

[andycarney111]

The prices hike up steeply here in Europe unfortunately. I''m probably getting a baseline Mac Studio. But over $1,900 for a Studio Display is just insane for a Logic user, I'm afraid I'll have to look into other manufacturers for the display.

 

Is there any way I can use my 2013 iMac as a monitor?

[Ashermusic]

Is there any way I can use my 2013 iMac as a monitor?

Yes.

https://www.lifewire.com/use-imac-as-monitor-with-target-display-mode-2260906

[redgreenblue]

Apple is trying to make their computers disposable so that we consumers will recycle them like we do our iPhones. the PCI slot concept is still very much alive and well, but prevents Apple from pushing the recycled computer agenda. The 5,1 is still around because it was expandable, changeable, upgradable, modular and all the rest. You're probably right that Apple will never make another computer like that which doesn't cost well more then $10,000 and its also possible this will drive some people like me to windows, but we shall see, I'm still waiting to see what they will do with the M1 Mac Pro. The Mac studio is really not for me at this time. It breaks compatibility with too much of my external stuff and I will be into well over $5000 to buy a Mac studio get it working in my studio again. I'm waiting.

 

I suggest also that Apple will be pushing out new CPU models every year and driving upgrade hysteria for the foreseeable future, just as they have done with iPads and iPhones. Patience is a good virtue to have at this time. Don't get me wrong, I think the Apple Silicon platform is terrific and sooner or later I will have one. But in the meantime my 5,1 is still doing quite fine. ironically, that is why Apple doesn't want to make an affordable tower again, and I don't disagree with you...the 5,1 may be the last affordable tower they ever make. but we shall see.

 

My future very well may be using my 5,1 a few more years and picking up used M1 Mac Pro for a more reasonable number down the road. but we shall see. I bought my 5,1 used also...because prior to 2010 I could not stomach the idea of spending $5000 for one of those.

 

There are solutions for using PCI cards, the bigger question is will there be drivers for the modern OS for them. That is more of a decision for the people who make the cards than Apple. But don't hold your breath that any new Mac Pro is going to have slots. With the super fast ports on the new Macs there is really no penalty for using a PCI enclosure.

[Dewdman42]

In my case its a Lynx audio card and so far they are staying on top of MacOS updates and I don't expect them to stop. They told me already there is a slight latency added when using a PCI enclosure. Internal PCI is still preferable. I do believe next Mac Pro will have them, but I also believe it will be ____ing expensive. Edited March 10, 2022 by Dewdman42