OWC Unboxing Videos for iMac Pro, Teardown to Follow Soon
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Video(s) follow below.
OWC / MacSales.com has a variety of peripherals for the iMac Pro available already (a Thunderbolt 3 version of the Thunderbay 4 should be available very soon).
See various tips before buying an iMac Pro.
Unboxing
Look for something that promises/suggests extremely high SSD speed!
- “$5000 worth of entry level”. This is not a casual purchase, which is why I have not yet ordered one—it is not at all clear that for my usage or 99% of other photographers that it is worth the cost or even a better performer. But I’ll soon find out first-hand, as OWC has invited me to test the iMac Pro against other Macs at their Woodstock, IL facility in very early January.
- Elegantly done 'Apple' as usual. If only Apple cared as much about quality in software and usability and upgradeability and peak performance. I don’t sit around admiring the computer while I work on it; I use it to get work done.
- Apple prioritizes form over function by placing the SD slot in the back. I don’t see this as appropriate for a “pro” model. I need frequent access, which means leaning over the machine, not always so easy to do and requiring lights on. Ditto for the USB ports; none are accessible, and yet I often need to plug/unplug USB things. I’ve solved the issue by using the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock. Other products that work are the TRIPP LITE USB Hub, the Sabrent 4-port Hub.
- The Apple mouse is awful because it has no scroll button on the top. That button is an absolutely critical feature for efficient work, which is why I still use the Apple wired mouse with its top scroll button. I consider the as-shipped mouse a toy—I have 5 or so of them sitting in a box, unused. Fortunately Apple is shipping a full size keyboad with the iMac Pro, as per the end of the video.
A teardown video should follow soon, showing the innards. That will tell us about what might be upgradeable, albeit with cutting off the screen to get inside.
If the videos don’t play in HD, click the little gear icon towards bottom right and switch to 1440p.
Suggested Accessories
Buying an iMac Pro
Go in with eyes wide open—marketing hype is neither workflow efficiency, nor value.
Before spending for an iMac Pro, the following articles should be read, for plusses and minuses as as well as pending possibilities for whether the iMac Pro is upgradeable.
- iMac Pro posts and articles
- iMac Pro Models for Photographers
- iMac Pro: Pricing and Thoughts
- Why More CPU Cores Often Run no Faster, and Sometimes Slower than Fewer CPU Cores
- iMac Pro: Downclocked CPUs
- Turbo Boost and the Intel Xeon W CPUs in the Apple iMac Pro
- Using Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports to Build Out a System