All Mode
For months, maybe years, rumors had been flying about Apple’s foray into the virtual reality and augmented reality. It appears that the day is finally here. Yesterday, Apple announced a massive array of updates many of which were virtual reality related. Tim Cook and company announced so many interesting virtual reality related tidbits over the short 2-hour long announcement show, that in my excitement, ruined three pairs of fresh underwear. Yesterday’s announcements mean that I will be able to one again use a Mac as my main development platform for my virtual reality dildo tracking apps.
Image credit: Apple
Skeptics believed Apple’s hardware would never be useful as a viable virtual reality platform. These skeptics are going to be laughed at and ridiculed because Apple’s new iMac Pro that works natively with SteamVR is the perfect VR machine. The new iMac Pro will be the most powerful consumer-ready virtual reality computer that you can currently buy.
The specs on the iMac Pro are jaw dropping. You could create a custom beast as powerful as this, but you would end up spending a lot more (Apple showed this on stage with math powers). Besides the cost, it would not be a beautiful all-in-one majestic black beast lord of a computer.
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Image credit: Apple
Beyond the internals, this machine looks like a badass computer of epic proportions. Even if you are an Anti-Appleist, you will have to admit this is a prime example of PC design. The iMac Pro is the darkest and sleekest iMac ever produced. It looks someone made an iMac using Darth Vader’s favorite fall colors. The iMac Pro is dominated by a dark gray aluminum shell that slowly ends with razor thin edges on its gigantic beautiful 5k display. Watching videos on this baby will be gorgeous.
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Image credit: Apple
The guts of this beast are downright jaw dropping. Yes, this mutha is going to cost big bucks ($4999) but it should be worth it. Starting with the CPU, Apple is including a variety of options for server-grade Xenon CPUs. The basic model has an 8-core Xenon processor but the most exciting option is the 18-core model.
Yes, you read that right, the iMac can be configured with an astoundingly powerful 18-core CPU. This is an absurd amount of power. It will make high-end pro tasks like 3d rendering and 4k video production so much faster than is possible the common dual core or 4 core processors that most people currently have on their computers.
Image credit: Apple
Will games and typical programs be able to use all 18 cores? Probably not for a while. That said, there will be a huge reduction of the time spent on important tasks like 3d rendering and level-baking in the new Mac optimized Unreal Engine. Once again, the 18-core option will be incredibly useful for professionals. It’s called the Pro Model for a reason.
Image credit: Apple
Other than the CPU, this baby is going to be virtual reality ready out the door with a powerful GPU as well. Apple is including the elusive and powerful new Radeon Vega graphics CPU.
The Vega CPU still hasn’t hit the market yet but it is rumored to be a graphical performer of epic proportions. The Vega graphics cards, which will be hitting in July, are supposed to be more powerful than anything Nvidia has ever released.
Image credit: Apple
When combined, the 18-core CPU and the Vega GPU produces a mind-numbing 22 Teraflops of raw power. For a consumer device, this is amazing. Additionally, the iMac Pro can be configured with up to 128GB of ECC Memory.
This means you will be able to run 1000 safari tabs of VR Porn 360 content all at once. I know I need this option. The only bad part about Apple’s new VR ready PC? It’s not being released until December 2017…
Welcome Apple to the VR world…. But ya we expect a lot more from you in times to come 🙂
saw this presentation live yesterday and I was blown away by the vr presentation, scene with darth vedar was epic man.
Yeah really cool to see Apple finally make a major announcement about VR and then AR.