It also looks like the current form factor also limits internal storage to a single drive - i.e. it's a workstation that does not provide for an internal RAID configuration. It also does not provide any way to back data up without using a network connection or external device.
None of these may be deal breakers, of course, but the trend is definitely away from upgradability. Then again, a shared heat sink and limited air volume combined with a 450w power supply and a single fan design probably give Apple business reasons to move in that direction.
It might well prove quicker to use an ordinary backup program (my 2 x 2TB RAID1 system takes about 10-15 hours to rebuild, while Acronis will back up the 1.2TB of used data in about 5 hours). And there's a bit of inconvenience, in that you have to shut your computer down and swap the drives. But in exchange, the backup is guaranteed to be atomically that of your computer in its shut-down state - at least on Windows, I think this is difficult to guarantee otherwise.
The MacPro does not provide the capability for an internal RAID configuration,
The MacPro does not offer the ability to backup to an internal device such as a DVD drive.
I really don't understand the importance of the distinction between internal and external. It's sitting on your desk for pete's sake, just plug stuff in.
> The video cards in the last generation of MacPro's could only be upgraded to the cards offered directly from Apple or the handful Mac-specific parts offered by third parties. With it's unusual form factors, the new MacPro will probably offer even fewer options.
Since OSX 10.7-ish a lot of cards have "just worked". Before then using a PC card was a bit of a crap shoot, but not impossible, usually OK if the card was the same as the reference design.
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