Computers

Ahead of bigger update, Apple gives Mac Pro a boost

Ahead of bigger update, Apple gives Mac Pro a boost
Apple is giving the Mac Pro a major overhaul, but we won't see it this year
Apple is giving the Mac Pro a major overhaul, but we won't see it this year
View 2 Images
Mac Pro, with internals exposed
1/2
Mac Pro, with internals exposed
Apple is giving the Mac Pro a major overhaul, but we won't see it this year
2/2
Apple is giving the Mac Pro a major overhaul, but we won't see it this year

Apple announced today that it is completely overhauling the Mac Pro, but the revamped machines won't be released this year. For now, the current Mac Pros are getting a small spec boost.

The US$2,999 version of the Mac Pro will now have six Xeon CPU cores instead of four, as well as dual G500 GPUs instead of dual AMD G300 GPUs. The $3,999 Mac Pro will have eight CPU cores instead of six, and dual D800 GPUS instead of dual D500 GPUs. No other internals, ports or configurations are changing.

Mac Pro, with internals exposed
Mac Pro, with internals exposed

In an attempt to communicate directly to its (disgruntled of late) long-term corps of Pro users, Apple chose to relay the news with Mac blog Daring Fireball and other Apple-friendly media outlets. Apple – represented by bigwigs Phil Schiller, Craig Federighi and John Ternus – was unusually forthcoming about the shortcomings in its current lineup of Mac Pros and the future of the line.

The current edition of the Mac Pro was introduced in 2013. While it scored points for its attractive design and quiet operation, it has largely been panned because of its limited upgradability, inconvenient expansion ports and lack of one central, powerful GPU.

In response, Apple is not abandoning its Pro line, as some suspected, but instead it is taking time to completely overhaul its approach. According to Schiller, the next Mac Pro is going to be more modular, easier to update and will be offered alongside a pro display, and is expected to become available sometime in 2018 or later. Apple will also be updating its iMac line with a pro focus.

Source: Apple

3 comments
3 comments
socalboomer
Xeons are still a thing? LOL
exodous
The iPhone/iPad is dying and I'm glad to see it because that is all they focused on since it was their cash-cow. When they started pushing iOSesque features in OSX I though 'well, here the company goes down the tubes, RIP Steve Jobs'. It is like they thought all their macs were faster than the iPhone and no one needs anything faster than an iPhone so lets just let out desktops and notebooks die and let everyone buy new iPhones and iPads!
It is like Blizzard and WOW, they were making so much money on their MMORPG they gave little time to develop other games. Now that it is slowing a little bit we finally get something else coming out of them.
Daishi
@socalboomer The Mac Pro uses old Xeon processors, ECC memory, and Dual FirePro GPU's. It's the only machine they sell that doesn't use mobile hardware and even if you max it out for $4,000 it gets trounced in benchmarks by a $800 PC with desktop hardware. They don't offer a single computer with desktop class hardware and maybe never will. With a $760 billion dollar market cap it's hard to tell them they are wrong. I highly doubt the overpriced hardware and lack of refreshes is due to incompetence. I have to assume they have good reasons for doing this but choose not to disclose what they are.