The New Mac Pro
Apple is currently hard at work on a “completely rethought” Mac Pro, with a modular design that can accommodate high-end CPUs and big honking hot-running GPUs, and which should make it easier for Apple to update with new components on a regular basis. They’re also working on Apple-branded pro displays to go with them.
The new Mac Pro has gone from a question of if to a question of when. It is a real shame that the rollout of the trashcan’s replacement is so protracted; Apple isn’t even confirming that it is coming in 2018, just ‘not this year’.
I would be shocked if it wasn’t ready to reveal sometime next year, even if the availability slips into 2019, but who knows. It is unprecedented for Apple to pre-announce anything really this far out but what I found especially intriguing was that they tipped the hat on new pro-focused iMacs as well as the Mac Pro itself.
This non-event event wasn’t just about the existence of the Mac Pro, although that leads headlines, it was about Apple’s commitments to the Mac in general. I think Apple saw that Tim Cook’s vague comments about the ‘pro market’ were received badly, for good reason, and they had to do something more drastic. This break from the normal secrecy is a huge statement of their seriousness.
Apple also announced that they are developing a new external display — my favourite news of the day. The LG 5K UltraFine is a mediocre product even when you ignore the silly WiFi router interference problems that plagued its debut. A display is a critical part of the Mac experience. As such, I very much believe Apple should make their own displays for as long as they sell Macs, something which they have firmly signalled they will be doing for a long time.