After endless campaigns by the likes of influencers like MKNHD and the entire Apple fan-base collective, there is finally some good news for those who have been waiting for an upgrade to the Mac Pro – it is happening.
Apple had recently announced a slew of proposals with regard to upgrades of some of its current line-up of high-end products, namely, the Mac Pro, the iMac and the future release of the new Mac Pro. Firstly, the company is planning on updating its current Mac Pro systems, according to a report by Daring Fireball where it will update its Xeon processors from initially having six cores, to now having eight cores. There will also be an upgrade in the GPU configuration and instead of two Radeon G500 GPUs, there will be two Radeon G700 CPUs. No other big upgrade in terms of inputs is mentioned, so the form factor will be same with the same number of ports and technology used, including the lack of Thunderbolt or USB Type-C. This rig will cost a whopping $3999.
Regarding the new Mac Pro however, the company is looking to completely revamp its signature PC-line model and hopefully, it will remove the trash-can aesthetic and go for a complete redesign. Nothing regarding the exact specifications or other details have been spoken about by the company itself, but Apple does promise that there will be a more modular shape to the design, meaning that it will be able to receive system upgrades in hardware. Apple is also planning on creating a brand new Pro display to assist the system when it releases eventually, which will not be any time this year, but next year is more likely.
While desktop manufacturing takes up only 20 percent of Apple’s production line, it must be noted that the Mac Pro sales are in the single digits. This is probably why the company has finally realized to up its game and get the interest behind the Mac Pro started again. Talking about the new iMac, Apple is currently working on a Pro version of the all in one for the “pro customer”. This means that the company will probably have Xeon processors and SLI or CrossFire setups for the GPUs. They are also thinking about making the system upgradeable, from memory, to storage and perhaps even in performance.
It can clearly be seen that Apple wants to be taken more seriously as a workstation-based computer-manufacturer and this should be a delight for long-running fans as this means that their prayers are finally being answered. There are no definite details on the progress being taken with regard to development of these systems, but 2018 will be a promising year for Apple to branch out and become a formidable player in the performance PC segment.
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