Mac Pro, Where Art Thou?

February 20, 2012 — by Per Christensson

I had planned on buying a new Mac Pro last year, but I bought an iMac instead. I finally gave up waiting for the new model to arrive. It's a good thing I didn't keep waiting, since three months later, there are no signs of a new Mac Pro on the horizon.

Apple used to update its professional desktop line at least once a year, but that hasn't been the case in recent years. I fact, the updates have been growing further and further apart. The release history below, as recorded by MacRumors.com, shows what I mean.

If Apple doesn't release a new model soon, it will be two years since the last update. Even worse, the current Mac Pro has not received a single price reduction since its introduction. The entry level Mac Pro only includes 3GB of RAM, which is less than the entry level iMac and the bottom-of-the-line MacBook Pro, both of which are less than half the price of the Mac Pro and include a screen.

As a pro user, I prefer the Mac Pro over any other model. I'm a big fan of the multiple processors and the expansion options. I also like how you can choose your own displays, rather than being forced to use a built-in in one. You can hide the system unit under your desk and have a nice, clean desktop with only the monitors. As an added benefit, the hard drive and fan sounds are further away from you than they are with an all-in-one machine. I like my 27" iMac, but I would still prefer to use a Mac Pro.

Unfortunately, Apple seems to have abandoned the Mac Pro. The company is so focused on iStuff that their pro hardware has been largely ignored. I'm beginning to wonder if anyone is actually still on the Mac Pro team. Maybe they were all transferred to the iPad division. I really hope I'm wrong and that a new Mac Pro is just around the corner. I know many audio and video pros would agree.