In what can be seen as a frantic attempt to pacify Mac Pro fans, Apple has announced they are working on a major update for its workstation that would bring around a generational increment to the way the device looks or functions. It has been more than three years that Apple had introduced the current crop of Mac Pro and the range has been crying for an upgrade for long.
The announcement is significant as it marks a complete departure from the usual Apple policy of keeping mum about all their future product releases, relying instead on a grand event to usher in their latest devices. Perhaps it does not wish to test the patience of its Mac Pro loyalists anymore, letting them know instead that an upgrade, and a thorough one at that, is indeed round the corner.
In fact, so huge are the upgrades that Apple has also sought almost a years’ time to implement it all. The Cupertino giant has even accepted the last Mac Pro are far from being perfect but stated they are ready to amends with the forthcoming version.
The current Mac Pro was launched back in 2013 and had immediately hit the consumer sweet spot with its unique cylindrical form factor as well as quiet operations. That said, users also complained of the lack of adequate options to upgrade the device. The device also fell short of expansion ports while a single powerful GPU too was missed.
Apple, however, hasn’t stated how it wishes to address these concerns, except that it will come up with something that is bold and futuristic. In other words, no likely specs or features are being divulged at the moment.
Meanwhile, there are some upgrades, albeit minor ones, that are being planned on the Mac Pro. Those include an increase in the Xeon CPU cores from four to six while the dual AMD G300 GPUs will be replaced by dual G500 GPUs in the US$2,999 version.
Similarly, the Mac Pro priced at $3,999 will have its CPU cores increased to eight from the current six while dual D800 GPUS would replace dual D500 GPUs. Everything else remains just the same.
