At WWDC today, alongside the new iOS 13 announcement, Apple revealed the latest iteration of its Apple Mac line of personal computers, and it’s the most powerful system the company has ever created. The new Apple Mac Pro boasts a 28-core Intel Xeon processor, potentially a Radeon Pro Vega 2 Duo which Apple calls “the world’s most powerful graphics card,” and a potential 1.5TB of system memory. The Apple Mac Pro release date is down for Fall 2019, and the cheapest version will run at $5,999.
Apple intend this version of the Mac to be “the Mac for pros,” with every element tailored for professionals that need powerful, fast, and good-looking computer systems and displays, such as video content creators, music composers, or software programmers and designers. The special display boasts a 32-inch size, HDR support, and a retina 6K display. Apple showed off the Mac Pro with a music editor running 1,000 tracks at once, and then multiple 8K video streams. The Mac Pro already has support from multiple companies, such as Pixar, Epic (with Unreal), and Unity.
Apple also says the Mac Pro has “unlimited possibilities for customization,” with up to 8 PCIe expansion slots and two I/O slots. Most importantly, the base Radeon Pro 580X graphics card can be upgraded to the insanely powerful Radeon Pro Vega 2 Duo. The Mac Pro has even got cute portability additions, such as stainless steel handles, optional wheels, and the ability to rack multiple Pros.
However, all this power comes with a high price point. The estimated $5,999 is for the base Mac Pro unit alone, with no price given to the more insane systems, such as with the aforementioned dual Radeon graphics cards. The special 32-inch display monitor built for the Mac Pro is separate and costs almost as much on its own, at $4,999. Apple was proud of the display’s stand, which can rotate and raise easily, but the stand’s exaggerated price of $999 received the only booing of the night. You’ll certainly need deep pockets to adopt the Mac Pro, but we suspect Apple will still have a lot of takers.
