The priciest Mac ever offered is no longer purchasable via Apple’s online store, with 9to5Mac indicating that the “cheese grater” Mac Pro professional desktop has been discontinued. This model had featured in the product range since it took the place of the Power Mac G5 back in 2006 when Apple transitioned from Arm to Intel-based chips. However, it increasingly seemed like an obsolete appendage ever since Apple transitioned away from Intel in favor of its proprietary M-series silicon.
Three years prior, the M2 Ultra variant of the Mac Pro debuted, with John Ternus, an Apple hardware executive and potential future CEO, stating that “for individuals requiring the adaptability of internal upgradability, the Mac Pro integrates PCIe slots alongside our most potent processor.” Nevertheless, lacking the capability to incorporate a new graphics processing unit (GPU), numerous professionals, who were expected to be its primary demographic, conveyed to us their disinterest.
At that time, the Mac Studio presented comparable functionalities, minus those expansion slots, for a price $3,000 lower. Presently, it holds the position as the most potent computer in Apple’s product range, featuring M4 Max and M3 Ultra-driven configurations currently accessible, and with M5 Ultra iterations anticipated to follow.
Apple has conceded that the “trash can” Mac Pro architecture from 2013 placed it in a thermal predicament from which it could not escape, given that substantial single-GPU cards gained favor over setups with multiple GPUs. Professional users desired a broader array of choices, as evidenced by Red Digital Cinema president Jarred Land interrupting a 2018 discussion to inform an Apple representative: “Nvidia support is crucial… confining the community to a single platform is detrimental, so please consider this, please.” Apple responded to these demands then by reverting to a tower configuration; however, currently, it designates the Mac Studio and Thunderbolt 5 as the principal choices for patrons requiring additional functionalities.
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