Apple has officially discontinued the Mac Pro. It’s been removed from Apple’s website, and Apple has confirmed to 9to5Mac that there are no plans to release a future version. The buy page now redirects to Apple’s Mac homepage, where the Mac Pro no longer exists.
Why did Apple kill the Mac Pro?
The Mac Pro has had a complicated life. It’s hard to forget the infamous “trashcan” era. In 2013, Apple unveiled a radical cylindrical redesign at WWDC, with Phil Schiller cheekily declaring, “Can’t innovate anymore, my ass.”
It was bold, it was beautiful, but it completely failed to meet the needs of professional users. It had thermal management issues, and despite being a Pro device that cost an arm and a leg, it didn’t offer any expansion opportunities. Apple sold it for six years without a single update before quietly admitting it was a mistake.
The 2019 redesign brought back the tower format, a beautiful design, and included eight PCI Express (PCIe) cards, letting users expand its capabilities. It was a great machine for the Intel era, but the shift to Apple Silicon spelled its demise.
The writing was on the wall when Apple released its first Mac Studio, a far sleeker and more capable Mac desktop machine that also costs less than the Mac Pro. There was no point in keeping the Mac Pro alive.
What does this mean for you?
The Mac Pro’s discontinuation shouldn’t concern professional users. Apple’s current Mac lineup is stronger than ever, offering options for every budget and user type.
On the laptop side, you have the new entry-level MacBook Neo, the beloved MacBook Air, and the high-performance MacBook Pros. On the desktop side, you get the 24-inch iMac, the Mac mini, and the Mac Studio.
The Mac Studio is clearly Apple’s pro desktop of the future and is due for an update to the M4 Ultra or maybe even M5 Ultra. When that arrives, it will be the most powerful Mac you can buy for the money, and without the Mac Pro muddying the waters, the choice for power users becomes much simpler.
I will miss the cheese grater design
I was fond of the cheese grater design. With the discontinuation of the Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR, it is finally gone. The back of the Pro Display XDR looked way better than the solid slab of aluminum on the Studio Display.
I wish Apple had kept the same design language for its Studio Display XDR. It made it look distinctive and iconic. I, for one, will mourn its demise.