In 2019, Apple finally reversed its decision and presented a Mac Pro as a tower in a redesigned case – at that time still based on Intel, because the M-Macs were only announced the following summer. At WWDC 2023, Apple was the last Mac to convert the Mac Pro to its own processors – and this came with the M2 Ultra chip, but still in the same case as the Intel predecessor. Although the model includes PCIe slots, they do not support expansion cards with graphics processors like the previous Intel models. The group has not brought an updated variant onto the market since mid-2023 – and the rumor mill speculated several times whether the group is even planning a successor.
Apple is burying the Mac Pro
The company has now announced to 9to5Mac that the Mac Pro will be discontinued with immediate effect – and that the group has no plans to develop a successor model. The information seems to be correct, because there is no longer any reference to the most expensive Mac to date on the Apple website – and the direct link to the Mac Pro pages now redirects the company to the Mac overview page. With the discontinuation of the Mac Pro, Apple is removing the last Mac from the range, which can be expanded by the customer after purchase, because neither a MacBook, nor the Mac mini, iMac or Mac Studio come with PCIe slots or an SSD that can be replaced by the buyer.
Overtaken by time
20 years ago, a PowerMac or Mac Pro was necessary for many tasks because other models were simply too slow. Not only professional users relied on the Mac Pro (or previously on the PowerMac G4 and G5), but also private users. However, as processors became ever faster and, at least since the presentation of Macs with M chips, almost every Mac offers sufficient performance for the vast majority of users, the market for large towers continued to shrink.
Future: Mac Studio
The Mac Pro has probably only found buyers in very small numbers in recent years, because the advantages compared to the Mac Studio are small – but the price is considerably higher (Mac Pro: from 8,299 euros, Mac Studio with Ultra chip from 4,799 euros). In addition, depending on the report, between 80 and 90 percent of Mac users choose a laptop anyway – and desktop computers therefore have a niche existence at Apple.
Three laptops, three desktops
With the discontinuation of the Mac Pro, Apple’s Mac lineup currently consists of a total of six product series: In the very important laptop segment, the company offers the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and the new, affordable MacBook Neo. If you want a desktop Mac, you can choose between the iMac 24″, the Mac mini and the Mac Studio. Unfortunately, the company does not publish specific sales figures for the individual product series – and therefore it is difficult to estimate which devices are the most popular. The only reliable information directly from Apple is that the MacBook Air has been the best-selling Mac model in recent years – but this could possibly change with the recent presentation of the MacBook Neo.