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David Pogue: New iMacs and Mac Pro's Coming "Probably in 2013" [Update]

Monday June 11, 2012 5:30 pm PDT by Jordan Golson

According to New York Times technology columnist David Pogue, Apple still believes in desktop Macs, including both the iMac and the Mac Pro.

The Mac Pro in particular has raised the ire of some Apple fans because it has been several years since the last update, and the update today was extremely minor.

Pogue writes:

Many Apple observers also wonder if Apple thinks that desktop computers are dead, since not a word was said about the iMac and Mac Pro. An executive did assure me, however, that new models and new designs are under way, probably for release in 2013.

Updated Xeon E5 chips were released in March, but the Mac Pro update released today strangely didn't include them.

The company late last year was reportedly "questioning" the future of the Mac Pro line, examining whether it should continue offering the professional-level workstation as sales have declined amid a continued shift toward notebook machines and specs that had gone stale while waiting for Intel to release updated processors. With Pogue's post today, however, the future of the Mac Pro seems slightly more assured.

Thanks Susan!

Update: A MacRumors reader writes in to share an email he received from Apple CEO Tim Cook after he asked about the future of the Mac Pro:

Our pro customers are really important to us...don't worry as we're working on something really great for later next year.

Apple Offers Minor Processor Bump to Mac Pro Line, No Thunderbolt

Monday June 11, 2012 1:27 pm PDT by Jordan Golson

Apple has quietly upgraded the Mac Pro with minor processor bumps and an increase in the standard RAM to 6GB in the least expensive configuration. The update does not include the much-anticipated addition of the Thunderbolt I/O system.

Reports The Verge:

Unfortunately, it's not much of an upgrade: you can simply get a pair of six-core 3.06GHz Intel Xeon X5675 processors rather than 2.93GHz ones we just mentioned. The base model will start at $2,499 for a single quad-core Intel Xeon W3565 processor at 3.2GHz, with an optional upgrade to a six-core chip, you can spend $3,799 to get a dual-processor configuration with a pair of the Westmere-EP based 2.4GHz E5645 chips, and upgrade to the aforementioned X5675 for an unspecified amount. Everything else stays the same, it seems.

The new Mac Pro's are now available on the Apple Online Store.

Details on New Mac Pro and MacBook Pro Specs Surface, Retina Notebook Still Under Wraps [Updated]

Monday June 11, 2012 4:26 am PDT by Eric Slivka

9to5Mac reports that it has obtained details on the configurations of the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro to be released later today, with specifics on a number of accessories also appearing. The list is not complete, however, as it does not include details on the thinner Retina-display notebook, which is believed to be coming as a third member of the MacBook family, or the MacBook Air.


As previously noted, the Mac Pro is set to arrive in three separate stock configurations: two standard and one server. There have long been rumors of a case redesign, but so far only specs of the base models are known.

- Normal configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 6GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

- Normal configuration: 2.4GHz 12-core processor, 12GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.

- Server configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, Two 1TB hard drives

Oddly, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 is the stock graphics card included on the current, nearly two-year old Mac Pro. Apple would be expected to use a much newer graphics card option in its revised machines.

On the MacBook Pro side, the report points to four stock models, two each in 13.3-inch and 15.4-inch sizes. These machines are thought to be upgraded versions of the existing design, lacking a Retina display. Photos of what is claimed to be the graphics hardware on the logic board of the 15-inch MacBook Pro appeared just a short time ago, showing an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics chip with 1 GB GDDR5 graphics memory.

- 13.3 inch: 2.5GHz dual core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive

- 13.3 inch: 2.9GHz dual core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive

- 15.4 inch: 2.3GHz quad core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive

- 15.4 inch: 2.6GHz quad core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive (BTO upgrades to 2.7GHz quad core and 1TB HD will be available)

The report notes that the thinner "MacBook Pro" models with a Retina display are still expected to be introduced, with an analyst report from a few days ago having specifically claimed that they would be arriving alongside the existing MacBook Pro form factor for the time being. Details on the new Retina-capable notebook do, however, remain unknown. The MacBook Air is also expected to be gaining an update later today, and details on those models are not yet available either.

Apple will also be releasing a number of new accessories today, and the report indicates that these will include an updated AirPort Express, new USB SuperDrive, and a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter. Apple may also be revising its MagSafe power connection standard, with new accessories related to that change making an appearance.

Update: As several readers have noted, not only is the inclusion of an old graphics card on the Mac Pro a strange detail, but the listed processors do not even exist at the appropriate price and performance points in the Sandy Bridge E Xeon E5 line of Intel processors Apple is expected to use. 9to5Mac's pre-launch spec sources have generally been very accurate in recent years, but they appear to be off this time on at least the Mac Pro models.

Alleged New Part Numbers Suggest Over a Dozen New Mac Models Coming at WWDC [Updated]

Wednesday June 6, 2012 8:24 am PDT by Eric Slivka

Following yesterday's leak of Mac Pro part numbers, AppleInsider now posts a full list of 27 new part numbers said to be on their way to resellers in Australia. A total of 13 of the part numbers are listed as "standalone kits", indicating that they are accessories, which leaves as many as 14 Mac models included in the launch.


Based on hints included in the leaked image and some additional information, guesses can be made at the identities of some of the remaining products.

The first product on the list, part number MC414, is described as "K31 Best" and appears to have a price under AU$1000. The K31 part number initially appeared a year ago to describe what is now the current generation of Apple's Time Capsule base station. Consequently, this new listing may represent a capacity upgrade to the existing line.

The next group of part numbers includes a pair of "D2" machines with prices above AU$2000 and AU$3000 respectively, and these parts could represent new 15-inch MacBook Pro models. The current stock 15-inch models come in at AU$2099 and AU$2499, and the higher price on at least the new high-end model could be a result of a shift to solid-state storage. The identification of these part numbers as MacBook Pros is mere speculation, however, based only on the best fitting price points of current machines.

Two pairs of model numbers at J30 and J31 could represent updated iMacs, with the three lowest models being priced in the AU$1000-AU$1999 range and the top end model coming in above AU$2000. This fits with the existing iMac pricing, which is AU$1399/AU$1698 for the 21.5-inch size and AU$1949/AU$2299 for the 27-inch size.

The next two pairs of model numbers, J11 and J13, may also be linked and could represent new MacBook Air models. Only the first digit of the low-end J11 price can be seen, and it indicates that pricing begins above AU$1000, in line with the current AU$1099 entry-level price on the 11-inch model.

Following a list of 12 accessory part numbers comes the three Mac Pro models detailed yesterday, and the list concludes with a "PD454" part number that interestingly represents a personalized or engraved version of the B67(A) accessory that appears earlier in the list.

Notably, our speculation on the identities of the various part number does not include a 13-inch MacBook Pro, for which a claimed spec label leaked yesterday. It is possible that one of the model numbers such as J11 could represent two stock configurations of a 13-inch MacBook Pro, but that would leave Apple's set of four MacBook Air models incompletely accounted for in the part numbers.

We caution our readers that these guesses at identifying the various part numbers are indeed speculation based on best fits with Apple's current pricing structure and number of models offered in each of its Mac lines. We do not have specific knowledge of the identities of these models beyond what is shown in the leaked image.

Update: 9to5Mac posts a full matrix of parts and prices along with their speculation on models matching up with those parts. Their guesses are identical to ours with the exception of the K31 part, which with a price of AU$119 would represent a new AirPort Express rather than a Time Capsule upgrade.

The addition of prices for the accessories also indicates that the B67 product is a new iPod shuffle available in five colors and with personalization. Other likely accessories include an external SuperDrive and a USB 3.0 Ethernet adapter.

Mac Pro to Finally See Updates Next Week

Tuesday June 5, 2012 4:00 pm PDT by Arnold Kim

Shortly after word that Apple had pulled Mac Pro stock from their retail stores, 9to5Mac has been able to track down new retail part numbers for Mac Pro updates that they believe to be due next week.

MD770LL/A – K5BPLUS,BETTER, BTR-USA
MD771LL/A – K5BPLUS,BEST,BTR-USA
MD772LL/A – K5BPLUS,ULTIMATE,BTR-USA

Pricing is said to be "similar to current Mac Pro models". The new models come in three configurations: two standard versions and a third with OS X Server.

We had long been tracking the possible Intel chips that could find their way into the new Mac Pros. It wasn't until March, 2012 that Intel had released new Xeon E5 chips that Apple could use to upgrade their long-stagnant professional tower. The Mac Pro was last updated almost two years ago in July 2010. Apple had been said to be questioning the future of the Mac Pro line, given diminishing market appeal for the processional tower.

Apple will be holding the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) next week and is rumored to be making other Mac hardware introductions.

Apple Pulls Mac Pro Stocks from Most Retail Stores Ahead of WWDC

Tuesday June 5, 2012 2:49 pm PDT by Eric Slivka

In-store availability for the Mac Pro has long been spotty at Apple's retail locations, making it difficult to read too much into any apparent shortages as hints of future updates. But MacRumors has learned that Apple began recalling Mac Pro stocks from its retail stores several weeks ago, with retail store staff having been instructed to inform customers that they may still order the machines online.

A quick survey of roughly 100 U.S. Apple retail stores for availability of the entry-level stock Mac Pro model shows that nearly all of them are indeed out of stock for in-store pickup, although we did find four California stores and one Texas store with machines available for immediate pickup.

Projected availability dates for orders placed online today vary significantly, with some stores citing availability on June 8 or 9 while others would not be able to offer a Mac Pro for pickup until June 12 or 13. Apple's keynote address at its Worldwide Developers Conference takes place next Monday, June 11.

Apple has been rumored to be updating nearly all of its Mac products next week, although it remains unclear whether the Mac Pro will be included in the mass rollout. The Mac Pro was last updated in July 2010, and new Xeon E5 processor options to provide a substantial upgrade to the line are now available.

Separately, we've heard that Apple is holding a secret "overnight" for staff at its retail stores on June 12, with employees being kept in the dark about the focus of the session. A separate overnight session to be held tonight was highlighted last week, but we've heard that tonight's session is simply a routine rearranging of sales floor content.

Apple to Update Nearly Entire Mac Lineup at WWDC?

Monday June 4, 2012 9:45 pm PDT by Eric Slivka

9to5Mac reports that Apple will update nearly all of its Mac products at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, with "at least four" out the company's five Mac families seeing upgrades.


The most solid candidate for an upgrade is the MacBook Pro, which has been reported by numerous sources to be gaining a slimmer form factor with the update. Apple's iMac and MacBook Air lines are also considered solid bets for upgrades next week. The report claims that both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will receive ultra-high resolution Retina displays, but while the iMac has also been rumored to be gaining the feature in the future, it is unclear whether it will make it into the next update of Apple's flagship desktop line.

If Apple is planning to only update four of its lines, the final spot would come down to the Mac mini and the Mac Pro, with 9to5Mac arguing that the Mac mini is the most likely to see an update given that just-released Ivy Bridge chips that could also be appearing in a 13-inch MacBook Pro would be suitable for a Mac mini refresh.

Xeon E5 chips suitable for a significant Mac Pro update have been available for several months now, but Apple has so far elected not to refresh its professional-level workstation product and there continue to be questions about its fate given that it has been nearly two years since it was last updated.

Finally, today's report indicates that Apple may also be taking the opportunity of a massive Mac update to also introduce new and updated accessories, although details on Apple's plans for those products remain unknown.

Mac Pro Update Now Possible with New Xeon E5 Chips Next Week

Thursday March 1, 2012 1:41 pm PST by Eric Slivka

The Inquirer reports that Intel's Sandy Bridge E server chips, also known as the Xeon E5 series, are set to debut week. According to the report, the chips have been in the distribution channel for several weeks now, meaning that manufacturers utilizing the chips, as Apple would be expected to do in an updated Mac Pro, will be able to hit the ground running.

Boston confirmed to The INQUIRER that Xeon E5 chips have been in the channel for a few weeks now and confirmed to us that it won't be a paper launch. We have also been shown Xeon E5 systems from other large vendors that give credence to the notion that Intel's Xeon E5 will arrive, for real, next week.

Benchmarks are evidently still under embargo until next week, but the Xeon E5 chips will undoubtedly be a vast improvement over the chips found in the current Mac Pro, which hasn't been updated since mid-2010. Other companies such as Dell have already begun announcing new products based on the Xeon E5, meaning that Apple could be ready with Mac Pro updates in the relatively near future.


Apple is likely to take advantage of the E5-2600 series 6-core and 8-core chips for its dual-processor Mac Pro configurations, while focusing on the E5-1600 series quad-core and 6-core chips for its lower-end single-processor models.

Aside from the new processors, other pieces crucial for a blockbuster Mac Pro upgrade are also falling into place, although there have been few specific Mac Pro rumors in recent months. One recent report did claim, however, that