Despite the scheduled release of new Intel chips appropriate for a new Mac Pro, reports are surfacing that Apple may cancel the Mac Pro line. The full-sized, overpriced Apple desktop hasn't seen an update since July of last year and makes up such a small percentage of Apple's sales that company executives are reportedly considering giving the machine the axe. Also consider the prosumer-ization of Final Cut Pro and the release of a simple, low-cost high-speed interface like Thunderbolt. Here's what the AppleInsider report says:
Although the Mac maker has reportedly developed a revision to the existing Mac Pro that may or may not see the light of day, people familiar with the matter said management as far back as May of 2011 were in limbo over whether to pour any additional resources into the product line.
According to these people, the consensus among sales executives for the Cupertino-based company was that the Mac Pro's days -- at least in its current form -- were inevitably numbered. In particular, internal discussions were said to focus around the fact that sales of the high-end workstations to both consumers and enterprises have dropped off so considerably that the Mac Pro is no longer a particularly profitable operation for Apple.
I see their point, but if Apple is going to make anything for professionals, could they really get by with just a Mac Mini and an iMac for their non-portable options? In my opinion, Apple should continue the Mac Pro, but as a smaller, less expensive desktop. After all, many people are building Hackintoshes in order to get a fast, expandable Mac at a decent price. There's clearly demand, and whether or not it's a massively profitable market, canceling the line outright would engender fallout from the professional community that would have a larger impact on the Mac as a creative platform going forward. Nevertheless, via Macrumors, here's the ratio of desktops to laptops that Apple has sold over the last ten years:
Anyone out there saving up for a Mac Pro? What do you think?
Link: Despite new CPU options, Apple reportedly questioning future of Mac Pro - AppleInsider
[via Notes on Video]
