Can it really be 15 months since the Mac Pro was last updated? The familiar hulking frame is even more long in the tooth, having been largely unchanged since the Power Mac G5 was introduced in the summer of 2003 -- several lifetimes in computer years. While Apple remains mum on the prospect of a new Mac Pro, there’s some evidence to support that refreshed hardware is still on the boards in Cupertino.
MacRumors is reporting that a new Mac Pro model may have been outed thanks to some digging around in the latest Mac OS X 10.7.3 beta released to developers last week. According to Netkas.org, there are strings in the software which reference new video drives for a forthcoming AMD graphics card with the codename “Tahiti” -- which just happens line up with a 28nm desktop graphics card that company plans to release in January, 2012.
“The new Tahiti series should end up with Radeon HD 7xxx branding and as it will come in XT and PRO flavours,” explains Fudzilla.com of the new graphics hardware. “It’s kind of safe to assume that Radeon HD 7970, codename Tahiti XT will be the fastest single chip card from AMD while the Radeon HD 7950 will be codename for the Tahiti PRO product.”
Needless to say, the Mac Pro is the sole remaining hardware in Apple’s lineup capable of even using a desktop graphics card, so the question becomes: Is there a new Mac Pro model incoming, or is Cupertino simply adding compatibility for the existing desktop?
Time will tell, but at this point Apple should really unleash completely revamped hardware or maybe put the Mac Pro out of its misery at long last…
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Samuraiartguy
December 07, 2011 at 10:04am
"Can it really be 15 months since the Mac Pro was last updated?"
Yes. Yes, it can. The upgrade cycle for the Mac Pro has been growing steadily longer, as apple concentrates on the more consumer (and profitible) market segments with the iDevices and the MacBooks.
I was hoping to hold out till the spring for Intel's already several times delayed E5 Xeon upgrade and the next Mac Pro. But I got my little "You need to update your software, thank you for playing" note from Adobe and had to pull the trigger and upgrade to CS5.5, AND the new Mac Pro to run it on.
Remains to be seen if Apple doesn't discontinue the line. But if you look in any Apple Store, usually one Mac Pro sitting neglected in the corner, with no big MAC PRO graphic on the wall, you'll know the machine does not have much of Apple's attention. I may have just purchased one of the last of the breed.
