Tag: M2 Ultra

  • Mac Pro Discontinued as Mac Studio Becomes Apple’s Top Desktop

    Mac Pro Discontinued as Mac Studio Becomes Apple’s Top Desktop

    Key Takeaways

    1. Apple has put the Mac Pro on hold indefinitely, focusing instead on the Mac Studio line.
    2. The Mac Studio has been upgraded to the M3 Ultra chip, offering top performance previously found in Mac Pro.
    3. The Mac Studio supports up to 16 TB of storage and 512 GB of memory, catering to power users.
    4. The decision to abandon the Mac Pro may relate to the limited value of its expansion capabilities and high price.
    5. The last Mac Pro model lacked support for external GPUs, further diminishing its appeal.

    It’s been almost three years since Apple unveiled the Mac Pro featuring an M2 Ultra System on Chip (SoC). There were some forecasts that hinted at an upgrade in the future, while others suggested that Apple has pretty much set aside its high-end desktop model. Recently, 9to5Mac reported that Apple has decided to put the Mac Pro on hold indefinitely.

    Shift to Mac Studio

    This decision isn’t all that surprising, considering Apple has focused its efforts on the Mac Studio line, which recently received an upgrade to the M3 Ultra chip—a variant not available in any other Apple devices. Therefore, anyone who wants top-notch performance from Apple will now need to settle for a Mac Studio.

    Impressive Specs

    The Mac Studio, equipped with the M3 Ultra, already meets the needs of power users with support for up to 16 TB of storage and 512 GB of memory. It would make sense to think that future models will allow for even more, especially with an Ultra chip in play.

    As for the reason behind Apple’s choice to completely abandon the Mac Pro, it remains unclear. However, the move to their own silicon could provide some insight. Even though the last Mac Pro came with fully-operational PCIe slots, it lacked support for external GPUs. The limited expansion cards it did accommodate did not really justify its exorbitant price. And let’s not even start on those pricey wheels that came with it.

    9to5Mac

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  • Apple Shifts Focus to Mac Studio, No Mac Pro Update Soon

    Apple Shifts Focus to Mac Studio, No Mac Pro Update Soon

    Key Takeaways

    1. The last update for the Apple Mac Pro was in 2023, introducing the M2 Ultra chip, but no new upgrades are planned soon.
    2. Apple seems to have shifted focus away from the Mac Pro, with reports indicating it has “largely written off” this product.
    3. The Mac Studio has become the primary professional desktop for Apple, replacing the Mac Pro in the lineup.
    4. The anticipated M4 Ultra chip for the Mac Pro has been canceled, with future updates likely featuring the M5 Ultra chip in a Mac Studio instead.
    5. A major update for the Mac Pro may not happen until 2026, with a possible significant upgrade in 2027.

    The Apple Mac Pro got its last update in 2023, introducing the M2 Ultra chip, which positioned it alongside the premium Windows tower PCs powered by Intel and AMD at that time. Since that update, the Windows desktop market has welcomed several new processors, but Apple has not yet revealed any plans for an upgrade to its high-performance desktop.

    Current Status of Mac Pro

    It appears that Apple does not intend to refresh the Mac Pro in the near future. Mark Gurman reported that the company has “largely written off the Mac Pro.” This indicates a significant shift in Apple’s focus regarding their professional desktops.

    Shift to Mac Studio

    According to the analyst, the Mac Studio has become the main product representing Apple’s professional desktop lineup. Gurman also mentioned that the anticipated M4 Ultra chip, which was expected to be part of the Mac Pro, has been “nixed.” This change suggests that the next powerful desktop chip will be the Apple M5 Ultra, which will likely be housed in a Mac Studio rather than a Pro.

    Future Updates

    These developments do not necessarily mean that Apple is discontinuing the Mac Pro. Instead, it suggests that a major update for the tower PC may not occur until 2026. However, there is a possibility of a more substantial upgrade in 2027, potentially featuring the M5 Ultra chip. As a point of reference, the current price for the M5-powered 16/512 GB MacBook Pro is $1,476 on Amazon.

     

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