When Apple unveiled the new Mac Pro at WWDC 2019 earlier this year, we called it at the time the version of this computer that we’ve long been waiting for.
Power users immediately got enthused about features like the Intel Xeon processor that goes all the way up to 28 cores, as well as the “massive heatsink” that will help deal with extra power needs — not to mention additional specs like up to 1.5TB of RAM, 8 internal PCI slots, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s the first major update this computer got in six years, costs $5,999 for the computer separate from the 32-inch retina LCD display — and, after being years in the making, orders for the device finally begin on Tuesday.
“The Mac Pro is Apple’s most powerful computer ever and we’re proud to be building it in Austin,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement about the Mac Pro back in September. “We thank the administration for their support enabling this opportunity” — the latter, being a reference to Apple’s decision to assemble the computer in Austin, Texas (the only Apple computer made in the US). That’s after the Trump administration eased up on tariffs associated with parts Apple brings in from China.
Apple has been making Mac Pros in Austin for the last six years. Still unclear, however, is when this new powerhouse of a computer will start shipping.
In terms of what else you can expect, as we noted when the computer was unveiled at Apple’s developer conference in June, a new “Afterburner” card processes 6 billion pixels per second. That means three streams at 8K or 12 streams of 4K video. The computer also comes on wheels, making it easy to move around your setup at home or work. Also, a number of companies support the Mac Pro out of the gate, including Adobe, Autodesk, Sefi, Blackmagic, SideFX, Red, Epic, Avid, Unity, Pixar, and Maxon, to name just a few.
