WWDC 2019: the new Mac Pro does things well

At the risk of invoking the term "cheese grater 2.0" (everyone will want it), Apple has launched a powerful new Mac Pro that seems to have fully recognized the need for professionals and seems to have done everything right.

You can read the technical specifications in Apple's press release and in our own TMO coverage. What I want to watch here is the big picture.

Promises kept

First, Apple chose the right place for this announcement. As I said last Friday,

Whether Apple likes it or not, the services did not convince us of its ability to innovate. This is the material we rely on, and the material is the realm where WWDC, the magic and our dreams meet.

This is the machine of dreams. With the new Xeon W processors, up to 28 cores, a new graphics system called MPX module, a 1.4 kilowatt power supply and up to 1.5 TB of RAM, it's no longer necessary to feel inferior to an HP Z workstation. This will delight the technical and creative professionals. In addition, Apple did not show restraint or compromise and allowed the price to reflect the power of the equipment.

I guess this requires macOS 10.15 Catalina, which is one of the reasons it will ship in the fall. [UPDATE: The tech specs state that it’ll run Mojave.]

Then, the use of Xeon processors strongly suggests that it was premature to use a suite of A-series processors, although many observers, including myself, think that Apple will go in that direction.

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of product marketing, did not introduce this new Mac Pro. This would have sparked the specter of the collapse of 2013, which has proved unjustified – with hindsight. John Turnus did a great job in providing a technically exciting but sober approach and revealing the spirit that has been taken into account in design and engineering. He let the material speak for itself and we felt it. Obviously, there is some of the customers Apple wants to recover and keep.

It's just a pity that Apple took so long to realize that this was the kind of Mac for which the pros were hungry.

Some may complain that it's too expensive, but we decided to do it with the iMac Pro. Those who need the power of this Mac Pro are those whose business case justifies the cost. The rest of us can, with constant joy, dream of winning the lottery of our state.

Finally, in my case, when the time comes for my Mac Pro 2013 to no longer use the latest version of macOS, the new Mac mini (god thank you), properly configured, will do the work for me as a writer and podcaster . It's a new feeling, that is, not being able to afford a new Mac Pro. But I thank Apple for planning and shipping the 2018 Mac mini, in recognition of this specific customer dilemma.

Sometimes, the product release cycle of Apple seems opaque. But now we understand.

Last thoughts

In April 2017, Apple had invited selected journalists to Cupertino to discuss the status of Mac Pro. AT TechCrunchMatthew Panzarino recalled Phil Schiller's approach.

We have certainly received comments from a specific group of users, Mac Pro users. We listened to that. We talked to them! In fact, we went out and met with many business customers to understand how they use our products, what their workflow looks like and what they might need. We certainly understand a lot. there is always more to learn but we understand a lot.

Apple seems to have kept its promise to provide what the pros wanted. For my part, I am very very happy. It turns out that we do not need to worry.