This may have been a simple oversight or—as Architosh believes is the case—a sign of significant change coming to the relatively newish Mac Pro, but the latest family portrait of Apple’s Macs is missing the Mac Pro. (see image 01 below) on Apple’s recently updated Mac page.
Lastest Mac Family Portrait Doesn’t Include Mac Pro
Astute observers of Apple’s website, and its Mac product pages in particular, will chime in and note that Apple’s new Mac Pro, officially released at the tale end of 2013, began to take a back seat to Apple’s other Mac models as early as middle 2014. However, the idea that this latest omission of the Mac Pro from the latest Mac page at Apple isn’t a big deal could be seriously called into question based on some mounting evidence that something else may be afoot.
01 – Apple’s latest Mac page refresh, which seems to have taken place in August, omits the Mac Pro line but includes all other Mac lines, including the Mac mini.
During the SIGGRAPH 2015 show held last month, an insider who claimed to be in the know put forth the idea that Apple may have quietly disbanded the Mac Pro team. Such an idea sounds shocking since the new workstation class computer is less than two years old since its debut. Further adding to the distress of such a notion (which we hope is not true) is that Apple was very long bringing the new Mac Pro to market, and that the company even setup manufacturing and final assembling of the new machine in the US.
Did SIGGRAPH Index the new Mac Pro’s Fate?
Based purely on anecdotal evidence, it has been suggested that the new Mac Pro accounts for less than 1 out of 100 Mac units sold. Apple doesn’t release numbers on its product lines by category but in general analysts are well aware that the majority of Apple’s surging Mac sales are in its mobile laptop ranges.
Recently IBM and Apple announced an extension to their partnership that would further boost Mac sales through IBM’s enterprise customers. This would continue Apple’s industry leading momentum in the Mac’s war against the Windows PC and be a net positive. Apple’s Mac market share continues to climb steadily and is in the early mid teens in US quarterly market share.
MORE: IBM’s new Mac push—good for more than enterprise?
Apple’s Macs have traditionally held their ground against Windows PCs in creative industries like graphics, publishing, film, music and architecture. For years the old aluminum Mac Pros were workhorses in the vast majority of pro markets. And while presently support at the software application level (for OS X) has never been higher in the history of the Mac vs PC wars, it seems a pity that the new Mac Pro is under-serving many of the same core pro markets that its predecessors did for years.
MORE: SIGGRAPH 2015: Full Coverage of Computer Graphics Show
At SIGGRAPH, which Architosh covers each year, an informal accounting of machines on the show floor counted less than five Mac Pros. This, out of somewhere north of 100 machines on the show room floor. And while the Mac was booming in attendance at the mobile laptop level, iMacs—not the Mac Pro—actually out numbered the Mac Pro. iMacs…!
So while some may pause and note that perhaps this omission is simply just that, we wonder out loud if indeed this omission is really something much more concerning?
Reader Comments
http://t.co/bUT07AcX6y — Apple’s Mac family portrait is missing important child. Meaningful omission or sad omen? http://t.co/r7CUcfqYCP
Apple’s new Mac Pro is a stunning computer with some decent pro chops…but the latest ‘family portrait’ of the Mac li…https://t.co/w91K8ri8x6
Apple’s new Mac Pro is a stunning computer with some decent pro chops…but the latest ‘family portrait’ of the Mac li…https://t.co/w91K8ri8x6
Apple’s latest Mac Family Portrait—Missing Mac Pro by @architosh http://t.co/mo66ENb99W
http://t.co/bUT07AcX6y — Apple’s Mac family portrait is missing important child. Meaningful omission or sad omen? http://t.co/r7CUcfqYCP
http://t.co/bUT07AcX6y — Apple’s Mac family portrait is missing important child. Meaningful omission or sad omen? http://t.co/r7CUcfqYCP
Apple’s latest Mac Family Portrait—Missing Mac Pro by @architosh http://t.co/mo66ENb99W
RT @appleforarch: Apple’s latest Mac Family Portrait—Missing Mac Pro by @architosh http://t.co/mo66ENb99W
RT @appleforarch: Apple’s latest Mac Family Portrait—Missing Mac Pro by @architosh http://t.co/mo66ENb99W
Farewell, Mac Pro, we hardly knew you? Mac Pro missing from updated Apple family shot http://t.co/4t0Oi3KjGP
Farewell, Mac Pro, we hardly knew you? Mac Pro missing from updated Apple family shot http://t.co/4t0Oi3KjGP
After all the wait for the new Mac Pro, I was extremely disappointed in the “all in one” form factor. They tell you that the USB, Thunderbolt, Ethernet, and HDMI ports will provide you with all the expansion that you need – but then you end up with components laying all over your desk. The nice aluminum tower of the previous Mac Pro tucks everything inside. Then there is the proprietary format of the graphics cards, limited internal storage options, and no PCI expansion.
Pro users just need more than a “one size fits all” solution. Yes, you can choose your processor. Yes, you can add memory. Yes, you can choose one of three internal SSDs. Yes, you can choose from three graphics options – all within one single manufacturer’s family. But that is not what a professional user is looking for.
If this comes to Apple saying that there is no market for the Mac Pro, it is only because they have ignored and neglected the market since 2009. There were only minor updates in 2010 and then only a slight speed bump to the classic Mac Pro in 2012. Finally, after nearly five years of waiting for a substantial update, they brought out a machine that just doesn’t have the features many professional users were looking for.
I’ll keep using my 2012 Mac Pro for as long as I can, but I don’t know what my options will be when I am finally forced to upgrade away from it.
After all the wait for the new Mac Pro, I was extremely disappointed in the “all in one” form factor. They tell you that the USB, Thunderbolt, Ethernet, and HDMI ports will provide you with all the expansion that you need – but then you end up with components laying all over your desk. The nice aluminum tower of the previous Mac Pro tucks everything inside. Then there is the proprietary format of the graphics cards, limited internal storage options, and no PCI expansion.
Pro users just need more than a “one size fits all” solution. Yes, you can choose your processor. Yes, you can add memory. Yes, you can choose one of three internal SSDs. Yes, you can choose from three graphics options – all within one single manufacturer’s family. But that is not what a professional user is looking for.
If this comes to Apple saying that there is no market for the Mac Pro, it is only because they have ignored and neglected the market since 2009. There were only minor updates in 2010 and then only a slight speed bump to the classic Mac Pro in 2012. Finally, after nearly five years of waiting for a substantial update, they brought out a machine that just doesn’t have the features many professional users were looking for.
I’ll keep using my 2012 Mac Pro for as long as I can, but I don’t know what my options will be when I am finally forced to upgrade away from it.
Thanks Thomas for this detailed and heartfelt response. You are hardly alone in your critique of the situation.
Thanks Thomas for this detailed and heartfelt response. You are hardly alone in your critique of the situation.
I will add Thomas, that as far as the history of the Pro mac desktop, the nMP continues the trend of one step forward, two steps back with Apple. In this case, the step forward was the addition of true workstation-class GPUs, in twin config and variable optionality at 3 levels.
I will add Thomas, that as far as the history of the Pro mac desktop, the nMP continues the trend of one step forward, two steps back with Apple. In this case, the step forward was the addition of true workstation-class GPUs, in twin config and variable optionality at 3 levels.
@garryts – remarks in a twitter message thread (and he worked at Apple) that Jobs became uninterested in the pro markets around 2009. As many know, over the past five years we have seen the complete fall-down of Apple’s pro apps space. Insiders have told Architosh that when Jon Rubinstein left Apple in 2006 Apple lost one of its best workstation/pro desktop advocates. Ruby was responsible for the G4-G5 era towers. Richard Kerris also left Apple shortly after Ruby in 2007. Former director of developer relations and a director at Alias/Wavefront, Kerris was the force that brought Maya to the Mac and managed pro apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic, Shake and so forth. If key people who know pro markets are NOT directing pro efforts at Apple, their pro tools will languish.
@garryts – remarks in a twitter message thread (and he worked at Apple) that Jobs became uninterested in the pro markets around 2009. As many know, over the past five years we have seen the complete fall-down of Apple’s pro apps space. Insiders have told Architosh that when Jon Rubinstein left Apple in 2006 Apple lost one of its best workstation/pro desktop advocates. Ruby was responsible for the G4-G5 era towers. Richard Kerris also left Apple shortly after Ruby in 2007. Former director of developer relations and a director at Alias/Wavefront, Kerris was the force that brought Maya to the Mac and managed pro apps like Final Cut Pro, Logic, Shake and so forth. If key people who know pro markets are NOT directing pro efforts at Apple, their pro tools will languish.
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