Rumor Tips New Apple Mac Pros This Month

So far 2013 has been quiet when it comes to Apple launch events, but that could change this month.

The folks over at Mac Daily News, citing an unnamed source "who has been correct about Apple product matters in the past," reported on Monday that Cupertino is gearing up to introduce a revamped Mac Pro lineup this month. But don't get your hopes up too soon.

The source reportedly noted that the announcement "could slip into May or even June, but currently April looks most likely." It wouldn’t exactly be a stretch for Apple to wait until June, which is when the company is expected to once again hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

In addition, CNET reported that a source familiar with Apple's plans said the rumored April Mac Pro event is "absolutely not happening."

In June 2012, Apple stealthily upgraded its current Mac Pro line, but only added a small CPU bump. The company outfitted its $2,499 entry-level edition with a 3.2-GHz, quad-core Intel Xeon chip to go along with 6GB of RAM and kitted out the $3,799 model with two 2.4-GHz, six-core Xeons and 12GB of RAM. Both of those Mac Pro versions also sport a 1TB hard drive and AMD's Radeon HD 5770 graphics cards.

The new parts, though welcome, clearly weren't everything for which Apple's workstation fans were hoping. As PCMag's Brian Westover wrote at the time, "Most notable about the update is what remains unchanged."

But clues have been mounting that a bigger Mac Pro refresh may be on its way. For starters, following the last update, Apple CEO Tim Cook promised that new Mac Pros would be released in 2013. Then in November, the first beta of OS X 10.8.3 had Apple watchers guessing an updated Mac Pro was in the works.

For now, Mac Pro fans will just have to wait a little longer to see what Apple has in store.

Meanwhile, those looking for a good deal on an Apple desktop might want to consider the iMac. Apple this week started selling refurbished 27-inch iMacs in its online store. Choosing a refurbished model can save buyers anywhere from $270 to $400, depending on the model. For more, see PCMag's review.