“Perhaps more mysterious than the stealthy look of Apple’s upcoming Mac Pro desktop is its price tag, which has yet to be announced,” Josh Lowensohn reports for CNET.
“So how much will the machine — previous models of which have, for a decade, hovered around a $2,500 entry-level price tag — cost when it arrives later this year?” Lowensohn reports. CNET reached out to IHS iSuppli to find out, and the answer is not so simple.”
“Based on some rough estimates of comparable hardware, components, and labor, just the raw cost of the machine could total $2,800, the firm said,” Lowensohn reports. “That’s $300 more than the price Apple sells its existing, entry-level model for. Ramp it up with a higher-end processor, more SSD storage and RAM, and that could climb to $4,755. None of this, by the way, is taking into account the extra cost that goes on top, where Apple makes any profit.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Just a guess: Starts at US$2,999.
Anything less would be a bonus and anything more (within reason) is still doable on a relatively low volume, niche Mac such as this.
32 GB RAM
1 TB SSD
3 4K monitors
Misc TBolt 2 external peripherals
(gulp)
Add to that… (under Misc TB2 peripherals)
PCIe / eSATA / Firewire to Thunderbolt adapters for legacy broadcast cards, raids, disk burners, etc.
(double gulp)
Or…
Throwing out all the legacy gear and buying new TB2 versions (when not vaporware).
(Triple gulp)
Wonder what the “assembled in the USA” markup will be? American workers like to actually make enough to pay for housing (not live in dorms) and have a decent quality of life.
The robots are not (yet) aware of their situation… One day…
Well, if it is assembled in the us, the the cost of assembly is probably lower than that of what an iPhone would be. There are so few screws and parts. An iPhone is about 5 bucks. I’m assuming a generous 20-30 bucks, because there is nowhere near the ability to scale the assembly for the MacPro.
Manufacturing the cases, the extruded heatsink, fabricating the Circut boards and power supply would probably put an additional 50-100 bucks on the price, depending what processes apple had to invest in to make the parts. maybe more if the chassis is super special. A G5 case was a $500 service part, so I’m assuming it cost over 200 to assemble and ship.
Remember, apple is ( of course) subbing this to Foxconn USA, so there will be a lot of similarity for assembly, and they will probably do the basic parts too. I wonder how much of the “Apple” supplied parts – the custom board to hold the components and ICs, casing, fan, heatsink, cabling, etc, will be made in the US, or will it be completed sub-assemblies shipped in to be installed in a US made chassis, like a Japanese car made in the US (45% Japanese content in a US “made” car)
This link may give a different view:
This USA mfg plant for Apple may or may not be for the Mac Pro. However, 200 people for a million production does bring the cost down considerably. That scaled makes it productive to build some Apple hardware in the USA.
it will cost too much
the economy is dry
and most dont really need such power
All those reasons exactly. I sort of wonder why Apple even bothers to sell Mac Pros. Despite all the people saying they need to have one, very few people will actually buy one. In this economy, the Mac Pro is just too expensive. The price of those high-end Intel processors are prohibitive. I honestly like the new Mac Pro but it seems like an answer to a question very few people are asking. I’ve determined a high-end Intel/Haswell iMac will be the most powerful computer I’ll ever need for the rest of my life. Except for games or video editing, it seems like software requirements have peaked out over the last couple of years.
There’s an interior to Reality that transcends economics and common sense. There’s a loyalty to ideals that transcends rationality. And there’s a poem to the imagination that never survives passage through the filters of cynicism.
http://hypercritical.co/2013/03/08/the-case-for-a-true-mac-pro-successor
I, I, wow. +++
@ hannahjs,
Just read that link. I can see how it is appealing, but… what an utter load.
As much as I like them, this is really bad car analogy… built around fundamentally flawed premises formed in his second, third and fourth paragraphs.
Example: second sentence, second paragraph. “Very few people want that kind of computer these days, and even fewer people actually need one.”
It is highly unlikely Siracusa has the knowledge (numbers) to support this statement. Evidence of this is his use of the qualifier “may” in the very next sentence… “On paper, the Mac Pro may no longer be a viable product,…”
A premise based on premise.
However, Apple would have that knowledge and combined with the fact that Apple is bringing out a new MacPro is, I think, evidence that Siracusa is wrong. Also, excepting the 20th Century Macintosh, Apple hasn’t done “halo” products.
Besides, analogically speaking in the overall scheme of things, Tim Cook is a “bean counter”… not a “car guy” that would support (and dismiss the expense of) producing a “halo” product.
Considering what Apple has in the bank, I think everything Apple sells makes a profit. I doubt they sell anything (even a “hobby” product) at a loss… let alone a break even point.
I don’t say you’re wrong, not at all. But there has to be some counterpoint to despair, even if we must stoop to the use of philosophy and poetry at the expense of cold logic.
I think it has more to do with the cutting edge, defining the next generation of desktop computer. The “trucks” as Jobs puts it. Perhaps Apple feels it makes enough $ with MacBook, iPad, and iPhone that they can take a hit or break even financially so as not to cede the notion of Apple being in “the cutting edge”
I don’t think you need to make that decision of buying a Mac Pro for others or even worry about it in the least. You buy what you need and I’ll buy my own damn Mac Pro. Jealous? Now just move along…
EXACTLY. Its called a Mac PRO… not a Mac dabbler. The general populace also doesn’t buy high end race cars, but they still make them. Its for the PRO’s… let the “cons” buy the other stuff. 🙂 I can’t wait!
I think the MP relates (truly) most to high end film & possibly music pro biz users. The studios and Indy producers. Then there are high tech users that don’t “need” one but have to. Finally users like me who have always had a tower and can’t, or maybe better don’t want to, relate to a machine they can’t tinker with easily. I assume the high end studio use influences Apple the most plus the tradition of having a tower configuration with easily swappable drives.
It was interesting that here in NY at the Grand Central store, the largest in Apple’s fleet, they had table after table of iPads and iMacs and for the first time not one MP with 30″ on display. In the center of Manhattan. Well. In fairness not many film studios here, but still, there was ample room. So it had to be a marketing choice. And so said a manager to me, that the MP buyers don’t come in to browse. They buy online. But ultimately I feel it’s image, tradition, high end users and not wanting to have towers only available on Windows machines.
The same reason why Ford still makes, and sells, F-150’s – people actually do need that power. The new Mac Pro is not aimed at the regular consumer or prosumer, but at the professional. Many people in creative industries such as music production and movie production, need the power to accomplish such tasks as mastering, running virtual instruments, and rendering footage; much like many people still need trucks like the F-150 or what have you to haul stuff. Even then, there may still be gamers out there who would gladly buy a Mac Pro to use for their gaming rig.
Stinky is right. Most don’t really need such power. But there is catch: “most” does not include “all.” There is a big and wonderful world out there. When I go shopping for physics equipment, the price tag can easily be $500,000. I do not worry about saving $463 by buying an inadequate HP or Dell computer. Historically, the added cost of a Mac Pro has been trivial. It will continue to be trivial.
My operation, and others like it, have materially contributed to the underlying knowledge that makes it possible to buy a new MacBook Air for $1000 or so.
The world is bigger than some people realize.
Thank you, O Oracle, Giver Of Enlightenment.
In a number of situations, speed, power and usability are the keys to success, enabling one person or a small group to finish huge projects with relatively low investment in digital tools.
Not the point of developing a computing behemoth like this.
I mean think about its TCO in the context of a 10 year life. I mean really, how often would you need to upgrade the 2003 model of the world’s 7th fastest computer?
Agreed. I’m still rocking the base 4 core 2Ghz 2006 MacPro.
It’s got 12GB of RAM 2 SSD’s Mac + Win7 and has had it’s graphics card updated twice, recently to an 8800GT.
It’s still a beast of a machine and plenty fast at most things i throw at it including h.264 encodes.
Probably would bought 3 iMacs/Macbook Pros in the same period of time.
Very poetic… work on it a bit, you’ll have a haiku.
Doesn’t matter to me, not gonna buy one.
Doesn’t matter to me. I am going to buy one.
This machine is for professionals that need this kind of power… It’s not meant for the person that just want’s to be fast using photoshop.
If you want that, get an iMac. This machine will be expensive but no prohibitive for the high end pro and sciences.
I agree with dan camera. Mac Mini’s and iMacs are for 90% of consumers. Pros in Hollywood, NY, production houses, print shops, design firms, recording studios, they will use these and I think Apple will price them fairly.
I have only one life. I want to live it traveling to the stars, even if only in metaphor. If I can’t afford this new hardware, I’ll apply for a berth on a ship that can. Unrealistic? Romantic? You betcha.
If you find yourself wondering why Apple bothers, recall the narrative of the Think Different campaign:
“The round pegs in the square holes.” (One could argue the shape of the new Mac Pro is a round peg)
And then:
“The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.” (A lot of commenters are doing exactly that: Vilifying Apple for this new direction in product design)
And then:
“They push the human race forward.”
What the new Mac Pro will do for the entire Mac line, if not the entire personal computer industry, is push it forward.
And our iMacs and Mac minis will benefit from that.
Well said Jim. I’m not sure that I like the new MP but I’ll have to buy some. And I have to pay whatever they charge for them. That’s life. That’s business. And this will help all future Macs be much, much better. Innovations and product improvements often come from automobile manufacturers sponsoring racing teams around the world. It’s not just done for advertising. In the case of the Mac Pro however, it’s clear that Apple will benefit many times over compared to the small investment put into the designing and manufacturing of the new Mac Pros. It’s not a segment of their product lineup that is worth spending any time and money on we’re it not for the things that will come of the new design and innovations rolled into future Mac Mini’s, iMacs, laptops and who knows what? Mac Pros will probably be a test bed for some hardware as time goes on. If it can make it in the Mac Pro it can certainly make it in the consumer product line.
Plus to be honest, Apple really didn’t want any negative PR. How would it look if they deserted the very people that have supported them for decades? We were there through thick and thin. Good times and bad times. Long before almost everyone here owned a Mac. And even though we are a small group, professionals aren’t shy about speaking honestly. How professional would that be?! I’m never shy here. And I always speak honestly. I don’t have time to be a fanboy. But I do love my Apple stuff. It’s the best. I buy em and use em hard. And they seldom disappoint. Just like a diesel or a transformer, they work best when fully loaded and working their ass off!
I say “we” but I was never a fanboi and will never be.
I was never there through no thick and no thin, but I now get to use the revolting fanboi’s lingo to sprinkle fairy dust and then stab in the back later, just watch my threads, I really do a good job pretending and I will take hostages even if I sow a teenie weenie bit of Doubt.
I always self promote and paint myself shiny, Zeke the almighty pegged me the other day with his answer to one of my posts, but I bet you idiot fanbois here don’t even know what I’m talking about because you all think Apple is god – I’m here to cast and sow Doubt,
That’s the D in FUD for you simpletons (which I am not), you idiot Apple worshipers. All I need to do is continue making sense to an idiot a day here and turn the sentiment which I exploit for personal gain and ego boost.
I too have always felt the vocabulary distasteful—childish, even, but I believed that to communicate effectively, one must respect the protocols in place. That means showing some familiarity with the local argot and mannerisms as you slip through the crowd. Once absorbed into the community, you can work to effect change.
Either that or dismiss as delusions the religious beliefs of those around you, even as you erect a tentpole of your own. Provocative, risky. Mind, I like what you have to say, and everyone needs a shot of clarity once in a while, and needs to take a breath, let a new idea sink in. I notice you’re using paragraphs more lately.
Hi Zeke. Looks like you’re frustrated as usual. Off your meds again today?
$1999 or less. Base model. Count on it. Economies of scale and ultra-efficient manufacturing. Apple wants to sell them to everyone and anyone who wants something strong.
I sure hope so.
That price would be a market game-changer.
I think you’re right. This will be priced aggressively. The thing is designed to be cheap to manufacture. Look how much simpler this case is compared with the battleship we have today in the Mac Pro.
Wishful thinking.
If you trick out a Mac mini, you can break $2000.
but didn’t the Macmini originally cost $499? same point here. hit the market with something new and affordable, and in this case strong as Hercules.
Not bloody likely.
ONE MILLION DOLLARS (comes with frigging lasers on it).
One million dollars? That’s so 60’s – it’s ONE BILLION DOLLARS!
One thing I do know is that I WANT one. And I bet you do too. If you can’t afford, well, don’t take it PERSONALLY, k?
i want it and i cant afford it so i cant take it, but that’s not a way to talk, hf with your mac pro bro ..
Too much for mere mortals.
2800-4800? Thats nothing.
My Windows workstation is worth over 25,000 dollars today.
I cant wait to get a Mac Pro in my living room for this great price 🙂
“My Windows workstation is worth over 25,000 dollars today.”
to whom?
And my power Mac G5 system was $65,000.00 with all the cards, Ram and peripherals attached to it. I’m going to have to upgrade it all when this new one comes out.
Can’t wait.
I hope I am wrong. I really do
But, 2 AMD Firepro GC at up to 7 Tflops is to talk about something over the 8000 Firepro series that cost 1350 each on Amazon today. For a feature Apple say will be included on each machine, that alone is $2700.
I hope Apple will handle the Pro drivers and that AMD will “only” charge Apple for the hardware. That may reduce the price at near consumer GC levels.
If Apple sells a Mac Pro with a dual Fire Pro for $3000-3500 and a decent CPU I will buy one without any doubt.
The key phrase is “up to” expect base to contain 5000 or 7000 series. Top of the line 9000 series costing more than an entire base machine.
if the entry level price remains the same
($2,500 or so) ..
I’m getting one.. (then tricking it out over time)
and .. no .. I’m not a professional who needs that kind of power ..
.. I’m just a guy who grew up during the “muscle-car” era !
One time just for S & G, I maxed out a Mac Pro on the apple store. Topped $14G’s. I’m going with the MDN take. Which in reality is not excessive at all. Hell, a serious workstation vid card can run over 2G’s alone. $2,999 is trivial.
The anal ists can check the inventory , ask them
$2999 for base model with six core processor 8GB ram and 256 GB SSD. Basic the same as an equal Dell.
The high end. Well your talking mid size car pricing. Loaded with ram around $15000-$20000.
My mistake RAM is not as expensive as I thought.
High end $6000 to $8000
Oops again firepro 9000 series (has to be at 6GB ram each) run $3000 each. So $10000 to $12000 for the high end model.
For some of us, the price of the Mac Pro is irrelevant. What matters is processing power. We’ll probably buy 20 or so when they are released.
My take on this matter is this… If you have to wonder how much the unreleased new Mac Pro will cost, it’s highly likely you can not afford one.
my 2 cents…
Tricked out to top-end spec, the old Mac Pro could cost $20k. I don’t think the base price will be anywhere near $1999 as some wishful thinker here wants. Apple doesn’t need to sell heaps of these things, although I’m sure they’d be more than happy to. The Mac Pro is their “hero model”, it creates an aura which has a trickle down effect to the rest of the range. Think BMW’s M3 or Mercedes AMG models, they don’t sell heaps of these things (relatively to the rest of the range), but they can charge good margins and create that performance aura that helps sell the bread and butter models.
Don’t think this one will top out that high as much of that extra cost was on internal additions, whereas the new model relies mostly on external additions.
I don’t need nearly the power of the new Mac Pro. But I want one anyway. A couple of years from now when I can buy a refurb. Until then snow leopard will be adequate on my Mac Pro 1.1.
You need a new computer and its base price is $2000. Could you make extra $10 per day if you’d spent $2000 more on a MacPro. Some of us actually can make that much more.