“Apple’s 2013 Mac Pro is the replacement for the venerable line of desktop Macs recognizable by their hulking aluminum cases and oversized handles with razor-sharp edges. That design, which dates back to 2006, was getting long in the tooth when Apple unveiled this radically different computer last year,” Dwight Silverman writes for The Houston Chronicle. “Where its predecessor weighed in at around 40 lbs., the new Mac Pro is just 11 lbs. The previous version stood 20 inches high, while the new one is just under 10 inches. It’s round, with a case made of polished, anodized aluminum that’s an alluring gun metal gray. While it’s diminutive – certainly compared to the model it replaces – it feels dense and solid when you pick it up.”
“If you try recreating a system with similar specs in the Windows world, it’s almost impossible to do at this price,” Silverman writes. “Futurelooks tried to assemble a do-it-yourself Windows PC for less than the cost of a high-end Mac Pro and came in at $2,000 more. It’s safe to say that, given the components and the design, the pricey Mac Pro is actually something of a bargain.”
“As usual, Apple has made a leap of design and technology that goes beyond the mainstream. The company is clearly hoping that past Mac Pro owners who valued that platform’s self-service nature will buy into this new design that, while allowing some upgrading, clearly is more limited,” Silverman writes. “If they do, they’ll end up with a system that’s remarkably muscular and attractive to boot – and while not affordable, is impossible to beat on the Windows side of the aisle.”
Read more in the full review here.
Related articles:
Review: Apple’s $3999 6-core Mac Pro is an impressive computer – February 26, 2014
Ars Technica pro reviews Apple’s 2013 Mac Pro: Powerful, but it isn’t always a clear upgrade – January 28, 2014
T3 Mac Pro review: Unboxing, hands-on, and first impressions – December 20, 2013
ITProPortal reviews Apple’s Mac Pro: One of the best premium desktops we’ve ever tested – January 14, 2014
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s Mac Pro: Stunning, astonishing, Editors’ Choice – December 27, 2013
The New York Times reviews Apple’s Mac Pro: Deeply futuristic; extremely, ridiculously fast and powerful – December 26, 2013
The Verge reviews Apple’s new Mac Pro: Unlike anything the PC industry’s ever seen – December 23, 2013
Engadget reviews Apple’s new Mac Pro: In a league of its own – December 23, 2013
The first 24 hours with Apple’s new Mac Pro and Final Cut Pro X 10.1 (with video) – December 20, 2013
T3 Mac Pro review: Unboxing, hands-on, and first impressions – December 20, 2013
Apple’s powerful new Mac Pro a good value; far from the most expensive high-end Mac or high-end PCs – December 20, 2013
CNET hands on: Apple’s radically reimagined Mac Pro is a powerhouse performer – December 20, 2013
My early 2009 Mac Pro is going strong, but… Me want!
I really love my new Mac Pro 6,1 8 core it screams especially for video encodes. Makes my old Mac Pro 2,1 8 core seem very slow by comparison.
It may be a smaller market without the room for growth of other products, but it’s still valuable, so how is the Mac Pro any less innovative than the iPhone or iPad were in relation to existing phones and tablets? The only difference is that Apple didn’t make those products before whilst they did make a high end desktop.
Apple can’t innovate anymore my ass …
Just because Apple hasn’t produced a new product category that gets people swarming to buy it doesn’t mean innovation is dead at Apple. Clearly, it’s alive and well. Just like we’ve been saying all along.
Eagerly waiting!
But, but, but, Macs are more expensive than Windows computers.
Bullshit!
When they finally bury Microsoft, they will need to dig two graves in Redmond. One for Microsoft and one for all the myths about Windows vs. Macs.
I’m not sure which grave will be bigger.
I cannot wait for that funeral.
I wonder if the celebration, er, festivities, uh, I mean service – will be as somber as the Microsofties’ Funeral for the iPhone a while back?
“not affordable”
Please. The people who need this Mac have the budgets to buy them. Sorry if it is too much for the gamers out there (who were never happy with Macs in the first place). I can’t wait to get one for my workstation.
Exactly my take. Affordability is a relative thing.
So yes, it is relatively expensive compared to a $350 PC. But you would expect that PC users could at least recognize that when Apple innovates at the high end, all the bottom dwellers must improve their products – poorly – to keep up. Apple drags the industry along to be better than they can be by themselves. But no, you can’t expect the gaming crowd to find any value in Apple’s efforts just because… it’s Apple.
When you compare the new mac pro to a consumer pc yes it is expensive. But you have to compare it to a PC workstation class system. To get the same level of performance in a PC workstation you would be into a Z820 hp for around $12000 without thunderbolt. With dual graphics around 14k.
So Yes Affordable is relative depending on what you are comparing to. To be a proper comparison you need to compare the 2013 mac pro to a workstation class machine from dell or hp.