The New Mac Pro Is Not a $11,000 Cheese Grater

Computers

Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC2019) is an exciting time for developers, but they’re not the only ones paying attention. Apple users tune in, too, because this show is part briefing and part marketing event, telling us what’s coming next on Apple’s sizeable list of platforms.Here’s what you need to know as a Canadian Apple customer:

Mac Pro

It’s been a long road for the Mac Pro. Last updated six years ago in 2013, many users were waiting for Apple’s re-entry into the pro market. The new Mac Pro looks more like the old cheese-grater design than the trashcan 2013. A stainless stele frame is wrapped around full modularity and compatibility with standard options for things like graphics cards and other I/O. The system is powered by a 1.4K power supply, and handle up to 3 streams of 8K video at one time.

Let’s be frank here: this is a big gun. Most Pro users are actually well-served by the iMac Pro, and you’re going to pay a premium for the Mac Pro. If you’re asking the question “is this for me?” that’s probably the first sign that it isn’t. Professionals who need serious computers aren’t looking at the cost of this device, they’re looking at the gateway to more productivity, and in many cases this system will most likely be leased by owners as a business cost.

New Year, New Display

The Apple Cinema Display is sorely missed by Apple fans, and the LG 5k Display that Apple rolled out a few years ago didn’t fill the gap. The new 32” Retina 6K display is disturbingly beautiful, with reference-level quality. There’s a laundry list of features here, including a matte option that uses nano-textured glass to handle direct light conditions without adding a layer to the display – this is a bigger deal than I can adequately convey right now. The entire back of the screen is a heat-sink for the display, putting out 1000 nits of brightness continuously. Apple is redefining HDR as well, calling this new display the Pro Display XDR.

You can run two of these from a 15” MacBook Pro, and up to 6 of them on the new Mac Pro. Do I want one? Yes, I do. Am I going to buy an iMac Pro instead? Probably. Either way, the Mac Pro is coming to Canada later this year.

Do you have a favourite new feature from WWDC? Let us know!