Apple has updated the iMac, giving the all-in-one desktop a processor bump and other improvements, though not changing the familiar styling of the macOS computer. The refresh - a longstanding rumor - comes ahead of the switch to Apple Silicon, the Cupertino company's in-house Arm-based chipsets which it officially confirmed at WWDC 2020 earlier this year.
Today Apple announced that they'd be moving toward their own silicon - effectively removing Intel from the equation. This was a "huge leap forward for the Mac," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "Today is the day we're announcing the Mac is transitioning to our own Apple silicon." This move is major for every key player involved - not just Intel and Apple, but the users of future Mac computers as well.
Apple's new iMac (2019) isn't the only all-in-one Mac getting an update today, with the iMac Pro adding some ultra-expensive performance upgrades too. The professional desktop wasn't about to let its mainstream iMac sibling get all the changes, with a hefty 256GB RAM update the pinnacle of the madness.
Whether it's the need to protect their products' security and integrity, or just a slimy business practice, Apple is one of the most prevalent of modern tech companies that are clamping down on third-party repairs of their devices. Proponents of the "right to repair" were alarmed earlier this week when leaked Apple service documents indicated that the latest MacBook Pros and iMac Pro would be left inoperable after repairs from unauthorized service providers.
Apple, like many device manufacturers, are dead set against self-repairs or third-party repairs. These companies often cite safety, integrity, and trade secrets as reasons for discouraging those while consumer advocates accuse them of deplorable business strategies. That has never really stopped the third-party repair industry though companies increase their efforts to curb it. The latest from Apple is probably the most radical, making a 2018 MacBook Pro or even an iMac Pro practically useless if it has been repaired by an unauthorized service provider.
With the iMac Pro potent enough to embarrass the Mac Pro - and Apple's "trash can" computer not likely to see an update until next year - one company has taken the obvious next step and harnessed multiple all-in-ones into a server farm. MacStadium made headlines back in 2013 with its unusual rack-mounted Mac Pro arrays, demonstrating that just because Apple's form-factor is atypical, that doesn't mean it couldn't be chained together for some seriously heavy workloads.
The folks at iFixit have torn down the newest Apple mega-computer, the iMac Pro. This computer looks like an iMac - that is, an all-in-one computer with a sleek stand - but it's got the guts of a much more powerful beast. As the folks at iFixit said, "this iMac Pro isn't jut a reskinned iMac after all."
Apple's iMac Pro is now available for walk-in purchase at Apple Stores, with stock of at least one configuration now showing up on shelves. The Space Gray all-in-one is Apple's love-letter to content creators, a Xeon-powered processing monster with the latest and greatest in ports on the back, and a beautiful 5K display on the front.
Apple seems to have conceded that professional users buying a new iMac Pro might be more demanding about upgrades than their consumer counterparts. Since the iMac was saw its most dramatic unibody adoption in 2009, embedding all of the components behind the display, its potential for user-upgrades has decreased. The new iMac Pro, however, takes a more forgiving approach along with its premium price tag.
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Earlier in the week, Apple gave the iMac Pro a release date of December 14. That, as you've hopefully already realized, is today, meaning Apple's iMac Pro configurator is live, allowing us to swap hardware in and out and figure out just how expensive this beast is going to be. iMac Pro prices start at $5,000, but in just a short time spent customizing hardware, one thing is sure: There's potential for that price to go much, much higher.
Back at WWDC 2017, Apple unveiled the iMac Pro, a new all-in-one Mac that's packing a lot of power under the hood. In the time since that reveal, other Apple devices have taken most of the spotlight for themselves, namely the iPhone 8/8 Plus and the iPhone X. Apple is drawing focus back to the iMac Pro today, announcing a release date for the iMac Pro at long last.