Apple promised an iMac with pro features will come later this year, and we got our first look at it during the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote presentation on Monday. The iMac Pro will sport Intel Xeon processors, and Apple says it’s the most powerful computer they’ve ever made.
Apple is calling the iMac Pro a workstation class computer and will be available with 8 core, 10 core, and 18 core Xeon CPUs, up to 128 GB RAM, AMD Radeon Vega graphics, 4TB SSD, Thunderbolt 3 ports, 10 Gb Ethernet, and a Retina 5K display.
iMac Pro is priced starting at US$4,999 and will be available later this year.
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote us still underway. Be sure to follow along with TMO’s coverage from the event.
And in other news, Walt Mossberg retired today.
It doesn’t seem likely to me that Apple will make a “Pro Mini Tower” later. They introduced the iMac Pro by saying they were trying to prove everyone wrong about not being able to fit a pro workstation in an all-in-one iMac form factor. They also showed laptops running Thunderbolt 3 external graphics cards and RAIDs. Apple likes to give users not what they ask for but rather something better according to Apple’s understanding of a user’s needs. So they might make the iMac Pro a little more upgradable than the normal iMac (how?) but then expect further upgrades to be done by external docks.
I kinda expected them to announce a companion upgradeable expansion tower during the keynote today, something that comes set up with slots for GPUs and hard drives and connects to the iMac Pro with a single Thunderbolt 3 connector.
No need to grouse about user upgradability. You’ll get your Pro Mini Tower later. I expect it to have some user upgradable bits since they mentioned in the little meeting they had a couple months ago that they were rethinking much about that Pro form factor.
Here’s hoping I can get my act together and make enough money to get one of those new iMacs; not sure I need an iMac Pro.
@–Q– Nice, they released it today. That space grey setup is so dam sexy though. I detect a large dent in my wallet this year.
Rick: Wireless keyboard with number pad is available in silver 😉
Now will someone PLEASE convince me that this machine is total overkill for a Graphic Designer like myself. Please tell me that a normal iMac will suffice!
And it appears from the demo on the WWDC video, totally non user upgradable ?
Unless there’s a removable rear access port/cover ?
Would much rather Apple had gone with a mini tower design and external monitor 🙁
Also if you look at the photo they show is something I want. Wireless keyboard with number pad.
Only 4TB SSD! Let the Pro’s gnashing begin.