As with every new product launch from Apple, there is a brief period of downtime on the company’s official site as the purchase process is streamlined for the inevitable rush of eager shoppers. If you are particularly keen on the Mac Pro, which was the reason that the official Apple site was briefly pulled offline just a short while ago, I’m afraid you’re going to be waiting quite a while, with shipping times having already been pushed back to February.
The Mac Pro was first announced earlier on this year at WWDC, and although, at the time, it was predicted to be releasing late this year, it looks as though that will not be the case after all.
It was only this week that the Cupertino company announced that the machine would be available to order from today, but despite keeping that particular promise, Tim Cook’s earlier suggestion that it’d be here before the end of the year is somewhat inaccurate.
As discussed previously, there will be two different configurations of the revamped Mac Pro, with the base model starting at $2,999, or £2,499 for those in the United Kingdom. The upgraded 6-core model, which boasts dual GPUs, will cost $3,999, or £3,299, but as ever, individuals looking to tailor the experience to suit their specific requirements can do so for an additional fee. A huge fee we should say.
Apple had some major trouble with the release of the iPhone 5s, with customers left waiting for up to three weeks from the point of purchase for their device to ship. But it does feel as though we’ve been waiting on the Mac Pro for a while now, and those hoping to wake up today and order theirs before the year’s end will be left sorely disappointed.
As for the machine itself, some have lauded the new, Darth Vader-esque design, but despite Phil Schiller’s quip of "can’t innovate any more, my a**!" when describing the Mac Pro back in June, there remains quite a vocal faction of pro Mac users who will tell you that this design, which does away with the optical drive and makes upgrading quite a hassle at times, is a step back.
If you’re looking for a future proof Mac, then the new Mac Pro is your best bet. And the wait times are probably worth the deal.
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