Mac Pro Supplies Tightening as WWDC Approaches

Earlier this month, we reported that Apple resellers were seeing dwindling numbers of MacBook Airs, and it appears that many outlets are also experiencing low supplies of Apple's Mac Pro.

According to MacTrast, the entry level quad-core 3.2GHz Mac Pro is backordered or out of stock at a number of online stores, including MacMall, B&H Photo, CDW, PowerMax, Adorama, and J&R Electronics.

macpro
Popular Apple reseller Amazon.com has just nine of the low end Mac Pros in stock, and other retailers like MicroCenter, Frys, and Best Buy also have limited supplies.

Dwindling product supplies at third-party Apple retailers is often an indication that a refresh is imminent and the Mac Pro may be a prime candidate for an update announcement at WWDC in June, as it has been more than 1,000 days since the product last saw a significant release.

The Mac Pro received a slight update at WWDC last year, which included a small processor bump. Many Apple customers were dissatisfied with the update, but an Apple spokesman later confirmed that a new Mac Pro would be introduced in 2013.

One issue for Apple is likely to be processor availability, as the company has traditionally used high-end Xeon chips from Intel in the Mac Pro. The next-generation Xeon chips, Ivy Bridge-E, are not expected until around September of this year, a date far enough off that it would be difficult for Apple to announce a new Ivy Bridge-E Mac Pro at WWDC but close enough that Apple would have a difficult time justifying use of the current Sandy Bridge-E chips that have already been on the market for quite some time.

Related Roundup: Mac Pro
Buyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Mac Pro

Top Rated Comments

The Samurai Avatar
142 months ago
Finally.
Score: 70 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aheying7 Avatar
142 months ago
Finally this will put an end to the constant whining on every thread.
Score: 69 Votes (Like | Disagree)
laflores Avatar
142 months ago
The new Mac Pro... 80% thinner and 60% lighter!
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Daalseth Avatar
142 months ago
WWDC would be the logical place for Apple to release an update to their Pro machine.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stetrain Avatar
142 months ago
I think that this is a rare case where Apple would be good with announcing an update to an existing product line that won't ship for a while.

I think that August is about the earliest a new Mac Pro could ship if they are going to use the Ivy Bridge E5 Xeon processors.

An announcement at WWDC and a ship date of August-September might be better than silence.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mac666er Avatar
142 months ago
Finally this will put an end to the constant whining on every thread.

Riiiight...

Unless it has 4 Titans and 4 12-core Xeons @ 5Ghz, has Blu-Ray, HBO and makes coffee for 3,000 USD after taxes... I don't see how the complaining will stop...

:p
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation, GameCube, Wii, and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, GameCube, Wii,...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With the New App Store Delta Game Emulator

Wednesday April 17, 2024 12:19 pm PDT by
A decade ago, developer Riley Testut released the GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, and since it was against the rules at the time, Apple put a stop to downloads. Emulators have been a violation of the App Store rules for years, but that changed on April 5 when Apple suddenly reversed course and said that it was allowing retro game emulators on the App Store. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...