For this year's WWDC, Apple largely focused on its ‘Pro' user base with the announcement of the long-awaited redesigned Mac Pro desktop system, in addition to a new Apple-made monitor. We already know about specs and pricing but the actual launch dates for the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR have remained a mystery. Fortunately, Apple has now confirmed plans to open up for orders next week.
The base model Mac Pro packs an Intel 8-core Xeon CPU, AMD Radeon PRO 580x graphics and 256GB of SSD storage for $5,999. If you have a larger budget, then it can be configured all the way up to a 28-core Xeon processor, dual Radeon Pro Vega II GPUs, 1.5TB of RAM and more, although pricing will rise astronomically, perhaps even as high as $50,000. All of that hardware is cooled by a fanless heatsink, with two fans in front of the chassis bringing in cool air and a blower fan in the bottom corner of the case to direct that airflow.
The Pro Display XDR comes in at $4,999 without a stand and you can spend an extra $999 for Apple's own ergonomic stand if you don't already have your own monitor arm. The display is capable of sustaining 1,000 nits of brightness indefinitely, while hitting 1,600 nits of brightness at peak.
The Mac Pro, Pro Display XDR, Pro Stand and Apple's expensive $199 VESA monitor mount will all be available to order from Tuesday the 10th of December. Specific shipping dates aren't known yet but we should get an update on that on launch day.
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KitGuru Says: Apple's ultra high-end gear is a tad behind schedule after initially being pinned for a ‘Fall 2019' launch. Still, those with enough cash will be able to spend it before the end of the year, which is … good news?