Apple’s mac pro obsolescence: a secret history of abandoned innovation
Apple quietly shelved
a full tier of processor development, alongside two entirely unreleased Mac Pro models, revealing a far more complex and ultimately disappointing story behind the demise of its flagship desktop.A bold bet, then a sudden halt
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company conceived of an ‘Extreme’ chip – a processor boasting roughly double the core count of the Ultra – and actually built two working prototypes. These M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips, developed with significant investment, were ultimately deemed too costly and lacking sufficient market demand before ever seeing a Mac.
The decision to abandon this ambitious project, coupled with the existence of two unfinished Mac Pro iterations – the internally dubbed J170 and J190 – paints a picture of a company pursuing a high-performance vision, only to abruptly pull the plug. It wasn’t a simple case of shifting strategy; it felt more like a calculated retreat, leaving a legacy of unrealized potential.
More than just silicon: the lost hardware
Beyond the sidelined chip, Apple also produced two distinct Mac Pro models that never materialized. The J170, surprisingly, was an Intel-based machine, a perplexing move considering Apple’s aggressive push towards its own silicon architecture. The J190, however, was a fully-fledged M3 Ultra model, intended to launch concurrently with the M3 Ultra Mac Studio in early 2025. Both ventures were scrapped, effectively ending the Mac Pro’s reign.
The core issue, Gurman suggests, stemmed from a fundamental mismatch between Apple’s ambitious goals and the realities of the market. The Mac Pro’s premium price tag – twice that of the Mac Studio – and the limited functionality it offered, beyond the crucial PCIe expansion slots, simply couldn’t justify its continued existence. Apple’s focus is now squarely on the Mac Studio, and, soon, the new M5 Ultra models.
A missed opportunity?
The Mac Pro’s discontinuation represents a significant loss for creative professionals and enthusiasts who valued its unparalleled expandability. While the Mac Studio has filled some of that void – albeit with a more streamlined design – the modularity and sheer power of the original Mac Pro remain sorely missed. It’s a stark reminder that even for a company as innovative as Apple, not every gamble pays off.