The return of the Mac Pro and Apple display

A certainty for 2019 is a new–look modular Mac and screen

Apple confirmed in April that a replacement for 2013’s ‘trash can’ Mac Pro would arrive in 2019. It seems likely to be later in the year. Senior VP of marketing Phil Schiller had already revealed that plans were for a ‘modular system’ and ‘a display’.

That would be the first Apple monitor since 2011’s Thunderbolt Display, discontinued in 2016. The Apple Store currently offers LG’s UltraFine Displays, with similar panels to the iMac’s 4K and 5K Retina screens. They hardly need improving, but with cinema production moving to 8K HDR, a bigger, sharper screen for the high end isn’t unthinkable.

As for the Mac Pro, Apple has vowed to ditch its compact design for one that meets diverse needs, implying flexible configuration. Like the iMac Pro, it’ll probably use Intel Xeon W chips, now offering up to 28 cores, although AMD’s Threadripper is a credible rival. Some users would prefer Nvidia graphics processors, but so far Apple looks like it's sticking with AMD’s Radeon.