Mikey Campbell
Apple could be nearing release of an expected Mac Pro refresh, as code buried in the latest version of Apple's OS X 10.11 El Capitan references an unknown Mac model with boosted specs and hardware not found in shipping machines.
Spotted by Pike's Universum during an XHCI debugging session, a plist file hidden away in OS X references a Mac identified as "AAPLJ95,1" with a whopping 10 USB 3.0 ports. Current Mac Pro models come with four USB 3.0 ports, the same allotment given to iMac and Mac mini.
Further, the "AAPLJ95,1" product identifier is similar to the "AAPLJ90,1" designation that first popped up in Mac Pro benchmark testing in 2013. While not clearly defined as Apple's flagship desktop, the designation and its listed specs were found alongside XHCI data belonging to the latest 2015 iMac, leading the publication to believe Apple is referencing a new Mac Pro model.
Designed as a professional workstation, Mac Pro is designed to meet the demands of power users who need not only raw processing power, but highly flexible connectivity options. The addition of six USB 3.0 ports would be a switch away from the 20GB/s Thunderbolt 2 protocol, as existing Mac Pro models come with three Thunderbolt 2 controllers powering six inputs.
Apple has not updated Mac Pro since launching the desktop nearly two years ago, suggesting the product is ripe for an update. Aside from potential USB 3.0 expansion, a refreshed version will likely come with new Intel Xeon processors, faster graphics card offerings and upgraded RAM.
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65 Comments
So why do you think this would be q switch "away" from Thunderbolt (2) ? Adding extra USB does not have to mean that there would be fewer Thunderbolt ports.
I continue to have interest in this system. I did not seriously consider purchasing the previous Mac Pro because my needs were such that I honestly didn't need that kind of power. But things are growing. On a tangent, I wonder how well Parallels on this system would run high-powered Windows programs, such as high-performance games. There are still some applications that are not available for MacOS, although this seems to rapidly be shifting in Apple's favor.
I wonder why each new Mac refresh doesn't include at least one USB-C port.
So why do you think this would be q switch "away" from Thunderbolt (2) ? Adding extra USB does not have to mean that there would be fewer Thunderbolt ports.
One would think that they would simply switch to the new USB/Thunderbolt connectors like in the newest Macbook.
The Mac Pro is not a pro desktop machine. It is a great machine, and for some people enough power. But a pro machine ought to have top of the line options, or at least allow top of the line options to be installed. The Mac Pro does not support standard GPU cards, nVidia cards (which CUDA and customers developers need), nor nVidia Tesla cards which are needed for scientific and engineering applications. I would love a real pro Mac again. For so long Apple cared about educators, researchers and professionals who needed maximum power. But no longer. :(