Apple catches up with Mac Pro demand, shipping times fall to 24 hours

Professional Mac users can now get their hands on the company's all-new Mac Pro in as little as two days, as shipping times for the desktop flagship's standard configurations have dropped to 24 hours for the first time since it went on sale six months ago.

The changes came online for the base quad-core and six-core configurations purchased from Apple's U.S. online store early Wednesday. Lead times for customized systems have decreased as well, down to just 1 to 2 weeks.

Buyers who missed out on the first hours of the Mac Pro's availability last December were forced to wait weeks for their new computers to arrive, with some seeing more than a month pass between submitting their order and receiving the diminutive tower. Apple has had trouble keeping up with demand for new products in the past, but none of those struggles stretched as long as the one affecting the Mac Pro.

Some have speculated that Apple may be experiencing growing pains with the Mac Pro's new factory in Texas, which is operated jointly with Taiwanese contract manufacturer Flextronics. The Mac Pro is the first "Assmembled in the USA" product from Apple in more than a decade as the company looks to bring more of its manufacturing back to the U.S.

Outside of the U.S., some regions — such as Australia — have also seen the Mac Pro's shipping time decreased to 24 hours. Most, however, remain somewhat constrained with wait times of three to five days.

Mac Pro inventory levels have also gradually improved at authorized Apple resellers, as can be seen in AppleInsider's Mac Price Guide, also included below. For example, orders placed through MacMall are advertised to ship on the same day as ordered and are taxable only when shipped to CA, CO, GA, IL, MN, NC, NY, TN, and WI. B&H Photo also has dozens of configurations in stock and only charges sales tax on orders shipped to NY, which contribute to significant savings, especially on higher-end configurations.