iMac, MacBooks, and iMac Pro


Apple today updated its iMac line with up to three times more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3, faster storage options and brighter Retina displays, and added a Retina 4K display and discrete graphics to the $1,299 (US) 21.5-inch iMac.


The new iMacs get upgraded to Intel's latest Kaby Lack CPUs. They also offer 2 USB-C ports capable of supporting Thunderbolt 3. As noted, the 4K model got a price cut to $1299.

Apple also upgrades it's MacBook and MacBook Pro to Kaby Lake. Some models also received bumps for SSD performance and graphics. No love, it seems, for the MacBook Air. Similar to the iMac, the mid-level model got a price but to $1299.

The big Mac hardware news was the preview of the iMac Pro:

Apple today gave a sneak peek of iMac Pro, an entirely new workstation-class product line designed for pro users with the most demanding workflows. The all-new iMac Pro, with its gorgeous 27-inch Retina 5K display, up to 18-core Xeon processors and up to 22 Teraflops of graphics computation, is the most powerful Mac ever made. Featuring a stunning new space gray enclosure, iMac Pro packs incredible performance for advanced graphics editing, virtual reality content creation and real-time 3D rendering. iMac Pro is scheduled to ship in December starting at $4,999 (US).

I'm not sure how I feel about a non-modular, all-in-one computer starting at $5K. Much like the current Mac Pro, there's not much that can be done to upgrade the machine or even practical servicing.

I think it's interesting Apple choose to preview something that won't ship until December. I'm guessing they're feeling heat from "pro" customers looking for reasons to stick with the platform in the near term. I'd probably still wait for the relaunched Mac Pro or just go with a hackintosh.