December 14, 2017: The much-anticipated iMac Professional lastly reaches clients many months after Apple’s introduced the product. With a built-in 27-inch, 5K show and an Intel Xeon processor, the high-end desktop combines the options of an iMac and a Mac Professional.
It’s stunning and way more highly effective than earlier iMacs, however is destined to remain in Apple’s product lineup solely a comparatively brief time.
iMac Professional takes all-in-one desktops skilled
Apple unveiled the iMac Professional at its Worldwide Builders Convention in June 2017, however the machine didn’t really launch till mid-December. The highly effective all-in-one got here at a time when Apple hadn’t launched a brand new professional-grade desktop since the “trash can” Mac Professional of 2013.
The iMac Professional was meant to be a placeholder for these needing a Mac with actual energy. Apple constructed the primary mannequin round an eight-core, 10-core, 14-core or 18-core Xeon processor with Radeon Vega graphics. Shoppers may configure the iMac Professional with as much as 256GB of RAM and a 4TB SSD.
The pc simply blew away all earlier iMacs. The 18-core Intel processor was greater than twice as quick as its most-recent consumer-oriented predecessor.
The iMac Professional sported a 5,120-by-2,880-pixel show. And the smooth design in an area grey end – with keyboard and mouse to match – seemed sensible.
Not destined for greatness
Regardless of the good seems to be and speedy processor, on this anniversary of the unique iMac Professional launch, it’s not attainable to purchase one. Apple discontinued the iMac Professional in March 2021, so it lasted in Apple’s product lineup for only a bit over three years.
Whereas undeniably highly effective, the pc suffered from plenty of vital issues. The professional-grade iMac began at $4,999 – that’s greater than $6,600 in as we speak’s {dollars} – placing it past the attain of most customers.
Whereas professionals may afford it, the iMac Professional wasn’t configurable sufficient to fulfill the professionals. As an all-in-one, it left customers caught with the 27-inch show. And though house owners may improve the RAM and processor, these {hardware} adjustments required an professional to dismantle the pc.
Plus, even earlier than the iMac Professional launched, Apple was already speaking a couple of new, redesigned tower Mac. Many professionals determined to carry off on a purchase order. The wait stretched on to the 2019 Mac Professional, however that laptop supplied the configurability that professionals want.
Return of the iMac Professional?
Some rumors surfaced lately indicating that Apple plans to convey again the iMac Professional, although it’s been some time since we’ve heard any. And none of them have come true, clearly. Whereas we hear occasional requires a return, Apple doesn’t appear to be paying any consideration … and for good causes.
Because it stands now, the one all-in-one macOS desktop is the 24-inch iMac powered by Apple’s M4 chip. Those that need extra energy and a bigger display screen can pair a Mac Studio or Mac Professional desktop with a 27-inch Apple Studio Show or a 32-inch Professional Show XDR. (For more information, learn our purchasing guides: Mac Studio vs. Mac Professional: M3 Extremely makes all of the distinction and How Apple Studio Show stacks up in opposition to Professional Show XDR and others.)
Because the iMac Professional was a stop-gap measure that unsuccessfully tried to fulfill professionals, it’s actually not so shocking that it’s not nonetheless round. However it was an attention-grabbing beast of a machine.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and utilizing it for for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Basic II (which he nonetheless has), however now he makes use of a 13-inch iPad Professional as his major laptop. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, in addition to different websites.