Apple kicked off WWDC 2017 with an opening keynote filled with announcements and updates. One of the new devices that Apple unveiled was the iMac Pro, which the company describes as "the most powerful Mac ever."
Does the new iMac Pro live up to its description? Here are the computer's specifications and features so that you can decide for yourself.
Meet The iMac Pro
In a press release that accompanies Apple's announcement of the iMac Pro at WWDC 2017, the computer is said to be part of "an entirely new workstation-class product line designed for pro users with the most demanding workflows."
The iMac Pro features a 27-inch Retina 5K display that supports 1 billion colors, confirming previous rumors that the specification will return from the 2015 edition of the iMac. The iMac Pro, however, comes in a sleek space gray aluminum design with a matching matte wireless keyboard and other accessories. The space gray accessories are only exclusive to the iMac Pro, and will not be sold separately.
In addition to its updated look, the iMac Pro offers expanded port options compared to the 2015 iMac. The iMac Pro features four Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 10 GB Ethernet port, alongside the usual four USB 3.0 ports and SD card reader.
The chassis itself remains largely similar to the 2015 iMac, except for the long vent that is now present at the bottom of the rear portion. The vent enables better airflow from the twin centrifugal fans of the iMac Pro, leading to 80 percent higher system thermal capacity compared to previous iMac models and the ability to handle higher power of 500 watts.
Inside the iMac Pro is where the real magic happens. The computer ships with an 8-core Xeon processor, with the option to improve the specification to up to 18 cores. The iMac Pro is also capable of supporting up to 128 GB of RAM, up to 16 GB of VRAM, and up to 22 teraflops of graphics computation.
The GPU for the iMac Pro is the new Radeon Pro Vega, offering performance that can match the most powerful imaging computers, and for memory, it supports up to 4 TB SSD.
According to Apple, the iMac Pro promises incredible performance for power-hungry tasks such as advanced graphics editing, real-time 3D rendering, and virtual reality content creation.
Will You Buy The New iMac Pro?
There were some concerns that Apple is no longer committed to its Mac computers, with the focus solely placed on its mobile products. Apple CEO Tim Cook rebuked the concerns, saying that there were "great desktops" in the company's pipeline. Apparently, that included the iMac Pro.
The iMac Pro is a treat for professionals who were disappointed with the 2016 MacBook Pro, as the latest model of the supposed laptop for professionals dropped different kinds of legacy ports that are still being used by millions in the industry.
The iMac Pro is expected to start shipping in December, with a starting price tag of $4,999. Professionals who were looking forward to WWDC 2017 for a new machine to invest in may have gotten their wish.
