The new Mac Pro is here… but you definitely can’t afford it
Apple’s most powerful computer ever is also its most expensive
The good news is that, having been announced at the 2019 WWDC in June, Apple’s new Mac Pro is now available. The bad news, however, is that you almost certainly can’t afford to buy it.
As previously promised, the baseline model can be had for $5,999/£5,499, but start specing this up and things get very expensive, very quickly.
In fact, if you push the boat out on your processor, RAM, graphics and storage - and add an Afterburner card and wheels for the stainless steel frame for good measure - you can bring the price up to well over $50,000/£47,000.
On the plus side, shipping is included for free, which is a nice gesture.
Of course, we are talking about a stupidly powerful computer here - one with a 2.5Ghz 28-Core Intel Xeon W processor, 1.5TB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage - but that’s still a whopping amount of money.
That said, the Mac Pro isn’t really aimed at the likes of us. As its name implies, the pro community is the target market.
So, unless money is no object - or you happen to be Calvin Harris - you’ll have to get your Apple computing jollies elsewhere.
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If your pockets are deep enough, you can find out more and place an order on the Apple website.
MacBook Pro 16-inch US deals
MacBook Pro 16-inch 512GB: $2,399 $2,199 at B&H
If you want to spend as little as possible on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, this is about as good a deal as you're likely to find. You'll get a 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512 SSD. A great machine for music making, and with $200 off.
MacBook Pro 16-inch 1TB: $2,799 $2,549 at B&H
A seriously good music-making laptop at a seriously reduced price. You can save $250 on this 16-inch MacBook Pro, which packs a 2.3GHz Intel Core i9 8-core processor, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB drive. You'll never look back.
MacBook Pro 16-inch UK deals
MacBook Pro 16-inch 512GB: £2,300 £2,179 at BT
2.6GHz Intel Core i7 processor? Check. 16GB RAM? Check. 512GB SSD? You betcha. £120 discount? Yes! UK Apple fans can grab this new 16-inch MacBook Pro at a £120 discount, which is pretty impressive when you consider that it's only just been released.
MacBook Pro 16-inch 1TB: £2,799 £2,539.68 at BT
If you want your 16-inch MacBook Pro game to be super strong, check out this Core i9 model with 2.3GHz processor, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. A saving of more than £259 makes it a deal that you need to check out.
I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.