WWDC 2012 update: iMacs may not come till 2013

June 14, 2012 | Filed under: Business | Posted by:

Word Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2012 is underway. Though there are minor updates on Mac Pro, but iMacs updates may not come till 2013, says Nabila Habib

It has been indirectly revealed that redesigned iMac and Mac Pro models would not be released by Apple until 2013.

This year the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco saw Apple showing off new versions of its MacBook computers. Updates of the very slim MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro were revealed along with a next gen 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. There was no mention of Apple desktop updates.

The absence was noticed wuite prominently and influential tech reviewer David Pogue wrote on his blog, “Many Apple observers also wonder if Apple thinks that desktop computers are dead, since not a word was said about the iMac and Mac Pro.. An executive did assure me, however, that new models and new designs are under way, probably for release in 2013.”

Following this revelation, Apple was contacted by AppleInsider for comment, but Apple chose to stay silent again.

It isn’t that Apple has overlooked the desktop line altogether. There actually was a very silent update only two days back. However, the minor update was so disappointing to the users that it ruffled more feathers than placating the users who had been waiting for years now for any kind of decent update.

The update here was done with a two-year-old processor instead of the expected chip, the Sandy Bridge Xeon E5.

Blogger and developer Marco Arment expressed his disgus, calling the update “half-assed” and declaring that the update sends the message that Apple “doesn’t give a sh*t about the Mac Pro.”

The only other silver lining is an update from a MacRumors reader who mentioned that when questioned about the desktop line by Apple, CEO Tim Cook replied in an email, “Our pro customers are really important to us…don’t worry as we’re working on something really great for later next year.”

There was an added sense of expectancy before the WWDC because of several rumours that hinted at Apple intending to release a redesigned iMac. Also, only last month Geekbench benchmarks for an unreleased iMac model, called iMac13,2, were spotted online.

With the rising demand on the portability of computers, the Mac desktops are said to fall through the crack very soon. It has also been noted that since the major part of Apple’s revenue now comes from iOS, especially the iPhone, the attention on the desktops would naturally dwindle. There was an “Back to the Mac” event held by Apple to dispel such fears, but that also happened in 2010 and now the future of Apple desktops looks really bleak.

Shortlink:

Posted by on June 14, 2012. Filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
  • Jake

    Historically perhaps, but the Mac Pro users nowadays make up only the tiniest fraction of Apple users. Apple is moving away from the desktop because it’s not that profitable — the money is in the mobile equipments (laptops, iPhones, and iPads). The iMac/Mac Pro will probably fuse into their last desktop computer, with only a few differences in screen size and performance, after which it will be fased out completely.

  • Luke

    Apple can never leave behind the Mac Desktops. This will be updated if not this year then next.

    Users like to have the freedom. I use both a Mac Pro and a MacBook Pro. I use the Mac Pro mainly for work because it is quick, Large display for more detail and I use the MacBook to take to customers to show off my work. Now if apple stopped working with their desktops, I and thousands of other people would soon move away from apple altogether.

    Its great to have the same interface on both machines I use.