Though unmentioned in the WWDC Keynote and all but lost in the Retina display euphoric afterglow, the Mac Pro did get an upgrade in the form of a processor bump and a price drop. Now, the entry-level Mac Pro sports a 3.2GHz Quad-Core processor and 6GB of RAM for around $2500, which is both about 400MHz faster, approximately $500 less expensive, and features twice as much memory than the base option offered previously. Many authorities consider the sweet spot to be the 3.33GHz 6-Core model, which is available as a custom option.

So long as you’re not thinking of it as “new” , but rather a “refresh” of the 2010 model line (which many will say it is), it’s fair to say the base speed/price adjustment represents a better value than the 2010 Mac Pro you could have bought a month ago.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that its been far too long since the last update. Considering how long this Mac Pro configuration has been in service and the technological advances since it was introduced, many Mac Pro users took this lack of an actual hardware upgrade as a slap in the face. These users are often professionals with heavy data processing needs. To them, having an “update” without the speed/expandability of USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt, much less relying on out-of-date processor technology, is ridiculous. As a result, there was a huge outcry by pro users over yet another “snubbing” of the Mac Pro from the upgrade cycle - so much so that even Apple relented and took down the “New” label off of the Mac Pro page.

If your business is in need of new Mac Pros and you were holding out in hopes of a refresh, you have several options. You can upgrade your current machines, buy the latest “refresh” machines, or continue to wait until an all new Mac Pro platform comes along, which Tim Cook has confirmed to be some time in 2013 .

However you decide to proceed, OWC has the upgrades that can help boost an existing or “refreshed” Mac Pro’s performance right now to levels that might just meet your all your needs. Article Continues…