14 DAY TRIAL // A tipster has confirmed to tech-focused site Engadget that, besides refreshing the iMac and Mac mini, Apple is also set to release four beefed up models of its high-end desktop computer system, the Mac Pro.
As you may have heard, last minute leaks allegedly confirm six new Mac models – four iMacs and two minis – all of which pack more RAM and storage, plus NVIDIA chipsets. The leak is consistent with earlier rumors of a Mac mini refresh (5 USB ports, Mini DisplayPort, mini-DVI port, NVIDIA chipset like the MacBooks and iMac, and 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo). As for the iMac, Apple's all-in-one computer is set to receive the mini DisplayPort and feature Core 2 Duo up to 3.06GHz.
Naturally, the Mac Pro is “something else,” literally. “The Mac Pro will come in eight-core configurations from 3.0GHz to 3.6GHz and 16-core configurations in 3.6GHz and 4.0GHz flavors, and it sounds like it's going to be even funkier on the video tip,” says the leak. Engadget's tipster says it has “two regular DVI ports and a mini DisplayPort ... It's also apparently a bit lighter than the current model, at 35 pounds instead of 42.” The tipster, simply referred to as Tom, noted that the Airport Extreme and Time Capsule FCC filings also contain direct references to simultaneous 5GHz and 2.4GHz operation.
Pretty much everything seems to be into place and in accordance with everyone's expectations as far as hardware upgrades are concerned. However, the same leaks also claim Apple is introducing the new systems - or at least the iMacs and the minis - as soon as today. This is less likely, as Apple is known to introduce major hardware upgrades such as these on its own grounds. That rumored March 24 Apple event sounds like a good bet for these announcements.