The iMac Pro, Apple's professional-focused desktop computer introduced in December 2017, has been officially discontinued.
As spotted by MacRumors, this particular Mac is no longer available to order in the United States using the Apple Online Store. Not only are the individual models no longer in stock, but the entire iMac Pro webpage has been removed---suggesting that it is highly unlikely that it will make a comeback at this point in time.
The "Most Powerful Mac Ever Made"
This isn't the first hint users have had that the iMac Pro was not long for this world. Earlier this month, Apple removed all the build-to-order configurations of the desktop computer, leaving only the base $4,999 configuration. At the time, Apple noted that the iMac Pro would remain available for purchase only "while supplies last."
The iMac Pro, the first Mac Apple referred to as such, was hailed by the company as the "most powerful Mac ever made" at the time of its release. It offered a choice of eight, 10, 14, and 18-core Intel Xeon processors, 5K display, AMD Vega graphics, T2 chip, and more.
It also was available in a darker "space gray" finish that stood out in comparison to the lighter aluminum color of the regular iMac. In addition, it introduced---for the first time---black Magic Keyboard, and black Magic Mouse or Magic Keyboard accessories. These are now available on other Macs.
The iMac Pro is widely considered to have been a stopgap while Apple was preparing its next Mac Pro models. Apple released its most recent Mac Pro in December 2019.
The End of the Road for iMac Pro
When Apple switched over to its Apple Silicon M1 chips at the end of 2020, the writing was pretty clearly on the wall for the pricey iMac Pro. While Apple continues to sell Macs with Intel processors for now, it is highly unlikely that any pro-level customers would be keen to spend big bucks on a Mac architecture that is likely to be obsolete within the next year.
Apple is currently rumored to be prepping its first Apple Silicon iMac. This is expected to boast the first major redesign of Apple's desktop computer line in almost a decade. For Pro-grade customers, it is also supposedly working on some new Mac Pro replacements.
There is currently no word on when these will ship. However, if the resulting Macs are anything like the initial Apple Silicon Mac mini and MacBook models in terms of critical appraisals, they will prove to be well worth the wait.
