"Speaking of the Mac Pro, I was reminded today about a time when Apple was proud of the professional Macs they shipped. Until the middle of last year, they had a dedicated page for professional users and case studies." - Nick Heer, PIXELENVY

". In the Mac line, at least, 2017 Apple seems a lot like 1994 Apple: misguided products, propped up by gouging the loyalists. The difference is that today’s Apple isn’t dependent on computers, and indeed barely cares about them thanks to the timespace-warping enormity of the iPhone. It’s like being in an alternate timeline where the Newton was a smash success, so the Sculley/Spindler era went on indefinitely."

"I’m honestly not sure Apple is even a consumer electronics company anymore. I’m starting to think they’re more a fashion and luxury goods company instead. When they make the devices thinner just for aesthetics, at a genuine cost to their performance or utility, the old “form over function” slam rings a little more true than it used to. As does the idea of charging high prices because they can" - Chris Adamson. Time Code

"But here’s the problem: in retrospect, what they built was a device based around their own ego needs of proving their critics wrong, not a device that served the purposes of their power users. It’s not configurable, it’s not upgradeable, it’s not expandable: It’s pretty, and full of (for 2013) innovative hardware design, but is that really what Apple’s power users needed?

I don’t believe so. I think they were much better served by the “cheese grater” Macs of the previous generation, and I think Apple needs to rethink this, and for the high end, go back to more of a developer machine which gives users flexibility to expand it and customize it to their needs. Just like the old Mac IIci, one of the best computers Apple ever built. I propose just this in a piece I wrote about this.

The Mac Pro, and its possible successor are serving niches within the niche that is the Mac market overall, but it’s an important niche: it’s the power users, the influencers and the developers who build all of the Mac and IOS apps we all depend on. These are important people that support and evangelize the Mac AND IOS platforms and ecosystems, and Apple has done a poor job of supporting their needs for a good three years now." - Chuq Von Rospach, chuqui.com

"I use a Mac as my daily driver, and have rarely made a tech-related purchase I regretted. And I've never returned a Mac, until today.

The 2016 MacBook Pro is a mixed bag. Many features (most shared between the two models) are huge improvements in the Pro lineup—like the SSD speed, size and weight, keyboard feel, and Thunderbolt 3/USB-C. Other features (like the Touch Bar) are worse than useless—they make the user experience worse.

I hope Apple realizes the blunder with the Touch Bar (and with the confusing lineup of laptops they currently sell) and either fix it or remove it entirely. I'd be happy if Apple only preserved the Touch ID/power key combo." - Jeff Geerling, jeffgeerling.com

While Brooks and others are arguing that iPad will eventually replace the Mac, Gruber is arguing there will always be a need for macOS—specifically a desktop operating system. Despite what my aforementioned dalliance with iPad might suggest, I’m firmly in Gruber’s camp. - , Delusions of Grandeur

I find a bit of solidarity that other Mac faithful seem to be echoing my initial reaction to the Mac Pro. As much as I like the iPhone, there's a viable alternative to it. As a web developer and creative professional, OS X is the beginning and end of why I use Apple products. There is no real competitor even on the same field, mixing a clean UI, and the power of *nix Apple's "courage" is taking its toll. Computer updates do not need fancy press releases but rather a constant component refresh of the latest and greatest, and ability to accommodate the power users rather than Jonathan Ive's whims. As someone who codes, blogs, designs, creates music, and does visual effects compositing (all of these at some level of professional capacity) OS X is vastly superior. iOS always feels like an apology when I try to do real work. It's great for some people, but for those who value raw power and/or raw efficiency, it's OS X or die.

I doubt I'm the first to notice this, but when will Apple learn that a tiny high end/professional, virtually un-upgradable desktop is the computer no-one wants? The 20th Anniversary Mac, G4 Cube, and the Mac Pro 2013 all have been flops.