Top 10 Reasons to Buy or Not to Buy Apple’s Pricey iMac Pro

Now that Apple’s iMac Pro is reaching the marketing, consumers and corporate users can get their hands on what Apple has called, the most powerful Mac it’s released to date. This desktop comes with the typical all-in-one iMac design along with top-notch Intel processing power and enough video performance to handle even the most resource-intensive games and graphics applications. But with a starting price of $5,000, the iMac Pro is won’t fit into most home users’ budgets nor will it top many corporate PC purchase plans. But plenty of well-heeled consumers and professionals that need the iMac’s graphics capabilities will pay the premium price. This eWEEK slide show will look at the reasons to buy and to not buy Apple’s latest and most powerful computer. Read on to learn more about the iMac Pro.

Those looking for a powerful computer that won’t take up too much room on the desk should consider the iMac Pro. The computer’s all-in-one design means it will still deliver high-end visuals and solid power without forcing users to place a big, ugly box on their desks. That’s a big selling point for many buyers.

An all-in-one design also comes with some caveats. For one, Apple is limited in the power it can deliver in the computer, since there’s a finite amount of space to bundle components. The iMac Pro also lacks some of the flexibility users might find in other desktops such as limited display options for this desktop. It’s a problem for some folks.

Apple’s iMac Pro is the most powerful computer the company has ever released. The iMac Pro can be configured with an Intel Xeon processor with up to an 18 cores and comes with up to 128GB of onboard RAM. It even includes support for a 4TB solid-state drive. Collectively, those features translate to serious power and outstanding app performance.

Apple has also been clear that it’s planning to deliver a high-end improvement to its Mac Pro desktop at in the relatively near future. That means there’s a good chance that 2018 will play host to the new Mac Pro, and that computer will likely come with even more processing power. Waiting, in other words, might not be a bad idea.

Apple’s iMac Pro might surprise some folks with its graphics prowess. The computer comes with a Radeon Pro Vega 56 graphics processor that features 8GB of onboard memory. Better yet, it can be upgraded to a Radeon Pro Vega 64 graphics chip with 16GB of memory. Either way, it should be able to handle graphics-heavy apps with ease.

Apple has touted the number of ports built into the iMac Pro, but power users might be a bit disappointed. The device has four Thunderbolt 3 ports and four USB 3 ports, along with an Ethernet connector and SDXC card slot. But considering other high-end desktops have even more ports, that might be a problem for some.

There’s little debating the iMac Pro comes with a gorgeous display. The computer features a 5K resolution of 5,120 by 2,800. The 27-inch display also features 500 nits of brightness and a wide color gamut. Collectively, those features should mean the iMac Pro’s screen will impress.

Apple’s iMac Pro is designed to be enhanced with external accessories, such as hard drives, monitors and more. But all of that comes at a cost. Since the iMac Pro is already an expensive machine, being forced to purchase add-on accessories that push the price even higher might turn off some potential buyers.

Apple has done a fine job of appealing to corporate users that like the idea of configuring a computer with features that are best suited for its intended use. Buyers have multiple CPU and GPU options to choose from and as well as how much storage they want. Apple has been criticized in the past for offering too few customizations, but that’s been addressed in the iMac Pro.

The iMac Pro’s most controversial attribute is its price. The computer starts at a whopping $4,999 for the base model. The price rise considerably after some depending on the feature options selected. Those with big budgets might not worry about the price, but in a world where budgets matter, the iMac Pro’s high price might be a non-starter.