Apple has officially pulled the plug on the Mac Pro, its most powerful desktop computer. This move also includes the $700 wheel kit accessory, which became one of the most ridiculed products in Apple’s history.
The Mac Pro has vanished from Apple’s website without fanfare. This machine had been part of Apple’s professional lineup since 2006, marking the shift from PowerPC chips to Intel processors. The latest model, which ran on Apple’s own M-series chips, seems to signal the end of the line, with no new version on the horizon.
What Was the Mac Pro?
The Mac Pro served as Apple’s top-tier desktop workstation. This tower-style machine catered to video editors, music producers, visual effects artists, and other professionals who demanded serious computing power. With a starting price of $6,999, it was positioned well above the Mac Studio and iMac in both cost and performance.
Its unique stainless steel design, featuring a grid of circular holes, earned it the nickname “cheese grater.” While the design made it iconic, the machine had a more complicated reputation among the very professionals it was intended for.
A common complaint was its lack of upgradability. Buyers expected to upgrade components like RAM or storage over time. For a workstation that costs thousands, this was a reasonable expectation, especially compared to competing Windows workstations. Unfortunately, the Mac Pro’s design made upgrades tricky or impossible in many configurations.
The $700 Wheels: A Symbol of Apple’s Pricing Extremes
If the Mac Pro was pricey, the optional wheel kit was on another level. Apple charged $699 for a set of four rolling casters that attach to the bottom of the Mac Pro. That price tag exceeded that of some entry-level laptops, and for most users, they were no different from wheels available at a local hardware store for much less.
The wheels became a cultural reference point for Apple’s tendency to impose high prices on accessories, regardless of their actual value. For years, tech communities have turned the $700 wheels into a punchline in discussions about Apple’s pricing strategies. Now, both the wheels and the machine they were designed for are history.
| By The Numbers: Apple Mac Pro | |
|---|---|
| Mac Pro Starting Price | $6,999 |
| Optional Wheels Kit Price | $699 |
| Year Mac Pro Line Began | 2006 |
| Apple Stock (AAPL) | $252.89 (+0.11%) |
| Apple CEO | Tim Cook |
| Apple Headquarters | Cupertino, CA |
Why Did Apple Discontinue It?
Apple hasn’t publicly explained the decision. The Mac Pro simply disappeared from the Apple Store without any announcement or a successor in sight.
It’s likely that the Mac Studio, a smaller and more affordable desktop running M-series chips, has rendered the Mac Pro unnecessary for most professionals. The Mac Studio delivers comparable performance for many tasks at a lower price and avoids the upgradability issues that plagued the Mac Pro.
According to MacRumors, Apple discontinued both the Mac Pro and the wheel kit simultaneously, indicating this was a strategic decision instead of a supply chain problem. CNET pointed out the machine’s “counterproductive lack of upgradability” frustrated many workstation users, while The Verge confirmed that the product is no longer available on Apple’s website.
Community Reactions
“The $700 wheels were a joke when they launched and they’re a joke now. At least we can say goodbye properly.”
— Comment from r/apple on Reddit
“Honestly surprised it lasted this long. The Mac Studio killed the Mac Pro the moment it launched. Better performance, way less money, actually fits on a desk.”
— YouTube comment on a Mac Pro discontinuation video
What This Means for You
If you’re an everyday Mac user, this change won’t impact your routine at all. The Mac Pro was never intended for general consumers. It was a specialized tool for studios, broadcasters, and high-end creatives.
If you were considering a Mac Pro for professional work, your primary alternative is now the Mac Studio. Starting at $1,999, it utilizes Apple’s M4 Max or M4 Ultra chips. For most video editing, music production, and design tasks, those chips get the job done without the hefty price tag.
However, for those running complex scientific simulations, high-end 3D rendering, or broadcast production setups needing the Mac Pro’s specific expansion slots, the loss is more impactful. Currently, Apple doesn’t offer a direct replacement for those specialized needs.
What To Watch
- WWDC 2026 (expected June): Apple’s annual developer conference could be the place for announcing a Mac Pro successor or clarifying its professional desktop strategy. If Apple has a replacement in the works, that’s where we might hear about it.
- Mac Studio updates: Apple might promote an upgraded Mac Studio as the high-end desktop moving forward. Keep an eye out for any announcements regarding new M-series chip configurations aimed at filling the gap left by the Mac Pro.
- Professional user response: It’ll be interesting to see how creative studios and broadcast facilities react to this discontinuation. If enough high-end users express dissatisfaction, Apple has historically responded, as seen when the outcry over the 2013 cylindrical Mac Pro led to the redesign in 2019.
