Hints of new iMac, Mac Pro show up in Mountain Lion
New code bits point to Apple already testing new models of its two big desktop machines on its latest operating system.
Signs that Apple is testing new versions of two of its desktop machines may have been spotted in the latest version of the company's recently-released desktop and notebook operating system.
Deep inside the configuration files of Apple's dual-booting, Boot Camp assistant software, AppleInsider today points to a pair of conspicuously unconventional model numbers. That includes two model names that haven't shown up before, the "MP60," which the outlet surmises is the next Mac Pro tower, and the "IM130," a new iMac model.
As noted the last time Apple refreshed its machines, these two particular models are overdue for some updates. June's batch of upgrades to the two MacBook lines brought goodies like USB 3.0, more storage, and speedier Intel chips, but desktops like the iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac Mini were left untouched. In the case of the Mac Pro, it became even more peculiar with an e-mail from Tim Cook to a customer posted just days later, saying that the company was "working on something really great for later next year."
To add to the fun, AppleInsider suggests these models may ditch the optical drive. That stems from their placement in a code section for Boot Camp's feature that lets machines boot using a USB drive. Apple, of course, has been on a slow march to wean its Mac line off disc drives. So far that list includes the MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and the MacBook Pro with the Retina display.
Both the iMac and Mac Pro, along with the Mac Mini, continue to be Apple's less popular Mac models. Notebooks began overshadowing the company's desktop sales in 2006 at a pace that was only overshadowed by the immediate growth of the iPad. Nonetheless, the Mac Pro and to a much lesser degree the iMac, continue to be the company's last remaining devices that users can open up to make hardware tweaks.