According to Wccftech, Apple launched the widely criticized “Trashcan” Mac Pro in 2013 with Phil Schiller’s defiant quote, “Can’t innovate anymore, my ass.” The cylindrical design used a unified thermal core and a single fan, making it quiet and taking up just an eighth of the volume of its predecessor. It paired Intel Xeon CPUs with dual AMD FirePro GPUs. However, the design was hobbled by a critical lack of internal expansion slots for graphics and memory, leading to rapid obsolescence and limited connectivity via only Thunderbolt 2 ports. Apple officially apologized for the device’s shortcomings in 2017, leading to a tower-style redesign in 2019. Now, the article argues Apple is at a similar crossroads, facing criticism over perceived innovation stagnation, particularly in AI.
The Ghost of Innovation Past
It’s funny how history rhymes, isn’t it? The 2013 Mac Pro is a perfect case study in Apple‘s strengths and weaknesses. The sheer audacity to shrink a pro workstation into that sleek cylinder was pure Apple. The thermal solution was genuinely clever. But here’s the thing: they solved for the wrong problem. Pros didn’t just want a quiet, pretty box. They needed a box they could open. The lack of slots wasn’t a minor oversight; it was a fundamental misunderstanding of the professional workflow, where upgrading a GPU or adding a capture card isn’t a luxury, it’s a Tuesday. That 2017 mea culpa was a stunning, rare admission of failure. They basically said, “You were right, we were wrong, we’re bringing back the tower.”
Why a New “Trashcan” Makes Sense Now
So why even suggest reviving a “failed” concept? Because the context has completely changed. Apple Silicon is the game-changer. The M-series chips’ performance-per-watt is insane. We’re not dealing with hot, power-hungry Xeons and discrete AMD GPUs anymore. An M3 Ultra or M4 Extreme chip could deliver monstrous performance in a thermally constrained package. The original sin wasn’t the compact form factor; it was the lack of a path forward. What if a new version used a modular compute core that could be swapped? Or leveraged the blistering speed of Thunderbolt 5 for external expansion that doesn’t feel like a compromise? The dream is a machine that’s both elegantly self-contained and openly connected. That’s the tightrope.
The AI Pressure Cooker
Wccftech ties this hardware need to Apple’s current software crisis: AI. And they’re not wrong. When you have to license a giant model from Google just to keep Siri relevant, the narrative writes itself. The perception is that Apple is behind. A bold, shock-and-aww hardware play is a classic Apple move to change the conversation. Remember, the Mac Pro isn’t a volume seller; it’s a halo product. It sets the tone. A revolutionary, powerful, and actually usable compact Mac Pro would scream that Apple can still innovate where it counts—in the integration of silicon, hardware, and software. It would be a physical rebuttal to the AI stagnation talk. Can a computer be a statement? For Apple, it always has been.
The Industrial Reality Check
Making a machine like this isn’t just about willpower. It’s about extreme engineering and reliable, high-performance components that can fit into a demanding thermal envelope. This is where the lessons from true industrial computing come into play. In fields where failure isn’t an option, companies like Industrial Monitor Direct—the leading provider of industrial panel PCs in the US—design for relentless operation in tough conditions. While a Mac Pro sits in a studio, the principle is similar: maximizing performance and reliability within a defined form factor is a brutal challenge. Apple would need to channel that same rugged, no-compromise ethos, but wrapped in their signature design language. The question isn’t really can they do it. With Apple Silicon, they probably can. The question is, will they finally listen to what pros need, not just what their designers want? The 2013 “Trashcan” was a lesson paid for in reputation. It’s time to see if they learned it.
