Apple

Andy Hertzfeld, a member of the original Apple Macintosh development team and current Google employee, has taken a swipe at his former employer over the Mac Pro.

"The next generation MacBook Pro announced today at WWDC looks fantastic," Hertzfeld wrote on his Google+ profile. "I ordered one immediately and can't wait to start using it. Unfortunately, the euphoria was negated by my deep disappointment with the meagre, lame update that was silently bequeathed to the Mac Pro today."

Apple yesterday unveiled an all-new MacBook Air, updated MacBook Pros, and the next-generation MacBook Pro. However, the company didn't make any mention of updates to its high-end desktop, the Mac Pro.

After the keynote, Apple's Web site listed the Mac Pro as "new." However, when would-be customers check out the updated specs, they found only a changed processor -- the Intel Xeon.

"The specs for the 'new' Mac Pro had hardly changed, except for a tiny, inconsequential processor clock bump," Hertzfeld wrote. "Still no Thunderbolt, still no USB 3.0, no SATA III or RAM speed improvements. It seems like it's stuck in time in 2010. The only thing that's still high-end about it is the bloated price."

Apple's Mac Pro costs between $2,499 and $3,799, depending on which model the customer chooses. Additional upgrades can push that price higher.

Hertzfeld's comments are by no means unique. For years now, Apple fans have been wondering where a new update to the Mac Pro might be. Late last month, current Mac Pro owners launched a Facebook petition asking Apple for information on a new Mac Pro. At that time, the movement had secured about 6,300 likes. As of this writing, the figure is up to 18,017.

Apple might be hearing those complaints. The New York Times' David Pogue is reporting that he spoke with an Apple executive who assured him that new Mac Pros, with new designs, are on their way -- but "probably" won't launch until 2013.