There has been a huge amount of speculation over the future of the Mac Pro, and in Europe it looks pretty bleak. Apple has just announced that the Mac Pro will no longer be sold in the EU from March 1st because it fails to meet regulations, 9to5Mac reports.
Specifically, the problem is caused by amendment 1 of regulation IEC 60950-1 (absence of fan guards and better protection on the ports of the electrical system). No countries outside the EU are affected (including Norway and Switzerland).
Apple not bothering to change the Mac Pro to meet regulations suggests that a new model (that’s meets requirements) is on the way soon, something much wanted by professional customers. It received a minor update in 2012, however generally the hardware hasn’t changed since 2008, and is still stuck with such things as USB 2.0 and without Thunderbolt.
If I wanted a Mac Pro in the EU, I’d hold off until Apple refresh it and go from there. Who knows what will happen, but the Hackintosh is an appealing proposition for many.
Apple later released a statement elaborating:
Due to evolving regulatory requirements, Apple will stop selling Mac Pro in EU, EU candidate and EFTA countries on March 1, 2013. After that date, resellers can sell existing inventory but Apple will no longer ship Mac Pro in those countries.
