Apple Mac Pro Not Likely To Be Available In Company Stores Until March: Report

Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) latest Mac Pro workstations computer is reportedly facing heavy production constraints, leading to speculation that the device may not be available at the company’s retail stores until at least March.

According to a report from Electronista, business sales staff at Apple Australia has been told to direct to customers to the company’s online store to order a new Mac Pro as it is the only way that customers can get the new Mac Pro. While already ordered models with default configurations are not expected to ship until February, customized units of the device could take even longer.

After launching the newly designed Mac Pro in December, following its announcement in October, Apple began taking pre-orders for the device on Dec. 18, with shipping taking place after one week. While some customers, who ordered for the base-model units, received their devices just before Christmas, many other customers, who ordered for Mac Pro units with custom configurations, are yet to get their hands on the device, Apple Insider reported.

Apple’s U.S. online store currently says that the Mac Pro will not be available for shipment until February, while major retailers such as Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) are advertising their own stock. For more details, click here for the entry-level models, and here for the pricier 6-core model.

Meanwhile, Apple released an environmental report on Tuesday, claiming that the latest Mac Pro is more environment-friendly than its predecessor, as it uses 68 percent less power than the previous-generation Mac Pro while in idle mode.

According to Apple, the new Mac Pro is also extremely material efficient, consuming 74 percent less aluminum and steel than last year’s model. In addition, the device’s retail packaging also consumes 82 percent less volume and weighs 84 percent less than the previous-generation Mac Pro.

The new Mac Pro is Apple’s first product to be entirely assembled in the U.S. following CEO Tim Cook’s pledge to domesticate some of the company’s production processes after years of criticism over working conditions at company's contractors in mainland China.

Although Apple has not announced plans to manufacture other products in the U.S., recent developments, such as Apple's plans to build a new manufacturing plant in Mesa, Ariz., suggest that the company may be heading in that direction.