So now Apple just announced two new MacBook Pro laptops (14" and 16") and a corresponding update to the M1 chip, the "M1 Pro" and "M1 Max": https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/18/22726444/apple-m1-pro-max-chip-processor-arm-macbook-fastest

Of course, the ghost of Steve Jobs gives, and the ghost of Steve Jobs takes away. In this case, they're not offering the Pro or Max chips in either the iMac or Mac Mini form factors, and of course there's absolutely no reason not to, unless they're supply constrained.

This is unfortunate, because the only thing I want that's keeping me from retiring my old x86 MacPro for a new M1 Mini is that I need more RAM than 16GB. And I can get that today in one of the new MacBook Pro laptops. I just can't get it in a desktop form factor. Grumble.

I'd also been predicting that they'd do some sort of NUMA contraption with these chips, allowing Apple to do multi-socket MacPros that integrate a mess of these individual chips into a single system. Maybe that's sensible, but it's not here yet.