WWDC rumor: Apple to refresh iMac, Mac Pro desktop designs in 2013

You may have noticed that yesterday's WWDC keynote address didn't mention Apple's desktops at all, and, in fact, the limited updates to the Mac Pro were only announced after the main event. So has the electronics giant finally dumped the desktop?

According to New York Times tech columnist David Pogue, Apple says that isn't the case. Chatting with a company executive after the keynote, Pogue heard that "new models and new designs" were underway for both the iMac and Mac Pro, for probable release in 2013.

That's bad news if you're in the market for a desktop in 2012 and were hoping for some redesigned models. Apple will presumably update the specs on the iMac at some point in the near future, as the all-in-one could start running new Intel Ivy Bridge processors, but you may be stuck with the current design for the rest of the year.

But it could be worth the wait if you can hold off. One reason for a possible iMac delay is that Apple could be perfecting desktop Retina Display monitors. The "next generation" MacBook Pro features a 15-inch Retina Display (and is being called a "portable iMac replacement" by our own James Kendrick), so a similar screen that's a few inches bigger may be ready over the next several months. With all of the Windows-based all-in-ones out there that have aped the iMac design to perfection, Apple would be wise to re-imagine its consumer desktop from top to bottom to jump back ahead of the competition. As for the Mac Pro, it's been so long since its last design refresh that you would be in your rights to wonder if it might be put out to pasture altogether.

What would you want from a new iMac or Mac Pro that would be worth the wait until next year to get your hands on one? Let us know in the Comments section below.