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I think this is a very interesting perspective. If I understand correctly, your argument is that a Mac Pro product need not be a direct profit maker so long as it perpetuates Apple's position as a top end computer manufacturer. Have I understood correctly? Or are you perhaps prognosticating a change in market demands rendering such a product less relevant?

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You got it. It's a strategy employed by the automobile industry as well: high-end loss leaders that "signal the brand" and cultivate loyalty among enthusiasts.

Apple's claim is staked on high-margin products, so it needs an elite cachet much more than say... Xiaomi or Dell. And you can signal that to consumers with one-of-a-kind high-end products that operate on the absolute cutting-edge of various creative, technical, and scientific niches.

Porsche for instance isn't earning any money with their LMP1 race cars. They need them to sustain the illusion that they're a sports car company, despite the majority of their sales being SUVs (Cayenne, Macan) and sedans (Panamera).

That, plus also the effect that people in the market for pro computers tend to be infleuntial. They creatd software and influence the purchasing decisions of others.

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