It has been quite some time since Apple provided the Expansion Slot Utility app in any version of its desktop operating system, but it’s finally making a comeback with the newest version.
macOS Catalina is currently in its beta stages, ahead of a public launch later this year. And it has been discovered that the newest version of the desktop OS has brought back the Expansion Slot Utility app, which makes it possible to manage and configure PCI cards. This is a move that’s obviously meant to go along with the impending launch of the brand new, modular Mac Pro.
That ultra-powerful desktop computer has eight PCIe expansion slots.
New Mac Pro Details from Catalina Beta 2
– Mac7,1 is codenamed J160
– Expansion Slot Utility app lives again
– Possible config names
– Apple Pro Display XDR Artwork
Also ICYMI: AMD GPUs /cc @siracusa @_inside @stroughtonsmith https://t.co/fyPbeTbBe9 https://t.co/Sot6kHDtnF pic.twitter.com/WfWu0eoYfN— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) July 1, 2019
For those keeping track, Apple actually discontinued the Expansion Slot Utility app back in 2008, along with the launch of Mac Pro at that time.
Expansion Slot Utility in macOS Catalina, for the new Mac Pro pic.twitter.com/SL0YHS50id
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) July 1, 2019
This is probably a welcomed addition to macOS Catalina, which is currently in its second developer beta phase. Apple is expected to launch the newest version of macOS Catalina sometime this fall, probably near the end of September. The new Mac Pro is expected to arrive sometime this fall as well.