So I've got nothing against the mac pro, but nothing really for it either. It's one of those things that I just have any reason at all to get but can appreciate that they're going to make. So don't take this as a criticism of the machine itself.

But they're just building a cooling chimney. It could just as easily have been a G4 cube and you'd get the same effect. It could have been done in a smaller version of the old pro case. The "overly stylish" form factor was 100% aesthetic decision. There is no practical reason why it needed to be circular and, actually, there is no reason at all linking a cooling chimney to that particular shape.

I'll leave the analysis of the machine to people who are more likely than me to buy it (e.g. everyone) but I just felt it necessary to point out that the circle design was entirely aesthetic.