Apple says it's making good on its promise to release its latest Mac Pro computer before year's end and the machine will go on sale Thursday starting at $2,999. Customers can order the redesigned, sleekly cylindrical Mac Pro on Apple's website, its retail stores and through select authorized resellers, CNET reported Wednesday. Apple unveiled the 9.9-inch tall Mac Pro at its Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco in June, calling it "the future of the pro desktop." The company is pushing the computer as the ideal platform for high-end movie and music production, graphic design and layout, and photography. Although the base price is $2,999, options, including four different Intel Xeon processors and varying storage offerings, may drive up the price considerably. The Mac Pro is being assembled in Austin, Texas, and its sale date was announced in a tweet by Apple head Tim Cook Wednesday. "We have begun manufacturing the Mac Pro in Austin. It's the most powerful Mac ever. Orders start tomorrow," he tweeted.