Apple's new Mac Pro impressed the crowd when it was launched at the 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday.

Apart from new features such as a 28-core Intel Xeon processor and AMD Radeon Vega II graphics, what caught people's attention was the machine's design - it resembles an oversized cheese grater.

Netizens were quick to make the comparison, with Twitter users going so far as to celebrate the launch with photos of both the product and the kitchen utensil.

Some users also thought it looked like a radiator or even a foot rasp.

The new Mac Pro has big holes on the front and back of the aluminium chassis which Apple said help the machine stay cool and run virtually silently.

The look harks back to older Mac Pro models sold from 2006 to 2013 that featured a boxy silver case and a mesh panel.

In 2013, Mac introduced a cylindrical design which was dubbed the "trash can" model. It was criticised by users for its limited upgrade options compared with the traditional desktop tower.

Seen as one of Apple's most powerful computers, the new Mac Pro is an improved version of its flagship computer, which has not been significantly updated since 2013.

It is expected to compete with high-end Windows-based PCs geared towards video-editing and multimedia applications when it is released later this year.