Apple today unveiled the new Mac Pro, a quad Xeon, 64-bit desktop workstation featuring two new Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors running up to 3.0 GHz and a new system architecture that delivers up to twice the performance of the Power Mac G5 Quad. With advanced performance, greater expansion, higher performance graphics options and unprecedented customization, the newly designed Mac Pro is the ideal system for the most demanding user. The introduction of the Mac Pro marks the completion of a rapid and seamless transition for Apple, with the entire Mac family now using Intel’s latest processors.
“Apple has successfully completed the transition to using Intel processors in just seven months — 210 days to be exact,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “And what better product to complete it with than the new Mac Pro, the workstation Mac users have been dreaming about.”
The new Mac Pro features the new Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100 series processor based on the revolutionary Intel Core microarchitecture, delivering breakthrough performance and power efficiency. The new Mac Pro is up to twice as fast as the Power Mac G5 Quad running industry standard benchmarks and features two Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors running up to 3.0 GHz, each with 4MB of shared L2 cache and independent 1.33 GHz front-side buses. With 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered memory, the Mac Pro also boasts a 256-bit wide memory architecture for amazing bandwidth.
With more than 4.9 million possible configurations, the Mac Pro delivers unprecedented customization to meet even the most demanding performance, expansion and storage needs. The newly redesigned Mac Pro features an all new, direct attach storage solution for cable free, snap in installation of up to four 500GB Serial ATA hard drives for a total of 2TB of internal storage — the most ever on a Mac — and support for two optical drives to simultaneously read and/or write to CDs and DVDs. Every Mac Pro includes three full-length PCI Express expansion slots and one double-wide PCI Express graphics slot to support high-powered, double-wide graphics cards without sacrificing multiple slots. Providing quick and convenient access to connect the most popular external devices, the front panel of the Mac Pro includes a FireWire 800 port, a FireWire 400 port and two USB 2.0 ports with additional FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and three USB 2.0 ports on the back panel. Mac Pro also includes dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, optical digital input and output, analog audio input and output, and optional built-in support for AirPort(R) Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.
Every Mac Pro comes standard with the NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 256MB of video memory, providing built-in support for dual-displays and Apple’s 30-inch Cinema HD Display. The ATI Radeon X1900 XT and the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500, both with 512MB of video memory, are available as build to order options and provide built-in support for up to two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays. The Quadro FX 4500 also includes a stereo 3D port to connect goggles for stereo- in-a-window applications and is ideal for the most demanding animation, special effects and scientific visualization applications. The Mac Pro supports up to four PCI Express graphics cards to drive up to eight displays at once for advanced visualization and large display walls.
The latest release of the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS(R) X version 10.4.7 Tiger, comes with every new Mac Pro, including Safari, Mail, iCal and iChat AV, running natively. Tiger includes an innovative software translation technology called Rosetta that lets customers run most Mac OS X PowerPC applications seamlessly. Intel-based Mac customers have more than 3,000 Universal applications to choose from including all of Apple’s own consumer and professional applications. Universal Mac software includes versions of Xsan, a high performance, enterprise class Storage Area Network (SAN) file system and Mac OS X Server, Apple’s award- winning server operating system. An updated list of Universal applications for Mac OS X is available at http://guide.apple.com/universal and is growing each day with hundreds of developers announcing support for Mac OS X Intel-based applications.
Apple’s award-winning widescreen flat panel Cinema Displays offer the perfect match for the Mac Pro and are now more affordable than ever. The 30-inch Cinema HD Display with an industry-leading 2560-by-1600 pixel resolution and the 23-inch Cinema HD Display with a 1920-by-1200 pixel resolution, ideal for editing High Definition Television (HDTV) content, are now priced at $1,999 and $999, respectively. The 20-inch Cinema Display is now just $699 and offers a 1680-by-1050 pixel resolution, more than enough space to edit full size images with plenty of room for on-screen palettes.
The Mac Pro is shipping today with the standard prebuilt configuration, including two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors and priced at US$2,499, through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 20-inch Cinema Display, 23-inch Cinema HD Display and the 30-inch Cinema HD Display are available through the Apple Store, at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $699, $999 and $1,999, respectively.
The Mac Pro, with a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:
• two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors
• 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory expandable up to 16GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 256MB of GDDR2 SDRAM
• 250GB Serial ATA (3Gb/s) hard drive running at 7200 rpm
• 16x SuperDrive(TM) with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
• four PCI Express slots: one double-wide graphics slot and three full-length expansion slots
• ships with Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard
In addition to the standard configuration, the Mac Pro offers more than 4.9 million build-to-order options including: two 2.0 GHz or 3.0 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors; up to 16GB of 667 MHz DDR2 fully-buffered ECC memory; up to four 500GB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm; up to two 16x SuperDrives with double-layer support; ATI Radeon X1900 XT and NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 graphics cards, both with 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM; AirPort Extreme module, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR module; Apple USB Modem; Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple wireless Mighty Mouse; Mac OS X Server Tiger; Apple Xsan; and Apple Fibre Channel PCI Express Card. Complete build-to-order options and pricing are available here.
I love the little push in drive bays. Much nicer internally than the G5s.
And the alligator case is a knockout!
So what’s in between the mini and the $2500 Mac Pro, without an attached screen?
Now they definitely need to upgrade the high-end iMac.
Wow, it IS the same enclosure, just like it was predicted. I’m rather surprised. I guess they feel the second optical drive bay is enough of a different appearance to visually indicate Intel vs. G5.
Nice list. I’m shopping now.
BTW, where was Adobe?
Mac Pro. Mac Slow. Mac Homo. Mac Woe.
Who cares? No one buys this sh-t in the real world. You Mac tools got your rocks off again for a couple fo hours, now it’s back to reality, no one cares about Mac crap.
Nice crash on Leop-turd, by the way.
Goonie bag.
no Apple remote and included Front Row?
WTF??!!!!
exceeds my expectations. terrific price too. nothing out there right now compares to this.
MacSuck = Vista troll. Suck it up brah…vista is still in the photocopier.
Dull machines just became a lot duller.
In terms of Leopard. I heard a lot about Intel chip support, but nothing about PPC. I also noticed, from reading Apple’s website, that all these new features in Leopard will be leveraging the capabilities of the Core Duo chips. Does this mean no PPC support in Leopard? Thoughts?
This is pretty close to a “dream machine,” but as other people have noted, and I totally agree with, I wouldn’t buy one of these unless it was a Kensfield QUAD processor enabled machine with a Blu-Ray drive. Two Kensfield QUAD processors, for an eight-core machine (which will be here sooner then you think) is the only thing I’ll open my check book for. Also, I agree with gthing…”no Apple remote and included Front Row? WTF??!!!!”
Little disappointed that nothing else was announced, the new Mac Pro was obvious, there were no surprises here, not even a new leather ipod case.
ummm…..so, ummmm, duhhhhh…. does this mean that macs are now faster than Wintel computers???
(but seriously, I did have a twinge of fear whereby if AMD ever gets back on top with it’s proc speeds, we’ll be playing that game again)
MW=corner – as in ’roundin’ that corner again’
F’ing brilliant. Exceeds my expectations as well. Standard config is only $2299 with education discount!
Front Row would’ve been nice, but it is a real PRO machine now.
The only thing trolls eat is crow. Your bird is ready.
No Remote
No Frontrow
No Wifi and Bluetooth
Standard
Ouch Way to much
I want a tower under 2000
With all of that. I do not need a million processors. One will do.
Apple there are switchers that want towers for consumers!
Front Row/Photo Booth will be bundled with Leopard.
Nice to see that the Cinema Screens came down in price, but I’m surprised they don’t have built in iSights.
Leopard looks great. I’m really curious about what they’re keeping under wraps though. Is it anything as big as what they announced?
How hard could it have been to include;
airport, bluetooth and Frontrow with Apple remote in these new Machines?!!??!!
I mean for crying out loud ALL Mac’s except for Mac Pro, include this shiat!!!
Technstuff,
Go to the Mac Pro build to order page… If you downgrade the processor to the 2.0 ghz chips and a 160 gb HD, the price is $2050. With an education discount it’s $1850. Pretty smokin deal for a Quad-core Mac. Dell can’t even come close to the Mac Pro pricing.
And BTW, Front Row will be bundled with Leopard.
The MDN reporting didn’t mention Front Row, but it was mentioned that it’ll be included in Leopard.
From Apple’s Web site:
Leopard Requirements
Macintosh computer with a PowerPC G3, G4 or G5 processor
Built-in FireWire
DVD drive for installation
256MB of RAM
3GB of available hard disk space (4GB if you install the developer tools)
Should answer any questions about Leopard’s availability for PPC machines. Not that the answer hasn’t been obvious for over a year.
Allen, I heard you the first time, that Frontrow will be bundled with Leopard…..but without the built in IR and Apple remote..what good will FrontRow be if and when I upgrade my Tiger installed Mac Pro?
you are missing the point of certain hardware not included…the Mac Pro should be the end all machine…it’s not even a BTO!
I’ll wait til’ MacWorld Expo.
Woops, I take that back.. When you downgrade the processor and HD, It’s $2199 and $1999 with education pricing.. Still a SMOKIN deal IMHO!