“The stock Apple Mac Pro 2.66 GHz model includes two 2.66 GHz dual-core Intel Xeon processors, a new Intel four slot PCI Express architecture with a NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB graphics card. Higher performance graphics options are available including the ATI Radeon X1900 XT ($250) and the NVIDIA’s Quadro FX 4500 ($1650) at the Apple Store. The Mac Pro comes with 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 fully buffered EEC memory. It has eight memory slots that can be used to upgrade to as much as 16GB of memory using 2GB chips. Each 2.66 GHz dual-core Intel Xeon 5100 series processor has 4MB of shared L2 cache and a front side bus speed of 1.33 GHz,” Michael Bean reports for AMUG.
Bean reports, “The Mac Pro includes a 250GB SATA hard drive and a 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW). One FireWire 800 port is provided on the rear and one on the front. Two FireWire 400 ports are also provided with one in front and one in the rear. Five USB 2.0 ports are included. Three are located on the rear and two in front. No modem is included but two gigabit ethernet ports are provided. Wireless airport, bluetooth and an external modem are all optional.”
Bean reports, “The Mac Pro package includes an Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, USB keyboard extension cable and a DVI to VGA adapter. The software provided with the Mac Pro includes Mac OS X, iLife (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, iWeb and GarageBand), iCal, DVD Player, Comic Life, OmniOutliner, QuickBooks, Xcode Development Tools and a demo of Office, iWork and FileMaker.”
Bean conducts a rather extensive review of the Mac Pro and writes, “While the PowerMac G5 Quad felt more like a Mac truck than a race car, the Mac Pro 2.66 GHz feels more like the race car. The startup time is more than twice as fast and it processes H.264 video with amazing speed. It could be argued that a few of the Mac OS X services are still starting up after the finder appears on the monitor and that this is just a speed trick. Even so, the Mac Pro feels like a considerable speed improvement over the G5 PPC. Using non-universal applications with the Mac Pro can change that feeling in a hurry. They take much longer to launch than when using the Quad. However, I see this as a short term issue. Within a year every application that you might want will be available in a universal version.”
Full review with much more here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
PC Pro crowns Apple Mac Pro fastest ‘PC’ – October 04, 2006
AnandTech upgrades and tests Octo-Core ‘Clovertown’ Apple Mac Pro – September 13, 2006
Wired’s Kahney: Apple’s Mac Pro ‘speaks power’ with ‘a weapon aesthetic, like an expensive handgun’ – September 05, 2006
MSNBC: Apple Mac Pro is the ultimate desktop computer – August 28, 2006
Apple Retail Stores can build-to-order customized Mac Pros on site – August 26, 2006
Computerworld hands on: Apple’s new Mac Pro is ‘one screamer’ – August 18, 2006
Thurrott pits Apple Mac Pro vs. similarly configured Dell, figures out the Mac is less expensive – August 18, 2006
AnandTech: Mac Pro vs. PowerMac G5 – August 16, 2006
Apple Mac Pro Quad Xeon 3.0GHz benchmarks – August 16, 2006
Apple Mac Pro dissection photos – August 16, 2006
Ars Technica reviews Apple Mac Pro Quad Xeon 64-bit workstation – August 11, 2006
Apple Mac Pro Quad-core Xeon easily beats Power Mac G5 Quad – August 11, 2006
OWC offers Apple Mac Pro memory upgrades; rebate trade-in of Apple factory memory – August 11, 2006
Benchmark duel: Apple Mac Pro vs. Power Mac G5 – August 10, 2006
Apple unveils new ‘Mac Pro’ featuring quad 64-bit Intel Xeon processors – August 07, 2006
