“Apple quietly updated its high-end Mac Pro line today, adding 8-core variants,” Paul Thurrott writes for Internet Nexus.
Meet the latest addition to the Mac Pro family: The world’s first 3.0GHz, 8-core Intel Xeon-based Mac Pro. Consider the bar officially raised.
Opt for the 8-core Mac Pro and you get the power of two Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Clovertown” processors running at 3.0GHz.
Thurrott writes, “It’s hard not to look at that and just think, ‘yikes.’ $4000 to start.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “iBulb” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Thurrott’s “yikes” is an expression of shock that the price is extremely low, lower than Dell or any other Windows box assembler’s comparably spec’d unit, right?
Apple’s 8-core Mac Pro with two 3.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon adds a rather economical $1498 extra. For example, taking the pre-built base unit and maxing out the processors results in total of $3,997:
• Two 3.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5300 series “Clovertown” processors
• 1GB (2 x 512MB)
• 250GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
• NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT 256MB (single-link DVI/dual-link DVI)
• One 16x SuperDrive
• Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse – U.S. English
• Mac OS X – U.S. English
We can’t seem to spec out a Dell, for example, that even comes close to the Mac Pro’s specs for any price near $3,997. Plus, only Apple’s Mac runs Mac, Linux, and Windows software – the world’s largest software library – natively. “Yikes,” indeed, for the Dells of the world, that is.
MacDailyNews Note: Of course, Apple’s Mac Pro models start at only $2,200 with two 2.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon “Woodcrest” processors.
Related articles:
Apple debuts 8-core Mac Pro – April 04, 2007
What a dope
Per chance to dream… mmmmh.
I now have a reason to save…
At last, I can build my own global climate model and run iTunes at the same time.
Thurrott is mostly an idiot. Look at some of his past articles.
Thurott was referring to the fact that the cheapest you could get a Powermac (with a screen) is roughly $4000. You can get a dell workstation (same box) for far cheaper… albeit with less performance.
He is criticizing the fact that you don’t have the OPTION to buy cheaper.
I do however agree that he worthy of attack on several other issues.
You would think the weatherman could now emulate and predict the forcast correctly with a machine like this.
Anyone seen Twisted Mac Freak?
He is VERY late…..
<You would think the weatherman could now emulate and predict the forcast correctly with a machine like this.>
or at least make a decent cup of coffee
Thurrott Thurrott Thurrott
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All I can read when I see his name is Thurro Rot.
MacBill,
Anyone who reads Thurrott’s articles is an idiot.
Thurrott isn’t worth the ink it takes to write his name.
“Thurott was referring to the fact that the cheapest you could get a Powermac (with a screen) is roughly $4000. You can get a dell workstation (same box) for far cheaper… albeit with less performance.
He is criticizing the fact that you don’t have the OPTION to buy cheaper.”
Why is he criticizing this? You still have the choice to buy the cheaper and inferior Dell product! Don’t be critical of Apple for building higher end devices and charging accordingly.
@MacBill,
Mostly? Hardly.
Try “All”…
education pricing makes it even cheaper by $200 less
i tried to configure a dell similar but only an option for 1 x quad cpu, and it still nearly came to the same cost (i felt it only fair to include some form of photo software to counter balance ilife and anti virus (as its useless without lol)
Thuidiot:
Components
Quad Core Intel® Xeon® Processor X5355 2.66GHz, 2 X 4MB L2,1333
Quad Core Intel® Xeon® Processor X5355 2.66GHz, 2 X 4MB L2,1333
Genuine Windows® XP Professional, SP2 with Media
512MB PCIe x16 nVidia Quadro FX 4500, Dual DVI or Dual VGA or DVI + VGA
4GB, DDR2 SDRAM FBD Memory, 667MHz, ECC in Riser (4 DIMMS)
48XCDRW AND 16XDVD+/-RW, w/Cyberlink PowerDVD™ and Roxio Creator™
C3 All SATA drives, Non-RAID, 4 drive total configuration
500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst Cache™
SATA/SAS Integrated Card – For Connecting Internal Hard Drives
500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst Cache™
500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst Cache™
500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst Cache™
FREE! Dell 19 inch UltraSharp 1907FP Flat Panel
Accessories
USB Entry Quietkey, No Hot Keys
Dell USB 2-Button Mechanical Mouse with Scroll
No Floppy Drive
No Speaker option
Software
McAfee SecurityCenter 30 Day Trial
No Resource CD
Service
3 Year On-site Economy Plan
No Onsite System Setup
Purchase is not intended for resale.
Also Includes
None
Precision 690N 1KW 64Bit
Genuine Windows® XP Sticker
From Dell $8,969
Specifications
Two 3.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
4GB (4 x 1GB)
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 512MB, Stereo 3D (2 x dual-link DVI)
Apple Cinema HD Display (23″ flat panel)
Two 16x SuperDrives
Both Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and AirPort Extreme
Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse – U.S. English
Mac OS X – U.S. English
AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac Pro/Power Mac (w/or w/o Display) – Auto-enroll
From Apple $8,789
That XP sticker must be the $200 difference.
FYI – with 2 quad core xeon 2.66ghz cpus (only 11% slower,) I was able to spec this out – everything else besides CPU is = to the apple….
Dell Precision Workstation 490 Desktop – 32bit
$5,864
And it’s only 50% more expensive coming from Dell!!!
“Thurott was referring to the fact that the cheapest you could get a Powermac (with a screen) is roughly $4000. You can get a dell workstation (same box) for far cheaper… albeit with less performance.
He is criticizing the fact that you don’t have the OPTION to buy cheaper.”
Then buy an iMac. Oh wait, those “aren’t upgradeable.” If they were, then he’d want them in purple and with a gargoyle mounted on top.
“Thurott was referring to the fact that the cheapest you could get a Powermac (with a screen) is roughly $4000. You can get a dell workstation (same box) for far cheaper… albeit with less performance.”
I was able to spec out a Powermac (with an Apple Monitor) for $2800. Now an 8-core stepped upto $4596 with an Apple monitor.
“He is criticizing the fact that you don’t have the OPTION to buy cheaper.”
Do you suppose he just forgot about the $1500 iMac? Or is it just that it doesn’t fit the elitist/expensive picture he’s trying to paint?
Oh, and have they discontinued the $600 Mac Mini? Did that get past me somehow?
And while we’re at it, if you want to compare desktops WITH displays fairly then let’s compare a Dell with an Apple display, not a bottom-of-the-barrel, no-name LCD display.
I am unable to find a powermac on the Apple website. Can one you specmasters point me to a “POWERMAC”?
Thankssomuchbyefornow!
Talk about sticker shock!
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Where’s the appropriate “Think Before You Click” warning on this one?
Peace.
Anybody want to buy my one year-old PowerMac G5? No takers? Sigh.
“Thurott was referring to the fact that the cheapest you could get a Powermac (with a screen) is roughly $4000.”
First off, it’s a Mac Pro, not a “Powermac.” Secondly, you can get a Mac Pro (with a screen) starting at $3,098. That’s nowhere near $4,000.
Back on the main topic…please show us a Dell with a 3GHz 8-core Zeon priced anywhere near what the Mac Pro is. Problem is that you can’t, the Dell is far more expensive…..
Actually if you get the model with the Dual 2GHz Zeon, you can get a Mac Pro (with a screen) starting at $2,799. Again, nowhere near the $4,000 figure you were throwing around….
“…please show us a Dell with a 3GHz 8-core Zeon [sic]…”
Please don’t.
The Dell runs Windows you say? Then I don’t want to see it.
Thankfully acquisition cost isn’t the main issue for everyone in considering a computer.