Apple announces octo-core Mac Pro
Last month's AppleStore cock-up comes true
Apple has upgraded is Mac Pro desktop with a pair of 3GHz quad-core Intel Xeon processors, less than a month after a website cock-up revealed such a machine was in the offering.
It doesn't come cheap. The basic Mac Pro costs $2,200. Replace the two dual-core 2GHz CPUs with the two quad-core chips and the price almost doubles to $3,997. Buy 16GB of memory and the price rises by a further $4,499. Phew.
Last month, Apple's UK online store contained a - quickly pulled by Apple webmasters - page referring to a Mac Pro with "eight-core processing power".
The appearance came a week after Intel introduced low-power quad-core Xeons. Apple doesn't say precisely which Xeons its quad-core box contains - all it says is that they're 5300-series parts. Our money's on the as-yet-unlisted X5365 - a part that is expected to cost well over $1,100, which Apple's pricing would appear to confirm.
COMMENTS
Where's the Mac Pro the rest of us are waiting for?
More cores is nice and all that, but what about those sick of Microsoft and are looking for a Mac desktop who a) have a couple monitors and don't want another b) aren't interested in a bunch of laptop components and c) don't want to waste the money or electricity on a server class system?
I'll buy a Mac Mini if I have to and if they ever update it to a Core 2 but I'd much prefer a Mac Pro with desktop motherboard/CPU/RAM.
Apple to Microsoft's Rescue
At last a machine that can run Vista properly!
Ummm...some real world price comparisons
3GHz 8-core Mac Pro with 2GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, 256MB Video Card, CD-RW/DVD etc etc
$4296
2.66GHz 8-core DELL Workstation, same spec as above (ie. no monitor, no floppy).
$5756
The faster Mac Pro is $1500 CHEAPER than the DELL
ok it's $$$ but the comparison still stands, one 'could' build our own, but I think those quad cores are quite expensive.
Does any machine Apple delivers ACTUALLY live up to the "reality distortion field"?
So far as I've seen, Apple likes to make outrageous claims about the power and design of their hardware. However, most of the readers of this site could build their own system with essentially the same parts for a lower price.
I suppose what I'm saying is that I don't accept the concept of branding as a value-added service.
nearly double the price means double the speed?
i think not. this is hoping the quad cores will reduce in price.
