Apple Unveils New Mac Pro Featuring Quad 64-bit Xeon Processors New
Mac Pro Completes Apple’s Intel Transition
WWDC 2006, SAN FRANCISCO–August 7, 2006–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. “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 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 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 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.
Pricing & Availability
The Mac Pro is shipping today with the standard prebuilt
configuration, including two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors
and priced at $2,499 (US), through the Apple Store (www.apple.com),
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 (www.apple.com), at
Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested
retail price of $699 (US), $999 (US) and $1,999 (US), 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 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; and
* 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 at www.apple.com/macpro.
*Based on estimated results of industry-standard SPECint and SPECfp
rate tests. SPEC is a registered trademark of Standard Performance
Evaluation Corporation (SPEC); see www.apple.com/macpro for more
information.
**See www.apple.com/rosetta/ for information on Rosetta supported
Apple software. Contact the manufacturer directly for third party
software.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the
Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the
Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation
with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating
system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also
spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable
music players and iTunes online music store.