RSSApple rolls out double-quad-core Mac Pro, Xserve
By Ed Oswald | Published January 8, 2008, 11:13 AM
The company introduced a version of its top-of-the-line desktop that is twice as fast as its predecessor, as well as a server that will offer a similar performance boost.
The Mac Pro would now feature eight processing cores consisting of two quad-core Xeons, and the Xserve would offer a similar option. The standard configuration of the desktop system would start at $2,799, while the servers would begin at $2,999.
Both models will start shipping today, Apple said in a statement this morning.
Apple's announcement came as somewhat of a surprise considering that MacWorld is still a week away. Typically, the company holds off any announcements until that week. However, at the same time the company has used that platform for more consumer-related announcements.
"The new Mac Pro is the fastest Mac we've ever made," marketing chief Philip Schiller said. "[And] with the latest Intel processors and no client access licenses, Xserve offers unbeatable server performance and value for under $3,000."
Consumers would be able to select two 3.2 GHz Xeon processors in the Mac Pro, and up to two 3.0 GHz Xeons in the Xserve. Quad-core Xeons are available for both, giving Apple its first official "eight-way" option. Both Xserve and Mac Pro will feature a 1600 MHz front-side bus, and up to 32 GB of 800 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM memory.
Storage options include up to 3 TB of storage on the Xserve, and 4 TB on the Mac Pro.
Other features on the Mac Pro include: ATI Radeon HD 2600XT graphics card with 256 MB of video memory; five USB 2.0, two FireWire 400, two FireWire 800, optical and analog audio, dual gigabit Ethernet, and headphone jack ports; and the new Apple Keyboard with Bluetooth 2.0.
Further features on the Xserve include: two PCI expansion slots, built in accelerated graphics, and a front-facing USB 2.0 port.
Why do you need dual gigabit Eathernet?
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|along with 32 gig of ram? who knows.
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|No one needs more than 640k either.
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|You could use it for a local file server.
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|Two words:
Virtual machines.
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|There's a couple of reasons. One, you could possibly bond the two together and get 2gb throughput.
You could provide routes to to separate networks that cannot see each other - but need to see this machine. (Other ways of doing this, but this would work).
You could use one of the cards for a keep alive in a clustering situation or for talking to your SAN while the other card talks to the other systems on the network.
If you're in a hosting environment - your one card would talk to the backbone network and the other would talk to the rest of the world.
It can be a nice way of allowing an internal network access to a machine and allowing an external network to get to it, but not give the external network access to your internal network.
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|These have been offered for a while now, just not at the current price-point. It's not new. Our graphics department has had one for almost two months now.
Of course, knowing I could have waited 2 months and paid $2000 less isn't making me feel warm and fuzzy, but... I paid the "gotta have it now" tax.
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|I don't know how, considering both products were released today (check Apple's PR site).
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|Okay, I'll break it down:
While this is now a "new" standard configuration, this specific "optional" configuration has been available for quite some time now.
The announcement is merely pointing out the fact that it is now a standard configuration, not that this is the first time such a configuration has been possible.
Clearer?
I could configure a dual quad-core system two months ago (On Apple's website)...and did. I could, right now, configure a dual quad-core 3.2 with 4 drives and multiple video adapters (On Apple's website). Who's to say that 2 months from now they won't make that the "new" standard.
The "New" bit is just because they've made it a standard config, not because this is the first time it's ever been possible to purchase this configuration from Apple.
No big, really. How could you have known unless you've recently been pricing out Macs, right? All I am saying is that this configuration has been available from Apple for a while now.
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|This is not entirely true, or false either.
yest you could get dual quad-core setup beofore for almost double the price, however, these chips are actually "New" well, officially release by intel in november.
They support 1600 FSB while yours is 1333. they are also the new 45nm chips, which draw less power --> less heat--> less fan --> even less power --> less noise.
anyway, I'm not 100% sure on this, but I'm pretty confident that my information is correct.
cheers
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