14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Apple has again widened the gap between its all-in-one iMac and the powerful Mac Pro, adding a new 3.33GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon upgrade option (for an extra $1,200). Additional 2TB hard drives can also be included with the Mac Pro, as well as Apple’s Xserves.
According to recently published reports, Apple has added the new, faster processor to the basic 2.66GHz quad-core, and the 2.93GHz Intel Xeon configurations. Upgraded with the new "Nehalem" Xeon processor, the respective Mac Pros debuted in March, promising to deliver twice the performance of the previous model. They were also introduced at a lower price. Although there has been some indication that Apple could equip new Mac Pros with Intel's new 6-core "Gulftown," the Mac maker has not yet confirmed such reports. Apple may act in this direction next year.
For $2,499, Apple is now offering the standard Mac Pro equipped with one 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor, a 3GB (three 1GB) memory, a 640GB hard drive, an 18x double-layer SuperDrive and NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of memory. Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processors can now be employed for $3,299 for a total of 8 cores handling the workload, with double the memory (6GB), and the same storage, graphics and optical drive.
Finally, for the quad-core Mac Pro (not the 8-core model), customers can now order a 3.33GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor. Noted by TUAW as being an amazing CPU, it boasts 8 MB of fully shared L3 cache, the Hyper-Threading technology, an integrated memory controller, and Turbo Boost for short bursts of speed up to 3.6GHz, according to the Apple-focused site.
Apple has also introduced a 2TB option for the Mac Pro line, bringing the maximum storage capacity to a massive 8TB for a Mac Pro. Also available for Apple’s line of servers, two new hard drives can also be added to Xserves for a total of 6TB of internal storage.