Apple shipping Mac Pro (with Intel Xeon)

[Skeptik]

Apple introduces the Mac Pro

Introducing the fastest, most powerful, most configurable Mac ever - you choose the processor speed, memory, graphics cards, drives and more.

[Two 2GHz, 2.66GHz, or 3GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100 series processors]

Suggested configuration:

• Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon "Woodcrest" processors
  
• 4MB shared L2 cache per processor
  
• 1.33GHz dual independent frontside buses
  
• 1GB memory (667MHz DDR2 fully-buffered DIMM ECC)
  
• NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics with 256MB memory
  
• 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7200-rpm hard drive1
  
• 16x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

--------------------------------------------------------------
All Mac Pro configurations include: two Dual-Core Intel Xeon “Woodcrest” microprocessors, eight fully buffered DIMM slots, one double-wide PCI Express graphics slot, three full-length PCI Express expansion slots, four hard drive bays, two optical drive bays, five USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire 400 ports, two FireWire 800 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, optical digital audio input and output, analog stereo line-input and line-output, and a headphone minijack.

 

[|tera|]

Sweet, are you gonna buy me one Skeptik ?

 

[Skeptik]

'Quad' 3Gig Xeon 64 bit -> cool <- With that power we could share one!

Shame they didn't release a better iMac 20" with Conroe. I'd really like to try one.

 

[bwana]

I am surprised they kept the case.

 

[Skeptik]

I am surprised they kept the case.

Yep, it is bulky because the motherboard is only slightly smaller than b4.

They did cut another hole or two in it - keeps the costs down

 

[bwana]

I'd probably get one if I used desktops - then again I'd need to get a desk so forget that

I did order a mini the other day from Amazon (for my lounge) so I am kinda glad they didnt upgrade those today!

 

[BobJones]

Multimedia mini review

I did order a mini the other day from Amazon (for my lounge) so I am kinda glad they didnt upgrade those today!

How about a review on the mini as a multimedia setup once you've got it installed?

Streaming shared music/video libraries and the quality of the output to HT amps are of particular interest.

 

[bwana]

How about a review on the mini as a multimedia setup once you've got it installed?

Streaming shared music/video libraries and the quality of the output to HT amps are of particular interest.

Sure, of you like. There are loads of articles already out there if you're interested. Check out http://www.macworld.com/2006/05/features/multimediamini/index.php for one such report.

The mini is just a replacement for an ageing screen-less powerbook, though the mini does come with a remote which will make life easier - I currently use the missus's cellphone. It's also going to look nicer than the powerbook and I'll be able to play with all the new intel features.

I havent yet settled on a tv solution and I'll have to attack the mini with a putty knife (seriously - a putty knife!) to get to the ram slots as I want 2gb in there.

 

[BobJones]

Sure, of you like. There are loads of articles already out there if you're interested. Check out http://www.macworld.com/2006/05/features/multimediamini/index.php for one such report.

Yeah, I've seen that article before, I didn't think it was very good. He spent way too much time focussed on some personal preferences and way too much money on add-ons that don't really add too much value.
You try and get hold of most of the products in Jo'burg... most of them are ok but can only really be used in the states.

The mini is just a replacement for an ageing screen-less powerbook, though the mini does come with a remote which will make life easier - I currently use the missus's cellphone. It's also going to look nicer than the powerbook and I'll be able to play with all the new intel features.

The apple remote is a whole lot cheaper than 99% of cellphones! But its pretty expensive for what it is.

It'd be interesting to hear how the "screen-less powerbook" came about.

I havent yet settled on a tv solution and I'll have to attack the mini with a putty knife (seriously - a putty knife!) to get to the ram slots as I want 2gb in there.

RAM upgrades for the mac are real rip-off. I got my PPC mini upgraded to 1gb when I bought it - had it shipped over from Ireland, 'cuz I didn't want to do the putty knife thing.

Thankfully the MacBook Pro just needs a screwdriver to upgrade the RAM. I managed to get a good deal on an extra stick of Kingston RAM.

I haven't had a chance to test the MBP connected to my HT properly yet. I'll have to do that when I get back in a couple of months. I did manage to get a optical digital cable to link the laptop to my amp though.

So far Front Row works ok, but has a couple of quirks, like not being smart enough to know the difference between songs and music videos.

 

[bwana]

The apple remote is a whole lot cheaper than 99% of cellphones! But its pretty expensive for what it is.

Yeah - but it comes included these days right? I'm going to be using my Harmony remote anyway. I like the way those work.

It'd be interesting to hear how the "screen-less powerbook" came about.

Had a titanium series powerbook with a knackered screen so I removed it, taped a flat magnet over part of the trackpad to fool it into thinking the cover was closed and use remote desktop or the cellphone to control it. It works well.

RAM upgrades for the mac are real rip-off. I got my PPC mini upgraded to 1gb when I bought it - had it shipped over from Ireland, 'cuz I didn't want to do the putty knife thing.

Amazon was only selling them with 512 but I'm probably ordering 1 or 2gb from PC World. It means ditching the 2x 256mb that comes with it but still cheaper than getting it in SA.

Thankfully the MacBook Pro just needs a screwdriver to upgrade the RAM. I managed to get a good deal on an extra stick of Kingston RAM.

Yeah - I dont know why they made it so difficult to upgrade the RAM in the mini.

I haven't had a chance to test the MBP connected to my HT properly yet. I'll have to do that when I get back in a couple of months. I did manage to get a optical digital cable to link the laptop to my amp though.

My powerbook is connected via the DVI connection on my plasma and its great.

So far Front Row works ok, but has a couple of quirks, like not being smart enough to know the difference between songs and music videos.

Never used front row - guess I'll have to live with it. Right now I use VLC cos it plays just about everything you throw at it.

 

[BobJones]

Yeah - but it comes included these days right? I'm going to be using my Harmony remote anyway. I like the way those work.

Apple remote ships with all desktop and laptop macs. Its really built to control front row and the ipods via the universal dock. I haven't tried using it to control anything else. I'm not sure that you can use it to control VLC. Do you know if you can use the apple remote to control stuff other than front row?

Had a titanium series powerbook with a knackered screen so I removed it, taped a flat magnet over part of the trackpad to fool it into thinking the cover was closed and use remote desktop or the cellphone to control it. It works well.

If ur using remote desktop most of the time, why not just have kept the screen and hooked up to an external display instead - no more RA needed? It would probably make a more than passable server.

Amazon was only selling them with 512 but I'm probably ordering 1 or 2gb from PC World. It means ditching the 2x 256mb that comes with it but still cheaper than getting it in SA.

I have no idea why they don't just ship the mini with a single 1gb RAM stick as standard... using OS X with 512mb and << must be a real pain if you do more than just email. As a multimedia server you need the full 2gb.

I looked at the prices for shipping and it comes to about the same as getting it in SA. Have a look at the Crucial european online store. I'm in Oz at the moment and 1gb goes for AUD165 online. I don't think that you can get 1gb in SA for <R1100.

Yeah - I dont know why they made it so difficult to upgrade the RAM in the mini. My powerbook is connected via the DVI connection on my plasma and its great.

I run my mini on a 32" LCD... its hard to go back to anything smaller.

Never used front row - guess I'll have to live with it. Right now I use VLC cos it plays just about everything you throw at it.

I rip dvd's to my movies folder using handbrake and front row automagically adds them to the movies menu, no need to add them to the itunes library first.

Streaming movie trailers needs 512mbs and > dsl... but I"m on a crappy 256 Telstra connection... u can't skype and surf the net at the same time!

The thing that i'm worried about is region locking on the dvd drive... is there a DVD region free equivalent for the mac? Lotsa people say use VLC, but I'm not sure how that gets around the problem?

 

[bwana]

If ur using remote desktop most of the time, why not just have kept the screen and hooked up to an external display instead - no more RA needed? It would probably make a more than passable server.

When I say knackered I meant knackered. Even the hinges were broken. I could have kept the screen closed all the time but it runs cooler with it open or off.

As a multimedia server you need the full 2gb.

Figured as much so 2gb it is. To bad the included ram is going to be useless.

I looked at the prices for shipping and it comes to about the same as getting it in SA. Have a look at the Crucial european online store. I'm in Oz at the moment and 1gb goes for AUD165 online. I don't think that you can get 1gb in SA for <R1100.

Thanks - I'll have a look at their prices.

The thing that i'm worried about is region locking on the dvd drive... is there a DVD region free equivalent for the mac? Lotsa people say use VLC, but I'm not sure how that gets around the problem?

Depending on the drive vlc does get around region coding - the only alternative it to flash the drive. I've done it on my laptops before without any problems so I can always rip a troublesome dvd and copy it across if I cant find the right firmware.

 

[BobJones]

Hmm, flash the drive you say...
Smithers, google that so I can turn the laptop into a multi-zone player