As predicted, we now have a new Mac Pro model available (and even more options as a build-to-order) — albeit a week before MacWorld. No one’s sure what kind of stage-stealing products will be available at the expo, now that Apple deemed necessary to bump the Mac Pro’s refresh before anything else. But no one’s complaining!
The new Mac Pro models are more powerful than ever now that they’re boasting the octo-core as standard at 2.8GHz, and upgradeable up to 3.2GHz (and there’s even a low-end option for a single quad-core processor). The Mac Pro also now features one PCI Express 2.0 graphics slot with an ATI HD 2600 XT (256MB) standard, which is upgradeable to either an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT (512MB) or an NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 (1.5GB!). It even offers more ports for your peripherals. The only thing that’s missing is the rumored Blu-ray drive, especially now that the format is building steam thanks to Warner Brothers’ exclusive support for the format.
While there may be nothing earth-shattering in this refresh, like a tower re-design, the added power is sure to please professionals and power users. The Mac Pro standard model now retails for $2,799 (before, it was $2,499).
Also new for the day: octo-core Xserves.
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