The Mac Pro overview, part 4: performance and final rating
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The Mac Pro overview, part 4: performance and final rating

But my "gut feelings" aren't specific enough. So I'd recommend you check out the benchmarked specs at [url=http://www.macworld.com/2006/08/reviews/macprorev/index.php]MacWorld[/url], [url=http://www.barefeats.com/quad06.html]Bare Feat[/url], [url=http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/macpro.ars]Ars Technica[/url] and [url=http://www.systemshootouts.org/]Mac vs. PC System Shootouts[/url]. Also, an HD Studio review says: "n tests conducted by Apple, encoding HDV 1080i format video on the 3Ghz version Mac Pro was 1.3 times faster than on the Power Mac G5 Quad. For standard definition DV, the comparison was 1.4 times faster."

So what's our final verdict? Overall, the Mac Pro is an excellent replacement for the Power Mac G5. It's reasonable priced, incredibly expandable, surprisingly quiet and plenty powerful (especially for software optimized for Mactels). On the downside, AirPort and Bluetooth still aren't built-in, the mouse and keyboard still haven't been tweaked to aesthetically match the Mac Pro and pricing for memory upgrades and expansion is expensive.

If you need top tier performance and expansion options out the wazoo, the Mac Pro is the desktop for you. If you don't have to have the fastest Mac, never add PCIe cards and don't need a display bigger than a 20-incher, you should look into the Intel iMac, a gorgeous machine that packs plenty of power for most users in a compact, less expensive design.

Macsimum rating: 8.5 out of 10.

 
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