Mac Pro/Quad 2.66GHz Xeon

More Desktop Macs from Apple »

Macworld Rating

4.0 out of 5 Mice, Aug 16, 2006

1 User Review Add your own »

Pros

Fast processors
Good game frame-rate performance
Additional ports on front and back
Huge memory capacity

Cons

Lack of a sub-$2,000 entry-level model
Limited performance gains in software not optimized for multi-core systems
Pricey, rare RAM format
Non-native software (notably Adobe Creative Suite) must be translated via Rosetta

Price when rated: $2,499

Mac Pro/Quad 2.66GHz Xeon

Macworld.com - August 16, 2006

The Mac Pro gives professional Mac users more processor power, storage options, and external ports than the previous Power Mac line -- and at a better value, too. But this new system isn't for everyone: If you don't run high-end professional applications and don't need a huge amount of internal storage or access to PCI Express slots, you might find that the remarkably powerful 20-inch iMac Core Duo is a much better value.

Macworld Lab Results

Macworld Labs

Cinema 4D XL 10.5	0:28
Compressor	1:19
iMovie HD 6	0:39
iTunes 7.5	0:52
Photoshop CS3	0:51
Speedmark 5 Score	260
Tested Configuration	Mac OS X 10.5 with 2GB of RAM
Unreal Tournament 2004	93.5fps

	Apple Refurbished Mac Pro 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon		From $2119.00
More in Shopping »