Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation (Early 2008)

  • B&H # APMP228A
  • Mfr# MA970LL/A

Product Highlights

  • 2.8GHz 8-Core System
  • 2GB (2x1GB) RAM
  • 320GB SATA Hard Drive
  • Dual-Layer SuperDrive
  • ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB Graphics
  • Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
  • Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard

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The Mac Pro 8-Core Desktop Computer Workstation from Apple is the company's premiere desktop workstation. The system is built with professionals in mind, and is an ideal computer for video professionals, photographers, and graphic designers.

The system is powered by 2 quad-core Intel Xeon 5400 CPUs running at a clockspeed of 2.8GHz. This "8-Core" configuration gives you up to 8 times the processing power of a single CPU, making it an ideal solution for mission critical applications. The system also boasts 2GB of RAM, 320GB hard drive capacity, Apple's SuperDrive DVD burner with dual-layer disc support, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR for wireless device connectivity, and ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics with 256MB of memory.

Apple's Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is the computer's operating system. The 64-bit OS takes full advantage of the Xeon processors that form the heart of the system. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard includes such software applications as Time Machine, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, QuickTime, and iCal. You'll also be happy to know that iLife '09, the popular digital life suite that includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand is preinstalled on the computer.

The Mac Pro is an excellent choice for any professional, power user, or Mac aficionado.

Powered by 2 Intel Xeon 5400 2.8GHz processors
Four total PCI Express slots, each with an x16 mechanical interface; the system supports (2) x16-lane and (2) x4-lane cards simultaneously
FireWire-400, FireWire-800, and USB 2.0 ports for peripheral device connectivity
Dual Gigabit Ethernet controllers
Analog and digital audio output capabilities
SuperDrive DVD burner installed
Apple keyboard and Mighty Mouse are bundled with the computer
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard includes iTunes, Time Machine, Front Row, iChat, Safari, and more
The included iLife '09 suite includes the popular iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand programs
Apple provides 90 days of free phone support and a 1-year limited hardware warranty on the computer. You can opt to add an AppleCare Protection Plan, at additional cost, which covers support and repairs for 3 years from the date of purchase. AppleCare can be purchased at any time within the first year of ownership of the computer
Performance
Processor 2x 2.8GHz Quad Core Intel Xeon 5400 Series
Cache L2: 24MB (12MB per processor)
System Bus 1600MHz Frontside Bus per CPU
Memory Slots: 8x FB-DIMM Slots
Type: 800MHz PC2-6400 DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM
Installed: 2GB (2x1GB) RAM
Capacity: 32GB
Configuration: 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB ECC FB-DIMMs; Memory should be installed as 4 or more matching chips to take full advantage of the 256-bit wide memory architecture
Graphics Display Interface: Double-wide 16-lane PCI Express graphics slot
Installed: ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM, 2x Dual-Link DVI Ports

Supported Resolutions
Dual-Link Digital: 2560 x 1600
Analog: 2048 x 1536

Dual Display Support: Dual-display support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes
Storage and Expansion
Hard Drive Fixed Bays: 4x Independent 3Gb/s Serial ATA cable-free, direct attach hard drive bays; 4x internal hard drive carriers included
Hot-Swappable Bays: None
Installed: 1x 320GB 7200rpm with 8MB Buffer
Supported: 4x SATA Hard Drives
Type: Serial ATA, supports up to 300MB/sec data throughput per hard drive
Optical Drive 16x SuperDrive with double-layer support

Reads
CD: 32x
DVD: 16x

Writes
CD-R: 24x
CD-RW: 24x
DVD-R: 16x
DVD+R DL: 6x
Bay Expansion 3.5" Internal Direct Attach Hard Drive Bays
Bays: 4
Occupied: 1

5.25" Optical Drive
Bays: 2
Occupied: 1
PCI Expansion 3x open full-length PCI Express expansion slots
Configurable bandwidth that mechanically supports 16-lane cards
300W combined max for all PCI Express slots
Input/Output
Ports 2x FireWire-800 (1x Front, 1x Back)
2x FireWire-400 (1x Front, 1x Back)
5x USB 2.0 (2x Front, 3x Back)
Display 1x Single-Link DVI
1x Dual-Link DVI
Storage 4x SATA Drives Supported (1x Installed, 3x Available)
Audio 1x Built-In Speaker
1x 1/8" (3.5mm) Headphone (1x Front)
1x 1/8" (3.5mm) Line-Out (1x Back)
1x 1/8" (3.5mm) Line-In (1x Back)
1x Toslink Optical Input (1x Back)
1x Toslink Optical Output (1x Back)
Video None
Communications
Wired 2x independent 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45) interfaces with support for jumbo frames
Wireless Wi-Fi: None
Bluetooth: 2.0+EDR
General
Operating System Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Internet Access Not Included
Electrical Requirements Meets ENERGY STAR requirements
AC: 100-120VAC or 200-240VAC
Frequency: 50-60Hz, single phase
Current: 12A (low-voltage range), 6A (high-voltage range)
Environmental Requirements Operating
Temperature: 50-95°F (10-35°C)
Humidity: 5-95%, non-condensing
Altitude: 10,000' (3048 m)

Storage
Temperature: -40-116°F (-40-47°C)
Humidity: 5-95%, non-condensing
Altitude: 10,000' (3048 m)
Dimensions (WxHxD) 8.1 x 20.1 x 18.7" (20.6 x 51.1 x 47.5cm)
Weight 42.4 lb (19.2kg)

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation
 
4.9

(based on 15 reviews)

Ratings Distribution

  • 5 Stars

     

    (14)

  • 4 Stars

     

    (1)

  • 3 Stars

     

    (0)

  • 2 Stars

     

    (0)

  • 1 Stars

     

    (0)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Easy to set up (8)
  • Good power output (8)
  • Versatile (8)
  • Easy to use (7)
  • Fast (7)

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Graphics (7)
    • Multimedia (7)
    • Video (6)
    • Music (5)
    • Business use (4)
      • Reviewer Profile:
      • Tech savvy (11), Multimedia professional (10)
      • Primary use:
      • Business (4), Personal (3)

    REVIEWS

    Reviewed by 15 customers

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    Displaying reviews 1-15

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    5.0

    A Powerhouse of a computer

    By J

    from New York, NY

    About Me Multimedia Professional, Tech Savvy

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Easy To Set Up
    • Powerful
    • Quiet
    • Versatile

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Dorm Room
      • Gaming
      • Home
      • Multimedia
      • Office

      Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

      Working on this Macpro is a dream. It's fast, holds tons of ram, and is very quite. I love it!

      Comment on this review

       
      5.0

      Nice!

      By goldfinger

      from kc

      About Me Multimedia Professional

      Verified Buyer

      Pros

      • Easy To Set Up
      • Easy to upgrade
      • Powerful
      • Quiet
      • Versatile
      • Very expandable

      Cons

      • Pricey

      Best Uses

      • Multimedia
      • Office

      Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

      I'm a professional graphic artist/editor and this machine allows me to get my jobs done quickly and easily. Throw some more ram in there, a better video card and some more hard drives and you're good to go!

      Comment on this review

       
      5.0

      Great Machine - Free from Windows

      By RJH

      from Chesterfield Township, MI

      About Me Tech Savvy

      Verified Reviewer

      Pros

      • Easy To Set Up
      • Never Freezes
      • Powerful
      • Quiet
      • Versatile

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Home
        • Multimedia
        • Office

        Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

        My wife and I run a photography studio and with our increased work flow we needed a computer that can handle it. After persistent PC problems and talking to several other photographers and seeing how their Mac's operate with CS4 it was enough to convince me. Also the Mac's monitor color calibration handles dual monitors flawlessly. The Mac support team put Microsoft to same, I can walk into an Apple store and get all sort of technical info and tips. Also being able to run 'Parallels Desktop' to handle my windows only program is icing on the cake!!!!

        Comment on this review

         
        5.0

        Pure Awesome!!!

        By go4thegustoproductions

        from Provo, UT

        About Me Multimedia Professional

        Verified Buyer

        Pros

        • Easy To Set Up
        • Powerful
        • Versatile

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Multimedia

          Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

          A great machine to do media work. Fast and powerful, what more could I ask for!!! The [...]was speedy and the price was great! Above all, a must buy!!!

          Comment on this review

           
          5.0

          smoking machine!!

          By tonelow

          from jim thorpe, pa

          About Me Tech Savvy

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Easy To Set Up
          • Powerful
          • Quiet
          • Versatile

          Cons

            Best Uses

            • Audio recording
            • Multimedia

            Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

            The Mac Pro is the heart of my project studio ....... and it's a powerhouse. It is everything I need for now - solid, reliable, and very quiet.

            Comment on this review

             
            5.0

            Simply astounding!

            By Shaughn

            from Missouri

            About Me Multimedia Professional, Tech Savvy

            Verified Buyer

            Pros

            • Easy To Set Up
            • Never Freezes
            • Powerful
            • Quiet
            • Versatile

            Cons

              Best Uses

              • Gaming
              • Multimedia

              Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

              I use my Mac Pro for music production and video editing/production. The processing power of this machine is amazing. Multi-tasking is no problem. I can work on several projects across multiple applications, roundtripping material between apps with no worries.

              Comment on this review

               
              5.0

              Sah-weet!

              By cHrISTORY

              from San Francisco, CA

              About Me Multimedia Professional, Tech Savvy

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Easy To Set Up
              • Never Freezes
              • Powerful
              • Quiet
              • Versatile

              Cons

                Best Uses

                • Multimedia

                Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                I ordered my Mac Pro 8-core so I could do video editing from home. Not only does it work great, I was able the money I saved by purchasing it from B&H to upgrade my machine even more. This computer is one of the best things I've ever owned. I highly recommend this computer if you are in a media related profession.

                Comment on this review

                (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

                 
                5.0

                Photographer's Best Post Processing Tool

                By Lonny The Architect/Photographer

                from Mount Desert Island, Acadia N.P., Maine

                About Me Multimedia Professional, Tech Savvy

                Verified Buyer

                Pros

                • Easy To Set Up
                • Never Freezes
                • Powerful
                • Quiet
                • Versatile
                • Well Designed Machine

                Cons

                  Best Uses

                  • Home
                  • Office

                  Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                  I have used PCs for photoshop post processing for
                  my photography for years. A photographer friend had
                  gotten after me about my persistent PC problems,
                  always followed by the statement "Mac rocks". I sat down
                  with him to observe what his work flow for processing Raw files.
                  He was not doing anything different then I was except for
                  using a Mac rather than a PC and his prints looked great.
                  My Daughter's Husband is a professional Photographer and
                  swears by Mac, So here I am with a new Mac Pro 2-quad 2.83 and it has
                  made a big improvements to my processing and printing.
                  My advice is chuck the PC and buy a Mac and make life easier.

                  Comment on this review

                  (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                   
                  5.0

                  Built Like A Tank & Just As Powerful

                  By Hutch

                  from Lansing, IL

                  About Me Tech Savvy

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Easy To Use
                  • Fast
                  • Great Software Bundle
                  • Reliable Performance

                  Cons

                  • NO CONS

                  Best Uses

                  • Graphics
                  • Large Applications
                  • Music
                  • Video

                  Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                  First let me say that you won’t find a better place or price to get your Mac. B&H is a solid store.
                  I’ve been building PC’s for about 15 years and have built some serious machines. A few of my friends made the jump to Mac and told me they would never go back to a PC, so I had to see what the buzz was all about. Well, 2 weeks with the Mac and I can say I’ll never go back. This is an unbelievable machine. I purchased with the stock setup and installed a total of 8gb of memory and another 1tb hd. Wow… this thing screams. I also installed VMWare and now have Windows XP Pro running in a virtual machine on the desktop when I need to run windows apps. I run Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash all at once without a glitch.
                  It also comes with a great software bundle. If your serious about your work and computing then look no further.

                  • Primary use:
                  • Personal

                  Comment on this review

                  (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

                   
                  5.0

                  Very Good Deal

                  By Tony the Mac Pro

                  from Rockwall, Texas

                  About Me Multimedia Professional, Tech Savvy

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Adequate Storage
                  • Durable Construction
                  • Easy To Use
                  • Fast
                  • Great Software Bundle

                  Cons

                  • No Airport Extreme

                  Best Uses

                  • Business Use
                  • Graphics
                  • Video

                  Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                  I use this Mac for video editing and it is a superb machine. The only negative about this mac pro is that you better order that Airport Extreme Card installed otherwise you won't be able to install it yourself. It has to be installed by Apple Certified Installers. Being a technical person who is very mechanically inclined, it would nice to be able to do this like I did on my G5. However, I am getting by with a USB Network Adapter from Hawking.

                  • Primary use:
                  • Business

                  Comment on this review

                  (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

                   
                  5.0

                  Best Built and Performing Computer!

                  By Steve

                  from Carlsbad, CA

                  About Me Multimedia Professional, Tech Savvy

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Adequate Storage
                  • Durable Construction
                  • Easy To Use
                  • Fast
                  • Great Software Bundle
                  • Reliable Performance

                  Cons

                  • Absolutely None

                  Best Uses

                  • Business Use
                  • Graphics
                  • Large Applications
                  • Music
                  • Video

                  Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                  It just doesn't get any better than this! Apple has out done itself again with innovative design and performance that can be beat! I am upgrading from a Mac G5 (2.2Ghz) machine. That was the first design before the Intel chips came along. I was (still am) very happy with the G5, but I needed this machine to update my video production capabilities. But this machine not only blows away the G5, the internal design bring much more to the plate. Where do I begin.

                  You now have innovative hard drive holders (for standard in-expensive SATA drives) - that you simply attach to the holder and slide it in place. No ribbon cables or any other connections. If your doing high end video production, simply stripe 2 drives with Apple's (built into Leopard operating system) Raid software... and you have a high performance Raid array built right into the machine. Fast enough to edit HD work!

                  Plus the over all performance of the 8-core Intel processors, is leaps and bounds above my old G5 system. Renders of complex material are simple and fast.

                  The third thing that really impresses me about this machine is the fan noise. There is NONE! This machine is so silent, I can no do voice-over work in the same room with no ambient noise. It's such a pleasure to work next to a machine that you virtually can't hear. And that goes for the hard drives too! I have 3 in my machine and you never hear them accessing!

                  Finally, this machine also gets high design marks for memory expansion. It couldn't be easier. Two memory boards (cards) side out easily, and new memory securely snaps in. Very simple to do. I have 16Gbs of RAM (that's 8 for each half of the processor) - I never have to worry about memory again. And adding more RAM is the best improvement to performance you can do!

                  I highly recommend his machine (or any of the MacPro towers), you simply won't be disappointed!

                  • Primary use:
                  • Business

                  Comment on this review

                   
                  5.0

                  Really plug and play

                  By Michael the video guy

                  from Michael the video guy

                  About Me Multimedia Professional

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Adequate Storage
                  • Durable Construction
                  • Easy To Use
                  • Fast

                  Cons

                    Best Uses

                    • Business Use
                    • Graphics
                    • Large Applications
                    • Music
                    • Video

                    Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                    I have put together quite a few computers in my day but this is the most powerful and yet easy computer I've ever delt with. A 6 year old could install the 3 x 500 gig hard drives as easy as plugging in a lamp and the extra memory I bought pluged in uner a minute. The huge software package for Final Cut Pro 2 took all day to install but not because of complications just because of the 7 DVD's worth of software. It works great. And I'm a guy who loves PC's.

                    • Primary use:
                    • Business

                    Comment on this review

                     
                    4.0

                    Great!

                    By Sue

                    from L.A. CA

                    About Me Multimedia Professional

                    Verified Buyer

                    Pros

                    • Durable Construction
                    • Easy To Use
                    • Fast
                    • Reliable Performance

                    Cons

                    • OEMCubase isn't installed

                    Best Uses

                    • Graphics
                    • Music
                    • Video

                    Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                    I've tested FCP (Studio 1) and photoshop CS3. (I haven't tried After Affect yet.) It's fast! I've installed 2 extra HDs from old G5 and other. It was much easier to install than previous non-intel based G5. I've check inside, and it gets much easier to install or to upgrade. The non-intel G5 has a power problem due to its location, but this new one seems OK. (My first G5 was blown up once in three months after I bought from Apple store. This one, I'll see.)

                    • Primary use:
                    • Business

                    Comment on this review

                     
                    5.0

                    Exceeded my expectations

                    By mt tomb production

                    from Port St. Lucie, FL

                    About Me Tech Savvy

                    Verified Buyer

                    Pros

                    • Easy To Use
                    • Fast
                    • Reliable Performance

                    Cons

                      Best Uses

                      • Graphics
                      • Video

                      Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                      I am using boot camp to run winXP Pro OS and adobe CS production premium Win version. Works great. Render times very fast. Only working in SD DV for now, but compared the other systems I was working on it is night and day. Also using Avid liquid 7.2.I need more memory for AE. [...]good price. I added a 500GB harddrive and formatted for Win (NTFS). Great overall experience.

                      • Primary use:
                      • Personal

                      Comment on this review

                       
                      5.0

                      super great and powerful

                      By cef9

                      from boston

                      About Me Tech Savvy

                      Verified Buyer

                      Pros

                      • Adequate Storage
                      • Durable Construction
                      • Easy To Use
                      • Fast
                      • Great Software Bundle
                      • Large Screen
                      • Reliable Performance

                      Cons

                        Best Uses

                        • Business Use
                        • Graphics
                        • Large Applications
                        • Music

                        Comments about Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation:

                        super great and powerful. Migration software worked well. beautiful

                        • Primary use:
                        • Personal

                        Comment on this review

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                        External Storage

                        SanDisk -  Ultra Backup USB Flash Drive (16GB)
                        • Price: $19.95
                         

                        Speakers & Headsets

                        Altec Lansing -  VS2620 Stereo Computer Speakers
                        • Price: $22.89
                         

                        Cables & Adapters

                        Comprehensive -  FireWire 6-pin to 4-pin Cable - 6' (1.83 m)
                        • Price: $11.95
                         

                        Care & Cleaning

                        METRO DataVac -  DataVac Shuttle Desktop Cleaning System
                        • Price: $24.99
                         

                        This is a special order item. Est. arrival at B&H is 3-7 days (subject to availability). Your order will be charged at the time of shipment.

                        Media

                        Back-up your favorite music, movies, or other important documents.

                        TDK -  DVD-R 4.7GB, 16X, Recordable Disc (Cake Box Spindle Pack of 25)
                        • Reg. Price: $12.35
                        • Discount: -$3.36
                        • Discount price: $8.99
                        • Limited supply at this price
                         
                        View all Accessories

                        What's in the Box

                        Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation (Early 2008)
                        • Apple Keyboard
                        • Mighty Mouse
                        • DVI to VGA Adapter
                        • USB Keyboard Extension Cable
                        • Software Bundle
                          • Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
                          • iLife '09 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)
                        • Install/Restore DVD Set
                        • Printed and Electronic Documentation
                        • 1-Year Limited Warranty
                         
                         
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