Apple Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation (Early 2008)
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(based on 15 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
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
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-15
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!
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!
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!!!!
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!!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Displaying reviews 1-15
External Storage
- Price: $19.95
Speakers & Headsets
- Price: $22.89
Cables & Adapters
- Price: $11.95
Care & Cleaning
- 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.
- Reg. Price: $12.35
- Discount: -$3.36
- Discount price: $8.99
- Limited supply at this price
What's in the Box
- 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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