Power Mac in the middle: A look at the dual 1.8-GHz G5

Ken Mingis   Today’s Top Stories   or  Other Macintosh OS Stories  

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March 10, 2004 (Computerworld) -- When Apple Computer Inc. unveiled its new lineup of Power Mac G5 desktop computers last summer, the clear speed demon was the top-of-the-line dual 2-GHz model. Hidden in its shadow were a 1.8-GHz model and an entry-level 1.6-GHz model -- both of which sported a single processor, slower bus speeds and lesser video cards (see story).
That equation changed in November, when Apple abruptly dropped the single 1.8-GHz model and replaced it with one that had not one, but two 1.8-GHz processors (see story). The price also rose by $100, to $2,499.
Although many Macintosh fans had expected new Power Macs at the January Macworld show, none was announced. And while Apple CEO Steve Jobs has said the company expects to have 3-GHz G5 chips in its desktops later this year, nothing has been announced -- though there is speculation that Apple will release updated models soon.
With that in mind, and with my older Power Mac G4 (the dual 1.25-GHz model) sold, I took the plunge last month and picked up a dual-processor Power Mac. You may recall that when it comes to computers, I'm a glutton for speed. But I like money, too, and that top-end Power Mac comes at a $500 premium over its slightly slower brother. For the money, you get about 10% better performance, a slightly faster system-bus speed and an ATI 9600 Pro video card. (The midrange model has the Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra video card, no slouch in its own right, although you can get the G5 with the ATI card for just $50 more.)
My decision: Opt for the "Jan Brady" model -- named after the middle sister on The Brady Bunch who never got the attention she felt she deserved -- and use the savings to add memory and a superfast 10,000-rpm hard drive. More about that hard drive, a 74GB Western Digital Corp. Raptor, later.
As it turned out, the Apple Store I visited also happened to have a "refreshed" 23-in. Apple Cinema Display someone had just brought back. Lucky me. I checked to see if there were any stuck pixels and, finding none, snagged the uber-display for $1,799 -- $200 off the price of a new one. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Every penny.

Inside the Power Mac G5 dual 1.8 GHz

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