Macs no longer overpriced InfoWorld

this is for the Mayor, the guy that always gets confused on this subject.

Before I get to the news of the week, I need to wrap up some old business. As I had hoped, Apple opened its OS X x86 system-level code on the first day of its Worldwide Developers Conference. ThatÕs a courageous decision. It was accompanied by the opening of the source code for AppleÕs iCal calendaring server, Bonjour zero-config networking, and the launchd services manager.

Now, on to new business. Apple was throwing confetti over the completion of its PowerPC-to-Intel transition. I didnÕt notice. What I saw were compebreastively priced, extremely powerful quad-core Core Microarchitecture Xeon workstations and servers. I was most excited about the Mac Pro workstation. That started shipping on Aug. 7, WWDCÕs opening day, and it landed in the market as a leading-edge product. The most expensive Mac Pro has two dual-core Intel Woodcrest 64-bit Xeon CPUs running at 3GHz, four 500GB SATA drives with cable-free tray connections, 16GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory mounted on mainframe-style card modules, a beastly dual-slot NVidia Quadro FX 4500 graphics card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory, two SuperDrive dual-layer DVD burners, Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11a-b-g wireless, and OS X Tiger. This box, one Mac Pro with everything, costs $12,228.

Another stereotypically overpriced Mac? If it strikes you that way, you havenÕt been in the market for a workstation lately.

But if five digits is too rich for your blood, you can consider the baseline configuration: 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, a pair of 2.66GHz Woodcrest CPUs, one 250GB SATA drive, an NVidia GeForce 7300 GT 3-D accelerator with 256MB of GDDR3 memory, one dual-layer SuperDrive DVD burner, and OS X Tiger for É wait for it É $2,499. If youÕre strapped, you can step down to a pair of 2GHz Woodcrest CPUs and a 160GB SATA drive and the price comes down to $2,124.

AppleÕs pricing on Mac Pro isnÕt the whole story, of course, but it changes AppleÕs position in the market dramatically. That $2,499 Mac Pro base model I described is a rough match for AppleÕs other workstation, the Power Mac G5 Quad. Quad is not shabby by any measure, with two 2.5GHz dual-core 64-bit PowerPC CPUs. But in a nearly matching configuration, Mac Pro costs $1,000 less than Power Mac G5 Quad.

I expected AppleÕs Intel workstation to roll out at Power Mac-level pricing. If it had, IÕd have been more inclined to plumb the minute differences in performance between IBM and Intel architectures; which is the better choice for the dollar? All other things being equal, I might still favor Quad, but equality doesnÕt enter the picture. Apart from the $1,000 difference in price, Mac ProÕs simpler cooling system seems much quieter than QuadÕs, although I didnÕt get a chance to push one to the absolute red line.

ThereÕs more to the picture, but the point is that Apple hears the marketÕs concerns about price. The cost of entry for Intel-based machines at all levels -- notebooks, desktops, workstations, and, come October, servers -- are markedly lower than their PowerPC predecessors, despite being considerably faster. WhatÕs more, you can now take models in each system clbutt to greater levels of performance and capacity.

Those saying, ÒIf only the Mac wasnÕt so overpriced,Ó will now have to find a different reason to stick with Windows or Linux PCs.

sorry Mayor, macs are now the cheapest systems you can buy for your computing dollar. --

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