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COMPUTING

From...
PC World

Apple rolls out faster desktops

June 3, 1999
Web posted at: 11:41 a.m. EDT (1541 GMT)

by James A. Martin apple

(IDG) -- Determined to make the Macintosh a contender again in the professional computing arena, Apple Computer has announced its fastest system yet: a desktop Power Mac with a 450-MHz PowerPC G3 processor.

The newest Power Mac G3, aimed at graphics professionals and other business users, has an estimated retail price of $2,999 and includes 1MB of level 2 backside cache, 128MB of DRAM memory, an ATI RAGE 128 graphics processor with 16MB video SDRAM, a 9GB Ultra 2 SCSI hard drive, and a 24X CD-ROM drive. Not included in the price: a floppy disk drive, monitor, or modem.

Apple said its Power Macintosh models, which feature a translucent blue plastic pop-open case similar to the original all-in-one consumer iMac, will now come with Mac OS 8.6 preinstalled. Mac OS 8.6 is the latest version of the Macintosh operating system. It has enhancements to the Sherlock search tool, among other features.

The Power Mac G3 computers, which also include 350-MHz and 400-MHz systems, perform twice as fast as similarly configured Pentium II models, according to benchmarks Apple has published on its Web site.

Price-wise, the Power Mac models tend to be more expensive than their PC counterparts. A 450-MHz Pentium II-based Compaq Deskpro model with similar features can be purchased for $2,241 from the Compaq Web site, for instance, while a comparable Pentium III-500-based Deskpro sells for $2,453.

The Power Mac line of professional computers also includes two built-in FireWire ports. Apple's FireWire technology enables compatible peripherals (such as digital cameras) to transfer data with the desktop system at superfast speeds of 400 megabits per second. The FireWire standard, known as IEEE 1394, is just beginning to be adopted by PC and peripheral vendors, among them Sony.

The new Power Macintosh G3 is available now at The Apple Store and authorized Apple resellers. The low-end Power Mac is a 350-MHz tower retailing at $1,599, while a 400-MHz system starts at $1,999.


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