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BY NOW WE know the consequences of IBM's inability to produce a 3GHz G5 processor in time to meet Steve Jobs' promises: Apple will forsake the PowerPC chip and begin producing Macs with Intel processors inside by next summer. However, when Jobs made that announcement at Apple's WWDC in June, he repeated the assurance that there were still some great PowerPC-based products yet to come. The Power Mac Dual 2.7GHz G5 is certainly one of them.
Although the dual, 64-bit G5 processors have only bumped up from 2.5GHz in the last top-of-the-line model to 2.7GHz in this one, the current machine still left a dual 2.0GHz G5, introduced last year, gasping for breath during our speed tests. This G5 derives an appreciable amount of power from its ATI Radeon 9650 graphics card with 256MB of video memory, and it can be upgraded further with an Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra graphics card (albeit for an extra $450; http://store.apple.com). Another added benefit to this model is the slick, quick 16x SuperDrive that's compatible with double-layer (DL) DVD burning. The only really disappointing spec on this machine is the 512MB RAM, which feels skimpy at this price, especially when the maximum RAM amount is 8GB. It was also curious that there were no 56k modems on any of the new dual-G5 machines, although we would only miss them if we had to fax documents. AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth wireless technologies are optional (both for $99). For those in a position to add a 30" Cinema HD display ($3,000; www.apple.com/displays) to their setup, the standardconfiguration 2.7GHz G5 will drive the monitor out of the box.
As the King of All Macs, this G5 will appeal to everyone from hobbyist to pro-level video/audio/ graphic artists, who are most likely to tax a system to the limit. It was no coincidence that Apple brought out the new G5 just days after its groundbreaking Final Cut Studio suite ($1,300; www.apple. com/finalcutstudio), which includes Final Cut Pro 5, Motion 2, DVD Studio Pro 4 and Soundtrack Pro. We tested the computer with this suite, and had little trouble working in Final Cut Pro and opening parts of those projects in Motion and Soundtrack Pro for refinement--all simultaneously. A few times we had to Force Quit one of the apps when things became especially busy, but overall, we were satisfied with the machine's ability to handle professional-level multimedia work across several applications at once. We even played a DVD movie in a small window while working on a busy, multi-layered scene in Motion, just to see what would happen, but we felt not a hiccup from the Power Mac.
Enthusiastic gamers could scarcely do better than this machine. When we played the reigning CPU/GPU hog, Doom 3 ($50; www.aspyr.com) we were treated to nearly constant smoothness in the gameplay and excellent graphic resolution on a 20" Cinema display. This combination was a steamy duo, however. Although the Power Mac is a quiet machine, it practically spits fire out of the back, which is another problem Jobs mentioned about the PowerPC (not enough performance for the energy used). So while this machine lives under a shadow of disappointment, we still have a soft spot for it. As the most powerful Mac available, it's impossible not to have fun using it.
-MARKKUS ROVITO
Dual 2.7GHz Power Mac G5: 
Apple | www.apple.com | 800-692-7753 | $3,000
Pros: Excellent graphics performance, stable when multitasking, 16x SuperDrive w/DL DVD writing.
Cons: Not enough built-in RAM, small processor boost, runs hot.
Specs: Dual 2.7GHz G5 processors, 250GB serial ATA hard drive, 512MB RAM, 1.35GHz frontside bus, 512K L2 cache, 16x SuperDrive with double-layer DVD writing, ATI Radeon 9650 graphics processor w/256MB video memory, two FireWire 400 ports, one FireWire 800 port, three USB 2.0 ports, three PCI-X card slots, Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 optional.
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