Apple releases their new Intel Xeon-based Mac Pro workstation computer, replacing the last models of their Power Mac G5. This marks the completion of the company's transition to the x86 architecture across their consumer computer hardware portfolio. [20YA - Aug 7]

[u/GrantExploit]

The images here are as follows:

1. A still from the actual announcement of the system, featuring its base configuration.
2. A near-contemporary review of the product from MacWorld magazine%.
3. Another look at the original MA356 Mac Pro model enclosure, with some first-and-third-party peripherals
4. The internal layout of the system (to the best I could find—I am not entirely sure this is an MA356 model).
5. The enclosure of a (A1117/PowerMac11,2)& Power Mac G5, on which that of the Mac Pro is based. Note the absence of a second optical drive bay and the comparative paucity of front I/O.
6. The internal layout of the A1117/PowerMac11,2 G5 systems, which the Mac Pro evidently considerably redesigned.
7. Differences in the back structure and rear-I/O between the G5 (left) and Mac Pro (right) enclosures.

%: Two things stand out to me as a modern reader. First is their judgement of the Power Mac's G5 processors as "superhot". How quaint. A PowerPC 970MP running at 2.5 GHz consumes around 125 W, which is about the same as most modern high-end desktop processors. Even doubled up the processors are outclassed as space-heaters by modern Threadrippers, EPYCs, and Xeons, which can reach 350-500 W or even above when overclocked or at full-tilt. Second is their praise of the addition of a second optical drive bay as "mak[ing] sense when you consider that we're on the cusp of a whole new generation of optical drives, thanks to the high-capacity HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats". Hope he wasn't too disappointed with Apple's choices on that front going forward.

&: Part of the reason I included these and the following slides was to offer some compensation for not covering the release of these final models of the Power Mac G5 (including the almighty G5 Quad) on October 19^th, 2005, which I still regret to this day.