The Mac Pro gives professional Mac users more processor power, storage options, and external ports than the previous Power Mac line -- and at a better value, too. But this new system isn't for everyone: If you don't run high-end professional applications and don't need a huge amount of internal storage or access to PCI Express slots, you might find that the remarkably powerful 20-inch iMac Core Duo is a much better value.

Pros: Fast processors; good game frame-rate performance; huge memory capacity; additional ports on front and back.

Cons: Pricey, rare RAM format; limited performance gains in software not optimized for multi-core systems; non-native software (notably Adobe Creative Suite) must be translated via Rosetta; lack of a sub-$2,000 entry-level model.

Basics

Reviewed Price: $2,499

Processor: 2 dual-core 2.66GHz Intel Xeon 5100s

Information about this system on Apple's website