Apple Power Mac G5
[Vin177]
The Apple Power Mac G5, launched in 2003, was historically significant as the world’s first 64-bit desktop computer featuring the powerful PowerPC G5 processor, which marked a major leap in performance and memory capacity in personal computing. It was notable for its advanced aluminum alloy enclosure, innovative cooling systems including liquid cooling on top models, and its use in high-performance setups like the Virginia Tech Mac OS X supercomputer cluster. Though not as commercially widespread as consumer iMacs, the Power Mac G5 was a landmark in Apple’s professional line, setting a design and technology precedent that influenced future Mac systems and establishing the company’s position in high-end desktop computing during its era.
- Manufacturer: Apple
- Type: Desktop computer
- Release Date: 2003
- Cost at release: $4,000 (adjusted for inflation)
- Cost with peripherals: $6,750 (adjusted for inflation)
- MIPS: 4,500-5,000 (4.5-5 GIPS)
Hardware Specifications
- Processor: 64-bit PowerPC G5 (models: 1.6 GHz single, 1.8 GHz single, dual 2.0 GHz); 512 KB L2 cache per processor.
- Front-Side Bus: 800 MHz (1.6 GHz), 900 MHz (1.8 GHz), or 1 GHz per processor (dual 2.0 GHz).
- Memory: DDR SDRAM; 256 MB PC2700 (333 MHz, up to 4 GB) on base model; 512 MB PC3200 (400 MHz, up to 8 GB) on higher models.
- Storage: 80 GB Serial ATA (7200 RPM) on base; up to 160 GB on higher configs.
- Graphics: AGP 8X Pro slot; base NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (64 MB DDR) or ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (optional 128 MB).
- Expansion: Three PCI-X slots (133 MHz), one AGP 8X Pro.
- Ports: Three USB 2.0 (one front), two FireWire 400 (one front), one FireWire 800; optical/analog audio.
- Optical Drive: 4X DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive.
- Weight: Approximately 18.2 kg (40.1 lbs) for single-processor tower models
Operating System & Programming Languages
- Operating System: Mac OS X 10.2.7 “Jaguar” on initial 2003 models, later upgraded to Mac OS X 10.3 “Panther” and up to Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger” on subsequent releases, with support extending to Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” (10.5.8 maximum)
- Supported Languages:
- Native support for compiled languages like C, C++, Objective-C, and Fortran via Xcode Developer Tools and GCC compiler suite included in Mac OS X.
- Scripting languages such as AppleScript, Python (pre-installed in later OS X versions), Perl, and Ruby through Terminal and developer packages.
- Java runtime environment (JRE) for JVM-based languages like Java.
- Classic Mac OS 9 applications (including older BASIC or Pascal) runnable in the Classic Environment under Jaguar/Panther/Tiger, but not bootable.
- Emulation/virtualization options for Windows languages (e.g., Visual Basic via Virtual PC) or Linux distributions supporting PowerPC (e.g., Debian PPC for additional languages).
Notables
- World’s first 64-bit desktop computer, introducing 64-bit processing to personal computing with up to 8 GB RAM.
- Nicknamed “cheese grater” for its perforated anodized aluminum tower design, influencing Mac Pro aesthetics for a decade.
- Powered Virginia Tech’s System X supercluster (1,100 G5s), ranking #3 globally in 2003 before replacement.
- First Apple desktop with USB 2.0, FireWire 800, liquid cooling (later models), and 1 GHz front-side bus.
- Ran Photoshop twice as fast as top Pentium 4 PCs; touted as “world’s fastest personal computer” in ads
Donated by: Dr Paul Van Oorschot