Apple has quietly updated its Mac Pro [1] and Xserve [2] lines with new configurations. The Mac Pro quad-core model [3] now includes the option to replace the base configuration's 2.66 GHz Intel Xeon processor with a 3.33 GHz Intel Xeon. Price? $1,200 for the processor swap.
Newly available in both the quad-core Mac Pro and the eight-core model [4] is the option to replace each of the base configuration's hard drives with 2 TB 7200 rpm drives. This brings the maximum capacity of the Mac Pro up to 8 TB, from 4 TB, and does so at the price of $350 for the first drive, and $550 for each subsequent drive.
Apple's Xserve lineup [5] sees the same 2 TB hard drive upgrade option, at the price of $450 for the first drive and $550 for each subsequent drive. (Xserve drives are more expensive than Mac Pro drives due to the drive carriers and other reasons; see "Going Deep Inside Xserve Apple Drive Modules [6]," 27 March 2009.) The new option brings the Xserve's maximum capacity to 6 TB, up from 3 TB.
Also, new to the Xserve quad-core model is the option to configure the machine with 24 GB of RAM, or 4 GB per slot, at the hefty price of $2,850. (The eight-core Xserve model features 12 RAM slots instead of the quad-core's 6 slots.)
Now that the iMac boasts substantial specs (see "New iMac Models Receive Larger Screens, SD Card Slot [7]," 20 October 2009), upgrade options such as these help further define the Mac Pro and Xserve as the powerhouses of Apple's product line.
[1]: http://www.apple.com/macpro/
[2]: http://www.apple.com/xserve/
[3]: http://store.apple.com/us_smb_78313/configure/MB871LL/A
[4]: http://store.apple.com/us_smb_78313/configure/MB535LL/A
[5]: http://store.apple.com/us_smb_78313/configure/MB449LL/A
[6]: http://db.tidbits.com/article/10166
[7]: http://db.tidbits.com/article/10664