Apple Doubles Intel Processors In New Mac Pro Computer - WSJ.com

~$4K for an eight-core Intel Mac -- sign of the times... 

According to the company's Web site, a new version of the Mac Pro has two of Intel's "quad-core" Xeon chips, doubling the number of microprocessors in the product line to eight. Other models will continue to offer two "dual-core" Xeons, each with two microprocessors.

Many mainstream computing jobs, like word processing, carry out chores sequentially and don't get much benefit so many calculating engines. But Apple has a large audience among artists, designers and other professionals, and some programs they use have been modified so that more processors can cut the time needed to certain jobs.

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The performance comes at a price. Upgrading to the dual quad-core configuration adds $1,498 to the base price of a Mac Pro, which starts at $2,499. So the least expensive eight-core machine is $3,997, according to the Web site.

Source: Apple Doubles Intel Processors In New Mac Pro Computer - WSJ.com