Happy WWDC Day! Did everyone enjoy the Stevenote? Sadly, your friendly neighborhood AtAT staff had to abort our tentative outing to catch the festivities live via satellite at the Apple Store Northshore, because one of us was all cranky and needed a nap (and Anya was a little tired, too). No worries, though; between the live updates from MacMinute and MacRumors, we managed to get a pretty clear picture of what was happening-- even from the swingset at the playground via a Treo. (Wheeeee!) We figure we'll catch the delayed webcast later when it's not so crowded.

So, okay, first things first: yes, the leaked specs were, as you all know by now, completely real. And for the many, many among you who insisted that it was an intentional leak designed to churn the fans into a rabid, teeth-gnashing mob over the weekend (man, you guys are paranoid!), well, Steve Himself insists that it was a mistake. (And Steve would never lie to us. Right? Right?) So, based on said specs, we shouldn't have been all that surprised to hear that, yes, the Power Mac G5 debuted today, in 1.6 GHz, 1.8 GHz, and dual 2.0 GHz configurations. Yes, there's a 1 GHz frontside bus in the top model. It does, indeed, support up to 8 GB of RAM, it does have AGP 8x Pro, it does have PCI-X slots. All the stuff that appeared in that brief glimpse of Future Heaven at the Apple Store on Thursday night, it has. But that's not to say there weren't some, shall we say, little surprises.

First of all, there's the question, "what does this thing look like?" Answer: kinda like an industrial-size cheese grater made by Sharper Image, but, you know, in a good way. (And yes, those alleged spy photos were both fake, like we figured.) To be honest, the G5's design seems to us to be a fairly conventional and logical progression from the previous Power Mac enclosure to Apple's latest love affair with rounded right angles and aircraft aluminum. Personally, we're not entirely sure how we feel about those holes all over the front panel, but we're willing to learn to love them what with the chip(s) lurking underneath; given how fast these things move, we assume that they're "speed holes." (Note: do not attempt to add speed holes to your existing Power Mac with a handgun, as this is expressly counterindicated in the usage and care manual.)

Then there's the question, "how much will this thing set me back?" Answer: a hair short of two grand for the entry-level 1.6 GHz model, which is a fair sight pricier than the entry-level G4 was. Guess we were right about Apple charging a premium-- and why not? We're 100% sure that the market will bear it, what with professional Mac users having starved for raw performance for so long. Seriously, what graphics pro wouldn't pay $2999 for a dual 2.0 GHz G5 that allegedly kicks the ugly Windows-using pants off a $4000 dual 3.06 GHz Xeon? Still, though, if you were budgeting for a G5, the bottom line is that you may have to scare up a few hundred extra clams.

The biggest surprise, though, may well be the answer to the question, "when can I get my sweaty little mitts on one?" According to Steve, none of the three Power Mac G5 models will ship until August. August?! So then what were in those Big, Mysterious Boxes that got shipped to resellers and Apple retail stores? Well, you're not gonna believe this, but it turns out they were filled with mimes. Yes, mimes. Celebratory mimes. They are even now walking against the wind in Apple resellers all over the world, commemorating the coming of the G5. No, we don't get it either. (shrug)

And don't go making irate phone calls to People for the Ethical Treatment of Mimes. Those little fellas are used to being trapped in boxes.