The team at Bare Feats may never win a Nobel prize for this but if you're a consumer on the market for a new computer, we suggest you check out their findings. The team put the 2.66GHz Mac Pro mano-a-mano with the 2.5GHz G5 Quad-Core Power Mac through a series of CPU intensive tests that include running:

Non-Universal Binary Apps

• PhotoShop CS2
  
• After Effects 7.0

Universal Binary Apps

• iMovie HD6
• Final Cut Pro 5
• FileMaker Pro 8.5
• Cinebench 9.5

And the results are...drumroll please...

Quad-Core G5 Power Mac beats Mac Pro Xeon/2.66GHz when running Photoshop CS2 and After Effects 7. Between the 3.0GHz Mac Pro and the Quad Core G5 Power Mac, Mac Pro is 5% slower on the Photoshop but 8% faster on the After Effects test.

Both versions of the Mac Pro are faster than the G5 Power Mac running iMovie, Final Cut Pro, FileMaker and Cinebench with the Mac Pro 2.66GHz up to 62% faster than the 2.5 GHz Quad-Core G5 Power Mac. The Mac Pro 3.0GHz was even faster by as much as 85%.

The Bottomline: If money is a big issue and the machine will be used for non-UB pro apps (like Photoshop CS2), Quad-Core G5 Power Mac is a good choice. If the machine is destined for heavy Universal Binary apps (like Final Cut Pro 5.1) and cost is not a factor, go for the new Mac Pro plus the expensive memory (the team recommend at least 4GB). However, expect a 5-week wait for the optional Radeon X1900 XT and the scarcity of correct memory from upgrade sources.

Export Address Book is an application from Dibomedia that exports all the data in your Address Book into an independent data file that you can archive or import somewhere else or use for merges with applications like Word and Filemaker.

Updating the version of Export Address Book, Dibomedia now makes it possible for you to export your contacts on vCards, either as multiple files or as one vCard with multiple entries. This allows you to create vCards while keeping private those information that you deem is unnecessary to be made known to others, without having to alter the original contact in your Address Book.

Also, you can now create documents, which take care of changed group contents automatically. For example, when you add contacts, you can add and store references to groups instead of letting the application split up the group into their members.

Available as a Universal Binary, the Export Address Book runs with full speed on any Mac with PowerPC or Intel processor. The current version is free for those who have the old version of the app. If you have yet to try Dibomedia's wonder, you can give the demo a try by clicking the download below.

Download: [Export Address Book 1.3 Demo Version]

FileMaker Inc. may announce the release of FileMaker Pro 8.5 and Pro 8.5 Advanced - its first release as a Universal Binary for Intel processors - on Monday. According to its maker, FileMaker Pro 8.5 runs up to 91% faster on Intel-based Macs than on PowerPC systems.

FileMaker v8.5 also features a Web Viewer where information on Web pages can be downloaded directly into FileMaker databases. The upcoming v8.5 already includes MapQuest/Google Maps, Google Search, Google Finance, FedEx, and Wikipedia in its address book. Web integration has also been expanded to Web-enabled applications.

Other additions will include an online Learning Center with over 30 QuickTime-based video tutorials, sample databases, documentation, a searchable Knowledge Base, and other resources. Upgrade to FileMaker v8.5 will cost $99.