ATI has a very vivid presence at MWSF this year, with a large booth showcasing a variety of demos, including the graphically impressive Wakeboarding Unleashed and the upcoming Unreal Tournament 2004. ATI seems optimistic about the future of the Mac market, noting that demand has started to outstrip supply, and that their relationship with Apple is better than ever, with their market share seeing large growth.

ATI's flagship announcement for MWSF is the upcoming bump to its current top of the line card. Dubbed the Radeon 9800 Pro Mac Special Edition, this card doubles the onboard memory to 256MB, sports AGP 8x, and includes both ADC and DVI ports. Retailing for an estimated $469 and available only for the G5, the card will be available intially as a BTO upgrade, and then later as a separate retail purchase. The current initial availability is hoped to be around mid-February.

When asked about its G5 exclusivity, ATI responded that they feel the current installed base of G5 users is large enough to support the release of a powerful G5-only card.

ATI reaffirmed their commitment to the Mac market, stating that they want to provide "good gaming solutions across the board," including Apple's laptop line as well as its desktops. They also expect to have more announcements in the near future. As always, IMG will be bringing the news to our readers as soon as we hear more word on their plans.

ATI

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