Power Mac 1.8 new Mac?
I wonder if the next Power Mac will be a new breed, different from the other Power Macs. What if it's basically a scaled down PM, a headless iMac or a new HyperCube? There's certainly room for it and it'd be highly desirable with these features:
1.6, 1.8 GHz single 970FX G5
1 PCI-X slot, 100 MHz
1 8x AGP slot with Radeon 9600 64MB card but has BTO options
2 DVI ports, DVI/VGA adapter
256MB, 512MB (2 slots, 2GB max)
160GB, 250GB option
8x DVD-R SuperDrive, Combo option
10" square base, 12" high
Internal power supply
Aluminum enclosure, brushed anodized or satin, maybe even colors
Two models:
1.6 GHz, 256MB, 160GB, Combo drive: $1199
1.8 GHz, 512MB, 250GB, SuperDrive: $1499
This is just my WAG but I'd sure like to see Apple make something like this. What do you think? Maybe you can give Apple some free marketing advice.
1.6, 1.8 GHz single 970FX G5
1 PCI-X slot, 100 MHz
1 8x AGP slot with Radeon 9600 64MB card but has BTO options
2 DVI ports, DVI/VGA adapter
256MB, 512MB (2 slots, 2GB max)
160GB, 250GB option
8x DVD-R SuperDrive, Combo option
10" square base, 12" high
Internal power supply
Aluminum enclosure, brushed anodized or satin, maybe even colors
Two models:
1.6 GHz, 256MB, 160GB, Combo drive: $1199
1.8 GHz, 512MB, 250GB, SuperDrive: $1499
This is just my WAG but I'd sure like to see Apple make something like this. What do you think? Maybe you can give Apple some free marketing advice.
Comments
There is a urgent need to find a new product suitable for both business and the consumer market. I believe this will be the new iMac, headless (about the cube) or AIO.
I believe the cube would be much in the form factor and at the specifications above. Graphics may be integrated on the mother board. External power supply. I will guess the form of a headless will be more like the G5.
An AIO may be made by 17/20/23" LCD, everything integrated into the monitor. Bluetooth and Airport will included, bluetooth keyboard and mouse, only one cable (external power supply). Radio and tv-tuner will be a possible BTO.
Consumers and business users tend to be less interested about processors, graphics card or number of slots than the average user here.
May best guess for processor is G5, about 1.6 - 1.8 and 2.0, but not similar to the processor of the PowerMac. Choice of processor is not the most important issue for this large segment of the marked.
Design and value for money is far more important.
Originally posted by Rolo
1.6, 1.8 GHz single 970FX G5
1 PCI-X slot, 100 MHz
1 8x AGP slot with Radeon 9600 64MB card but has BTO options
2 DVI ports, DVI/VGA adapter
256MB, 512MB (2 slots, 2GB max)
160GB, 250GB option
8x DVD-R SuperDrive, Combo option
10" square base, 12" high
Internal power supply
Aluminum enclosure, brushed anodized or satin, maybe even colors
Two models:
1.6 GHz, 256MB, 160GB, Combo drive: $1199
1.8 GHz, 512MB, 250GB, SuperDrive: $1499
Looks great! If the specs were modified by:
- change the hard drives to 80/160
- eliminate the PCI-X slot
I would still think it looks great (though more is always better!). The questions is - how do you get $500 off of the Dual 1.8? Obviously, one less processor goes a long way. I don't think cutting out 2 of the 3 PCI-X slots particularly saves any money... Making the hard drives smaller and having fewer memory slots helps... I'll buy one!
1. Use PCI-E instead of AGP & PCI-X.
2. Processors should be running at 1.8 & 2.0 instead of 1.6 & 1.8, respectively.
Hopefully, these things would be running either DDR400 or DDR2-533 for memory.
Other than that, I'd buy one of the Superdrive models in a heartbeat.
Originally posted by jwdawso
Looks great! If the specs were modified by:
- change the hard drives to 80/160
- eliminate the PCI-X slot
I would still think it looks great (though more is always better!). The questions is - how do you get $500 off of the Dual 1.8? Obviously, one less processor goes a long way. I don't think cutting out 2 of the 3 PCI-X slots particularly saves any money... Making the hard drives smaller and having fewer memory slots helps... I'll buy one!
Look at the size of the PM and the number of fans. My little model would have a smaller power supply, smaller case, fewer RAM and PCI slots, far fewer fans (1 or 2 vs. 9), have only one HD bay, and would be much quieter. I think my pricing is doable.
This would be perfect for gamers since games don't need dual processors, just a good graphics card which would be an option not available on an iMac. The combo model with smaller HD would be perfect for business and very affordable. Again, biz apps don't need dual CPUs but the advantage of this mini-G5 over the iMac is no compromise in terms of speed and a choice of monitors, including a cheap CRT.
As for cooling, a vertical design is far more efficient than lateral cooling and would work with one variable speed fan located in either the top or the bottom of the unit.
Having one available PCI slot would open this unit up to options like a high end sound card, for instance, or a variety of cards, only one of which is needed. It would sure add to the versatility of this unit would eliminate a drawback of the original Cube.
I think Apple really needs to add the option of a mini-Power Mac and I think they could sell a LOT of them.
Originally posted by Gamblor
I'd make a couple of changes:
1. Use PCI-E instead of AGP & PCI-X.
2. Processors should be running at 1.8 & 2.0 instead of 1.6 & 1.8, respectively.
Hopefully, these things would be running either DDR400 or DDR2-533 for memory.
Other than that, I'd buy one of the Superdrive models in a heartbeat.
Yeah, I'd prefer PCI-E, too, if Apple is ready for that. It'd give this thing more GPU choices in the long run. As for the other suggestions, it's a matter of cost and heat but I'm all for faster and better.
Originally posted by Gamblor
I'd make a couple of changes:
1. Use PCI-E instead of AGP & PCI-X.
2. Processors should be running at 1.8 & 2.0 instead of 1.6 & 1.8, respectively.
Hopefully, these things would be running either DDR400 or DDR2-533 for memory.
Other than that, I'd buy one of the Superdrive models in a heartbeat.
Yes, bleeding edge technology will make the consumer model cheaper
By being so afraid that people will upgrade rather than buy a new Mac, and by being so afraid to let us buy our own displays, they're losing sales. Apple's desktop lines are in an utter shambles right now, and not even because of Mhz, but because of the choices Apple has made in configurations.
The PowerMacs are priced so high that they can't have a reasonably priced, reasonably spec-ed G5 machine without killing PM sales. If the PowerMacs had outlandishly fantastic specs it would be different. But any new machine has to be crippled or high-priced enough so as not to compete with PowerMacs, so we know they can't do it.
Originally posted by smalM
Yes, bleeding edge technology will make the consumer model cheaper
Oh, please.
You do realize that a couple of the reasons PCI-E exists are because it's cheaper to implement than PCI-X, and it's more or less a wash with AGP, don't you?
As for the memory-- well, DDR2-533 does have a price premium right now, but I wouldn't expect Apple to introduce such a machine for several more months. Hopefully the price of DDR2 will come down by then. Otherwise, DDR400 is about as cheap as any memory you can get right now.
Originally posted by Rolo
This would be perfect for gamers since games don't need dual processors, just a good graphics card which would be an option not available on an iMac.
Unfortunately, this is true in the PC land, but not in Mac land. As the sound is being processed in CPU under OS X, a dual processor system will almost double the performance in modern demanding games as UT2004. See here. Of course, in this example, the game knows about the second processor and sends the sound there.
Originally posted by PB
Unfortunately, this is true in the PC land, but not in Mac land. As the sound is being processed in CPU under OS X, a dual processor system will almost double the performance in modern demanding games as UT2004. See here. Of course, in this example, the game knows about the second processor and sends the sound there.
Hmmm, that BareFeats test didn't compare a single processor G5 running the same Radeon 9800 card so it's hard to tell what the 2nd CPU buys you. Assuming UT is MP-aware, maybe that's the exception. I think most games aren't and are more dependent on the GPU than anything else.
Apple really needs another choice when it comes to desktop Macs and a min-PM in some form or other at a lower price point would sell big time, IMO.
Originally posted by Rolo
Hmmm, that BareFeats test didn't compare a single processor G5 running the same Radeon 9800 card so it's hard to tell what the 2nd CPU buys you.
Did you read the comments after the graphs?
Originally posted by BRussell
It's just not that complicated. Give us a reasonably-priced machine with a graphics card that can be upgraded. Let us buy whatever display we want (VGA, DVI). Make it a no-brainer. All they do is make the decision harder, i.e., lose sales, by sticking the display on it and making it un-upgradeable.
By being so afraid that people will upgrade rather than buy a new Mac, and by being so afraid to let us buy our own displays, they're losing sales. Apple's desktop lines are in an utter shambles right now, and not even because of Mhz, but because of the choices Apple has made in configurations.
The PowerMacs are priced so high that they can't have a reasonably priced, reasonably spec-ed G5 machine without killing PM sales. If the PowerMacs had outlandishly fantastic specs it would be different. But any new machine has to be crippled or high-priced enough so as not to compete with PowerMacs, so we know they can't do it.
This description of what's going on with Apple is perfect.
Originally posted by PB
Did you read the comments after the graphs?
Oops, no. OK, I see your point but it looks like Apple could get better performance with a better sound processor rather than a second CPU. It could also get far better performance using DirectX or something because Macs are always going to be at a disadvantage with OpenGL for on the PC side, a cheaper single CPU is going to whip the more expensive dual G5, the way things are.
Originally posted by PB
Unfortunately, this is true in the PC land, but not in Mac land. As the sound is being processed in CPU under OS X, a dual processor system will almost double the performance in modern demanding games as UT2004.
Absolutely not. At max you'll see a 20% increase.People really over-estimate SMP in games, when they arent done as good as QIII.
Originally posted by Gamblor
I'd make a couple of changes:
1. Use PCI-E instead of AGP & PCI-X.
2. Processors should be running at 1.8 & 2.0 instead of 1.6 & 1.8, respectively.
Hopefully, these things would be running either DDR400 or DDR2-533 for memory.
Other than that, I'd buy one of the Superdrive models in a heartbeat.
I can do fine with DDR400, no use for DDR2 anyway. PCI-E would be nice too.
Other than that, my brother and I would take a superdrive model each in a heartbeat.
Originally posted by Rolo
OK, I see your point but it looks like Apple could get better performance with a better sound processor rather than a second CPU.
You are absolutely right. Why Macs come without a sound card and the sound processing is left to the CPU is beyond me. Perhaps people here working on audio could enlighten me. I don't know details about the audio technologies under Macs OS X, but if I am not mistaken, there exists for audio something like OpenGL for graphics. Is that true? Is OS X using it? Could it be used in audio hardware like OpenGL drives video hardware?
But until the time of hardware sound comes (if ever), only a second CPU can save the situation in games like UT2004.
Originally posted by PB
You are absolutely right. Why Macs come without a sound card and the sound processing is left to the CPU is beyond me. Perhaps people here working on audio could enlighten me. I don't know details about the audio technologies under Macs OS X, but if I am not mistaken, there exists for audio something like OpenGL for graphics. Is that true? Is OS X using it? Could it be used in audio hardware like OpenGL drives video hardware?
But until the time of hardware sound comes (if ever), only a second CPU can save the situation in games like UT2004.
Because of an agreement with the beatles that Apple must not enter the music biz.