"As I've recently acquired an iBook 600mhz G3 combo, a major hardware upgrade within the next few months would be consistant with all of my other Apple purchasing experiences..."
I think Apple would be making a real mistake by putting the iBook on G4. Here's why. The G4 runs too hot, and requires too much active cooling, to deal with the iBook's casing. Even that might not deter Apple from putting a G4 in the iBook and a few hard core Mac-heads from buying one, but for this other fact; IBM is in the process of introducing new G3 chips (750fx) that run at 700MHz-1GHz and use far less power than the current G3 (750cxe). I know one thing -- I'd be first in line for a new iBook with an 800MHz G3 (750fx) -- or even 1GHz if available. That should more than overcome any AltiVec disadvantage. (of course, after all that bluster, I suppose Apple will tempt me in the other direction with a faster Powerbook!!)
I, for one, like the idea of an iBook that gets decent battery life, doesn't need a noisy cooling fan, and isn't hot enough to fry eggs on. You go G4, you're going to have to put one heck of a fan in that little plastic case. At least the Powerbook with all that metal can radiate some of the heat out -- and it still needs a little hair drier in there. The other alternative, a Dell or PM5300 that melts . . . well, we needn't go there, need we.
As for the iMac going G4, Apple really had no choice; they HAD to do something, they had, as we now see, something dramatic ready to go as far as the design is concerned, but the only game in town for another increase in clock speed in January to accompany the new model was to switch tracks to the G4, given that the fastest previous generation G3 is 700MHz. The 750fx chips were only just going out for sampling in January; if IBM manages to hold to a typical schedule for introducing them, that means production chips in about June. That would be great for another boost to the iBook, but it would have been another embarrassing wait for the iMac.
Another consideration is this; on OS 10.1.3, the current iBook -- at least the 600MHz version -- seems to be able to manage OS X pretty well in most respects, although opening MS Office for the first time is terribly slow (second and subsequent openings aren't a problem). I don't think they need to go the radical step of putting a furnace (sorry, G4) in there if they can get 50 percent more clock speed out of the G3 right away.
So there you have my take. A big boost in clock speed saves the iBook for the G3 for another year.
(And yes, for those who don't know, the G3 750fx chip is the "Sahara" chip that one of the earlier posters mentioned. I'm pretty sure that it fabs on 0.13 micron but not positive.)
supposedly it was ready a year ago!</strong><hr></blockquote>I think this is one of those common myths - that IBM has faster PowerPCs. According to them, their G3 was sampling at 700Mhz in early 2002, and should hit 1 Ghz by the end of 2002.
<strong> P4-Ms use 30 watts each. The MPC7445 uses approximately 1/3 that.</strong><hr></blockquote>Yeah, now if only they'd use the damn chip. BTW, I just noticed that their <a href="http://e-www.motorola.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=MPC7445&nodeId=01M98653"; target="_blank">description of the 7445 </a> says it goes to 1Ghz. It said 800Mhz as recently as a week or two ago.
The 7455 would be a pretty good choice for the I book G4 and Tibook next generation. A 600 mhz 7455 will not have a huge watt consumption and will be perfect for the task.
It would be logical that all the Apple line turn to the G4, in that configuration tthe developper wil wish to make more and more altivec optimization in their future software.
I'm actually thinking Apple is going to crank the TiBook up to 1 GHz. I think this is why they have held off with the already available 800 MHz 7445.
In addition, the iBook will probably stay with the G3, to keep costs low and slice $100 off each model to really remain price competitive. (The same as education prices are now) I do think though that single speed CPUs will return across the line, probably at 800 MHz. Models will be differentiated with optical drive, RAM, HD, and then of course the 14 inch model.
The next iBook and TiBook I bet we'll see in May, and they will be a speedbump, not an evolutionary design change. But both will have better graphics capabilities. (32 MB 7500 in TiBook, 16 MB Radeon in iBook)
I for one will be waiting until Apple releases a new set of ibooks. Would love it to have a G4, but I'm more interested in getting the larger 14.1 screen at a reasonable price. 600mhz at 1799 is way too much. I also hope it supports usb 2.
[quote]... but I'm more interested in getting the larger 14.1 screen at a reasonable price. 600mhz at 1799 is way too much.[/QB]<hr></blockquote>
I don't know if I would wait - actually I did not and ordered mine today: I got the 12" one after an in-depth comparison. The small screen does not seem that much smaller yet the image is sharper and it is of handier dimensions.
The iMac got a G4 when it got a SuperDrive. Based on this, I conclude that the iBook will probably get a G4 when it gets a SuperDrive.
IBM is pushing the G3 hard enough that it will do fine for the tasks the iBook is geared toward: basic productivity/email/surfing/MP3 playing, not heavy pixel-pushing or multimedia creation. Furthermore, the G3 is getting smaller and cooler, which means Apple can also keep shrinking the case, using fewer and quieter fans (if any), and coaxing out better and better battery life. I think the customers in iBook's primary markets would rather see decent general performance and 8 hour battery life than an ability to quickly encode DVDs that the iBook can't burn with its internal drive.
MWSF 2003 sees the iBook get the SuperDrive - either coincident with the TiBook, or afterward - and move up to a G4. At that point the G4 should be pretty small and run pretty cool. Then again, If IBM's wierd built-in SIMD G3 works out well, Apple might just use that. The G3 has a lot of life left in it.
I also disagree that a new iBook will be unveiled at MWNY: It's too late for schools to make purchasing decisions for the next semester. Unless Apple really runs into trouble we'll see a new one in May, or June.
Comments
Know the feeling.
A 1.5 gig G3?
How come it aint been in the mac press?
Is this IBM making a point to Apple and Motorola?
ie you bet on the wrong horse?
Lemon Bon BOn :eek:
I, for one, like the idea of an iBook that gets decent battery life, doesn't need a noisy cooling fan, and isn't hot enough to fry eggs on. You go G4, you're going to have to put one heck of a fan in that little plastic case. At least the Powerbook with all that metal can radiate some of the heat out -- and it still needs a little hair drier in there. The other alternative, a Dell or PM5300 that melts . . . well, we needn't go there, need we.
As for the iMac going G4, Apple really had no choice; they HAD to do something, they had, as we now see, something dramatic ready to go as far as the design is concerned, but the only game in town for another increase in clock speed in January to accompany the new model was to switch tracks to the G4, given that the fastest previous generation G3 is 700MHz. The 750fx chips were only just going out for sampling in January; if IBM manages to hold to a typical schedule for introducing them, that means production chips in about June. That would be great for another boost to the iBook, but it would have been another embarrassing wait for the iMac.
Another consideration is this; on OS 10.1.3, the current iBook -- at least the 600MHz version -- seems to be able to manage OS X pretty well in most respects, although opening MS Office for the first time is terribly slow (second and subsequent openings aren't a problem). I don't think they need to go the radical step of putting a furnace (sorry, G4) in there if they can get 50 percent more clock speed out of the G3 right away.
So there you have my take. A big boost in clock speed saves the iBook for the G3 for another year.
[ 04-07-2002: Message edited by: photoeditor ]</p>
<strong>IBM already has 1.5 GHz G3s :eek:
<a href="http://www.geek.com/procspec/apple/g3e.htm"; target="_blank">http://www.geek.com/procspec/apple/g3e.htm</a>;
supposedly it was ready a year ago!</strong><hr></blockquote>I think this is one of those common myths - that IBM has faster PowerPCs. According to them, their G3 was sampling at 700Mhz in early 2002, and should hit 1 Ghz by the end of 2002.
I totally agree with photoeditor about the G3.
the same with the iMac, an elementry school doesn't need a G4, most of what they do is write reports or play games like bugdom
a G4 in higher edu maybe, but not in k-6
It's probably not as hard as you think it is putting a G4 in the iBook. P4-Ms use 30 watts each. The MPC7445 uses approximately 1/3 that.
<strong> P4-Ms use 30 watts each. The MPC7445 uses approximately 1/3 that.</strong><hr></blockquote>Yeah, now if only they'd use the damn chip. BTW, I just noticed that their <a href="http://e-www.motorola.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=MPC7445&nodeId=01M98653"; target="_blank">description of the 7445 </a> says it goes to 1Ghz. It said 800Mhz as recently as a week or two ago.
<strong>Yeah, now if only they'd use the damn chip. BTW, I just noticed that their <a href="http://e-www.motorola.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=MPC7445&nodeId=01M98653"; target="_blank">description of the 7445 </a> says it goes to 1Ghz. It said 800Mhz as recently as a week or two ago.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The 7455 would be a pretty good choice for the I book G4 and Tibook next generation. A 600 mhz 7455 will not have a huge watt consumption and will be perfect for the task.
It would be logical that all the Apple line turn to the G4, in that configuration tthe developper wil wish to make more and more altivec optimization in their future software.
<strong>Isn't the 7455 the chip the Dual Gig uses?</strong><hr></blockquote>Yes - I think maybe powerdoc means 7445, not 7455?
But apparently they have low-power versions of both chips, so who knows?
In addition, the iBook will probably stay with the G3, to keep costs low and slice $100 off each model to really remain price competitive. (The same as education prices are now) I do think though that single speed CPUs will return across the line, probably at 800 MHz. Models will be differentiated with optical drive, RAM, HD, and then of course the 14 inch model.
The next iBook and TiBook I bet we'll see in May, and they will be a speedbump, not an evolutionary design change. But both will have better graphics capabilities. (32 MB 7500 in TiBook, 16 MB Radeon in iBook)
<strong>Yes - I think maybe powerdoc means 7445, not 7455?
But apparently they have low-power versions of both chips, so who knows?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yea typo....but this is pretty sweet. I thought the PB used the 7441 and 7451...
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
I don't know if I would wait - actually I did not and ordered mine today: I got the 12" one after an in-depth comparison. The small screen does not seem that much smaller yet the image is sharper and it is of handier dimensions.
So long!
IBM is pushing the G3 hard enough that it will do fine for the tasks the iBook is geared toward: basic productivity/email/surfing/MP3 playing, not heavy pixel-pushing or multimedia creation. Furthermore, the G3 is getting smaller and cooler, which means Apple can also keep shrinking the case, using fewer and quieter fans (if any), and coaxing out better and better battery life. I think the customers in iBook's primary markets would rather see decent general performance and 8 hour battery life than an ability to quickly encode DVDs that the iBook can't burn with its internal drive.
MWSF 2003 sees the iBook get the SuperDrive - either coincident with the TiBook, or afterward - and move up to a G4. At that point the G4 should be pretty small and run pretty cool. Then again, If IBM's wierd built-in SIMD G3 works out well, Apple might just use that. The G3 has a lot of life left in it.
I also disagree that a new iBook will be unveiled at MWNY: It's too late for schools to make purchasing decisions for the next semester. Unless Apple really runs into trouble we'll see a new one in May, or June.
[ 04-09-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]
[ 04-09-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>