The "No Speed Bump" scenario...
I don't have any good sources, none that talk anyway, but I did hear the following excerpts from a discussion involving Apple's employees, specifically in regards to marketing-product positioning.
Apparently, after the 50MHZ speed bump fiasco from MacWorld's past, there has been a "Worst Case Scenario" plan in effect, in case Motorola was to hit another wall regarding processor speeds or low production rates (or both)... The folllowing is the product plan in place if Motorola does not come through with faster chips....
If no speed bump is possible...
The Dual Gig Bundle will include Office v.X and either Studio MX or Web Collection or both (as an ultimate bundle)
933 bundle will include Office with Photoshop LE version and a your choice of web creation program.
800 bundle will include Apple Works pro (a new , version of the AW app with more powerful feature set) And the superdrive would be available on all models...
Regarding iMacs
the combo model would price out at $1399.99 - the superdrive model $1599.99
the ultimate iMac would be $1899.99 and have a superdrive , G4 1Ghz with Zero L3 Cache.
No change in the eMac pending sales fluctuations.
This is just what I heard in case Motorola doesn't come through, so don't flame me with "false" "true" statements...
MSKR
[ 06-25-2002: Message edited by: Masker ]</p>
Apparently, after the 50MHZ speed bump fiasco from MacWorld's past, there has been a "Worst Case Scenario" plan in effect, in case Motorola was to hit another wall regarding processor speeds or low production rates (or both)... The folllowing is the product plan in place if Motorola does not come through with faster chips....
If no speed bump is possible...
The Dual Gig Bundle will include Office v.X and either Studio MX or Web Collection or both (as an ultimate bundle)
933 bundle will include Office with Photoshop LE version and a your choice of web creation program.
800 bundle will include Apple Works pro (a new , version of the AW app with more powerful feature set) And the superdrive would be available on all models...
Regarding iMacs
the combo model would price out at $1399.99 - the superdrive model $1599.99
the ultimate iMac would be $1899.99 and have a superdrive , G4 1Ghz with Zero L3 Cache.
No change in the eMac pending sales fluctuations.
This is just what I heard in case Motorola doesn't come through, so don't flame me with "false" "true" statements...
MSKR
[ 06-25-2002: Message edited by: Masker ]</p>
Comments
when / what timeframe did you hear this?
<strong>I don't have any good sources, none that talk anyway, but I did hear the following excerpts from a discussion involving Apple's employees, specifically in regards to marketing-product positioning.
Apparently, after the 50MHZ speed bump fiasco from MacWorld's past, there has been a "Worst Case Scenario" plan in effect, in case Motorola was to hit another wall regarding processor speeds or low production rates (or both)... The folllowing is the product plan in place if Motorola does not come through with faster chips....
If no speed bump is possible...
The Dual Gig Bundle will include Office v.X and either Studio MX or Web Collection or both (as an ultimate bundle)
933 bundle will include Office with Photoshop LE version and a your choice of web creation program.
800 bundle will include Apple Works pro (a new , version of the AW app with more powerful feature set) And the superdrive would be available on all models...
Regarding iMacs
the combo model would price out at $1399.99 - the superdrive model $1599.99
the ultimate iMac would be $1899.99 and have a superdrive , G4 1Ghz with Zero L3 Cache.
No change in the eMac pending sales fluctuations.
This is just what I heard in case Motorola doesn't come through, so don't flame me with "false" "true" statements...
MSKR
[ 06-25-2002: Message edited by: Masker ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Good job taking a rumor from Spymac, changing it around a little and making it sound like it's your own info.
Cheers!
Apple branded home appliances
Apple tablet PCs
An Apple PDA
An Apple Cell Phone
The Apple iToast a computer roughly the size of a toaster with a DVD and a CD-RW drive
XServer-Their new personal slave robot
A new version of Appleworks that whoops up on Office and (oddly enough) Filemaker
A new version of the Mail client renamed eM@iler that can handle proprietary email as well as standard POP and IMAP
Applesauce-the new gaming console from those wild and wacky folks at Apple
The new Apple Stylewriter line the 15000 and 25000 (both recasings of Epson designs)
An Apple branded home and home office furniture line
ON your way out of the keynote look for folks sitting catatonically mumbling "I cannot buy it all, I cannot buy it all"
The G4 has to keep scaling. A lot of pro sales depend on it.
Luckily, there is evidence to suggest this is not the case.
Yields of the 1GHz 7455 seem to be very high. Apple is using them in two dual configurations and a single. 3rd party 1GHz upgrades are on the horizon as well, so there must be plenty of chips to go around.
This indicates Motorola did something right. The 7455 could probably scale as high as 1.2GHz before yields begin to suffer.
So the chances of there not being any speed bump at Macworld are almost no existent.
Good news, although I hope the new iMac gets the 1.2GHz chips because the PowerMacs deserve something faster. 1.5GHz 7460 with 166MHz MPX would be great.
[ 06-25-2002: Message edited by: Keeksy ]</p>
Apple is going to upgrade the G4s, there no doubt about it.
If they do offer MORE value in the software end thats great. Many have whined about how the iMac comes with a big software bundle while the "pro" more expensive G4s come with jack squat (relatively speaking, discounting all the swag OS X comes with already).
Its not unheard of to bundle apps with hardware at Apple, they just meander back and forth between take it or leave it and PLEASE BUY OUR PRODUCTS LOOK AT ALL OUR BUNDLED APPS deals.
when / what timeframe did you hear this?[/QB]<hr></blockquote>
I've been on vacation and heard it last week... the fact that I heard it may have meant it's a plan of action that Apple won't have to take, and therefore it's now not-so-secret....
At any rate, based on other's comments, I now know why noone seems to post anything remotely approaching rumor-worthy.
And regarding the post, alluding to me gleaning this information from spymac, well, I don't visit spymac, and was unaware of their story. The place in which I heard this info was a meeting of sorts with invited guests who may have heard similar information. (in fact some of this info was inferred during a presentation at this meeting.)
MSKR
<strong>
I've been on vacation and heard it last week... the fact that I heard it may have meant it's a plan of action that Apple won't have to take, and therefore it's now not-so-secret....
At any rate, based on other's comments, I now know why noone seems to post anything remotely approaching rumor-worthy.
And regarding the post, alluding to me gleaning this information from spymac, well, I don't visit spymac, and was unaware of their story. The place in which I heard this info was a meeting of sorts with invited guests who may have heard similar information. (in fact some of this info was inferred during a presentation at this meeting.)
MSKR</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hilarious!
Contingency ideas get thrown around all the time and any company that doesn't have them....well it's rather poor business practice.
I would be rather surprised to discover Apple's contingency plans were as pathetic as that though
If there wasn't a tech issue, then I am convinced it was Apple's relationship with Motorola (and IBM) that kept the upgrades out of the marketplace. And if they are selling 1 gig G4s now as upgrades, I'd be pretty surprised to see the bottom of the new PM line below 1 gig, and the top below 1.3 (or 1.33 or the closest speed that works).Or, in lieu of faster G4s, some significant tweaks to the MB. No matter how they do it, they're going to have to roll out faster PMs to compete with the upgrade market.
<strong>Only a DAMN FOOL would even suggest that the Powermacs won't be bumped. I feel for you if you actually trust this "source"</strong><hr></blockquote>
As far as I'm concerned, if the biggest speed bump is only as high as 1.2 GHz for a new top of the line PowerMac, Apple should implement the same contigency plan as for no speed bump at all. I think many of us would find 1.2 GHz, especially without real DDR, a huge disappointment.
For myself, I still wouldn't buy such a system even with all of these software goodies, or any other likely promotional gimmick for that matter. I'll keep waiting (and I hope I don't have to) for a real and significant increase in performance before I buy my next Mac system.
<strong>
And regarding the post, alluding to me gleaning this information from spymac, well, I don't visit spymac, and was unaware of their story. The place in which I heard this info was a meeting of sorts with invited guests who may have heard similar information. (in fact some of this info was inferred during a presentation at this meeting.)
MSKR</strong><hr></blockquote>
Was hiding in a storage closet involved during this meeting?
This would totally change the Power Mac, IMHO, into a budget machine for designers.
Barto
Lets face it, dual 1Ghzs are good, but compare that to a 2+ Ghz intel/AMD chip with a 500 Mhz (overclocked bus), w/ DDR RAM.
Ever wonder why we havent seen Pentium-G4 shootouts recently ?