Latest Poop From MOSR:
(From <a href="http://macosrumors.com/)" target="_blank">http://macosrumors.com/)</a>
----------------------------------------------------------
Quad-processor PowerMac G4s? Yeah, you heard right. Quad processors; every high-end Mac fanatic's dream. Recent revelations from old-school friends at Apple whom we haven't talked to in a while seem to suggest that the new "Apollo" PowerPC 7470 processors and Apple's new PowerMac motherboard controller chip may make more than two G4 processors a reasonable price/performance proposition...and if the 7470 doesn't do it, its next-generation brother, the PPC 7500, is purported to be less than a year away with its 500MHz RapidIO bus.
We don't expect to see quad processors at the August Apple Event, but the new PowerMac enclosure has clearly been designed to dissipate a whooooole lotta heat. The new 7470s are hot chips to be sure, but even at 1.6GHz, our reports indicate that this is not dramatically worse than with the 1GHz 7450 used in today's PowerMacs. This would seem to suggest, along with the new heatsink's almost ridiculously large dimensions, that quad processors are on the horizon.
No G4 iBooks. For those who don't have to follow Apple's quieter public statements as closely as certain computer journalists (yours truly), you may have missed the relevant interview earlier this year when an Apple executive stated quite clearly that the company expects to keep the iBook using G3 processors for quite some time. We interpret this to mean at least a year....so don't expect G4 iBooks until the latter half of 2003, at the earliest.
SuperDrive on PowerBook G4s? A lot of readers want to know when Apple is going to get around to putting DVD-R capabilities into the ultraslim PBG4 Titanium. From what we've heard, Apple's next PBG4 update will not only reach 1GHz in the processor arena, but it will also include the world's first ultraslim portable DVD burner. Granted, the Superdrive model can be expected to ship much later than its DVD-ROM/CD-RW cousins, but it's definitely coming.
When, might you ask? Probably at an Apple Event in late winter of next year, some time between February and early April. Macworld San Francisco in January isn't out of the question, but it would leave the new Superdrive models lagging so severely that it could hurt sales beyond acceptable limits....
----------------------------------------------------------
Quad-processor PowerMac G4s? Yeah, you heard right. Quad processors; every high-end Mac fanatic's dream. Recent revelations from old-school friends at Apple whom we haven't talked to in a while seem to suggest that the new "Apollo" PowerPC 7470 processors and Apple's new PowerMac motherboard controller chip may make more than two G4 processors a reasonable price/performance proposition...and if the 7470 doesn't do it, its next-generation brother, the PPC 7500, is purported to be less than a year away with its 500MHz RapidIO bus.
We don't expect to see quad processors at the August Apple Event, but the new PowerMac enclosure has clearly been designed to dissipate a whooooole lotta heat. The new 7470s are hot chips to be sure, but even at 1.6GHz, our reports indicate that this is not dramatically worse than with the 1GHz 7450 used in today's PowerMacs. This would seem to suggest, along with the new heatsink's almost ridiculously large dimensions, that quad processors are on the horizon.
No G4 iBooks. For those who don't have to follow Apple's quieter public statements as closely as certain computer journalists (yours truly), you may have missed the relevant interview earlier this year when an Apple executive stated quite clearly that the company expects to keep the iBook using G3 processors for quite some time. We interpret this to mean at least a year....so don't expect G4 iBooks until the latter half of 2003, at the earliest.
SuperDrive on PowerBook G4s? A lot of readers want to know when Apple is going to get around to putting DVD-R capabilities into the ultraslim PBG4 Titanium. From what we've heard, Apple's next PBG4 update will not only reach 1GHz in the processor arena, but it will also include the world's first ultraslim portable DVD burner. Granted, the Superdrive model can be expected to ship much later than its DVD-ROM/CD-RW cousins, but it's definitely coming.
When, might you ask? Probably at an Apple Event in late winter of next year, some time between February and early April. Macworld San Francisco in January isn't out of the question, but it would leave the new Superdrive models lagging so severely that it could hurt sales beyond acceptable limits....
Comments
This is how a typical MOSR post goes:
1. MOSR says "insiders at Apple have told us Steve will release quad G5s at 800 Thz this Macworld..."
2. Apple releases speed bumped PowerMacs
3. MOSR says "Apple is holding back!!!" instead of "We need new sources, cuz our current ones are full of crap."
Incidentally, i hope they're right about the quad processors.
[ 07-29-2002: Message edited by: Agent Cooper ]</p>
At least not since he posted that drivel about an octa-CPU Powermac in the shape of a dodecahedron.
<strong>Yeah but these are "old-school" friends at Apple who Meader hasn't talked to in a while.
At least not since he posted that drivel about an octa-CPU Powermac in the shape of a dodecahedron.</strong><hr></blockquote>
OH! Those old freinds... <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
"Latest poop from MOSR" is right. notice where i place the italics.
[ 07-29-2002: Message edited by: Agent Cooper ]</p>
I guess they'll have to be right some year... <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
D
[QB]MOSR, very optimistic, but they have a bad tendancy of giving people expectations higher than they should have. MOSR's 'sources' are about as reputable as I am, (and I'm kind of a sleazebag) and the info they pass on from them is all over the place.<hr></blockquote>
The main problem with all of this is that you assume that MOSR has sources, albeit bad ones. MOSR's sources consist of Meader's left hand, which has considerably more palm hair than his right.
But I am sure that I won't be showing up anytime soon... ;^(
PowerMac G4 Workstation
Quad Motorola PowerPC G4 7470 CPUs @ 1.6GHz
512KB on-die 1:1 L2 cache per CPU
4MB backside 2:1 L3 cache per CPU
333MHz DDR Front Side Bus
4GB PC2700 333MHz DDR SDRAM (4 @ 1GB DIMMs)
Dual ATA133 interfaces (hardware RAID implemented in system controller; supports 4 devices)
Four (4) 120GB ATA133 HDDs (RAID Level 0/Striped; 7,200rpm; 8MB cache per HDD)
Single ATA100 interface (supports 2 devices)
SuperDrive2 optical drive
CD-R/RW optical drive
AGP Pro110 8x graphics slot
nVidia/Apple Quartz Extreme OpenGL card (256MB DDR RAM; dual NV30 GPUs; dual ADC ports)
Two (2) Apple Cinema HD Displays (23"/1920x1200/32bit)
Four (4) PCI-X expansion slots (133MHz/64bit; dual busses; two slots per bus)
Two (2) FireWire2 ports (800Mbps)
Two (2) FireWire ports (400Mbps)
Four (4) USB ports (12Mbps)
10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet; RJ45 port
Airport2/BlueTooth integrated into single PC Card
Keyboard (USB standard/BlueTooth optional)
Mouse (USB standard/BlueTooth optional; three-button optional)
Mac OS X v10.2 (JagWire) standard
Maya Unlimited
Shake
Final Cut Pro
Cinema Tools
DVD Studio Pro
Photoshop
Illustrator
I would figure the list above would run about US$27,500.00(!), which would be a very good price for a quality workstation w/ dual displays, and a full load of DCC software...
Important, when one is footing the hardware/software bill oneself...!
And WAY cheaper than any other loaded Unix 3D workstation out there...
<strong>(From <a href="http://macosrumors.com/)" target="_blank">http://macosrumors.com/)</a>
----------------------------------------------------------
Quad-processor PowerMac G4s? Yeah, you heard right. Quad processors; every high-end Mac fanatic's dream. Recent revelations from old-school friends at Apple whom we haven't talked to in a while
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Indeed. Meader does have a fanciful imagination, I suppose Ryan and his intrepid team of Space Monkeys have once again infiltrated Apple HQ with the help of the Hot Chicks and Ninjas of OS X to bring us this latest piece of tripe.
i've followed MOSR for years and I cannot remember when any of their sources got it right I wonder what Ryan's excuse will be this time if his predictions do not come true. Any Takers?
So, the quad 1.6GHz'ers come out, and only show 20% improvement in performance!
"Here's some leg, just don't expect any"
Which is perhaps as honest as we can expect a rumours site to be.
Never the less ... does anybody know anything about the 7470? Cause since we pretty much know the next Apple's gonna be a heat pumpin' sweat-box, it's bound to have some new kind of chip in it ... and the 7470 looks pretty likely.
And now, back to growing hair on my other palm.
Hugs
[edit: grammar]
[ 07-29-2002: Message edited by: OverToasty ]</p>
<strong>MOSR has been jizzing over QUAD PPC boxes (and bigger) ever since the PPC was 1st introduced... The day it happens they'll have a 'we called it' story all about it.
I guess they'll have to be right some year... <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
D</strong><hr></blockquote>
Anyone remember a little company called Daystar Digital?
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
No one got the (original) iMac- speculation was that code-name Columbus was a set-top box (i.e. "discovery of a new world"), and when it came out in the "Pro. Go. Whoa." homepage stunt, it was a complete surprise all around.
<strong>The current Mac mobo can't even keep dualie 1GHz G4s well-fed...
So, the quad 1.6GHz'ers come out, and only show 20% improvement in performance! </strong><hr></blockquote>
Give them a little credit. When meader made up the story...errrrrr...talked to his sources, his sources told him that the quads would come with RapidIO!
<strong>3. MOSR says "Apple is holding back!!!" instead of "We need new sources, cuz our current ones are full of crap."</strong><hr></blockquote>
MOSR convinced me long ago that they have no sources at all. Or, what they call "sources", the rest of us would call, "people that send us emails."
Lets say that the current 133bus does a decent job of feeding the dual Ghz PM. Tht is, 'Decent' for what it is -- an antiquated 133SDR bus. Still, people who know a lot more about this than me insist it's a remarkably good (old) bus, very efficient. SO,
IF mot could supply a doubl pumped 133 or 166MPX bus Apple could then fully utilize DDR266 or DDR333. Seeing as they can feed two 1Ghz g4's decently, then such a memory system would probably let them get decent performance out of 4 G4 chips. If said chips were all on ONE daughtercard and shared a really big L3 (acting almot like a psuedo multi-core chip), hmmm...
Could be interesting. The Ghz SOI G4 uses 20watts. Compare with a P4 @ between 50-80 watts, and it's at least possible to put 4 G4's into close quarters with each other.
Still meader is full of crap, and he probably just got the idea from me making the same argument a few months ago.
<strong>IF mot could supply a doubl pumped 133 or 166MPX bus Apple could then fully utilize DDR266 or DDR333. Seeing as they can feed two 1Ghz g4's decently, then such a memory system would probably let them get decent performance out of 4 G4 chips. If said chips were all on ONE daughtercard and shared a really big L3 (acting almot like a psuedo multi-core chip), hmmm...</strong><hr></blockquote>
They wouldn't share the L3 cache because each processor has its own controller for that cache. The cache's advantage is that it is private to the CPU and gets a high speed data channel.
If Apple can double the bandwidth (due to a new processor version), then they can double the processors -- why is this so objectionable? Obviously this would significantly increase the cost and heat output, but with all the talk of the large heatsink in the supposed new machine at least one of those problems is dealt with. The cost issue is probably about another US$1000-1500, so this would become a new workstation level machine. As mentioned above, DayStar managed to build a quad 604e machine years ago, so a quad G4 machine is doable given enough bandwidth to keep them all fed. It would be better if MERSI was put back in, but the 604e got along without it and its caches were much much smaller (only 64K L1!) compared to the 7455's huge L1/L2/L3 system.