Macbidouille: 970's on sale at the end of May

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Loosely translated from here :



Quote:

We have learned from a well-informed source that the first 1.4 GHz single-processor PPC 970's are rolling out of Hon Hai Precision's assembly lines. It's great news since they will be available much earlier than expected.



The single processors will be in stock and on sale at the end of may, and the high-end [machines] will arrive in mid-June, right before WWDC.



The only bad news is that the machines will ship with Mac OS X 10.2, without 64-bits optimization. Buyers will get Mac OS X 10.3 for free when it ships in September.



In this context, unless Apple opposes to it, we will reveal benchmarks by May 15.




At first I thought they were refering to the processors themselves, but they're really talking about the machines. End of may looks really early to me.



-Heady
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 300
    Shipping 970 Powermacs with 10.2 makes no sense.. They need the 'big kick' and release it with 64 bit OS support.. It doesnt make sense from a PR view..
  • Reply 2 of 300
    nitzernitzer Posts: 115member
    Everything sounds so believable... except the date.



    I'll believe it because I want it to be true.
  • Reply 3 of 300
    fred_ljfred_lj Posts: 607member
    This site has - suprisingly - been sort of accurate before, right? This report makes great sense in terms of releasing a new 15" PowerBook at the end of May. I mean, why not go ahead and stick a 1GHz 970 in there, huh?



    Hope is powerful --- could be an exciting two months!!!
  • Reply 4 of 300
    overtoastyovertoasty Posts: 439member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Heady

    Loosely translated from here :







    At first I thought they were refering to the processors themselves, but they're really talking about the machines. End of may looks really early to me.



    -Heady




    it's actually not a bad idea (though this of course, proves nothing), Apple can successfully transition out of their G4 machines, by replacing them (slowly) in the top end with what appears to be "minor" replacements, a single chip 970 at the same clock frequency.



    This won't appear to obsolete the entire line instantly (despite the fact it actualy does), so Apple can continue to sell the lower end G4's and clear them out, while - at the same time - take advantage of first 970's that came off IBM's fab.
  • Reply 5 of 300
    nitzernitzer Posts: 115member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by T'hain Esh Kelch

    Shipping 970 Powermacs with 10.2 makes no sense.. They need the 'big kick' and release it with 64 bit OS support.. It doesnt make sense from a PR view..



    Underpowered $3000 workstations don't make sense from a PR view either. There is no way that they can afford to hold up faster hardware for a software release.



    Besides how many developers would have 64 bit apps ready to go.



    I want to believe!
  • Reply 6 of 300
    eddivelyeddively Posts: 74member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Nitzer

    Underpowered $3000 workstations don't make sense from a PR view either. There is no way that they can afford to hold up faster hardware for a software release.



    Besides how many developers would have 64 bit apps ready to go.



    I want to believe!






    I disagree a little bit. I think this would make sense. a 970 even without 64 bit optimizations would still blow the water out of the G4s. And once a 10.2.xx with a small patch for 64bit or something operations, it'll even get faster. I do not see why they should hold them back. I'd buy it right now if it came out, even if I could only use 10.2 for a few months.
  • Reply 7 of 300
    thegeldingthegelding Posts: 3,230member
    if a 970 PM or PB is ready, but panther is not, they WILL NOT hold back releasing the PM or PB....the 970 will scream on Jag and be even better on Panther....of course i don't think we will see new PM with 970 in May, but i hope i am wrong.....



    g
  • Reply 8 of 300
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by eddively

    I disagree a little bit. I think this would make sense. a 970 even without 64 bit optimizations would still blow the water out of the G4s. And once a 10.2.xx with a small patch for 64bit or something operations, it'll even get faster. I do not see why they should hold them back. I'd buy it right now if it came out, even if I could only use 10.2 for a few months.



    I think the 3000$ computer was in reference to the current PowerMacs.



    Nitzer is saying that staying with the current underpowered G4s is bad PR and that Apple should release the 970 as soon as possible instead of holding them back until Panther.



    And like he said, no 64-bit apps are going to be ready anyways, so why not release the 970 now. And even if they were, 64-bit isn't all that amazing for consumers (at least not in the next few years.)
  • Reply 9 of 300
    nitzernitzer Posts: 115member
    Doesn't this sync up well with MacWhispers rumors of motherboard outsourcing too?



    MacWhispers, March 21



    Can I put an order in today?
  • Reply 10 of 300
    maniamania Posts: 104member
  • Reply 11 of 300
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member




    Now that is funny!!!



    I could see PPC970s come end of May...



    And the idea of rolling out 'equal' clockspeed 970s to replace the current G4s is a sound one... Allows Apple the quarterly rampup of clockspeeds, allows IBM the next year to get some 3+ GHz 970/980s out of the fabs and into the assembly plants...



    Still waiting on my Quad 970 3D workstation...



    ;^p
  • Reply 12 of 300
    nitzernitzer Posts: 115member
    Are you suggesting they release a 1.4ghz 970 for $3000, then the next month release a dual 1.6 ghz 970 for $3000 and drop the price of the single 1.4ghz to $2300, and then the month after that release the dual 1.8ghz 970 for $3000 and drop the 1.6 dual to $2300 and 1.4 to $1800.



    I know computers lose their value quickly, but $1200 in two months time after launch. I don't think so.



    I say:



    1.4 single - $1800 - shipping in late may

    1.6 dual - $2300 - mid to late june

    1.8 dual - $3000 - late june to early july



    All prices and specs are purely theoretical (and hopefully will be better).



    edit: All announced on the same day -- ship as soon as possible with the above as a projected schedule -- more or less the normal way they release products







    ps Dig the poster!
  • Reply 13 of 300
    3.14163.1416 Posts: 120member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by OverToasty

    Apple can successfully transition out of their G4 machines, by replacing them (slowly) in the top end with what appears to be "minor" replacements, a single chip 970 at the same clock frequency.





    Possible, but unlikely. I don't think Apple would want to be selling single 1.4 970s alongside dual 1.42 G4s, that would just be confusing. It's more likely that Steve will announce a complete tower switchover to the 970 at WWDC, which also gives Apple a bit more time to build up inventory for what will almost certainly be a huge demand. I'll be at WWDC and I can't wait to hear the reaction if Steve unveils the 970s and ends with "and they're shipping TODAY".
  • Reply 14 of 300
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    Pardon my thoughts, but if you planned on releasing the 970s at WWDC or MWNY, wouldn't the machines need to be ready by then? Just because the first model will be done so they can move onto the 2nd model doesn't mean they are going to release them 1 by 1. It would be a massive unvieling, a huge campaign. You can't do that in phases, releasing one model a time. If they are ready, then they can ship immediately after the announcement.



    Just sounds like normal product accumulation before release to me. Unless we want the 'shipping in 5 months' situation again.
  • Reply 15 of 300
    fred_ljfred_lj Posts: 607member
    Oh, Sensibility, how I scorn thee!!
  • Reply 16 of 300
    keyboardf12keyboardf12 Posts: 1,379member
    What was the exact timeframe between the announcement of the media event for the ipod and the actaully monday event?



    If apple does what macboudle say then we are looking at least that much of a pre announcement if not a little more?
  • Reply 17 of 300
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by 3.1416



    . . . It's more likely that Steve will announce a complete tower switchover to the 970 at WWDC, which also gives Apple a bit more time to build up inventory for what will almost certainly be a huge demand. I'll be at WWDC and I can't wait to hear the reaction if Steve unveils the 970s and ends with "and they're shipping TODAY".







    I agree. If these are coming off the production line now, it makes sense to build up inventory so they will be immediately available.



    I like the part where they say, ". . . unless Apple opposes to it, we will reveal benchmarks by May 15." They want us to believe they will soon have one to run benchmarks. They know very well Apple would never give them permission to reveal such information.
  • Reply 18 of 300
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by OverToasty

    it's actually not a bad idea (though this of course, proves nothing), Apple can successfully transition out of their G4 machines, by replacing them (slowly) in the top end with what appears to be "minor" replacements, a single chip 970 at the same clock frequency.



    This won't appear to obsolete the entire line instantly (despite the fact it actualy does), so Apple can continue to sell the lower end G4's and clear them out, while - at the same time - take advantage of first 970's that came off IBM's fab.




    The article did say that the single PPC 970 powermac is already in production and will be release in late may. The dual will be avalaible in mid june. The G4 is discounted for Apple salaries with a 30 % drop price (same for the i mac 17 inch).

    A people working for Apple Europe said that they know that the 970 was scheduled for june since march.



    The period of transition should be short, i think that the dual PPC 970 will be announced in the same time of the release of the single PPC 970, like they did for the G4 733.



    Mac bidouille said that they publish a benchmark of the new beast, if Apple will not oppose it.



    They also said that the Emac will have a new design and I sync and I chat will be updated (videoconference will be included in I chat).
  • Reply 19 of 300
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    The interesting thing to me is that Apple currently assembled PowerMacs in their own plants, at least for the US market. Hon Hai was making 'Books the last time I saw their name associated with Apple. Maybe this new form requires the expertise of a notebook maker?



    If this is true, then I agree with KidRed that they'll be stockpiling for a big rollout of products "available today," and this is why they delayed WWDC.



    In this case, they will ship with some version of 10.2 because Panther will still be a preview release. But developers will be able to take home hardware to best preview it with.
  • Reply 20 of 300
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    Exactly. The 64 bit Panther is not known by all the 25 milliom mac uses. Just us few fanatics So, Apple won't be hard pressed to release the 970 w/Panther, they can easliy contine on schedule and release it when it's ready. Then they can say optimized for the 970 or something. Or bringing the power of 64 bits to the mac platform-970 required.



    Either way, this will be a fun summer
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