Dual G4 PowerBooks?
Quote:
Dual G4 Powerbooks not so unlikely? Having not directly observed a dual-processor Powerbook prototype since mid-2002 (at that time, a Dual 867MHz model, based on the PPC 7455B run at reduced voltage), we have for the most part agreed with a grapevine consensus that the G5 has made a Dual G4 Powerbook obsolete from Apple's laptop roadmap over the past year. That has changed since we have begun to receive fairly detailed and apparently reliable information about a PB Dual G4 using twin PPC 7457 processors at 1.2GHz.
Some of the information about this series of prototypes, which currently continue to experience cooling problems but which are also surprisingly far along in the testing process, explains in part why the recently updated 7457-based Powerbooks don't have L3 caches.
Notes for the Dual prototype explain that adding L3 caches to a dual-cpu laptop adds just enough heat and power drain to surpass the requirements Apple has set out for such a system (in summary: doesn't burn the user, doesn't have loud and constantly running fans, gets at least four hours of battery life under typical usage). If existing single-CPU Powerbooks had L3 cache, introducing a more powerful (and of course more expensive) model later, lacking L3, would not go over well. This combined with Apple's desire to have the flexibility to choose either Motorola 7457 or 7447 processors to avoid supply problems, should make Apple's PBG4 L3 decision a little more understandable.
Returning to the subject at hand....this evidence of continuing active development on a dual-processor Powerbook G4 makes it seem less clear-cut whether Apple will actually ship such a beast as a stop-gap and a unique product that will offer superior multi-tasking abilities when compared to traditional single-CPU laptops. We will be keeping a very close eye on this one in the near future.
Dual G4 Powerbooks not so unlikely? Having not directly observed a dual-processor Powerbook prototype since mid-2002 (at that time, a Dual 867MHz model, based on the PPC 7455B run at reduced voltage), we have for the most part agreed with a grapevine consensus that the G5 has made a Dual G4 Powerbook obsolete from Apple's laptop roadmap over the past year. That has changed since we have begun to receive fairly detailed and apparently reliable information about a PB Dual G4 using twin PPC 7457 processors at 1.2GHz.
Some of the information about this series of prototypes, which currently continue to experience cooling problems but which are also surprisingly far along in the testing process, explains in part why the recently updated 7457-based Powerbooks don't have L3 caches.
Notes for the Dual prototype explain that adding L3 caches to a dual-cpu laptop adds just enough heat and power drain to surpass the requirements Apple has set out for such a system (in summary: doesn't burn the user, doesn't have loud and constantly running fans, gets at least four hours of battery life under typical usage). If existing single-CPU Powerbooks had L3 cache, introducing a more powerful (and of course more expensive) model later, lacking L3, would not go over well. This combined with Apple's desire to have the flexibility to choose either Motorola 7457 or 7447 processors to avoid supply problems, should make Apple's PBG4 L3 decision a little more understandable.
Returning to the subject at hand....this evidence of continuing active development on a dual-processor Powerbook G4 makes it seem less clear-cut whether Apple will actually ship such a beast as a stop-gap and a unique product that will offer superior multi-tasking abilities when compared to traditional single-CPU laptops. We will be keeping a very close eye on this one in the near future.
That quote was taken from MacOSRumors who are infamous for getting things completely wrong. Certain aspects of that report, for some reason, make sense to me. Maybe it's just because I need some sleep.
Comments
Originally posted by DHagan4755
Maybe it's just because I need some sleep.
I would say it's because there are no real and/or competitve G4 alternatives for the next powerbook revision. At least it seems so...
A dual-G4 laptop is just plain crazy. The G5 design would use less power, be simpler to design, be faster, and, most imporantly, sell better.
Originally posted by cubist
MacOSRumors is always predicting multiprocessor machines. They have some kind of fixation. Last year it was 4- and 8-processor PowerMacs.
A dual-G4 laptop is just plain crazy. The G5 design would use less power, be simpler to design, be faster, and, most imporantly, sell better.
and if you could cool two G4s, why not put a G5 in there? Apple will go to the G5 before they put dual processors in a Powerbook.
Originally posted by cubist
MacOSRumors is always predicting multiprocessor machines. They have some kind of fixation. Last year it was 4- and 8-processor PowerMacs.
A dual-G4 laptop is just plain crazy. The G5 design would use less power, be simpler to design, be faster, and, most imporantly, sell better.
yeah
Originally posted by macmike
and if you could cool two G4s, why not put a G5 in there? Apple will go to the G5 before they put dual processors in a Powerbook.
Hey! That's what I was thinking, but perhaps they already created a dual G4 PowerBook prototype and are trying to implement its cooling system into a PowerBook with a G5.
This is one of those things that I'm sure has been on an Apple testbench somewhere for at least as long as MOSR's been talking about it, but just doesn't make quite enough sense to get out of deep R&D.
Now, a die-shrunk, dual-core G4 variant just might do the trick. We'll have to see if such a thing appears any time soon.
Originally posted by Amorph
Now, a die-shrunk, dual-core G4 variant just might do the trick. We'll have to see if such a thing appears any time soon.
Where this dual-core G4 comes from? Is there some official Motorola announcement about this? And what is it exactly?
Originally posted by PB
I would say it's because there are no real and/or competitve G4 alternatives for the next powerbook revision. At least it seems so...
Exactly. The days of the G4 PB are numbered. There is absolutely no reason for apple to do anything but a G5 now. Now that the iBook is the G4 portable, Apple would be crazy to come out with another two PB revisions without a G5. There probably will be one though if the rumors about "Late 2004" being true, Apple can't sit on these speeds and prices for another year. However, I think that due to the G4 being dropped in the iBook, we'll see a PB G5 sooner rather than later. I don't want to bring up the debate again though. All I am trying to say is, the iBook is stuck where it is until we see a G5 PB, if it gets any faster it will overtake the PBs, something that just won't happen. Getting a G5 into a portable is the key here, that will open up a whole new world of possibilities for the Apple notebook line, till that day, everything is stuck where it is, because that G4 aint goin any faster than it already is. The iBooks will need a speed bump eventually, but they can't get them till the PBs have a G5.