No G5 PowerBook?
Ok, I just installed the 10.3.6 upgrade, and looked into the plist
(/System/Library/Extensions/AppleMacRISC4PE.kext/Content/Info.plist)
The funny thing is that the PowerBook 7,1 and 7,2 from 10.3.5 are now missing.
This is what it looked like in 10.3.5:
<key>PowerBook7,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerBook7,2</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac7,2</key>
<string>PowerMac7_2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac7,3</key>
<string>PowerMac7_2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac8,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac9,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>RackMac3,1</key>
<string>RackMac3_1_PlatformPlugin</string>
And this is what appears in 10.3.6:
<key>PowerMac7,2</key>
<string>PowerMac7_2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac7,3</key>
<string>PowerMac7_2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac8,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac9,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>RackMac3,1</key>
<string>RackMac3_1_PlatformPlugin</string>
(/System/Library/Extensions/AppleMacRISC4PE.kext/Content/Info.plist)
The funny thing is that the PowerBook 7,1 and 7,2 from 10.3.5 are now missing.
This is what it looked like in 10.3.5:
<key>PowerBook7,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerBook7,2</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac7,2</key>
<string>PowerMac7_2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac7,3</key>
<string>PowerMac7_2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac8,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac9,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>RackMac3,1</key>
<string>RackMac3_1_PlatformPlugin</string>
And this is what appears in 10.3.6:
<key>PowerMac7,2</key>
<string>PowerMac7_2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac7,3</key>
<string>PowerMac7_2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac8,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>PowerMac9,1</key>
<string>SMU_Neo2_PlatformPlugin</string>
<key>RackMac3,1</key>
<string>RackMac3_1_PlatformPlugin</string>
Comments
Originally posted by s_sarinana
The funny thing is that the PowerBook 7,1 and 7,2 from 10.3.5 are now missing.
Hehe, apparently some Apple boys/girls are reading these boards and like to have a little fun
Originally posted by s_sarinana
Ok, I just installed the 10.3.6 upgrade, and looked into the plist
(/System/Library/Extensions/AppleMacRISC4PE.kext/Content/Info.plist)
The funny thing is that the PowerBook 7,1 and 7,2 from 10.3.5 are now missing.
I don't think it's funny at all! Sad, to say the least. More problems with heat/IBM I suppose.
Originally posted by Rhumgod
More problems with heat/IBM I suppose.
Am I the only one to have the bad feeling that there is no CPU for a Powerbook update, in the forthcoming 2-3 months, unless Freescale pull out a rabbit from the hat?
Why have it in Panther now, when at least one more update is coming before MWSF?
No one is going to downgrade the OS that comes with the new PB.
Originally posted by 9secondko
...when at least one more update is coming before MWSF?
You certainly mean "at most".
we all know there have been many unexpected issues with G5 heat. faster bus just fans the flames.
this does open the door for a potential freescale foothold if they can stay on track. ie: a footrace btwn FS and IBM for the next PB CPU.
in the meantime, MWSF has often been a PB release venue. will apple be empty-handed this year? not much wow factor in a couple more Mhz. and bumping up to 9800 GPU seems risky given heat is already a major factor.
thoughts?
could PB be right in thinking this is just a wry ploy by apple to head fake us into buying current G4 hardware, before they surprise us with the G5?
what tangled webs we weave...
Originally posted by imiloa
could PB be right in thinking this is just a wry ploy by apple to head fake us into buying current G4 hardware, before they surprise us with the G5?
what tangled webs we weave...
interesting.
thats the only thign about the G5 situation that bugs me, if IBM is having such a huge problem with chips then how is apple shelling out new G5's every other month...
steve jobs is messing with our heads...
if theres not a dual core(i know, no way), or a powerbook G5 by MWSF, then the death of apple will begin...
plus, im in desperate need of a laptop and im not buying a G4 thats been out for like two years...
I have this bad feeling that I'm gonna give into the temptation and get an iMac G5, which I know won't thoroughly fit my needs. *groans* In the mean time, onward with my 7 year old PC...
Originally posted by ineedag5pbnow
very interesting indeed...for all we know theyve stockpiled G5 chips already in some top secret warehouse and are putting them into cool new powerbook g5's as we speak, then storing the laptops in a nuclear proof bunker guarded by garden gnomes...possibly? i think yes...
Garden gnomes, if involved in this sad story are likely to b the individuals screwing up IBM's progress with the 970. You know how devilish those gnomes are.
thats the only thign about the G5 situation that bugs me, if IBM is having such a huge problem with chips then how is apple shelling out new G5's every other month...
Because the laptop chip is new technology and enhanced processes. IBM has apparently gotten its current production issues resolved, it is hard to say what is up with the portable chip.
steve jobs is messing with our heads...
Could very well be the case. Some indications where that the new chip was doing well for release, so maybe Apple just doesn't want evidence of a G5 PowerBook floating around. The other possibility is that Apple has implemented some prototypes with Freescales new processors and has found it to be an exceptional implementation for a portable and has scraped the G5 portable plans.
This may be a very good possibility, that is that a late decision was made to keep the PowerBook 32 bit until the power/performance issues at IBM are addressed.
if theres not a dual core(i know, no way), or a powerbook G5 by MWSF, then the death of apple will begin...
I think Apples death is something that has been slowly taking place over the last 5 years. At least as a computer maker. They truely need a machine with mass market appeal.
plus, im in desperate need of a laptop and im not buying a G4 thats been out for like two years...
If you really need that Laptop then you should buy now. If you can or have been waiting then obviously you don't need a new laptop. I do understand the G4 issue, the current implementation is old yet in many ways is still competitive. On the other hand with Intels Dothan it is no longer the leader in the market place.
The problem you have now is that you may very well be waiting for a laptop rev and end up with a few more MHz on the old platform. That is maybe niether Freescales nor IBM's new portable solution is ready yet. Wouldn't that suck!
Thanks
Dave
Originally posted by imiloa
could PB be right in thinking this is just a wry ploy by apple to head fake us into buying current G4 hardware, before they surprise us with the G5?
what tangled webs we weave...
Tangled indeed. Apple wouldn't go through the trouble of doing this to convince a bunch of forum geeks (probably ten or less...) to buy a Powerbook for christmas instead of waiting for the next revision. I mean seriously...
Originally posted by blackwave
It's threads like this that again reaffirm my fear over switching to Mac. Want a powerbook 15", don't wanna get chumped.
Your fear is justified!
No really the reason so many people do feel "chumped" when dealling with Apple is the lack of clear view of where Apple is and where they are going. The Intel world is grossly different in this regard. Everyone knows what Intel is working on and when that hardware is released. It is then a simply matter of waiting for the right implementation to arrive from one of the many sources.
Apple on the other hand is almost the exact opposite. They keep every little detail secret and then deliver to the market one implementation of a technology and whatch it rot in the market place when nobody want the machine. Here I'm referring to the PowerMac and the old iMac. As a whole Apple is currently set up to disappoint its customers.
I have this bad feeling that I'm gonna give into the temptation and get an iMac G5, which I know won't thoroughly fit my needs. *groans* In the mean time, onward with my 7 year old PC...
Why would you do something like this, are you week of mind or suffering from a lack of backbone? You are right the iMac G5 has the potential of not meeting your needs, you recognize that issue and then you turn around and say you will buy one. That is pure crap!
First you need to reevaluate you needs. You do realize that just about all hardware on the market now will be a significant improvement over you current 7 year old machine? It may very well be that a iMac will meet your needs, only you can decide that, but your decision needs to be rational. The other reality is that if you are in the PC world now you have good options that simply were not there 7 years ago. You could just as well buy a new i86 PC and stick Linux on it and have a very nice machine for far less than we are talking about with respect to the iMac. Actually for the price of the iMac you could have a far nicer machine.
Its your money, just realize that buying something you already know won't do the jobs is just a bit stupid. It is sort of like the guy that buys a pickup with a 4 cylinder engine to pull his AirStream around with. Everybody from the dealer on will probally tell him it is rather stupid before he even makes the purchase. So it is no wonder that no one wants to hear his whining afterwards.
Thanks
Dave
Originally posted by Rhumgod
I don't think it's funny at all! Sad, to say the least. More problems with heat/IBM I suppose.
I think the biggest problem is that people want a full desktop processor in a package no bigger than the current powerbook G4. We've been spoiled using embedded processors as our main CPUs. There is no way that a PowerPC 970 is going to fit in a one inch thin notebook computer.
Originally posted by blackwave
I have this bad feeling that I'm gonna give into the temptation and get an iMac G5, which I know won't thoroughly fit my needs. *groans* In the mean time, onward with my 7 year old PC...
nothing wrong with that if you are an 2d designer.
(i use an G5 tower for prepress and dtp at the office. it works great, except acrobat 6 is a drag)
as a powerbook user i also waited for a 15" G5 powerbook...
it drove me nuts, because i wanted to buy something new but didn't want the current G4 (1.5Ghz) powerbook because it had to last for at least 3-4 years as main computer.
than the 20"iMac G5 popped up and i was hooked.
now i can relax and wait for what next year will bring at the powerbook front.
I will say this. If Apple and IBM want the G5 in the Power portables, it will be there. In Jan.
There are numerous ways to get around the heat/power issue. size is not really the issue here. The current PB 17 and 15 are big enough already (not for original 130nm desktop parts). The only issue is the heat produces ALONGSIDE an ATI radeon 9800 with 128-256 MB RAM and the power drainage. If Powertune is any better than intel speedstep, we could have a winner. it is actually very feasible. The power issue is the main hurdle. More so even than heat. Apple has the advantages of custom designing every computer they make. The PC world cannot do that. They have off the shelf parts that must work together somehow. Sure some parts are custom. Most are not. the G4 CPU is truly lagging now. I am a fan of this very efficient CPU. If it had a faster bus, 64 bit extensions and at least another 500MHZ, it would basically be the G5. As it is right now, it lags behind the G5, Dothan, high clocked P4 and Athlon 64.
A G5 Powerbook can be a reality. The only question is what does Apple want to do. The recent ibook update puts the performance differential with PB dnagerously close. A 100 MHZ G4 bump will not do.
I expect new PBs in Jan. If they are only a bump, then we can expect to not see an update until July. That would be a little bit late.
PBG52.0 Jan.
I believe there will be an update in the following areas:
CPU
GPU
Hard drive (think 7200 RPM)
Screen
modest enclosure update
Originally posted by blackwave
It's threads like this that again reaffirm my fear over switching to Mac. Want a powerbook 15", don't wanna get chumped.
I have this bad feeling that I'm gonna give into the temptation and get an iMac G5, which I know won't thoroughly fit my needs. *groans* In the mean time, onward with my 7 year old PC...
no offense, but if you're using a 7 year old computer, even an iBook would fit your needs in terms of power.
- 64 bit memory access is useless if you have less than 4 GB memory. I dont think PB will have more than 4Gb for 2-3 more years.
- Heat. A lot of iMac G5 owners are complaining about fan noise (due to heat of G5). No way can you fit that in a notebook format without seriously stepping down the speed. I'll take a 1.5GHz G4 over an 1.2GHz G5 any day.
- Freescale. The dual core e600 chip with a FSB of 667MHz running at < 25W is amazing. The only thing this baby needs is a better FPU, otherwise, its perfect for Apple, its perfect for you, and its perfect for me. A notebook is supposed to have good battery life, and this is the only way to achieve that.
The only thing I'm worried about is that Apple wont use the dual core version of e600, instead they'll settle on a single core. Then the PB will suck.
Originally posted by smallstepforman
For the life of me, I dont understand why people want a G5 in a Powerbook (with current technology). Here are some reasons why Apple wont ship a G5 PB for the next 12-18 months:
- 64 bit memory access is useless if you have less than 4 GB memory. I dont think PB will have more than 4Gb for 2-3 more years.
- Heat. A lot of iMac G5 owners are complaining about fan noise (due to heat of G5). No way can you fit that in a notebook format without seriously stepping down the speed. I'll take a 1.5GHz G4 over an 1.2GHz G5 any day.
- Freescale. The dual core e600 chip with a FSB of 667MHz running at < 25W is amazing. The only thing this baby needs is a better FPU, otherwise, its perfect for Apple, its perfect for you, and its perfect for me. A notebook is supposed to have good battery life, and this is the only way to achieve that.
The only thing I'm worried about is that Apple wont use the dual core version of e600, instead they'll settle on a single core. Then the PB will suck.
Actually 64 bit memory access is useful with any amount of memory, because of the speed of the access. 64 bit instructions operate much faster than 32 bit, since many more instructions are executed at once. tiger will have great 64 bit instruction support. Apple i smoving to 64 bit and software for the company will too. soon. the powerbook needs to be prepared.
The Imac uses a 130nm desktop part. It is highly likely that the G5 Powerbook will use a 90nm custom part. Fan noise will always be there to some degree.
the dual core G4 will not even sample until mid 2005. Even then, the whole industry is optimizing for the G5. The Powerbook should be ready. As far as battery life, that is where Powertune steps in. The chip does not need to be clocked low. the CPU detects when the notebook is on batteries and underclocks accordingly and ramps up when usae is needed. I have no doubt that the G5 in the PB will be a low power variant at a higher clock speed (@1.6-2 GHZ). If Intel can make a notebook version of the P4, IBM cna make a notebook version of the G5 and fit it in a smaller case.
The G4 at any speed will not suffice. the industry is optimizing for G5. Powerbook should enjoy the benefits.