If apple does switch to intel, does that mean we can use normal video cards?

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
If apple does make the switch to intel chips, does that mean we can just use any regular video card on the market? that would help costs a lot i think and would be good news for everyone.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    pbpb Posts: 4,255member
    In a word: no.
  • Reply 2 of 21
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    No, but I think that's the direction Apple is going if this rumor turns out to be true for once.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    fotnsfotns Posts: 301member
    Yes. Apple will no longer be using open firmware, and standard VGA bios video cards will work.
  • Reply 4 of 21
    blascockblascock Posts: 153member
    So wait.. is that a yes or a no? lol
  • Reply 5 of 21
    fotnsfotns Posts: 301member
    Yes, if they switch to Intel and use x86 bios or extensible firmware interface.
  • Reply 6 of 21
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by FotNS

    Yes, if they switch to Intel and use x86 bios or extensible firmware interface.



    This is what I was hoping for about a year ago, but it didn't have anything to do with switching completely to x86. Couldn't they have just emulated some of this at some underlying hardware level?
  • Reply 7 of 21
    fotnsfotns Posts: 301member
    Yes, one of the CHRP specifications called for the ability to use VGA video cards. Apple never implemented it. Pegasos PowerPC systems can and do use PC video cards.
  • Reply 8 of 21
    mattyjmattyj Posts: 898member
    Does that have any performance hit??
  • Reply 9 of 21
    fotnsfotns Posts: 301member
    It shouldn't hurt performance. The bios makes the card available at boot time and until a OS driver is loaded. With Linux PowerPC you can use a VGA card, but it is not available until the OS loads. Once there it would work the same. Apple's current drivers look for specific make and model codes in the open firmware expansion roms to match the drivers, negating the possibility of using any old Radeon or Geforce.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    benroethigbenroethig Posts: 2,782member
    It's not a matter of PPC vs x86 matter, its a matter of BIOS vs open firmware.
  • Reply 11 of 21
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,457member
    The open firmware vs. BIOS interface is largely irrelevent -- the real complexity and difficulty is at the driver level support OpenGL. This is hugely complex and essential on modern video cards, and not carried on the video card but instead installed in the OS.
  • Reply 12 of 21
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Graphics card compatibility has to be in part a priority on Apples minds right now. They know this issue is huge among switchers, and hardcore users alike. I'll bet we see plug, and play right off the bat with a large amount of cards that were not (are not) available before (now). I would say Quadro's would be very high on that list for Apple to look as spectacular as possible in June of 2006.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    1337_5l4xx0r1337_5l4xx0r Posts: 1,558member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Programmer

    The open firmware vs. BIOS interface is largely irrelevent -- the real complexity and difficulty is at the driver level support OpenGL. This is hugely complex and essential on modern video cards, and not carried on the video card but instead installed in the OS.



    What?! Supporting OpenGL with video drivers in an OS is difficult?



    Please explain.
  • Reply 14 of 21
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    A PC X800 uses the same driver as a Mac X800, etc. So there is no driver problem.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by wmf

    A PC X800 uses the same driver as a Mac X800, etc. So there is no driver problem.



    So tell us why you can't drop the PC card right in.
  • Reply 16 of 21
    jonboyjonboy Posts: 6member
    I'm not a techie, just a user with a general sincere question:



    Is it feasable that a Mac could run a Windows .EXE file application once OSX is ported to an intel machine?



    Is that the big deal which might move hoards of PC users, make them switchers, and allow them to run their old apps without Windows, and more importantly, without Virtual PC?



    Can this work?



    Will it happen?
  • Reply 17 of 21
    Quote:

    Originally posted by onlooker

    So tell us why you can't drop the PC card right in.



    Different Firmware
  • Reply 18 of 21
    1337_5l4xx0r1337_5l4xx0r Posts: 1,558member
    jonboy: Wine is not an emulator
  • Reply 19 of 21
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by jonboy

    I'm not a techie, just a user with a general sincere question:



    Is it feasable that a Mac could run a Windows .EXE file application once OSX is ported to an intel machine?



    Is that the big deal which might move hoards of PC users, make them switchers, and allow them to run their old apps without Windows, and more importantly, without Virtual PC?



    Can this work?



    Will it happen?




    No on .exe. You would have to run it under windows. .EXE's suck!
  • Reply 20 of 21
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by wmf

    A PC X800 uses the same driver as a Mac X800, etc. So there is no driver problem.



    Actually the driver is not the same. The Mac driver is already in the system. It came in through software update. You cant load the PC driver in, and have it work. The Firmware is obviously different, but that much is obvious as previously noted.
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