Unless plans change drastically over the next several months, AppleInsider sources expect these new Pro machines to be the last PowerPC-based systems to ever emerge from Apple's Cupertino, Calif.-based design studios.
The last PowerPC-based machines? What happened to transitioning to Intel through 2007? They're going to ride these same PowerPC machines out all the way through 2007, or all of Apple's Macs will be Intel-based by the end of 2006?
The last PowerPC-based machines? What happened to transitioning to Intel through 2007? They're going to ride these same PowerPC machines out all the way through 2007, or all of Apple's Macs will be Intel-based by the end of 2006?
Probably the latter, since Apple is rumored to be pushing hard to get the Intel switch done quickly.
I still think that we're going to end up with some unhappy creative professionals if Photoshop et al isn't running on Intel by the time the Powermacs come out.
re: screen resolutions, remember this is probably why we heard apple doing some sort of "resolution indespendent interface" (or whatever it was) for an upcoming mac os x major update. with screen densitities getting tighter and tighter, the interface MUST be infinitely scalable in every respect, not just fonts and such... every widget, icon and doodad, too.
i mean, hell, if we get to effective 300 dpi screen resolution someday, that'll be laser printer quality from the mid-90's ON YOUR SCREEN. that reality can't be that far away.
The last PowerPC-based machines? What happened to transitioning to Intel through 2007? They're going to ride these same PowerPC machines out all the way through 2007, or all of Apple's Macs will be Intel-based by the end of 2006?
There are those who anticipate IBM making the Power 5 cpu available for Apple, in the next year, or late in the year, that this is part of the plan.
Regardless, I for one am likely to get me a new PowerMac with the 970MP, PCI Express, and DDR2 RAM.
So has anything been heard about the recent NVidia graphics cards coming to the Mac?
Not surprised about the dual core G5s in the PMs, but I thought that Freescale would be pushing for their dual core G4 for the PB - especially since they were to be shipping now.
No. Those aren't due till mid 2006 at the earliest. ie. after we're expecting the first Intel machines to be out.
Quote:
Originally posted by kenaustus
The push on the Mactels is also good news - hopefully the first will be shown at MWSF in January.
I think that's just wishful thinking on Apple's part. When they get the chips is up to Intel and they're saying second half of 06 for anything interesting. Yonah for laptops aside in January.
If they do release something in January though at least that's about a year of sorting out bugs before the real deal arrives end of 2006 with Merom/Conroe/Woodcrest based kit, OSX 10.5? and by then some native software worth running on it that will run at speeds approaching G5 PowerMac speeds or better.
If the PowerMacs come in with dual 970MPs and PCI-E next week then that's one beast of a machine.
IMHO, the camera thing is going to be a revised iSight with Front Row compatibility and possibly the Powerbook will have built in cameras.
There are those who anticipate IBM making the Power 5 cpu available for Apple, in the next year, or late in the year, that this is part of the plan.
I wouldn't have thought so. The future's Intel, not some multi-platform arrangement no matter how nice that idea appeals to existing PPC customers or those that just think the PowerPC is simply better. The language used was clear.
edit: But hey, Jobs said Video on the iPod was a daft idea too once. ;-)
There is not a chance on this earth that the drive is a Blu-Ray drive. Hell you can barely find working mockup protoype Blu-Ray laptop drives working let alone muster the idea that Apple would actually attempt to ship a drive in the Powerbooks.
The do have working prototypes of the slot-loading Blu-Ray drive ready for production but it seems unlikely to be included here. It's much more likely to be offered on the Intel PowerBooks next spring. Of course as usual Apple will use a dumbed down version that doesn't support all the media that the drive can support. I suspect only the 17" model will have an HD display and only then as a BTO option. Not much of an update but I'll take what I can get.
I wouldn't have thought so. The future's Intel, not some multi-platform arrangement no matter how nice that idea appeals to existing PPC customers or those that just think the PowerPC is simply better. The language used was clear.
edit: But hey, Jobs said Video on the iPod was a daft idea too once. ;-)
Well, it surely would be a remarkable development and a bit of a switch from what all the expectation has been, on Apple going intel as soon as possible. I was surprised to read it, and I wish that I could remember which site I was reading it on, but it was not one of the speculative Mac sites, but something like info world.
It also goes contra to the report about Apple repositioning its engineers toward the intel switch, from PPC.
Is it me or are the pictures of the PowerBooks and iBooks on the Apple Store slightly fuzzier than they were before, like they have been resized ? They look less crisp than the other product images on the page.
Is it me or are the pictures of the PowerBooks and iBooks on the Apple Store slightly fuzzier than they were before, like they have been resized ? They look less crisp than the other product images on the page.
Apple's new marketing strategy - the product information on the web site slowly fades away into obscurity as the update draws closer.
Think of it like QT transition effects for product announcements.
Intrepid 2 doesn't make sense. Why develop a new chipset that will only be used for 6 months?
I'd guess they started designing it way before they knew of the transition. Furthermore it's going to be in use for more than a year I'd guess. I can't see the PowerMacs being replaced in less than a year and I'd also guess that Apple may have to keep some production around like they had to keep OS9 G4s around for Quark holdouts. If the software isn't there yet native on Intel then they'd be effectively killing their market.
Quote:
Originally posted by wmf
Low-end Power Macs may use two 970FX chips instead of one 970MP for cost reasons.
I doubt that's cost effective. I'd bet one 970MP is cheaper than two FXs.
ok.. so.. the question for me: WHEN WILL WE SEE INTEL IN POWERMACS?
i'm thinking about upgrading, but not sure if i should stick it out for the intel macs. i currently run a dual 2gig G5 rev A. i mainly work in final cut and everything runs speedy.
i'm really hesitant to buy another G5 (although a dual core tower would rip some ass), but not sure if i should just stick it out for intel. thoughts?
ok.. so.. the question for me: WHEN WILL WE SEE INTEL IN POWERMACS?
I'd guess over a year.
Quote:
Originally posted by sandboxface
i'm thinking about upgrading, but not sure if i should stick it out for the intel macs. i currently run a dual 2gig G5 rev A. i mainly work in final cut and everything runs speedy.
i'm really hesitant to buy another G5 (although a dual core tower would rip some ass), but not sure if i should just stick it out for intel. thoughts?
It'd also be pointless for you to upgrade without native Intel versions of Final Cut. So wait until that comes out at least. I imagine that is over a year away too.
If you think you really need a faster computer in the next year then buy a PowerPC PowerMac on the next update. It'll quite likely also be more stable than the first RevA Intels too so should see you through a couple of years of trouble free computing whilst the crash test dummies are beta testing Intel Macs.
Comments
Originally posted by AppleInsider
Unless plans change drastically over the next several months, AppleInsider sources expect these new Pro machines to be the last PowerPC-based systems to ever emerge from Apple's Cupertino, Calif.-based design studios.
The last PowerPC-based machines? What happened to transitioning to Intel through 2007? They're going to ride these same PowerPC machines out all the way through 2007, or all of Apple's Macs will be Intel-based by the end of 2006?
Originally posted by Cory Bauer
The last PowerPC-based machines? What happened to transitioning to Intel through 2007? They're going to ride these same PowerPC machines out all the way through 2007, or all of Apple's Macs will be Intel-based by the end of 2006?
Probably the latter, since Apple is rumored to be pushing hard to get the Intel switch done quickly.
I still think that we're going to end up with some unhappy creative professionals if Photoshop et al isn't running on Intel by the time the Powermacs come out.
i mean, hell, if we get to effective 300 dpi screen resolution someday, that'll be laser printer quality from the mid-90's ON YOUR SCREEN. that reality can't be that far away.
Originally posted by kmok1
I like that "ahead of schedule" part.
This makes me ponder: What is Steve going to do for MWSF???
sexBook
Originally posted by nathan22t
sexBook
Isn't this an audiobook tie-in with the Madonna iPod?
--B
Originally posted by Cory Bauer
The last PowerPC-based machines? What happened to transitioning to Intel through 2007? They're going to ride these same PowerPC machines out all the way through 2007, or all of Apple's Macs will be Intel-based by the end of 2006?
There are those who anticipate IBM making the Power 5 cpu available for Apple, in the next year, or late in the year, that this is part of the plan.
Regardless, I for one am likely to get me a new PowerMac with the 970MP, PCI Express, and DDR2 RAM.
So has anything been heard about the recent NVidia graphics cards coming to the Mac?
Originally posted by kenaustus
Not surprised about the dual core G5s in the PMs, but I thought that Freescale would be pushing for their dual core G4 for the PB - especially since they were to be shipping now.
No. Those aren't due till mid 2006 at the earliest. ie. after we're expecting the first Intel machines to be out.
Originally posted by kenaustus
The push on the Mactels is also good news - hopefully the first will be shown at MWSF in January.
I think that's just wishful thinking on Apple's part. When they get the chips is up to Intel and they're saying second half of 06 for anything interesting. Yonah for laptops aside in January.
If they do release something in January though at least that's about a year of sorting out bugs before the real deal arrives end of 2006 with Merom/Conroe/Woodcrest based kit, OSX 10.5? and by then some native software worth running on it that will run at speeds approaching G5 PowerMac speeds or better.
If the PowerMacs come in with dual 970MPs and PCI-E next week then that's one beast of a machine.
IMHO, the camera thing is going to be a revised iSight with Front Row compatibility and possibly the Powerbook will have built in cameras.
Originally posted by NordicMan
There are those who anticipate IBM making the Power 5 cpu available for Apple, in the next year, or late in the year, that this is part of the plan.
I wouldn't have thought so. The future's Intel, not some multi-platform arrangement no matter how nice that idea appeals to existing PPC customers or those that just think the PowerPC is simply better. The language used was clear.
edit: But hey, Jobs said Video on the iPod was a daft idea too once. ;-)
Originally posted by bergz
Isn't this an audiobook tie-in with the Madonna iPod?
--B
It syncs with the Apple Sexbot, of which I was a beta tester.
Originally posted by hmurchison
There is not a chance on this earth that the drive is a Blu-Ray drive. Hell you can barely find working mockup protoype Blu-Ray laptop drives working let alone muster the idea that Apple would actually attempt to ship a drive in the Powerbooks.
The do have working prototypes of the slot-loading Blu-Ray drive ready for production but it seems unlikely to be included here. It's much more likely to be offered on the Intel PowerBooks next spring. Of course as usual Apple will use a dumbed down version that doesn't support all the media that the drive can support. I suspect only the 17" model will have an HD display and only then as a BTO option. Not much of an update but I'll take what I can get.
Originally posted by aegisdesign
I wouldn't have thought so. The future's Intel, not some multi-platform arrangement no matter how nice that idea appeals to existing PPC customers or those that just think the PowerPC is simply better. The language used was clear.
edit: But hey, Jobs said Video on the iPod was a daft idea too once. ;-)
Well, it surely would be a remarkable development and a bit of a switch from what all the expectation has been, on Apple going intel as soon as possible. I was surprised to read it, and I wish that I could remember which site I was reading it on, but it was not one of the speculative Mac sites, but something like info world.
It also goes contra to the report about Apple repositioning its engineers toward the intel switch, from PPC.
Low-end Power Macs may use two 970FX chips instead of one 970MP for cost reasons.
Originally posted by DHagan4755
Is it me or are the pictures of the PowerBooks and iBooks on the Apple Store slightly fuzzier than they were before, like they have been resized ? They look less crisp than the other product images on the page.
Apple's new marketing strategy - the product information on the web site slowly fades away into obscurity as the update draws closer.
Think of it like QT transition effects for product announcements.
Everytime this happens, new ones are on the way. Sometimes, this takes a few weeks...
I wonder if the new powermacs have the dualcore processors, if they will be referred to as G6's?
Originally posted by wmf
Intrepid 2 doesn't make sense. Why develop a new chipset that will only be used for 6 months?
I'd guess they started designing it way before they knew of the transition. Furthermore it's going to be in use for more than a year I'd guess. I can't see the PowerMacs being replaced in less than a year and I'd also guess that Apple may have to keep some production around like they had to keep OS9 G4s around for Quark holdouts. If the software isn't there yet native on Intel then they'd be effectively killing their market.
Originally posted by wmf
Low-end Power Macs may use two 970FX chips instead of one 970MP for cost reasons.
I doubt that's cost effective. I'd bet one 970MP is cheaper than two FXs.
i'm thinking about upgrading, but not sure if i should stick it out for the intel macs. i currently run a dual 2gig G5 rev A. i mainly work in final cut and everything runs speedy.
i'm really hesitant to buy another G5 (although a dual core tower would rip some ass), but not sure if i should just stick it out for intel. thoughts?
Originally posted by wmf
Intrepid 2 is a PowerBook/iBook chipset. Most people are predicting that the 'Books will go Intel soon and never look back.
Sorry, yes, I'm getting my chipsets confused. Intrepid was also used in the iMac G4, eMac and Mini.
So what are they using in the new iMac to get DDR2 and PCI-E ? That's new too and probably of not much longer lifespan.
Originally posted by sandboxface
ok.. so.. the question for me: WHEN WILL WE SEE INTEL IN POWERMACS?
I'd guess over a year.
Originally posted by sandboxface
i'm thinking about upgrading, but not sure if i should stick it out for the intel macs. i currently run a dual 2gig G5 rev A. i mainly work in final cut and everything runs speedy.
i'm really hesitant to buy another G5 (although a dual core tower would rip some ass), but not sure if i should just stick it out for intel. thoughts?
It'd also be pointless for you to upgrade without native Intel versions of Final Cut. So wait until that comes out at least. I imagine that is over a year away too.
If you think you really need a faster computer in the next year then buy a PowerPC PowerMac on the next update. It'll quite likely also be more stable than the first RevA Intels too so should see you through a couple of years of trouble free computing whilst the crash test dummies are beta testing Intel Macs.