Well, how does Apple expect to maintain their lead in the pro graphics market as everything moves to 3D, if they are not willing to incorporate the best technology into at least one of their notebook offerings?
I realize there is the argument that 3D runs hot and kills batteries. But look, my PowerBook G4 with a brand new battery gets about 45 minutes of life when running a 3D-intensive application, and runs very hot while doing so. The shortness of battery life while the GPU is active forces me to plug in the computer. If it was 45 minutes or 5 minutes of battery life, I would not care, since either one is not enough time to do any real work. I don't mind having to plug in the laptop for using the GPU.
I don't see why if little s***-a** companies like Alienware and Widow PC are able to get the best technology, why a behomoth like Apple with billions in R&D money can't compete. Unless you're trying to say it's just not a market segment they're going for... but if the high-end graphics marget is not what Apple is going for, then they're idiots, since that should be their strongest field, not their weakest.
If Apple were to have a laptop that could compete in the graphics and even (gasp) gaming industry, they might get a lot more conversions. With the engineers and technical resources they have, it's kind of sad they just feel they are "above" bothering with such lowly things as, you know, high-end 3D.
-=DG=-
They're not going for the high end market as they are high income. Apple the computer company has positioned themselves as a premium lifestyle brand. They have a design philosophy pretty similar to Porsche, as much practicality as the looks will allow. It other words, they are about as far as you can go in the direction of form over function while remaining usable. More industrial and practical designs don't fit with that policy. While this narrow focus creates a nice niche for apple among computer users, it really kills the potential of the Mac platform because of the large amount of holes it creates.
I don't see why if little s***-a** companies like Alienware and Widow PC are able to get the best technology, why a behomoth like Apple with billions in R&D money can't compete. Unless you're trying to say it's just not a market segment they're going for... but if the high-end graphics marget is not what Apple is going for, then they're idiots, since that should be their strongest field, not their weakest.
You seem to forget that little s***-a** company Alienware IS DELL!! And has been for a couple years. You also don't seem to have an idea of how those little s***-a** companies make their boxen. They just buy parts and pieces at wholesale, though well spec'ed ones, and slap them together in a fancy painted plastic shell sitting on an industry standard commodity frame.
AW did break that mold with their first SLI rig, but it cost them so damn much to engineer that had to sell their soul and company to Dell to avoid going bankrupt. So you see, it does take billions to compete in that market, unless of course you can accept going bankrupt or shipping a couple dozen franken-boxes a day out of your and your buddies basement.
Unfortunately, Apple only plays in the thin and light category. The Radeon X1600 is the best GPU that will fit.
Huh?
The Mobility Radeon X1700 is basically the same as the X1600 but is built on a "tweaked" 90 nm process and has more advanced power management, both of which give a higher performance/watt than the X1600 (i.e. you can either get the same performance for lower power consumption, or higher performance for the same power consumption).
I predict that SLI will appear in the new MacBrick Pro, along with a 20" multi-touch screen, RAID, quad-core Kentsfield processor, Blu-ray/HD-DVD hybrid burner, and 10GigE. It will be announced one month from today.
Also, the "I'm a Mac" guy will be totally ripped in future ads, thanks to the exercise of carrying a MBP.
The Mobility Radeon X1700 is basically the same as the X1600 but is built on a "tweaked" 90 nm process and has more advanced power management, both of which give a higher performance/watt than the X1600 (i.e. you can either get the same performance for lower power consumption, or higher performance for the same power consumption).
I don't believe there was an X1700 when the MBP motherboard was laid down and actually, I bet you wouldn't see much, if any, real world performance increase. Unless you're like some who constantly chase that extra frame or 2 when you've already got enough... I'm sorry but other than on paper, an extra frame at 30 fps or 3 extra at 100 fps is just not noticeable in the real world.
I predict that SLI will appear in the new MacBrick Pro, along with a 20" multi-touch screen, RAID, quad-core Kentsfield processor, Blu-ray/HD-DVD hybrid burner, and 10GigE. It will be announced one month from today.
Also, the "I'm a Mac" guy will be totally ripped in future ads, thanks to the exercise of carrying a MBP.
Comments
Well, how does Apple expect to maintain their lead in the pro graphics market as everything moves to 3D, if they are not willing to incorporate the best technology into at least one of their notebook offerings?
I realize there is the argument that 3D runs hot and kills batteries. But look, my PowerBook G4 with a brand new battery gets about 45 minutes of life when running a 3D-intensive application, and runs very hot while doing so. The shortness of battery life while the GPU is active forces me to plug in the computer. If it was 45 minutes or 5 minutes of battery life, I would not care, since either one is not enough time to do any real work. I don't mind having to plug in the laptop for using the GPU.
I don't see why if little s***-a** companies like Alienware and Widow PC are able to get the best technology, why a behomoth like Apple with billions in R&D money can't compete. Unless you're trying to say it's just not a market segment they're going for... but if the high-end graphics marget is not what Apple is going for, then they're idiots, since that should be their strongest field, not their weakest.
If Apple were to have a laptop that could compete in the graphics and even (gasp) gaming industry, they might get a lot more conversions. With the engineers and technical resources they have, it's kind of sad they just feel they are "above" bothering with such lowly things as, you know, high-end 3D.
-=DG=-
They're not going for the high end market as they are high income. Apple the computer company has positioned themselves as a premium lifestyle brand. They have a design philosophy pretty similar to Porsche, as much practicality as the looks will allow. It other words, they are about as far as you can go in the direction of form over function while remaining usable. More industrial and practical designs don't fit with that policy. While this narrow focus creates a nice niche for apple among computer users, it really kills the potential of the Mac platform because of the large amount of holes it creates.
I don't see why if little s***-a** companies like Alienware and Widow PC are able to get the best technology, why a behomoth like Apple with billions in R&D money can't compete. Unless you're trying to say it's just not a market segment they're going for... but if the high-end graphics marget is not what Apple is going for, then they're idiots, since that should be their strongest field, not their weakest.
You seem to forget that little s***-a** company Alienware IS DELL!! And has been for a couple years. You also don't seem to have an idea of how those little s***-a** companies make their boxen. They just buy parts and pieces at wholesale, though well spec'ed ones, and slap them together in a fancy painted plastic shell sitting on an industry standard commodity frame.
AW did break that mold with their first SLI rig, but it cost them so damn much to engineer that had to sell their soul and company to Dell to avoid going bankrupt. So you see, it does take billions to compete in that market, unless of course you can accept going bankrupt or shipping a couple dozen franken-boxes a day out of your and your buddies basement.
SLI in notebooks is almost 3 years old. This is not a new technology.
Ok. I learn something old every day...
Unfortunately, Apple only plays in the thin and light category. The Radeon X1600 is the best GPU that will fit.
Huh?
The Mobility Radeon X1700 is basically the same as the X1600 but is built on a "tweaked" 90 nm process and has more advanced power management, both of which give a higher performance/watt than the X1600 (i.e. you can either get the same performance for lower power consumption, or higher performance for the same power consumption).
Also, the "I'm a Mac" guy will be totally ripped in future ads, thanks to the exercise of carrying a MBP.
Huh?
The Mobility Radeon X1700 is basically the same as the X1600 but is built on a "tweaked" 90 nm process and has more advanced power management, both of which give a higher performance/watt than the X1600 (i.e. you can either get the same performance for lower power consumption, or higher performance for the same power consumption).
I don't believe there was an X1700 when the MBP motherboard was laid down and actually, I bet you wouldn't see much, if any, real world performance increase. Unless you're like some who constantly chase that extra frame or 2 when you've already got enough... I'm sorry but other than on paper, an extra frame at 30 fps or 3 extra at 100 fps is just not noticeable in the real world.
I predict that SLI will appear in the new MacBrick Pro, along with a 20" multi-touch screen, RAID, quad-core Kentsfield processor, Blu-ray/HD-DVD hybrid burner, and 10GigE. It will be announced one month from today.
Also, the "I'm a Mac" guy will be totally ripped in future ads, thanks to the exercise of carrying a MBP.
I want 2... one for each arm!!!