New 10.5.3 seed; custom Intel iMac chips, MacBook Air SSDs
Apple on Monday asked its developer community to begin testing yet another build of its 10.5.3 Leopard update, which packs a slew of new fixes. Meanwhile, Intel has once again tweaked some of its processors at the Mac maker's request. And STEC will reportedly supply flash drives for the next MacBook Air revision.
Mac OS X 10.5.3 build 9D25
Exactly one week after releasing Mac OS X 10.5.3 build 9D23 to its vast developer community, Apple on Monday followed up with build 9D25, people familiar with the matter tell AppleInsider.
Though the company made no changes to a list of twelve core evaluation areas in which developers should focus their testing efforts, it did tack on nearly two dozen addition bug fixes, bringing the total number of individual enhancements and code corrections expected as part of Mac OS X 10.5.3 to over 200.
Some of the latest fixes target sequential write errors in the Finder, column views in Mail.app, 802.1X AirPort issues, problems with AFP Server hanging, and problems with MCX Client.
As was the case with a couple of builds that preceded it, 9D23 is said to have arrived alongside documentation that listed no known issues as being present in the Leopard update. The software currently weighs in at approximately 415 MB in its barebones distribution and remains on track for a release within the next two weeks.
Latest iMac chips are special run
All of the microprocessors used in Apple's new iMac line announced Monday are part of a special run of Intel's existing mobile processor lineup rather than an early of Centrino 2 models, an Intel spokesperson confirmed to Electronista.
Although the processors match the same core clock rates and 1,066MHz system bus speeds as those of the chipmaker's upcoming platform due this June, the processors are instead said to be unlisted speed grades that include special support for the faster bus speeds (up from 800MHz), produced at Apple's request
This reportedly allowed the Mac maker maintain an iMac logic-board design based on the same "Santa Rosa" chipset used in the previous generation models.
Also of interest is the thermal envelope of the 3.06 GHz chip, which demands 55 watts of power in order to boost past the "official" 2.8GHz top speed of Intel's current mobile lineup, and is designed for "mobile on desktop" systems, such as large gaming notebooks and crossover PCs.
Intel's current line of mobile processors top out at 45 watts, with most consuming 35 watts or less. However, the chipmaker says its upcoming Centrino 2-era processors will consume 25W and 35W in most models.
In the limited time they've been working together, Apple has also seen help from Intel in procuring early or modified processors for its 8-Core Mac Pro (early 3.0 GHz quad-core Xeon), iMac (early 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme), and the MacBook Air (custom 1.6 and 1.8GHz Core 2 Duos).
STEC wins MacBook Air SSD contract
STEC has won a contract to replace Samsung as a supplier of solid-state drives for Apple's MacBook Air, according to a research note from B. Riley analyst Salomon Kamalodine.
Citing industry sources, he said the new Apple business could lead to an incremental $25 million to $30 million in revenue for semiconductor company in 2009.
Mac OS X 10.5.3 build 9D25
Exactly one week after releasing Mac OS X 10.5.3 build 9D23 to its vast developer community, Apple on Monday followed up with build 9D25, people familiar with the matter tell AppleInsider.
Though the company made no changes to a list of twelve core evaluation areas in which developers should focus their testing efforts, it did tack on nearly two dozen addition bug fixes, bringing the total number of individual enhancements and code corrections expected as part of Mac OS X 10.5.3 to over 200.
Some of the latest fixes target sequential write errors in the Finder, column views in Mail.app, 802.1X AirPort issues, problems with AFP Server hanging, and problems with MCX Client.
As was the case with a couple of builds that preceded it, 9D23 is said to have arrived alongside documentation that listed no known issues as being present in the Leopard update. The software currently weighs in at approximately 415 MB in its barebones distribution and remains on track for a release within the next two weeks.
Latest iMac chips are special run
All of the microprocessors used in Apple's new iMac line announced Monday are part of a special run of Intel's existing mobile processor lineup rather than an early of Centrino 2 models, an Intel spokesperson confirmed to Electronista.
Although the processors match the same core clock rates and 1,066MHz system bus speeds as those of the chipmaker's upcoming platform due this June, the processors are instead said to be unlisted speed grades that include special support for the faster bus speeds (up from 800MHz), produced at Apple's request
This reportedly allowed the Mac maker maintain an iMac logic-board design based on the same "Santa Rosa" chipset used in the previous generation models.
Also of interest is the thermal envelope of the 3.06 GHz chip, which demands 55 watts of power in order to boost past the "official" 2.8GHz top speed of Intel's current mobile lineup, and is designed for "mobile on desktop" systems, such as large gaming notebooks and crossover PCs.
Intel's current line of mobile processors top out at 45 watts, with most consuming 35 watts or less. However, the chipmaker says its upcoming Centrino 2-era processors will consume 25W and 35W in most models.
In the limited time they've been working together, Apple has also seen help from Intel in procuring early or modified processors for its 8-Core Mac Pro (early 3.0 GHz quad-core Xeon), iMac (early 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme), and the MacBook Air (custom 1.6 and 1.8GHz Core 2 Duos).
STEC wins MacBook Air SSD contract
STEC has won a contract to replace Samsung as a supplier of solid-state drives for Apple's MacBook Air, according to a research note from B. Riley analyst Salomon Kamalodine.
Citing industry sources, he said the new Apple business could lead to an incremental $25 million to $30 million in revenue for semiconductor company in 2009.
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What Happened to the Balmer Pictures?
I took them out of the story given the first comment, but you can see them here.
K
"The ways in which technology enables you to develop and apply your capacity as tomorrow's innovator and leader: an insight"
It would be funny if it was a joke.
10.6. Previewed at WWDC
No way, you say? Too soon?
The preview is coming.
Seriously.
Here's a little tidbit for you:
10.6. Previewed at WWDC
No way, you say? Too soon?
The preview is coming.
Seriously.
I don't know what this has to do with anything in this thread, but I would be surprised if there wasn't a 10.6 preview at WWDC.
Your prediction sounds about as safe as you can get, maybe not "it will be dark tonight" safe, but pretty safe.
Did that mean it's not at 45 nm ?
The powerpoint slides are saturated with MBA speak. They look crappy to boot.
"The ways in which technology enables you to develop and apply your capacity as tomorrow's innovator and leader: an insight"
It would be funny if it was a joke.
Right. It sounds as though it was lifted from the movie Idiocracy. (Great movie btw!)
Special CPUs could be a slippery slope back to proprietary architecture. Instead of plain vanilla Intel we have a unique chip and most likely a specialized OS X to go with it. Will it run Windows as seamlessly as before?
All Apple is getting here is a special speed grade. Basically, it's just a chip that's tested and programmed to run at a different frequency.
That's a far cry from a CPU with custom circuitry. Apple can easily pay for a custom circuit and mask very easily, but I don't think it makes sense for them to do that.
Right. It sounds as though it was lifted from the movie Idiocracy. (Great movie btw!)
Yeah, he could be president, or something.
All of the microprocessors used in Apple's new iMac line announced Monday are part of a special run of Intel's existing mobile processor lineup rather than an early of Centrino 2 models, an Intel spokesperson confirmed to Electronista.
I think the Intel spokesperson that Electronista (allegedly) spoke to is ill-informed. Not only at issue here is the CPU, but also the motherboard chipset - Santa Rosa doesn't support 800 MHz RAM, and yet that is what the iMac is using.
No, I'm sure that Apple have got their hands on the Montevina motherboard chipset, including upgraded Penryns.
I don't know what this has to do with anything in this thread, but I would be surprised if there wasn't a 10.6 preview at WWDC.
Your prediction sounds about as safe as you can get, maybe not "it will be dark tonight" safe, but pretty safe.
The reason why it is applicable to this thread is because Apple is trying very, very hard to wrap up Leopard bug fixing and put it in maintenance mode.
These mega bug patches are not typical for Apple. Normally, they would have spread these fixes out over the year.
Instead, there is a very hard push to move as many engineering resources over to the new scope, and solidify the base.
That aside, is it obvious? Perhaps.
But I don't think so. The conventional wisdom is this WWDC is going to be about the SDK and touch. What I am saying is while that is true, touch is going to meet the Mac in crazy new ways in 10.6. And that is going to be shown. No beta. Just previewed.
The reason why it is applicable to this thread is because Apple is trying very, very hard to wrap up Leopard bug fixing and put it in maintenance mode.
These mega bug patches are not typical for Apple. Normally, they would have spread these fixes out over the year.
Instead, there is a very hard push to move as many engineering resources over to the new scope, and solidify the base.
That aside, is it obvious? Perhaps.
But I don't think so. The conventional wisdom is this WWDC is going to be about the SDK and touch. What I am saying is while that is true, touch is going to meet the Mac in crazy new ways in 10.6. And that is going to be shown. No beta. Just previewed.
You really think so? This early in the game? Hmmmm Im a little skeptical I would think Apple would wait till at least next Jan to do an unveiling of "what is to come down the road in 10.6" I mean 10.5 was only just released in Oct. At the same time though you could be right.
I think the Intel spokesperson that Electronista (allegedly) spoke to is ill-informed. Not only at issue here is the CPU, but also the motherboard chipset - Santa Rosa doesn't support 800 MHz RAM, and yet that is what the iMac is using.
No, I'm sure that Apple have got their hands on the Montevina motherboard chipset, including upgraded Penryns.
Perhaps the Intel PR agent was just trying to stay these are not "proper" Montevina chips. These are Montevia-like chips that have all the performance qualities except for power consumption. So far that is the only thing that so far looks to be outside the Montevina platform.
I hope so not because I hate being wrong, but I hate being wring after investing so much time trying to figure what chips were used this morning and then being so certain that I 'gospelized' it this this afternoon.
You really think so? This early in the game? Hmmmm Im a little skeptical I would think Apple would wait till at least next Jan to do an unveiling of "what is to come down the road in 10.6" I mean 10.5 was only just released in Oct. At the same time though you could be right.
We're all just speculating here, right? But we speculate because it's fun.
So this thread reminds me of a quote from the Seattle area tycoon, John Fluke, who said: "The goal in business is not to maim your competition; the goal is to kill him!" Doesn't it almost look like M$ has stumbled with Vista and now we can actually think of it as down? Therefore, the question is not "Is it wrong to kick them when they're down?", but rather, "How hard is Apple going to kick?" And the answer is obvious: "As effin hard as it can!"
You really think so? This early in the game? Hmmmm Im a little skeptical I would think Apple would wait till at least next Jan to do an unveiling of "what is to come down the road in 10.6" I mean 10.5 was only just released in Oct. At the same time though you could be right.
I think Tiger was only a few months old when Leopard was previewed at that year's WWDC.
edit: correction, it might have been later. Someone mentioned the idevice SDK, but there was already a pretty big presentation on that.
Hmmmm Im a little skeptical I would think Apple would wait till at least next Jan to do an unveiling of "what is to come down the road in 10.6" I mean 10.5 was only just released in Oct. At the same time though you could be right.
Well, with Leopard it was previewed in 2 WWDCs before its eventual release. An Apple preview now doesn't mean it would be released soon.... just like Leopard it may not arrive till October next year (which would be 2 years between upgrades).
As for the likelihood... I'd love to see what they've got up their sleeves. Especially touch everywhere. But I'm not sure what advantage it would have for Apple, unless developers need to rethink their applications slightly and they'll need a heads up.