Thats not really good news. If you look in the PC world, Nvidia chipsets are known for running extremely hot, and as being less reliable than Intel chipsets.
That's an over-generalization If I ever heard one. Nvidia had a temporary problem with their manufacturing process that led to some of their boards having problems, but this has been corrected. As far as running "hot", we'll have to wait and see. These Intel-platform chipsets are brand new and will be using low-power integrated graphics. I think overall this is an excellent development. Nvidia's integrated graphics are many times more powerful than Intels, and have much superior H264/VC1 video decoding and enhancement. Also, because the GPU will be based on the Nvidia standard GPU architecture, this should give the Macbook future compatibility with Snow Leopard's OpenCL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJ Web
+1
I'm highly dubious about the Nvidia rumor and believe the chipset will be a PA modded Intel. I expect new models and case designs this month with an announcement at Macworld of a Nelaham refresh in Q2 2009.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer
You don't buy PA Semi who can do what Apple needs to separate their systems from general Intel specs and then turn to Nvidia for the solution.
PA SEMI has ZERO experience building PC graphics chipsets. It's obviously not a simple matter to create high performance, low-power GPUs and drivers, as has been shown by the years of continuous failure on the part of Intel to do so. Nvidia, on the other hand, is an expert.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwirob
That being said, I believe the PA Semi expertise is to do with SOC integration to give iTouch/iPhone unbeatable graphics and processing power while extending the standby and talk-time, not work on the mac at this time. Possibly though the PA Semi work could be in the area of ultra-power efficient GPU cores which could scale all thr way from the Macbook line down to the iPhone/iTouch platform. By using a single customized GPU in both MacBook and iPhone/iTouch the unit cost of the components could be kept to a minimum.
Creating custom SoCs using ARM and PowerVR graphics cores, yes. Creating entirely new, from-the-ground-up graphics chipsets that can scale from an iPhone SoC to a macbook GPU? Highly unlikely.. It would be incredibly cost prohibitive to do so, given their lack of any experience in that market.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterR
Gen 1 anybody? Oh boy this will be fun!
Nvidia has been making laptop GPUs for a decade...
They'd be stupid to release a computer in the current economic climate, even for Apple. People are not going to shell out their money when they all think the world is coming to an end.
?? I don't understand what you mean. You are suggesting they shouldn't introduce newer, better, cheaper computers because the economic outlook is not great? That makes no sense at all! If the market condition gets rough, then they especially need new, more competitive products to compete!
This now makes the wait worth while. I was tossing the idea back and forth about not waiting two months ago, and this was my only thing keeping me waiting. I am very hopeful that this is true.
They'd be stupid to release a computer in the current economic climate, even for Apple. People are not going to shell out their money when they all think the world is coming to an end.
If the world is coming to an end, might as well get a sweet rig while I still can.
If I am the only human with a MacBook post-apocalypse, I will rule the world!
Apple has access to professional financial advisors, and unlike 9-11 the concern of a slower economy is not new and quite predictable.
I think those people are probably smart enough to know that it's not really as bad as people have been saying it is. A slower economy doesn't mean collapse. Apple's been bucking trends like that even though we're supposedly in a major recession within a supposed impending depression.
Very good question. Perhaps MacBook Pros could do 8GB. That would be awesome. Because most people on PCs and laptops run Windows XP and Vista which are mostly 32-bit. Which means even with 4GB RAM they hit the 3GB RAM barrier.
If the MacBook Pro could do 8GB... It would wipe the floor of Windoze XP and Vista -- since 64bit Vista is still pretty whack.
Intel's PM45 northbridge supports 8GB of RAM. Nvidia's competitor most likely will too, whether it is used by Apple or not. Have fun looking for 4GB SODIMMS.
Intel's PM45 northbridge supports 8GB of RAM. Nvidia's competitor most likely will too, whether it is used by Apple or not. Have fun looking for 4GB SODIMMS.
All right, I should have said have fun paying for 4 gig SODIMMS. And there's at least a slim chance these things will be DDR3.
DDR3 might be a problem. But the current cost really isn't a problem as far as I'm concerned. If someone really needs every gig they can get, then they probably can pay for it, others that can benefit can probably put off the RAM upgrade a year and breathe new life into the computer for far less than the cost of a new computer. I think it's realistic to suggest that each stick will probably cost $100 or less a year from now. Given how quickly 2GB sticks seemed to have dropped, that might even be $50 each. It seriously did not take very long for 2GB sticks to fall from the stratosphere to dirt cheap.
DDR3 might be a problem. But the current cost really isn't a problem as far as I'm concerned. If someone really needs every gig they can get, then they probably can pay for it, others that can benefit can probably put off the RAM upgrade a year and breathe new life into the computer for far less than the cost of a new computer. I think it's realistic to suggest that each stick will probably cost $100 or less a year from now. Given how quickly 2GB sticks seemed to have dropped, that might even be $50 each. It seriously did not take very long for 2GB sticks to fall from the stratosphere to dirt cheap.
Of course. A "pro" who needs it for work will pay any price. And anyone else... doesn't need it.
Plus DDR3 prices are going to fall a long way over the next 12 months.
Thats not really good news. If you look in the PC world, Nvidia chipsets are known for running extremely hot, and as being less reliable than Intel chipsets.
Yes. I was going to comment on that.
I guess I will anyway.
Very high rates of failure. Nvidia has put aside several hiundred million for this problem. They've been denying it fora long time now. But, it appears as though all of their chips, from gpu's, to chipsets have been affected by a money saving decision Nvidia made early in the year,or late last year.
New chips that dont have this problem (supposedly), will be available in Novenber, in retail product.
What this means for Apple's new products, I don't know.
But, I suspect that the reason Apple was running Nvidia gpu's at lower speeds that we saw PC manufacturers, and board manufacturers running them, was to keep those failing solder connections cooler.
People were saying that it was a lack of cooling in Apple's machines, but that isn't the case.
there are a lot of photographers and filmmakers who do on location editing for things like photoshoots, news items, music festivals etc.
the portability of a laptop is very important but also the graphics card.
as it is now I can edit a movie on my macBook, but have to find a macpro to bounce to tape for exporting the video.
if there are better graphics involved, I'll be very tempted to sell the blackBook and buy a new one.
But then you buy a professional machine, and that has a gpu.
Macbooks aren't meant for professional graphics use of any kind. They are usable for Photoshop, because it doesn't require much there, and the screen resolution helps, but otherwise, no.
That's an over-generalization If I ever heard one. Nvidia had a temporary problem with their manufacturing process that led to some of their boards having problems, but this has been corrected. As far as running "hot", we'll have to wait and see. These Intel-platform chipsets are brand new and will be using low-power integrated graphics. I think overall this is an excellent development. Nvidia's integrated graphics are many times more powerful than Intels, and have much superior H264/VC1 video decoding and enhancement. Also, because the GPU will be based on the Nvidia standard GPU architecture, this should give the Macbook future compatibility with Snow Leopard's OpenCL.
Nvidia has had this problem for some time now, and it's believed that it affects EVERY ONE of their chips.
They themselves have said that they have changed their manufacturing process, and that the new chips will be released in November to retail.
No one right now knows what they are doing with OEM's though, as they haven't changed the numbering of the parts, and even some new parts have been manufactured the old way. Nvidia has also said that they were not recalling the "defective" parts, but were selling them until out of stock..Gives one a great deal of confidence.
If Apple is using a new Nvidia chipset, hopefully they will be getting them before others do, as Intel has done several times for Apple, so that we can feel assured that these are not defective.
And this is a major screw-up every time. The Higher Education buying cycle, for both faculty and staff, and incomming students, is around June and July for schools when budgets are set, and August when students get ready to get back to school. If you have a new (therefore more competitive) product like the MacBook you want to sell to students, and you release it in September or October, you've totally missed the boat. There are two big buying events for PCs/Laptops - Christmas and Back-to-School. And the latter is eariler than Apple has figured out.
Apple uses back-to-school to clear out old inventory before the release of new portables, apparently. It's been like this every year.
Comments
Thats not really good news. If you look in the PC world, Nvidia chipsets are known for running extremely hot, and as being less reliable than Intel chipsets.
That's an over-generalization If I ever heard one. Nvidia had a temporary problem with their manufacturing process that led to some of their boards having problems, but this has been corrected. As far as running "hot", we'll have to wait and see. These Intel-platform chipsets are brand new and will be using low-power integrated graphics. I think overall this is an excellent development. Nvidia's integrated graphics are many times more powerful than Intels, and have much superior H264/VC1 video decoding and enhancement. Also, because the GPU will be based on the Nvidia standard GPU architecture, this should give the Macbook future compatibility with Snow Leopard's OpenCL.
+1
I'm highly dubious about the Nvidia rumor and believe the chipset will be a PA modded Intel. I expect new models and case designs this month with an announcement at Macworld of a Nelaham refresh in Q2 2009.
You don't buy PA Semi who can do what Apple needs to separate their systems from general Intel specs and then turn to Nvidia for the solution.
PA SEMI has ZERO experience building PC graphics chipsets. It's obviously not a simple matter to create high performance, low-power GPUs and drivers, as has been shown by the years of continuous failure on the part of Intel to do so. Nvidia, on the other hand, is an expert.
That being said, I believe the PA Semi expertise is to do with SOC integration to give iTouch/iPhone unbeatable graphics and processing power while extending the standby and talk-time, not work on the mac at this time. Possibly though the PA Semi work could be in the area of ultra-power efficient GPU cores which could scale all thr way from the Macbook line down to the iPhone/iTouch platform. By using a single customized GPU in both MacBook and iPhone/iTouch the unit cost of the components could be kept to a minimum.
Creating custom SoCs using ARM and PowerVR graphics cores, yes. Creating entirely new, from-the-ground-up graphics chipsets that can scale from an iPhone SoC to a macbook GPU? Highly unlikely.. It would be incredibly cost prohibitive to do so, given their lack of any experience in that market.
Gen 1 anybody? Oh boy this will be fun!
Nvidia has been making laptop GPUs for a decade...
They'd be stupid to release a computer in the current economic climate, even for Apple. People are not going to shell out their money when they all think the world is coming to an end.
?? I don't understand what you mean. You are suggesting they shouldn't introduce newer, better, cheaper computers because the economic outlook is not great? That makes no sense at all! If the market condition gets rough, then they especially need new, more competitive products to compete!
They'd be stupid to release a computer in the current economic climate, even for Apple. People are not going to shell out their money when they all think the world is coming to an end.
If the world is coming to an end, might as well get a sweet rig while I still can.
If I am the only human with a MacBook post-apocalypse, I will rule the world!
Apple isn't using CUDA. They are using OpenCL. Nvidia is working towards making CUDA OpenCL compliant.
I thought OpenCL was just an abstraction layer on top of whatever specific hardware that it's used on top of.
Apple has access to professional financial advisors, and unlike 9-11 the concern of a slower economy is not new and quite predictable.
I think those people are probably smart enough to know that it's not really as bad as people have been saying it is. A slower economy doesn't mean collapse. Apple's been bucking trends like that even though we're supposedly in a major recession within a supposed impending depression.
would 8gb ram be possible with the new chipset?
Very good question. Perhaps MacBook Pros could do 8GB. That would be awesome. Because most people on PCs and laptops run Windows XP and Vista which are mostly 32-bit. Which means even with 4GB RAM they hit the 3GB RAM barrier.
If the MacBook Pro could do 8GB... It would wipe the floor of Windoze XP and Vista -- since 64bit Vista is still pretty whack.
would 8gb ram be possible with the new chipset?
Intel's PM45 northbridge supports 8GB of RAM. Nvidia's competitor most likely will too, whether it is used by Apple or not. Have fun looking for 4GB SODIMMS.
Intel's PM45 northbridge supports 8GB of RAM. Nvidia's competitor most likely will too, whether it is used by Apple or not. Have fun looking for 4GB SODIMMS.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134685
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148220
The looking for isn't hard. It's just expensive right now. I expect those prices to drop pretty quickly, as it has often done in the past.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134685
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148220
The looking for isn't hard. It's just expensive right now. I expect those prices to drop pretty quickly, as it has often done in the past.
All right, I should have said have fun paying for 4 gig SODIMMS. And there's at least a slim chance these things will be DDR3.
All right, I should have said have fun paying for 4 gig SODIMMS. And there's at least a slim chance these things will be DDR3.
DDR3 might be a problem. But the current cost really isn't a problem as far as I'm concerned. If someone really needs every gig they can get, then they probably can pay for it, others that can benefit can probably put off the RAM upgrade a year and breathe new life into the computer for far less than the cost of a new computer. I think it's realistic to suggest that each stick will probably cost $100 or less a year from now. Given how quickly 2GB sticks seemed to have dropped, that might even be $50 each. It seriously did not take very long for 2GB sticks to fall from the stratosphere to dirt cheap.
would 8gb ram be possible with the new chipset?
this really would be a killer feature in a laptop. especially for those of us that run multiple virtual machines... i'd snap one up immediately.
DDR3 might be a problem. But the current cost really isn't a problem as far as I'm concerned. If someone really needs every gig they can get, then they probably can pay for it, others that can benefit can probably put off the RAM upgrade a year and breathe new life into the computer for far less than the cost of a new computer. I think it's realistic to suggest that each stick will probably cost $100 or less a year from now. Given how quickly 2GB sticks seemed to have dropped, that might even be $50 each. It seriously did not take very long for 2GB sticks to fall from the stratosphere to dirt cheap.
Of course. A "pro" who needs it for work will pay any price. And anyone else... doesn't need it.
Plus DDR3 prices are going to fall a long way over the next 12 months.
Thats not really good news. If you look in the PC world, Nvidia chipsets are known for running extremely hot, and as being less reliable than Intel chipsets.
Yes. I was going to comment on that.
I guess I will anyway.
Very high rates of failure. Nvidia has put aside several hiundred million for this problem. They've been denying it fora long time now. But, it appears as though all of their chips, from gpu's, to chipsets have been affected by a money saving decision Nvidia made early in the year,or late last year.
New chips that dont have this problem (supposedly), will be available in Novenber, in retail product.
What this means for Apple's new products, I don't know.
But, I suspect that the reason Apple was running Nvidia gpu's at lower speeds that we saw PC manufacturers, and board manufacturers running them, was to keep those failing solder connections cooler.
People were saying that it was a lack of cooling in Apple's machines, but that isn't the case.
there are a lot of photographers and filmmakers who do on location editing for things like photoshoots, news items, music festivals etc.
the portability of a laptop is very important but also the graphics card.
as it is now I can edit a movie on my macBook, but have to find a macpro to bounce to tape for exporting the video.
if there are better graphics involved, I'll be very tempted to sell the blackBook and buy a new one.
But then you buy a professional machine, and that has a gpu.
Macbooks aren't meant for professional graphics use of any kind. They are usable for Photoshop, because it doesn't require much there, and the screen resolution helps, but otherwise, no.
That's an over-generalization If I ever heard one. Nvidia had a temporary problem with their manufacturing process that led to some of their boards having problems, but this has been corrected. As far as running "hot", we'll have to wait and see. These Intel-platform chipsets are brand new and will be using low-power integrated graphics. I think overall this is an excellent development. Nvidia's integrated graphics are many times more powerful than Intels, and have much superior H264/VC1 video decoding and enhancement. Also, because the GPU will be based on the Nvidia standard GPU architecture, this should give the Macbook future compatibility with Snow Leopard's OpenCL.
Nvidia has had this problem for some time now, and it's believed that it affects EVERY ONE of their chips.
They themselves have said that they have changed their manufacturing process, and that the new chips will be released in November to retail.
No one right now knows what they are doing with OEM's though, as they haven't changed the numbering of the parts, and even some new parts have been manufactured the old way. Nvidia has also said that they were not recalling the "defective" parts, but were selling them until out of stock..Gives one a great deal of confidence.
If Apple is using a new Nvidia chipset, hopefully they will be getting them before others do, as Intel has done several times for Apple, so that we can feel assured that these are not defective.
Nvidia 2008 FTW! I've been saying it all year round.
Nuts, is more like it.
And this is a major screw-up every time. The Higher Education buying cycle, for both faculty and staff, and incomming students, is around June and July for schools when budgets are set, and August when students get ready to get back to school. If you have a new (therefore more competitive) product like the MacBook you want to sell to students, and you release it in September or October, you've totally missed the boat. There are two big buying events for PCs/Laptops - Christmas and Back-to-School. And the latter is eariler than Apple has figured out.
Apple uses back-to-school to clear out old inventory before the release of new portables, apparently. It's been like this every year.