1. 90% Confidence level: The next PowerBook is indeed going to sport a PPC 970, and have a specially built 15.4" LCD from ChiMei at a resolution higher than 1280x800
Oh mommy, please let this be true as I am going to buy a new PowerBook at the next rev...
I sold my Titanium 400 a couple months ago and have been saving like a miser for a new one. Wouldn't it be nice if were only a month away....only time will tell.
The MacWhispers guy (Jack whatever) has posted again in the MacRumors forum
...
"I plan on still being around next year, and afterwards, and truly don't want to see what little reputation I've earned get fried right here and now, so I am being excrutiatingly cautious in what I report here, and on MacWhispers.
Take it for what you will. "
If you want to know the kind of reputation he is bragging about, take a look at this.
Wasn't it in another thread here (or maybe it was another board) but this powerjack guy was just ripped by others. So I don't know if I would believe him any more than I would believe and other rumor.
Plus, if he really was under NDA and was spreading info like this (on a website or a message board, remember workerbee?), he would be hauled off.
kupan787 has a point. If he is in fact under NDA, Jack is no safer posting on MacRumors' message board than he is posting to MacWhispers, and it doesn't take a genius to figure that out.
IBM's POWER4+ microprocessor. The POWER4+ microprocessor is a "server on a chip" that contains two one-gigahertz-plus processors, a high-bandwidth system switch, a large memory cache and I/O. IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers and some of the world's most powerful supercomputers and storage systems."
They don't appear to mean the G3 as they are clearly discussing the "POWER family of microprocessors", but then reference the Game Cube which doesn't use a POWER processor. Is this press release a smoking gun or just poorly worded? It will be interesting to see if it gets pulled or amended later today.
IBM's POWER4+ microprocessor. The POWER4+ microprocessor is a "server on a chip" that contains two one-gigahertz-plus processors, a high-bandwidth system switch, a large memory cache and I/O. IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers and some of the world's most powerful supercomputers and storage systems."
I don't think they mean the G3 as they are clearly discussing the "POWER family of microprocessors". Is this a smoking gun? It will be interesting to see if the press release gets pulled or amended later today.
Quote:
IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers
IBM's POWER4+ microprocessor. The POWER4+ microprocessor is a "server on a chip" that contains two one-gigahertz-plus processors, a high-bandwidth system switch, a large memory cache and I/O. IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers and some of the world's most powerful supercomputers and storage systems."
They don't appear to mean the G3 as they are clearly discussing the "POWER family of microprocessors", but then reference the Game Cube which doesn't use a POWER processor. Is this press release a smoking gun or just poorly worded? It will be interesting to see if it gets pulled or amended later today.
They do mean the G3 becouse Nintendoes processor is a G3 varient the IBM custom made for the GameCube.
Yepp, very strange. But I think I recall that he earlier said he was working under NDA from Apple now, so he had to be more careful as what to put up on the site, and therefore he post on message boards instead.
Why would it be ok for someone bound by NDA to disclose secrets on a message board but not a website?
IBM is supposed to be releasing other processors in the 970 family. They publically stated the 970 is the first. In the past they have seemed to be a little more forthcoming with information about future processors. Do you think Apple will continue to convince them to keep details as sketchy for future processors or, once the 64-bit cat is out of the bag, they will give more information?
Anyone with a pc and some spare time feel like checking this out?
Its a link for a recording on "NCSG - Altivec 2" (which is probably nothing.)
As you said, nothing new or remotely interesting, not to me at least. I added a few shots under that shows what kind of accelerating altivec can be capable of.
I wonder if "Jack Campbell" is even a real person, a la "Nick DePlume"?
This is who we're dealing with?! I remember his company, "DV FORGE" (has anybody actually received anything from them? Most of their stuff looks close to useless, but whatever...) complaining about not having been given appropriate space at a Macworld convention or something like that, of having been kept in the dark from Apple about a new product or something or another.
He's a character. None of the BS flowing from him should be taken with any face value whatsover.
I was just thinking back over various rumours about the ppc 970, and a thought struck me. Some time ago, Moki hinted that not only would Apple be releasing computers based on this platform, but also, at some point, with alternative processors from AMD or Intel.
I understand the whole argument about Apple not wanting to lose hardware sales by opening OS X up to clone makers selling x86 based hardware, and that there are huge problems with getting carbon and classic apps to work, but I was just thinking that if Apple believed they could guarantee that ppc 9xx based macs had a significant performance advantage over x86 based machines running OS X, whether it might potentially open up this market.
At the moment, the best information we have suggests that the ppc 970 will match, or at least significantly close the gap to x86, as everyone is aware. Haninbal at Ars technica provided a detailed overview of this.
His assumptions were based on public info about the processor, however. Moki has hinted that this info is, at least to some degree, not strictly accurate, and that there are several key 'surprises' about the chip or it's decendents (typically, he was rather obtuse about this!)
Of course, i have no inforation to back my theory up, and i don't totally subscribe to it myself, but if Apple thought that with this chip and the rumoured ppc980 or other 9xx series chips, it could offer a decent advantage over any x86 based machine, it could introduce a x86 based version of OS X whilst reducing the likelihood that it would endanger it's PPC hardware sales. Whether this would come don t releasing it's own x86 machines or offering OS X to third party manufacturers is another matter.
Anyway, just some random musings.
It would be interesting to hear if Moki still thinks that any kind of non PPC based macs are likely in the future
Has anybody checked out Macrumors? They've got an 'oobie-doobie' link which claims some a mystery 'ports' on the 970 motherboard. Firewire 800x2 of course. Amongst others...
Has anybody checked out Macrumors? They've got an 'oobie-doobie' link which claims some a mystery 'ports' on the 970 motherboard. Firewire 800x2 of course. Amongst others...
Comments
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
1. 90% Confidence level: The next PowerBook is indeed going to sport a PPC 970, and have a specially built 15.4" LCD from ChiMei at a resolution higher than 1280x800
Oh mommy, please let this be true as I am going to buy a new PowerBook at the next rev...
Originally posted by BrunoBruin
Oh mommy, please let this be true as I am going to buy a new PowerBook at the next rev...
You're not alone my friend, you're not alone...
Originally posted by NETROMac
You're not alone my friend, you're not alone...
I sold my Titanium 400 a couple months ago and have been saving like a miser for a new one. Wouldn't it be nice if were only a month away....only time will tell.
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
The MacWhispers guy (Jack whatever) has posted again in the MacRumors forum
...
"I plan on still being around next year, and afterwards, and truly don't want to see what little reputation I've earned get fried right here and now, so I am being excrutiatingly cautious in what I report here, and on MacWhispers.
Take it for what you will. "
If you want to know the kind of reputation he is bragging about, take a look at this.
Plus, if he really was under NDA and was spreading info like this (on a website or a message board, remember workerbee?), he would be hauled off.
I smell a rat.
"Key features of the p615 include:
IBM's POWER4+ microprocessor. The POWER4+ microprocessor is a "server on a chip" that contains two one-gigahertz-plus processors, a high-bandwidth system switch, a large memory cache and I/O. IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers and some of the world's most powerful supercomputers and storage systems."
They don't appear to mean the G3 as they are clearly discussing the "POWER family of microprocessors", but then reference the Game Cube which doesn't use a POWER processor. Is this press release a smoking gun or just poorly worded? It will be interesting to see if it gets pulled or amended later today.
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
IBM confirms Apple's use of POWER processors?
"Key features of the p615 include:
IBM's POWER4+ microprocessor. The POWER4+ microprocessor is a "server on a chip" that contains two one-gigahertz-plus processors, a high-bandwidth system switch, a large memory cache and I/O. IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers and some of the world's most powerful supercomputers and storage systems."
I don't think they mean the G3 as they are clearly discussing the "POWER family of microprocessors". Is this a smoking gun? It will be interesting to see if the press release gets pulled or amended later today.
IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers
The power Family Includes all PowerPC processors.
Originally posted by JBL
If you want to know the kind of reputation he is bragging about, take a look at this.
Thanks for the link ... very interesting indeed!
I wonder if "Jack Campbell" is even a real person, a la "Nick DePlume"?
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
IBM confirms Apple's use of POWER processors?
"Key features of the p615 include:
IBM's POWER4+ microprocessor. The POWER4+ microprocessor is a "server on a chip" that contains two one-gigahertz-plus processors, a high-bandwidth system switch, a large memory cache and I/O. IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers and some of the world's most powerful supercomputers and storage systems."
They don't appear to mean the G3 as they are clearly discussing the "POWER family of microprocessors", but then reference the Game Cube which doesn't use a POWER processor. Is this press release a smoking gun or just poorly worded? It will be interesting to see if it gets pulled or amended later today.
They do mean the G3 becouse Nintendoes processor is a G3 varient the IBM custom made for the GameCube.
Originally posted by NETROMac
Yepp, very strange. But I think I recall that he earlier said he was working under NDA from Apple now, so he had to be more careful as what to put up on the site, and therefore he post on message boards instead.
Why would it be ok for someone bound by NDA to disclose secrets on a message board but not a website?
Its a link for a recording on "NCSG - Altivec 2" (which is probably nothing.)
IBM is supposed to be releasing other processors in the 970 family. They publically stated the 970 is the first. In the past they have seemed to be a little more forthcoming with information about future processors. Do you think Apple will continue to convince them to keep details as sketchy for future processors or, once the 64-bit cat is out of the bag, they will give more information?
Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg
Why would it be ok for someone bound by NDA to disclose secrets on a message board but not a website?
Either he thinks Apple won't see him on a message board or this his apparent justification to why he can.
Originally posted by sc_markt
Anyone with a pc and some spare time feel like checking this out?
Its a link for a recording on "NCSG - Altivec 2" (which is probably nothing.)
As you said, nothing new or remotely interesting, not to me at least. I added a few shots under that shows what kind of accelerating altivec can be capable of.
Originally posted by Nonsuch
Thanks for the link ... very interesting indeed!
I wonder if "Jack Campbell" is even a real person, a la "Nick DePlume"?
This is who we're dealing with?! I remember his company, "DV FORGE" (has anybody actually received anything from them? Most of their stuff looks close to useless, but whatever...) complaining about not having been given appropriate space at a Macworld convention or something like that, of having been kept in the dark from Apple about a new product or something or another.
He's a character. None of the BS flowing from him should be taken with any face value whatsover.
I understand the whole argument about Apple not wanting to lose hardware sales by opening OS X up to clone makers selling x86 based hardware, and that there are huge problems with getting carbon and classic apps to work, but I was just thinking that if Apple believed they could guarantee that ppc 9xx based macs had a significant performance advantage over x86 based machines running OS X, whether it might potentially open up this market.
At the moment, the best information we have suggests that the ppc 970 will match, or at least significantly close the gap to x86, as everyone is aware. Haninbal at Ars technica provided a detailed overview of this.
His assumptions were based on public info about the processor, however. Moki has hinted that this info is, at least to some degree, not strictly accurate, and that there are several key 'surprises' about the chip or it's decendents (typically, he was rather obtuse about this!)
Of course, i have no inforation to back my theory up, and i don't totally subscribe to it myself, but if Apple thought that with this chip and the rumoured ppc980 or other 9xx series chips, it could offer a decent advantage over any x86 based machine, it could introduce a x86 based version of OS X whilst reducing the likelihood that it would endanger it's PPC hardware sales. Whether this would come don t releasing it's own x86 machines or offering OS X to third party manufacturers is another matter.
Anyway, just some random musings.
It would be interesting to hear if Moki still thinks that any kind of non PPC based macs are likely in the future
Lemon Bon Bon
Originally posted by Lemon Bon Bon
Has anybody checked out Macrumors? They've got an 'oobie-doobie' link which claims some a mystery 'ports' on the 970 motherboard. Firewire 800x2 of course. Amongst others...
Lemon Bon Bon
Those ports are designed to suck up lemon juice