eWeek article on Smeagol and Q37

2456721

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 401
    marcusmarcus Posts: 227member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ensign Pulver

    Never happen. If eWeek received such a request, they would run it as a confirmation of their story and tell Steve to take a hike. Apple only bullies small-time sites.



    Why the ?



    I don't know if Apple actually bully anyone... They just enforce their rights. Be it forcefully on occasion.



    If a site has for example, illegally obtained pictures of an unreleased product and publish them, Apple could lose money. Fair play, make the site take the pics down...



    If a site is publishing 'rumor', Apple knows damn well, there is nothing they can do if the sources aren't revealed, and the info is suitably vague as to not cause any damage...
  • Reply 22 of 401
    big macbig mac Posts: 480member
    One has to think this information is inaccurate. I'm not Programmer, but I think it's safe to say it's strange that the 970 can't handle G4 binaries well. The 970 is still a PPC, and it should be able to execute PPC code well. Yet, if eWeek is right, and the speed of the machines are so seriously hobbled by the lack of unoptimized code, then Apple wouldn't be wise to release it's new flagships in that crippled state. The introduction of the 970s represents a special opportunity to recapture some mindshare that has been lost by the anemic G4. The introduction has to go well, or else it will set a negative tone for the machines that will definitely effect sales.



    I truly hope Apple has learned its lesson from the flawed iMac G4 introduction. Demand for the iMac was red hot in the retail sector for the first three weeks after Macworld, but there was no supply to be found anywhere. Stores were left in a lurch with no product to sell, and many stores even lacked basic promotional materials. Then, about a month after Macworld, Apple bumped up the price by $100, and magically supply started flooding the market. It was a bit eerie that we couldn't get supply to save our lives the day prior to the price bump, but afterward we had twenty boxes in inventory. (It was almost as if Apple was purposely constricting the flow of iMacs to a trickle, purposely sabotaging the introduction.) Of course the glut in supply came too late, because those customers that were turned away weeks earlier failed to return.



    The introductory phase of a product launch is key. If Apple ships the 970 crippled by older PPC binaries, the product will be tainted. Likewise, if Apple fails to ship enough machines, interest in the line will wane. I have to have faith in apple's intelligent engineers and managers -- I cannot believe they would lack the foresight to ensure the 970 performed well with current binaries.
  • Reply 23 of 401
    ensign pulverensign pulver Posts: 1,193member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Marcus

    Why the ?



    I don't know if Apple actually bully anyone... They just enforce their rights. Be it forcefully on occasion.



    If a site has for example, illegally obtained pictures of an unreleased product and publish them, Apple could lose money. Fair play, make the site take the pics down...



    If a site is publishing 'rumor', Apple knows damn well, there is nothing they can do if the sources aren't revealed, and the info is suitably vague as to not cause any damage...




    There are no pics in the AI article, just "rumors" as you say, yet Apple (allegedly) threatened legal action. Besides, the real problem is the double standard. eWeek is a "real" site, with a "real" legal department, so Apple leaves them alone.
  • Reply 24 of 401
    marcusmarcus Posts: 227member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ensign Pulver

    There are no pics in the AI article, just "rumors" as you say, yet Apple (allegedly) threatened legal action. Besides, the real problem is the double standard. eWeek is a "real" site, with a "real" legal department, so Apple leaves them alone.



    I think the key is, that they (allegedly) threatened... nothing more. Without seeking to be confrontational, I can't believe they even did that... (Any more info Jonathan to confirm this either way?)



    As a lawyer, I can testify that, if Apple are going to sue you (or send a C&D), the 'fedayeen Steve' will maul you relentlessly for however long it takes, and however much it costs. They will then, if you are lucky, scatter your remains to the 4 winds to be pecked by the vultures of despair...



    Unless you have 4 Billion laying about to spend on lawyers, they will get you in the end. However if you have posted an 'unsubstantiated rumor', no matter how accurate, you have nothing to worry about, and Apple know it... They may bluster, but nothing will come of it.



    Peace,



    Marc
  • Reply 25 of 401
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    IIRC, there are some legal "checklists" prior to action.



    was an NDA in effect? was it broken?

    are proprietary designs or patents exposed?

    can harm (to reputation, image, market) be shown/charged/proven?

    what sort of action will provide resolution?

    yadda yadda



    maybe one of the mods or admins can illuminate from past image restrictions and contact with Apple Legal's posse
  • Reply 26 of 401
    addisonaddison Posts: 1,185member
    Tell me, I am not American, if you recieve a C & D relating to an artical are you not allowed to say that you have removed such an artical becuase you have recieved a C & D?
  • Reply 27 of 401
    marcusmarcus Posts: 227member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Addison

    Tell me, I am not American, if you recieve a C & D relating to an artical are you not allowed to say that you have removed such an artical becuase you have recieved a C & D?



    Usually there is no problem with saying there is a C&D in force... People have in the past posted the wording, and even scans of the letters.



    Of course there have been occasions where the publishing of prohibited.



    However, it is the easiest thing in the world to say you have taken the article down "At the request of Apple Legal" without this being the case... The iWalk was the prime example.



    Spymc claimed they had received a letter from Apple, and as a result, had removed the offending material. >bam< instant rumor Kudos. They are still living of the back of it. However in reality, there was no letter, and as we all know, no iWalk...
  • Reply 28 of 401
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,457member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Big Mac

    ...but I think it's safe to say it's strange that the 970 can't handle G4 binaries well. The 970 is still a PPC, and it should be able to execute PPC code well...



    It handles the "G4 binaries" just fine -- at least as well as the G4 does at the same clock rate. If the code is not memory or FPU bound, and is optimized for the 7450, then the G4 is probably doing a pretty good job of running it so why do you think the 970 can magically do something with it? The top-of-the-line 970 will have, on average, a 1.8/1.42 advantage over the current TOTL G4. That's pretty good, actually, since longer pipeline chips often lose a little clock-for-clock against shorter pipeline chips. Recompilation ought to improve things, but I'm expecting ~20% improvements (not a doubling). Keep in mind that this is in general. Specific cases will vary greatly from this average.



    Any code using floating point or which is memory bound, however, should benefit significantly from the 970. This will include Quartz, OpenGL, QuickTime and various other important pieces of software. Fortunately these kinds of code are typically the ones where we care about how fast they run.



    The 970 is not a miracle, stop expecting it to be. It is a huge step forward for the PowerPC (and therefore for Apple), but try to be a little realistic.
  • Reply 29 of 401
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by JLL

    Cool it - he was asking why the thread about Smeagol from yesterday was gone - it was deleted earlier today.





    You cool it. If you care so much then go apply to become a moderator--you'll be able to shut down threads on a whim. For now, shut your piehole and quit trying to play moderator.
  • Reply 30 of 401
    thegeldingthegelding Posts: 3,230member
    children, play nice



    i think it should be proven in a math equation that:



    (tempers shorten) = to (rumors increase) = to (approaching apple special event)



    such that as an apple event approaches, rumors increase and thus tempers shorten...it is all so scientific





    g
  • Reply 31 of 401
    airslufairsluf Posts: 1,861member
  • Reply 32 of 401
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    So you mean that I can pump my schizophrenic cousin for information since I was the one who talked him into getting a job at Apple?



    That was the entire point, to get him on the inside so I'd have a more reliable source. All I'd have to do is up his thorazine dose and he'll tell me anything! Last time I doubled his thorazine intake and he told me that his mom (my mom's sister) had a lesbian affair with her mother (my grandma) as a child. I couldn't figure out how he knew this until he told me that he had a sexual affair with his mother when HE was a child! Luckily my mom ran away from home in her teens to escape all the "wierdness", as she describes it.



    But anyways, are you saying I could be prosecuted for leaking Apple's secrets because I'm the one who got my cos' set up and working at Apple? That sucks!
  • Reply 33 of 401
    airslufairsluf Posts: 1,861member
  • Reply 34 of 401
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AirSluf

    I think this is just pure marketing spin to avoid cannibalizing current sales. Most folks don't really have a clue on the 970's capabilities and potential performance, so poo-pooing it lightly and saying performance will be at least as good as current G4s avoids saying "We are going to need to dump our old inventory in the landfill because you wouldn't want to use it as a doorstop as it sucks compared to the new lineups performance". But it does say "We will progress in speed and more Apple software magic will help tremendously come September, so if you would like to buy now you won't be disappointed."



    This would make sense, but is it Apple marketing that's putting out this info? As I understand it, the author is writing about leaked info from unnamed sources. That could be anyone....and if they're leaking info, why put a spin on it? Unless Apple is doing this intentionally to reallign expectations.



    Could be. Dubya has taught us that it's always best to set low expectations, so even a mediocre performance will be met with overwhelming praise.
  • Reply 35 of 401
    kurtkurt Posts: 225member
    When did the image of Gollum appear at the top of this site? I noticed earlier today or yesterday. Did it get put up after the eWeek story?
  • Reply 36 of 401
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kurt

    When did the image of Gollum appear at the top of this site? I noticed earlier today or yesterday. Did it get put up after the eWeek story?



    We started it.



    Everyone else jumped on the bandwagon the day after I created and uploaded that image (which was Saturday).



    And, yes, I can "confirm" the details of the eWeek article. Though, that article is also leaving out a few key parts to the puzzle.
  • Reply 37 of 401
    audiopollutionaudiopollution Posts: 3,226member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Brad

    We started it.



    Everyone else jumped on the bandwagon the day after I created and uploaded that image (which was Saturday).



    And, yes, I can "confirm" the details of the eWeek article. Though, that article is also leaving out a few key parts to the puzzle.




    ... and you're waiting for what, exactly?
  • Reply 38 of 401
    keyboardf12keyboardf12 Posts: 1,379member
    his sources to ok the next bit of info. the info could single out the sources is my guess.





    GPU?
  • Reply 39 of 401
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by audiopollution

    ... and you're waiting for what, exactly?



    We don't divulge every single detail we get. We have the safety and security of our sources to look out for. Remember workerbee? People fear smiting Apple especially when they're on the inside.



    We respect the request of our sources when they ask us not to publish things immediately.
  • Reply 40 of 401
    audiopollutionaudiopollution Posts: 3,226member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Brad

    We don't divulge every single detail we get. We have the safety and security of our sources to look out for. Remember workerbee? People fear smiting Apple especially when they're on the inside.



    We respect the request of our sources when they ask us not to publish things immediately.




    Let's have a hint, then.



    What colour are the new machines?
Sign In or Register to comment.