CONFIRMED: G5 enters volume production!

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Check it out, the G5 has entered volume production! This was back in November, so Apple must have stockpiled enough G5s for a MWNY intro, don't you all think?



This is going to ROCK! RAWK!!!!



<a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/23078.html"; target="_blank">http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/23078.html</a>;



PowerPC G5 enters 'volume production' - source

By Tony Smith

Posted: 28/11/2001 at 16:45 GMT



The PowerPC G5 has been passed for full-scale manufacture, a source close to Apple has claimed.



And the Mac maker is still on course to ship Power Mac G5 desktops at Macworld Expo San Francisco in just over a months' time - provided Motorola can increase the chip's yield.



According to our mole, the G5 is tentatively being produced in three versions: 1.2GHz, 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz. We say 'tentatively' because there still appears to be some concern that there will be insufficient 1.6GHz parts for a commercial release. Says our source: "The chips that are testing at 1GHz are being set aside in case there are not enough 1.6GHz chips to release that machine."



In short, if Apple can't do 1.2GHz, 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz Power Mac G5s, it will release 1.0GHz, 1.2GHz and 1.4GHz-clocked machines. Presumably depending on the yields demonstrated over the coming weeks, the low-end box will go into production on 14 December, followed by the mid-range machine in 20 December. The fastest Power Mac G5 will start rolling off the production line on 3 January 2002, our correspondent claims.



The machines will all ship with DDR SDRAM memory, a "much faster" frontside bus and Gigawire.



Now, we're not sure what Gigawire actually is, but we note that it is an Apple technology - at least, the Mac maker applied for the name as a registered trademark on 5 September. The trademark application doesn't describes Gigawire per se but it's clear it's some kind of cabling technology. A faster version of Firewire seems likely, indeed we've already been told that the new machines will ship with IEEE 1394b, which we've heard described separately as "Gigabit 1394". The official 1394b spec., finalised last May, provides for 800Mbps data throughput, rising to 1.6Gbps and even 3.2Gbps with optical cabling.



Our source chooses not to - or (s)he can't - provide more detailed specifications for the Power Mac G5s and their component technologies. Previous reports from the source have claimed the frontside bus is 400MHz and the chip contains 512KB of on-die L2 cache.



Apple may not be the only customer: our source claims Cisco has expressed an interest too. Certainly Cisco has already committed itself to basing future router products on the PowerPC 7450 - aka G4 - so there's no reason why it won't be keen on the G4's successor. But that's a long way from a commitment to buy the new chip. ®



[ 06-09-2002: Message edited by: Junkyard Dawg ]</p>
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 239
    bigcbigc Posts: 1,224member
    Yeah right, old rumours are as good as new rumours
  • Reply 2 of 239
    fotnsfotns Posts: 301member
    This is old news. According to the "source", Apple should have been shipping these since last January. It is now June. So either the source was misinformed, a fake, or Motorola ran into big troubles with the chip. Either way, this does not confirm that the G5 will be here anytime soon.
  • Reply 3 of 239
    blackcatblackcat Posts: 697member
    Contrary to popular AI belief, The Reg doesn't make up rumours and is often quite accurate with its reporting (which upsets IT companies a lot).



    Anyhoo, JYD has spotted something important. These 'G5' processors are most likely G4 7500s not 64bit G5s.



    If production was ramped in November '01 then test Powermacs would be around during the suddenly silenced Dorsal M post period.



    Add to that the fact that since Dorsal 'vanished' no new rumours are escaping suggesting there is no G5, but Apple is buying software which will be utter crap on current hardware.



    So, I reckon we have a very good chance of closing the speed gap very soon.



  • Reply 4 of 239
    gamblorgamblor Posts: 446member
    One thing: If production was ramped on the G5 last November, then there's no whay in He11 Apple would have come out with the Xserve. They simply would have waited and come out with G5 servers.



    Don't expect to see G5's until MWSF at the earliest, and most likely not until MWNY '03.
  • Reply 5 of 239
    mokimoki Posts: 551member
    These aren't the G5's you're looking for... move along.
  • Reply 6 of 239
    nitridenitride Posts: 100member
    Believe it or not it can take a long time to get a new model into full scale production.



    First of all the (hopefully) new G4//G5 CPUs must be made in large quantities as this is the only component that cannot be purchased "off the shelf". Moto is it for production of the G4 and they are very very scaled back right now (the co. I work for was fighting for two weeks to get paid because no one was around in the temporary building the division was moved into).



    Then the motherboards need to be made, but wait what about exisitng G4s? They have to be run up and stockpiled to clear the lines for retooling (different shape, components and layouts according to leaked and Apple-blocked photos). Reason why this must be so? Apple fought to get the item/image removed.



    The case design will probably be redone if this will be a "G5" design for the overall computer even if the CPU is not a real "G5" as everyone wants it to be.



    That takes time to ramp up after tooling is done also. I work in the plastics mfg. industry and its not a few week process to design and build tooling for plastic parts, especially large complex ones like a CPU case. Six to 8 weeks is the norm for tooling before production ever starts.



    Then Apple will need to stockpile tens of thousands to ship somewhat readily. Takes x amount of time to ship components, assemble and store.



    So the build up, if its coming for a totally new model, should have started at least on the CPUs some time early this year. Right now I would guess the last of the G4s are being assembled and stockpiled while the lines are refreshed for the "G5" or new "G4". Alot of this can happen concurrently so its not as long as it may seem to be. The mobo shape/size was set long ago so the case design can move forward with production of the actual boards.



    This could explains why the Xserve is using an existing G4 - it had been in production ahead of the DDR G4 or G5 CPU or whatever it will be. After the new G4 arrives Xserve can be transitioned over as its System Controller is already DDR-compatible.



    If there is some sudden change in availlability of the G4 then the a major change is definately coming in some form at MWNY. Every other product has been refreshed. There is nothing left except OS X 10.2 and the languishing G4 Quicksilver. :confused:



    We also have numerous promotions on the G4/displays so something is coming. Perhaps a new style display will arrive as well? What a let down that would be, updated displays and more OS X 10.2 eye candy. Woo. :eek:
  • Reply 7 of 239
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,457member
    Why dredge up such an old rumour?





    Re: Xserve... a 1U machine probably couldn't contain a monster processor like the G5 is supposed to be. The heat and power consumption would be too great. This fall's U3 server may include a beefier processor.
  • Reply 8 of 239
    jerombajeromba Posts: 357member
    [quote]Originally posted by moki: These aren't the G5's you're looking for... move along.<hr></blockquote>



    Moki, you know something that we don't.

    Please TELL!!!

    Maybe just to this. Are we gonna have G4 in N-Y ?
  • Reply 9 of 239
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    Moki cannot tell anything, he is under NDA. Even if it were something his NDA didn't cover, he wouldn't say because it would jeopardize his company's software bundle with OS X. He would be a fool to say anything he knows about.





    I dredged up this rumor because it's interesting to note that G5 rumors were at full burn at about that time. Now here we are nearing MWNY and still no G5s. Maybe Apple really is stockpiling G5s!
  • Reply 10 of 239
    jerombajeromba Posts: 357member
    Too good to be true. But my wallet is ready ! In case of...
  • Reply 10 of 239
    [quote]Originally posted by jeromba:

    <strong>



    Moki, you know something that we don't.

    Please TELL!!!

    Maybe just to this. Are we gonna have G4 in N-Y ?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I bet all you'll get is a &lt;&lt;cryptic grin&gt;&gt;. Oh wait, that was Frandall's line?
  • Reply 12 of 239
    jerombajeromba Posts: 357member
    I know but I must to try
  • Reply 13 of 239
    sc_marktsc_markt Posts: 1,401member
    [quote]Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg:

    <strong>



    I dredged up this rumor because it's interesting to note that G5 rumors were at full burn at about that time. Now here we are nearing MWNY and still no G5s. Maybe Apple really is stockpiling G5s!</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Actually, to me, the rumor mill seems awfully quiet for a month before a macworld. Is it me or does anybody else think there should be more rumors floating around?
  • Reply 14 of 239
    g-newsg-news Posts: 1,107member
    What does make you think moki knows anything about future hardware anyway?

    There's nothing that would indicate such a thing, so he probably just knows as much as we do: nothing.



    G-News
  • Reply 15 of 239
    [quote]Originally posted by moki:

    <strong>These aren't the G5's you're looking for... move along.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I just wanted to say that this is the funniest AI quote of the year!
  • Reply 16 of 239
    wrong robotwrong robot Posts: 3,907member
    [quote]Originally posted by jeromba:

    <strong>I know but I must to try </strong><hr></blockquote>



    NO!



    DO! or Do not! there is no try
  • Reply 17 of 239
    [quote]Originally posted by moki:

    <strong>These aren't the G5's you're looking for... move along.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Perhaps not, maybe a different G5 is coming along?
  • Reply 18 of 239
    codewarriorcodewarrior Posts: 196member
    I'm just surprised all the NDA goodness from WWDC hasn't leaked out. I don't expect a G5 at MWNY 02, but expect something very, very major by MWSF 03. Apple's got to have something to run all this new software they've been buying especially if the rumors for the latest purchase are correct (Silicon Grail's RAYZ). Add that to Shake (Nothing Real) and you are 'only' missing the hardware to run it all.
  • Reply 19 of 239
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    *confirmed* Tony Smith has no legitimate sources, and the Register is a joke.
  • Reply 20 of 239
    myahmacmyahmac Posts: 222member
    hey its been a while since i heard of a confirmed thread. just another sign that the world is slipping into chaos. We are a month away from MWNY and the only confirmed thread is from last year. oh well, c'est la vie.
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